The 5-Minute RV Winterizing Step Many Owners Overlook

You winterized the lines, pump, fixtures, and the batteries are squared away. You’re ready to lock up for the season, right?

Not so fast…

There’s one more step most RV owners overlook, and it has nothing to do with the plumbing system itself. Long after the antifreeze is in and the water’s blown out, you’ve still got potential freeze damage hiding in plain sight. The shampoos in your shower, the dish soap under the sink, even the coffee maker on the counter – these are all risks once the temperatures drop.

As temperatures drop, these items may separate, thicken, or expand, pushing past caps, cracking containers, and leaking into cabinets and drawers. That damage sits quietly all winter and shows up in the spring as warped shelves, stained linings, or a sticky mess you forgot existed.

The fix is simple: once the mechanical side of winterizing is done, take a few extra minutes to do a full sweep for anything that holds liquid. Toiletries, cleaners, drinks, food items, small appliances with reservoirs, and extra lines connected to the fridge or sink all deserve a second look. Drain, remove, or store them upright in a protected space.

The 5-minute liquids sweep

Move clockwise from the entry and open every door, drawer, and compartment once. Use a tote for anything you’re taking home and a small bin for upright bottles that will ride in climate-controlled storage.

1. Bathroom: Pull shampoo, conditioner, soaps, lotions, mouthwash, toothpaste, nail polish remover. Check the vanity and the shower caddy.
2. Kitchen: Remove bottled water, sodas, juices, sauces, and any cans that could split at the seams. Bin cooking oils upright or take them home.
3. Cleaners and chemicals: Grab dish soap, sprays, bleach solutions, vinegar, laundry liquids, and tank treatments.
4. Appliances and fixtures:
   • Coffee makers and pod brewers: empty the removable reservoirs and purge any internal tank per the manual.
   • Refrigerator water and ice: shut off the supply, clear remaining ice, and drain the line using the manufacturer’s procedure.
   • Humidifiers, diffusers, portable dehumidifiers: empty and dry their tanks or buckets.
   • Water filter cartridges: remove and store indoors, or plan to replace in spring.
5. Storage zones people miss: Outside kitchen, basement bins, bedside drawers, fridge, and freezer door shelves.
6. Last step: Prop fridge and freezer doors open so air circulates.

A note on freezing points

Not everything with liquid in it freezes the same way. Many products don’t turn to solid ice at 32°F. They might just thicken, separate, or expand slowly. That’s still enough to push out through weak caps or split open a seam. When that happens inside a cabinet, the damage usually isn’t noticed until spring (unless you do periodic walk-throughs, which you should if you can). By then, you’re dealing with warped shelves, soft spots, or sticky residue you didn’t know was there.

If it has any water content, or even the potential to swell or change consistency in the cold, it’s worth draining, removing, or storing safely.

Make it part of your routine

Tie this sweep to the end of your winterizing checklist. Finish the plumbing, then do the liquids pass. One lap through the RV prevents leaks that quietly ruin wood and laminates, and it makes spring opening faster and cleaner.