RV dealers charge $300-$500 for winterization services that take literally 20 minutes and cost under $15 in materials. The shocking truth? You’re paying $1,200 per hour for someone to blow compressed air through your lines and pour $12 worth of RV antifreeze into your system.
Here’s what really blew my mind: that pink antifreeze they use? It’s the same propylene glycol you can buy at Walmart for $3 per gallon instead of the $8 ‘RV-specific’ stuff at Camping World. The process is so simple that most veteran RVers do it during commercial breaks while watching TV.
Former dealership tech revealed the real secret: the bypass valves are the only tricky part, and once you know where yours are located (check your manual), winterization becomes a 15-minute job:
- Drain water tanks and lines ($0 – just open valves)
- Pour 2-3 gallons of antifreeze through the system ($9)
- Run antifreeze through faucets until pink ($5 more antifreeze)
- Add antifreeze to toilet and drains ($3)
The kicker? Many RVs have a winterization kit already installed that lets you suck antifreeze directly from the jug—no water heater bypass needed. Dealers ‘forget’ to mention this $500 factory option you may already own. One couple saved $2,000 over five years just by watching a 10-minute YouTube video instead of paying for this ‘expert service.’