Question about winterizing

We’re supposed to have a colder than normal winter, ya know.  And more snow than normal...again.  We are excited for a nice winter of cross country skiing!

I’m not a pro.  Hopefully, some of them will weigh in here for you.  This is what we are doing.

We are in the South Puget Sound.  Last winter we had snow, and a few very cold nights.  It’s even dropped into the teens here.  So I blew all the water out of my 400’s plumbing and poured some RV antifreeze down my drains yesterday.  And, after lots of good shared knowledge and advice on this forum, I’m going to put a Battery Tender Plus on my camper’s battery.  The Battery Tender usually comes with a pigtail that you can leave attached to your battery.  Apparently, remaining plugged into shore power to keep the battery charged is less than optimal.

You can still use your T@B this winter, including the heat, fridge, stove, lighting....  Just don’t use the plumbing after you’ve winterized it.  We installed a composting toilet in our 400 to make it more boondockable, which also makes our T@B pretty easy to use in cold weather.

There are a number of folks here who camp in cold weather with their T@Bs.  Perhaps they will let you know how they manage their black and gray water when the weather dips below freezing.

There, now I’ve bumped your post back to the top.  Now the real pros can correct me!

@WeBeTabbin, It appears from the photo that you have a 2017 320 Outback. The advise from @dragonsdofly, and @Haloo is good solid advise for life in the North West. You might do as @dragonsdofly mentioned, and do a little more research to more familiarize yourself with the quick & easy "blow-out" method for your needs. I know there are others here on the Forum that use their T@Bs for a base camp while snow skiing, and hopefully they will chime in & share their experiences also.
Oh, And @Haloo, if you should run out of snow & need more cold, you're more than welcome to come visit the INLAND Northwest. Last year we had plenty of cold ( got down to a bone-chilling minus 19* here), snow, and a few ice storms thrown in just to break up the boredom of winter. We've ALREADY had our first round of snow, and more is expected within the week. Put yer skis in the T@B & head on over! 

WeBeTabbin said:

Hey all, I have a quick question for the pros. I have a 2017 t@b 400 outback. Up here in the Pac northwest we only dip below freezing occasionally in the winter and I am hesitant to winterize because we plan to use our tab year around. Being an avid skier, I'm planning on several weekend ski trips with her. I want to know considering the climate if it is safe to keep tab plugged into shore power for the winter and kick on the alde on the occasional 32 degree and below nights? Or is their a method of protection that is extremely short term so as to allow continued use? Thanks to any who can help!

It's pretty tough to keep the pipes warm to avoid winterizing. 

It's a bit of a pain, but a fairly quick job to blow out the water, and fill the traps with anti-freeze. 

Yeah, @WeBeTabbin, also needing mention is the exposed plumbing... The black and gray drain valves. 

It's important to send some antifreeze out through your gray and black tank gate valves, while working them open and closed a couple of times, to be sure that any water within their mechanism is displaced with antifreeze.

We learned that the hard way, and had to replace one of the valves, because it cracked from freezing water in it.

Also put a cup or two of antifreeze down the shower and sink drains to protect the drain traps.