Storing Motorhome

[awesomeman]

Hi everyone I have a 25ft minnie winnie class c motorhome. I really love it and use it often. Since I am new to this stuff I have some basic questions concerning storage. I live in south florida so no need to winterize. More just protect against heat and humidity.

When my rv is not in use, please give me pointers to protect it.
Obviously its under cover with wheel and winshield covers.

-How long is the water in the tank good for.( How much clorox do you use)
-How do you drain the fresh water tank
-how do i protect house and car batteries. Do I plug into 15 amp with adapter or have an electrician install 30 amp.
-should i run a/c year round or put a dehumidifier in.

Those are just for now, but Im open to any and all pointers! I really love this thing and want it to last.

[Dusty_R]

The only time we sanitize our fresh tank is when it's new, we have our own well water. We only drain the fresh water tank is in the winter when it will freeze.
Our first mh was new in '89. We are now on our 3rd one.

Dusty

[kwright]

Does anyone know of a good storage facility for a motorhome near Navarre beach, florida

[maillemaker]

-How long is the water in the tank good for.( How much clorox do you use)
-How do you drain the fresh water tank
-how do i protect house and car batteries. Do I plug into 15 amp with adapter or have an electrician install 30 amp.
-should i run a/c year round or put a dehumidifier in.

I drain my freshwater tank after every use. I pull all 4 drain valves and open all faucets so there is no vacuum lock and the system drains completely. I do not even use the air blower fitting to "blow out" the water as it never blows anything out as the system is well designed and the water runs out from gravity alone.

We use our RV about every month, so all I do is I installed a battery cut-off switch for both the engine and house batteries, so every time I park the RV I disconnect the batteries. Otherwise parasitic losses, like the hard-wired Propane/CO detector, will drain the batteries.

There should be no need for a dehumidifier or running the AC. I leave both my roof vents open.

Steve

[CharlesinGA]

First off, welcome to RV.NET, and welcome to the world of RVing. You don't say what year your MH is, and how you keep the batteries charged is dependent on what power converter (takes 120v AC and makes 12v DC) you have. About 2014 Winnebago switched to a multi-stage power converter, that charges weak batteries at a high rate, then drops back and eventually drops back to an even lower voltage of about 13.2 or so, to maintain the batteries.

The multi-stage converter will not boil your batteries and you will only need to add water a couple of times a year (check every month or so tillyou get a handle on how much water they are using). With the Multi-stage converter, you can leave it plugged up 24/7 but the house battery switch by the door MUST be ON for the batteries to charge.

If you have an older single stage converter, they are notorious for boiling the batteries, and it would be best to not leave it plugged up 24/7 but rather plug it up for a couple of hours every two weeks or so, or put it on a timer, or use a external battery maintainer clipped to the batteries, or replace the converter with a new multi-stage unit.

Power cord and plug. There is really no reason to install a 30 amp receptacle unless you plan on living in the MH. For storage, a 15 amp to 30 amp dogbone like is found at Harbor Freight or Walmart will work just fine. Most 15 amp receptacles in modern houses are powered by a 20 amp breaker and 12 gauge wire, and this will even run your A/C should you want to use it, or it will easily run a de-humidifier if you want to keep one inside it (be sure and rig up a drain tube to the outside so it doesn't floor the MH)

Should you decide to install a 30 amp receptacle, and you have someone else do this, make extremely clear to them, that this is a ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY VOLT circuit and NOT, I repeat, NOT, a 240v circuit. Many pro electricians and amateurs alike, will casually mistake the RV TT-30 plug and receptacle for a 30 amp/240v three prong dryer plug and wire it up this way, which will destroy your appliances and power converter............ do not let this happen.

I do not have a gravity fill for the water tank, I can only pressure fill it with a hose thru the fitting and selector valve in the water compartment. Therefore, I hook the hose to the MH, set the selector to tank fill, and pour a cup of clorox in the hose, and hook it to the spigot/hose bib/faucet (whatever you call it in your part of the world) and fill the tank with water. I do this every fill and do not worry with dumping the tank during long periods of inactivity. I do NOT drink the water, I use bottled water.

I am considering a liquid fertilizer garden hose siphon injector to get the Clorox in the tank as it is sometimes difficult to get all of a cup of Clorox in the hose. Warning, use regular old Clorox, do NOT use the new anti-splash stuff that has gel additives in it, and do not use lemon scented Clorox either.

