The RV Winterization Checklist: Every Check in Order

Six stages, run in sequence: tanks, water heater, antifreeze, seals, battery, and a winter charging plan.

Every item is a check to make and note before the first hard freeze.

10 min read
Reviewed by Smart RV Hub Editorial TeamRV Technology Research and ReviewsReviewed
An RV bedded down for winterIllustration of a travel trailer parked for winter with snow falling, a cap of snow along the roof line, and a jug of pink RV antifreeze staged by the door ready for the winterizing sequence.

Quick Answer: What Does Winterizing an RV Involve?

Winterizing verifies the water system holds no plain water anywhere it can freeze, then puts the battery bank to bed charged.

The six checks below run in order and take most owners an afternoon.

Preparing for full storage? This page covers the winterizing sequence itself, and our interactive storage preparation checklist covers everything else about putting an RV away: tires, covers, rodents, insurance, and more.

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What Are the Six Winterization Stages?

Tanks drain first and the battery goes to bed last, because each stage protects the one after it.

The winterization sequence at a glance

Tap any stage to see what to check and note before your RV sleeps for the winter.

Tanks

Check that the fresh, gray, and black tanks are fully drained and the low point drains have run clear.

Note the date so spring flushing starts from a known state.

The Full Winterization Checklist

Work top to bottom and note the date, since spring dewinterizing starts from this record.

The route antifreeze takes through the RVA diagram of the antifreeze route through an RV water system. The line runs from the antifreeze jug into the water pump, past the bypassed water heater, and out to every fixture. At each station there is a check: two to three gallons on hand, the pickup hose drawing pink, the bypass valve set, and every tap running pink antifreeze.The route the antifreeze has to finishFour stations, and a check to make at each one1Antifreeze jugCheck 2 to 3 gallons on hand2Water pumpCheck the pickup hose draws pink3Heater bypassCheck the valve is on bypass4Every fixtureCheck each tap runs pinkOutside showers and low point drains count as fixtures, and they are the ones most often missed

Water system

  • Check the fresh water tank is drained and its drain valve closed afterward.
  • Check the gray and black tanks are emptied and flushed at a dump station.
  • Check both low point drains have run clear and are closed again.
  • Check the water heater is cooled, drained, and switched to bypass.
  • Inspect the anode rod while the plug is out and note its condition.
  • Check antifreeze reaches every hot and cold fixture, including outside showers.
  • Check the toilet bowl and each P trap hold a cup of antifreeze.
  • Note how many gallons the rig took for next season.

Openings and seals

  • Inspect roof seams and sealant, using our roof inspection checklist.
  • Pull every water filter cartridge before the freeze, since water left in a housing splits it, as covered in our RV water filter guide.
  • Check vent covers are sound and vents are cracked open if your storage plan calls for airflow.
  • Inspect the underbody and note any gap a mouse could enter.
  • Check window and door seals seat fully.

Battery and power

  • Check the bank is fully charged, then disconnected or switched off.
  • Note the resting voltage so spring reveals any decline.
  • Check flooded batteries have correct water levels before storage.
  • Check whether your storage spot allows a maintenance charger or a small solar panel to keep the bank topped up.
  • Check propane is off at the tank and detectors have fresh batteries for spring.

Why Do So Many Batteries Die Over Winter?

Lead acid banks self discharge in storage and are damaged by sitting flat, so spring is when weak banks get found out.

Based on published specs, LiFePO4 lithium holds charge for months in storage and is not harmed by resting at partial charge the way lead acid is.

Usable capacity from a 100Ah battery, AGM versus LiFePO4Horizontal bar chart of usable power from a 100 amp hour battery. An AGM battery, limited to about 50 percent depth of discharge, delivers about 50 usable amp hours. A LiFePO4 battery, rated for 80 to 100 percent depth of discharge, delivers 80 to 100 usable amp hours from the same rated size. Both sit against the same 100 amp hour rated capacity.Usable power from a 100Ah batterySame rated size, very different usable capacityAGM at 50% DoD50Ah usableLiFePO4 at 80 to 100% DoD80 to 100Ah usable050Ah100Ah ratedSame 100Ah rating, but lithium gives you far more usable power.

If this winter is your bank's last, our lithium battery guide compares the replacement options.

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RV Winterization Questions

What is on an RV winterization checklist?

An RV winterization checklist verifies six things in order: tanks drained, water heater bypassed, antifreeze through every fixture, openings sealed and vented, battery charged and disconnected, and a plan to keep the bank topped up.

Each item is a check you can make in the driveway with no special tools.

When should you winterize an RV?

Winterize before the first hard freeze in your area, since water expands as it freezes and split fittings follow.

In much of the north that is typically late September through October, so check your local first frost date.

How much RV antifreeze does winterizing take?

Most RVs take 2 to 3 gallons of nontoxic RV antifreeze, based on published guidance from antifreeze makers.

Larger rigs with washing machines or ice makers can take more, so note what yours used for next year.

Does antifreeze go in the fresh water tank?

No. The standard method draws antifreeze through the water pump with a pump converter kit or siphon hose, leaving the fresh tank empty.

Check the fresh tank is drained rather than filled.

Why does the water heater need a bypass?

Published tank specs put most RV water heaters at 6 to 10 gallons, so the bypass keeps that volume of antifreeze from being wasted filling a tank that is stored empty.

Check the bypass valve position before antifreeze goes in.

What happens to the RV battery over winter?

Check the bank is fully charged and disconnected, since parasitic loads flatten a stored battery in weeks.

Per published specs, lead acid self discharges much faster in storage than LiFePO4 lithium does.

Can you winterize with compressed air instead of antifreeze?

Some owners blow out the lines with low pressure air, and some use both methods together.

Check your manufacturer guidance, since fixture makers publish maximum air pressures.

Do you need to winterize if the RV is stored indoors?

Indoor storage that is reliably held above freezing can make water system winterizing unnecessary, but the battery, seal, and rodent checks still apply.

Unheated indoor storage still freezes, so the full checklist still runs.

What does professional winterizing cost?

Published dealer service menus commonly price winterizing between about $100 and $250.

Running this checklist yourself costs the price of antifreeze.

Related Checklists and Guides

RV Maintenance Checklist

The year round cadence this checklist belongs to.

Storage Preparation Checklist

The full interactive guide to putting an RV away.

RV Roof Inspection Checklist

Check the roof before months of snow sit on it.

Best Lithium Batteries for RVs

If the bank does not survive the winter.

Is Renting Out Your RV Worth It?

What owners earn listing the rig in the months it would otherwise sit.

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