Get Your RV & Boat Ready for Winter Storage With MiracleMist
If you own a boat or an RV (or both), you know that summers are full of fun, adventure, and exploration. However, as the weather gets colder, summer fun has to come to an end, and now it’s time to put your grown-up toys away for the winter.
While winter preparation is crucial, not everyone knows how to do it correctly. In a worst-case scenario, when you try to use your RV or boat next spring, you’ll wind up with a massive repair bill, or you’ll have to replace your favorite means of transportation. So, with that in mind, let’s look at the best steps you could take to get your RV and/or boat winter ready.
How to Get Your RV or Boat Ready for Winter Storage
Technically, the first step is to start early. Ideally, you’ll prepare your RV or boat in late September or early October. If you wait until after Halloween, you might be doing more harm than good.
That said, if you love to camp or go boating in the fall months, you can wait a bit longer before storing your vehicle. What matters is that the RV or boat is getting used frequently, so it’s easier to avoid problems like rust or mildew.
Step One: Clean Out the Contents
It’s easy to leave your RV or boat filled with supplies until next year. This way, you can be sure that nothing is missing next time you want to take your toy for a spin. However, we’re not saying that you need to keep everything outside of your RV or boat all winter long. You can put everything back once you’re finished, but it will be much harder to clean everything if you have a bunch of stuff in the way.
Another benefit of cleaning out all the interior contents is that you can inspect each piece and determine if it’s usable or if you need to replace it. You can also clean each item so it’s ready to go for next season.
Step Two: Clean the Interior and Exterior
Fortunately, there are many cleaning agents available to make this job a lot easier. If you have a boat, make sure it’s fully dry before using boat hull cleaner or other boat cleaning supplies. Otherwise, the water could interfere with the results and lead to dirty spots after you’re finished.
Realistically, you should expect to spend a few hours cleaning the inside and outside of your RV or boat. Even with the best RV cleaner, you still have to use quite a bit of elbow grease to get your rig looking new. While you don’t necessarily have to deep clean every inch of your vehicle, the more work you put in now, the less you’ll have to clean when spring rolls around again.
Step Three: Run Antifreeze Through the Lines
If you live in an area with ice and snow, you don’t want water freezing inside your RV or boat. Otherwise, the ice can crack the lines and lead to substantial damage once it thaws. Also, if the lines are broken, water and other fluids can leak out, creating even more damage inside the rig.
One way to avoid fluid and water freezing over the winter is to empty all the tanks before it gets too cold. However, if you don’t have anywhere to put all these liquids, you can simply add antifreeze and run it through the lines.
Step Four: Remove Batteries
Just as liquids can freeze and cause irreparable damage to your RV or boat, batteries can slowly drain and corrode during the winter. So, it’s best to remove all batteries and keep them in a relatively warm and dry environment. Keep in mind that your rig will have both starter and deep-cycle batteries, so you need to remove all of them. Also, don’t do this before moving your vehicle into its final spot for the winter, not if you plan to drive it there. For boats, it’s a bit easier because you’ll need to use a trailer to store them anyway.
Another consideration to make is whether you want to keep your batteries charged over the winter. Some experts say you should, while others say it doesn’t matter either way. However, if you don’t keep the batteries charged, they will likely be dead by the time you re-install them, so keep that in mind.
If you are going to charge your batteries over the winter, use a trickle charger so it doesn’t overload the system and cause damage.
Step Five: Cover Your RV or Boat
Finally, the best way to keep your RV or boat safe and secure during the winter is to use a cover. If you don’t have a form-fitting cover, a tarp should work well in a pinch.
The goal of covering your vehicle is that it offers an extra layer of protection and insulation from the elements. You can also help prevent pests from calling your boat or RV home during the colder months. While a cover won’t necessarily keep the vehicle clean and dust-free, it will save you a lot of time when you unveil your rig next spring.
Get Miracle Mist Mold Removal Spray Today!
If you want the best mildew cleaner and boat seat cleaner on the market, Miracle Mist is the best option around. This cleaning solution works on almost all surfaces, and it can save you a lot of time and hassle. Let our cleaner work hard for you, not the other way around. Contact us today to order your first shipment!
