It’s Time to Defrost For the Season: De-Winterizing Your Ember

Hopefully, wherever you live in the US or Canada, the winter season is finally winding down.  Or, at the very least, you’re experiencing your final few flurries before Spring is truly here to stay.  While there are many exciting things to look forward to with the changing of the seasons, getting back on the road and out camping is definitely high on our list of things we’re most excited about!  Before you can hook up to your rig and hit the road, there are a few things you should do to dust off cobwebs and get your RV camping ready again after being in storage for a few months.  With this guide, you’ll be out exploring nature’s most stunning locations in no time!

Attach a hose to the Nautilus System

While in “city water” mode, attach your hose to your Nautilus System. Turn on the city water, being sure all of the faucets, showers, and spray ports are turned off.

Open all cold water faucets

Open all the cold water faucets in your rig (sinks and showers). Do this one at a time and run the faucets until the water runs clear, i.e., you see no antifreeze in the water. After you see each of the faucets running with completely clear water, do the same thing with the hot water side of the faucets.

Flush your toilet

After sitting for a few months, your toilet water is likely to come out looking cloudy. Flush your toilet until you notice the water coming out clear and free from any residue. Once you see clean water, you’re good to go!

Flush out the exterior spray port

Again, you’ll need to flush this system of the antifreeze that has been sitting in there for a little while. Turn on the spray port and let it run until the water comes out completely clear. Once it appears clean, you can turn it back off.

Sanitize water system

To do this, you’ll want to find a sanitizing product specifically made for this, or you can use a diluted bleach mixture. Just be careful not to add too much bleach to the solution! Once you have your sanitizing product or homemade cleaning solution, you can add that to your freshwater tank along with clean water and run it through your system. Once the tank is empty, refill it with clean water and run it through your system again.

Run the Truma Combi System

The last thing to accomplish to de-winterize your Overland Series unit is to give the Truma Combi System some love. Close the drain valve, and when you’re ready to use the Truma Combi’s water heater, turn the bypass valve to the open position to allow water to enter and fill up the tank.

After this is completed, run city water or water from your fresh water tank through your RV before turning the water heater on to ensure that the tank is filled.

Test other systems in your RV

The final step we recommend before hitting the road for the first time is to test other systems in your RV to ensure everything is in working order. Please refer to your owner’s manual for the maintenance schedule.  Turn on all of the lights on the exterior and interior of the RV. Take note of any lights that may need to be replaced. Especially the exterior lights that are necessary to safely tow your rig.

Test out your kitchen appliances, such as your refrigerator, stovetop, oven, and microwave, to make sure each one is running efficiently. If your rig has a fireplace, turn it on and let it run for a little bit. Test out your AV equipment, such as your TV, to see that it is good to go.

Once you have checked over everything and completed the rest of this checklist, your RV is camping-ready! The next step is to embark on your first adventure of the season and make as many memories as you can!