Camper

TICA

TICA

Senior Member
Location
East Coast
I bought this old travel trailer (1979) with the thought that if my house sells this year, I'll take the critters and park it on the new property while the new house is being built. It is in good shape considering the age of it, but I'm not sure if there are things that need to be done to get it ready for winter. If the house doesn't sell by the end of September, I'll take it off the market and list again in the Spring as I don't want to spend a cold East Coast winter in a trailer but I want to do whatever is required so that it will be ready to rock and roll in the Spring.

So..... does anyone out there have any helpful hints? It has an 8 :cool:Track!!!!!!

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TICA....looks like a nice trailer for its age. The few things we do when we go south is you must make sure all the water lines are blown out and RV (pink color) anti freeze are put in all drains. Don!t forget shower and toilet. Walmart has the anti freeze you need.

We remove all food items that will freeze and take them with us. Stuff newspapers in the refrigerator and keep door open. Prevents mold and musty smell.


Get a large box of dryer sheets and put them everywhere. Keeps trailer smelling nice and mouse free. We do put a box of mouse pellets in just to be on the safe side.


Good luck with it and if I think of anything else, I will post it here.
 
That is a nice trailer TICA! If there's a water heater, that needs to be drained also. A tarp can be put over the roof for protection from snow, or at least over the roof vents. If it can be at a slight angle, it will help with snowmelt runoff. I use the dryer sheets too Pappy...although our camper sits in our pickup truck. Cleaning the outside metal parts with WD40, might also be a good idea.
 
Dang, TICA, I'm almost ready to hunt you down and haul that puppy down to Florida, pulling it with my bare hands all the way if I have to! :playful:

Nice looking rig. Unfortunately I have zero experience with trailers so I can't give you any advice, just wish you good luck with it. I guess an Eastern winter WOULD be a toughie in one of those, although with all the trailer parks around here they must come up with something beside kerosene heaters .... :eek-new:
 
Ozarkgal said:
Very nice clean looking trailer. No tips from me, never owned a trailer...
horse trailers don't count.:rolleyes: Are you planning on building your house or barn first?
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I've never owned a trailer either so am sitting here wondering why I bought it. I think I was just getting anxious thinking the house would sell with a quick possession date and I'd have no place to go while the house was being built. The horses are at a boarding stable but I have 3 cats and 2 dogs. I wouldn't rent a house to me with that kind of critter population so I can't expect anyone else to. Anyway, it is giving me some comfort knowing I won't be homeless but I'm not looking forward to a winter in it. It has a bathroom and a furnace and a kitchen and places for propane and seriously - I don't have a clue! I'm planning on having a temporary power pole put in and hope all the gadgets work on electricity. I have a little electric heater that looks like a fireplace so that should heat the thing.

As for the house or barn first, probably the house and the barn will come after I see how much money is left. Was going to do the barn first and just enclose a few stalls, insulate and park my butt there, but I now think that the barn size might change depending on what is left over so am taking the cautious route.

PHIL - lots of people here winter in Florida and I think it's about a 2 day drive. This trailer is a tow behind it would be possible! I've actually committed to selling it to a friend when I'm done with it so sorry buddy, you're out of luck.

Seebreeze - I was going to put a tarp on for the winter but everything I've read on the internet says don't do that because it keeps the condensation in - now I'm confused!

I've been looking on Pinterest for ideas and am holding myself back from completely re-doing the inside. Nothing wrong with it now, other than the old ugly fake wood walls, but it would look real cute painted up. Might be my next project.

Thanks for the tips my friends!
 
Not sure about the condensation build up TICA, I just know a lot of folks in my area do that every winter.
 
Haven't tarped mine in 14 years. If your roof looks okay, I wouldn't worry about it. The roof seams should be gone over with a sealer every couple years.

Below is our heater which takes chill out, but I would not spend a winter in ours because there is little insulation and they cool down real fast. Oh, and be sure you have a fire alarm at each end and a carbon dioxide detector. Very important when using propane.
 
We also have an older model camper.. It is a 21 foot Prowler and it is a 1986 model..
We simply love it and use it every summer.. Ours is in perfect showroom condition and we pride ourselves in keeping it that way.. Everything works and there are NO scratches or dents anywhere.. It is also very heavy (6000 pounds) compared to the new models of today.. Built to last !!!

I also cover it up for winter with a huge tarp that not only covers the roof but down the sides and front and rear.. Remember the winters where I live are much more severe than where you live.. If it is covered, for sure the roof won't leak in the spring when it is sunny and warm in the day and the water freezes at night making it a nightmare for some of the older models..
I also place some poison on the floor in a container just in case some mice get in but it never happened so far.. YET !!!
It is extremely important to make sure there is absolutely NO water in the pipes or anywhere for winter including the holding tanks, hot water tank, potable water tank, and toilet.. That pink antifreeze is great and worth every penny.. USE IT OR LOSE IT !!! Use plenty of it as it is MUCH cheaper to buy it rather than changing the plumbing come spring.. I recycle mine every year.. Use about 7 gallons of the stuff..

Remove the propane tanks for winter.. Leave the fridge door slightly open for air.. Remove all batteries including the one for the smoke detector..
Brace the trailer as if you were camping with the 4 stands for support (front and rear).. Make very sure all your windows and vents are closed properly..
Lock the door and "Good-Bye till spring..
 