Charles

[toedtoes]

Covers - it's a personal preference. I found it to be more of a pain than it was worth because I use my RV most every month. In addition, I am in and out of it at home and the cover gets in the way of that (and the dogs to sit in the cab and watch the neighborhood goings on.

Water - if you're using it regularly then draining isn't really necessary because you're going through it. If I do empty my fresh water tank, I just run it through my faucets and dump my grey tank. Again, I use it regularly, so I don't worry if there is some left.

Sanitizing - unlike most here, I use swimming pool chlorine granules to sanitize. I use about 1 tablespoon for my 40gal tank. I prefer it because I don't have to do multiple flushes to get rid of the icky clorox taste. I add the granules, fill the tank, let sit overnight and then run through the faucets until empty. Then I simply fill the tank again and I'm good to go. I do drink and cook from my tank and have had no problems. I do only fill from my home water as I have quality water. I have only sanitized twice - once when I first got it and once after I had been sick and it had sat for several months.

Batteries - maintaining the batteries will be affected more by your converter/charger than whether you hook into 15 or 30 amps.

15 vs. 30 amps - if you plan on using your RV at home and using the AC and other electrical appliances at the same time, you will be better off with the 30 amp. If you won't be using multiple items at once then the 15 amp is probably fine. I would start with the 15 for now and if you trip the breaker then upgrade to the 30 amp.

I use the buckets of damprid. For my 21ft rig, a single bucket lasts about 3 months. I make sure to open cabinets with bottles of liquids as the bottles will sweat and must. I wouldn't run the AC constantly.

[MobileBasset]

I have a small Winnebago also and live in Central FL. My RV habits are different than most I read about here. I have inside storage for it (commercial facility). I use it all winter for trips at least once a month and exercise systems monthly whether I need them or not (generator, AC). I use the propane furnace during the winter and forget about it the rest of the time. During the summer hot months I usually do not use it for trips but monthly I take it out for an RV day. I drive it somewhere for about an hour, run the generator, look everything over and do whatever needs done. It is a pleasant exercise. Me and my RV. I do no special battery charging other than the RV day. I bought it new and have been doing this for 4 years with no problems. I empty the water tank and do the sanitizing once per year at the beginning of my winter season, using 1/4 bleach per 10 gallons (so 1 cup for my 40gal tank), sit for a few hours then empty, rinse, empty, fill. The water tank valve is in a cubby under the foot of the bed mattress platform right next to the pump. Of course it is awkward to get to.
Oh and I forgot -I use marine grade Stabil in the gas to keep the generator running well on my usage schedule.

[Mickeyfan0805]

There are others who are likely better equipped to answer some of your questions. At the outset, I would make these points...

1) Be thoughtful on your use of a cover. You say you use the camper often. There is debate over whether covers should be used at all, but I would sincerely question the value of a cover for anything other than seasonal storage. I would caution that frequent placement and removal of a cover could do more damage to your exterior coatings and decor than just leaving it uncovered.

2) During the season, I only drain my fresh water tank once or twice. But, we don't drink from it, and often don't cook with it. I do sanitize each spring - Google that process and it is readily explained.

3) Our FW tank has a little faucet-like drain that is nothing more than a small level that opens the valve.

4) A lot of people use battery-tenders of different sorts for batteries. We have a TT, so I will leave that advice to those with MH's. That said, no need for 30amp at the house unless you want to run the air.

5) We use AC when we need it and run fans when we don't. Not sure we would want the hassle or expense of an additional system.

Good luck!!

[janstey58]

-How long is the water in the tank good for.( How much clorox do you use) I leave water in all season, just add city chlorinated water as needed. BUT, we do not drink tank water, only bottled.
-How do you drain the fresh water tank There is a drain plug or valve in your system.
-how do i protect house and car batteries. Do I plug into 15 amp with adapter or have an electrician install 30 amp. 15A will provide charging current no problem. Just make sure you have a multi-stage charger, or you will need to check water levels often.
-should i run a/c year round or put a dehumidifier in. No advice on this one being from the Midwest.

[Sam_Spade]

How often do you use it ?

I'm in central Florida and do pretty much NOTHING except keep the batteries up. How you do that depends on where it's parked and how good your built-in charger is.

I worry more about varmints and bugs than humidity.

I try not to solve problems until I know for sure that they actually exist.

I do not drink the water from the tank so I don't worry too much about that.

As long as you don't have an internal source of humidity......like a water leak, the heat buildup should keep the moisture content lower than it is outside. As long as there is no condensation, a relatively high humidity should not be a problem.

Others will, no doubt, have widely varying opinions.