Quote:
Originally Posted by rashton
Just moved our 07 safari to covered storage. we have power at the storage site ,what is the common wisdom on winter/full time plugging in the unit. we are fairly dry, central oregon high desert. should we have a dehumidifier, space heater, or just keep water lines dry in winter and no heat? also if some heat what abour vermin?
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Hi Ashton,
Considering you are in the dry, high desert of central OR, I would properly winterize the unit (I know it gets really cold there) by draining the water lines and then filling the system (less the water heater by using the bypass system) with specific, RV anti-freeze for water systems. I would NOT trust simply draining and air-flushing the system, as residual water in your valves can and will crack them in the cold without anti-freeze.
Plugging in will keep your battery charged, but the OEM converters that Airstream uses are only single stage units that can overcharge your batteries if left on for extended periods.
Plus, you don't want the chance to freeze your batteries if they are in a low state of charge, so the alternative to getting a 3-stage charger (or connecting one externally to the batteries) is to remove them and keep them in your garage on a trickle charger.
Other than cleaning the unit before putting it to sleep, you should be good to go.
In FL when I store my CCD for the 'winter' I have the opposite problem of keeping the interior free of mold. It doesn't freeze here, but gets very humid, and I use a couple of small marine heaters to keep the air dry and convection currents flowing!