I've roughed it before and like you TWHRider, washed my hair outside with cold water many times! I'm relieved I have the camper, but still looking into alternatives to staying in it while the house is being built. There hasn't been any water in the lines this year at all, so I think I'm OK with pipes not freezing. I've been hauling water from the house to do the cleaning and must admit, it's coming along. The house hasn't sold as the market is very slow here right now and the banks have also raised interest rates so that isn't helping. I'm OK with spending another winter here. I've been checking on line for BIG tarps and will pick one up before the cold weather hits.
 
Tica.............

How are you doing with your trailer ???
Have you winterized it yet ?? If not, please do it very soon and cover the roof with a tarp.. That way, for sure the roof won't leak..
Very important to put the plumbing antifreeze (pink stuff) in all your pipes.. Frozen and busted pipes are expensive to fix..
 
Thanks Steve! I just bought a huge tarp that will more than cover it. It's been really warm here the last few days (22C today) and sunny, so am going to tarp it tonight. The house hasn't sold although the market is picking up now. People are worried interest rates are rising so you never know if the house will sell or not. I don't really care to be honest. I can't see staying in the camper this time of year, but if the house sells in the Spring, at least I won't be homeless. lol

There hasn't been any water in the pipes at all so not too worried about that for now. I'm leery about putting antifreeze in it because it's deadly for cats and dogs and I have both.
 
Tica....
Please don't worry about the animals as the antifreeze isn't harmful to both humans and animals.. It isn't the same as the antifreeze you use in your vechicle.. This is called "plumbing antifreeze" and it is pink in colour.. Ask the local hardware store about it... PLEASE !!!
Should there be even just a bit of water in the pipes from long time ago, the pipes will freeze and bust..
 
Steve said:
Tica....
Please don't worry about the animals as the antifreeze isn't harmful to both humans and animals.. It isn't the same as the antifreeze you use in your vechicle.. This is called "plumbing antifreeze" and it is pink in colour.. Ask the local hardware store about it... PLEASE !!!
Should there be even just a bit of water in the pipes from long time ago, the pipes will freeze and bust..
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Sorry to disagree, Steve, but a quick search on "plumbing antifreeze" shows that the major components are propylene glycol and various alcohols, none of which are safe for either humans or animals.

Unless you're talking about a specific brand that doesn't use them ... :confused:
 
Steve is absolutly right. It will not harm your animals. And, there could be water still in the traps. Walmart has tons of this antifreeze and sells up here for $2.97 a gallon.

i prefer to have pipes blown out with an air compressor. Been doing this for 20 years. You only need a couple gallons to put in all traps. Sink, toilet, shower and in our case, dishwasher and washing machine.
 
I have no intentions of ever using the pipes anyway so I'm not willing to take the chance on the critters getting sick or worse.... I know that sounds strange, but the camper is a short term solution. The builder will put the well in before the house gets built so I'll just hook up a hose for water. If I need hot water, I'll heat it on the BBQ, and I'll have a "Johnny on the Spot" rented to have a bathroom of sorts. As for showers, I'll be visiting my sister frequently. lol Yup, I'm not much of a girly girl and don't mind using an outdoor toilet and roughing it.

After I'm actually in the house, I'll sell the camper if I can get what I paid and if not, it will become an extra space for visitors to sleep or just a place to hang out and listen to some music or read or I'll have it moved to the back of the property so we can day trips on the horses and have a place to rest. If that happens, I'm going to gut it and re-do the inside. I'd love to do that now, but am trying REALLY hard to save my pennies so the camper is "as is" for now.

Or Phil can come and pick it up and haul it to Florida!!!!
 
Tarp is on the camper so should be leak proof for the winter! It hasn't leaked all summer but this should make sure it doesn't during the winter.

It's turned into my new lawn ornament.:lofl:
 
TICA said:
Tarp is on the camper so should be leak proof for the winter! It hasn't leaked all summer but this should make sure it doesn't during the winter.

It's turned into my new lawn ornament.:lofl:
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LOL! Beats having those wooden ornaments with the old lady bending over showing her polka-dot bloomers. Every time I see one of those I get the strongest urge to deface private property.

I saw this one for sale on Craigslist in their Florida / Space Coast listings -

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$3,000 cash money outright purchase, or $300 down / $150/month. Lot rent is $380 + electric. Actually appears decent on the inside, but the listing calls it an "Immobile RV Rent-To-Own or Purchase". First I thought an Immobile was a brand name, but now that I think about it that would be really poor marketing for an RV ... :rolleyes:
 
TWHRider said:
$300, period, might be better - that might be all it's worth for scrap, IMO.

It's not running for whatever reason. Could be something simple that a non-mechanic wouldn't know how to fix or it could be something major like a blown motor, transmission, rear end that would cost a fortune to fix to get it hauled out of there because it's only livable when the sun is shining (meaning there's leaks all over the place.

RV's that don't run are something to "run don't walk" away from. They are the Primo White Elephant's of the camping world.
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I would agree if we were talking about mere mortals.

Remember - you're speaking with a former U-Haul mechanic.

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You're right though about the engine or tranny - those are a bit more than I want to get into, especially in something whose age isn't even stated (I wonder why?) ...
 
Mine is a tow behind so no motor to worry about although my Kia wouldn't stand a chance trying to tow it! When/if the time comes, I'll hire someone with a megatruck to tow it where I want it. I just love the U-Haul wagon though. I could see hooking up the horse and taking a spin!:playful:

I like the idea of decorating it - wonder what the neighbors would think!!
 
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