Winterizing your motorhome
Winter is just around the corner and if you are not planning to use your motorhome during this time, you should definitely “winterize” it to prevent damage.
In this article, you will learn step by step how to properly prepare your motorhome for winter. From protecting against frost damage to caring for the interior and exterior – you’ll find all the important information here.
Table of contents
Why is it important to winterize the motorhome?
Cold, snow and frost can cause serious damage to vehicle technology and interior fittings. Water pipes, tanks and sensitive electrical components are particularly susceptible. A well-prepared motorhome not only saves on expensive repairs, but also enables a quick start to the next season without any nasty surprises.
Step-by-step guide: How to winterize your motorhome
Emptying and cleaning the water systems
Water and frost are not good friends. If water pipes and tanks freeze in winter, they can burst. To prevent this, you should:
- Empty the fresh water and gray water tanks completely and clean them at the same time.
- Empty the water pipes and pump by opening all taps and letting the pump run until no more water comes out. Then leave the taps open.
- The toilet flush should also be emptied completely.
Battery care in winter
If your motorhome is not used for a longer period of time, improper storage of the vehicle battery can lead to a loss of performance or even permanent damage. It is therefore particularly important to maintain and store your battery correctly so that it is still fully functional after the winter break.
Here you can find out how to winterize the battery in your motorhome and protect it optimally.
- Before you shut down your motorhome for the winter, you should fully charge the battery. A fully charged battery is less susceptible to deep discharges, which can significantly shorten its service life.
- Use a charger that is suitable for the battery type (lead-acid, gel, AGM, lithium, etc.). A LiFePO4 charger can be found in our online store.
- It is not absolutely necessary to remove or disconnect the battery, but you should check the charge level or voltage of the battery regularly and charge the battery if necessary.
- If you wish, you can of course still disconnect the battery from the vehicle electrical system. This will prevent devices in standby mode or small consumers from slowly draining the battery. Important: Make sure you disconnect the negative terminal first to prevent short circuits.
To be on the safe side, you should inform yourself about the handling recommendations of your battery manufacturer.
Below you will find some information about our Supervolt lithium batteries concerning our Supervolt lithium batteries:
If the temperature remains above -20°C for storage of less than one month and above -5°C for storage of less than 6 months, this is not necessary.
As devices in standby mode or small consumers can slowly drain the battery, we recommendusing our on/off switch to switch offthe Supervolt battery when the vehicle is not in use for a longer period of time. This effectively prevents the battery from being discharged over a longer period of time.
We recommend only sending LiFePO4 batteries with a state of charge of 50 % (SOC) or more into the winter break and checking and recharging them every 6 months.
The on/off switch is connected to the right-hand port (RJ45-1).
The switch prevents the battery from being charged or discharged. The Bluetooth
initially remains active, but switches to standby mode after some time.
In the case of parallel connections, the switch should be attached to each individual battery. 
Even though our batteries are protected against deep discharge during use by the BMS(batterymanagementsystem), there is a risk that the battery will discharge itself if it is not used for a longer period of time.
Although the discharge rate is only 3% per month, if the battery is not used for 6 months in a low state of charge, the battery may discharge itself to a critical point.
The battery should therefore be stored at over 50% and, if possible, checked and recharged every 6 months.
Due to the BMS and the Bluetooth module, the battery discharges at 3% of the original capacity per month.
Devices in standby mode or small consumers can also slowly drain the battery. For this reason, the Supervolt battery should be switched offusing our on/off switch when the vehicle is not used for a longer period of time.
We also recommend checking the battery voltage regularly. You can do this using our app.
If the voltage is below 13 volts, the battery should be charged.
If the temperature remains above -20°C for storage of less than one month and above -5°C for storage of less than 6 months, it is not necessary to disconnect our Supervolt batteries.
However, if you prefer, you can also disconnect our lithium batteries and store them indoors.
We recommend storing the LiFePO4 batteries at a state of charge of 50 % (SOC) or more and checking and recharging them every 6 months.
- Storage temperature < 1 month: -20 to +50°C
- Storage temperature > 1 month: -5 to +40°C
Our LiFePO4 lithium battery can still be used normally at temperatures below 0°. However, it cannot be charged as the lithium ions crystallize at the cathodes and capacity is lost. But don’t worry, our BMS reliably switches off the charging process automatically at below 0° thanks to the temperature sensor.
As soon as a temperature above 0° is reached again, charging is possible again. To do this, simply check the temperature status in the Supervolt app.
No, this is not possible as the battery would otherwise lose its service life. Our BMS prevents charging at temperatures below 0°.
Our batteries from the Polar series allow charging down to -30°.
This is usually because the BMS is in undervoltage protection. This triggers when the battery is empty.
In order for the BMS to release the battery again, currents must be applied to the battery terminals.
The best way to do this is via the alternator by starting the engine briefly.
This is often not possible with many smart chargers using shore power, as they only charge when they detect the voltage from the battery.
However, as the battery is in protection mode, it does not emit any voltage.
Solution therefore:
- Connect normal 12V charger until BMS releases again
- Start the engine and enable the BMS via the alternator
After a long winter break, the BMS must be recalibrated. In motorhomes, there are
often small consumers that are not detected by the shunt, but which nevertheless discharge the
battery over time. It is therefore possible that the battery is in undervoltage protection
but displays 80%. In this case, please fully charge the battery.
Full does not just mean until the app displays 100%, but until the individual cell voltage has reached 3.6V. Depending on the charger, this may take several hours. Only after a full charge is the BMS calibrated and displays the correct values.
Preparing the interior
Indoors, there are a few measures you should take before winter:
- Remove all upholstery and textiles to prevent mold growth.
- Empty and clean the refrigerator, leaving the door ajar to allow air to circulate.
- Care should also be taken to ensure that cupboards and storage compartments remain dry – in other words, leave the doors open.
- You should also remove electrical appliances that are sensitive to the cold, such as kitchen appliances or mobile radios.
Even if your motorhome is parked in a garage or a safe place over the winter, it should still be aired regularly to prevent mold growth.
It is advisable to install a dehumidifier with dry granulate. This should be emptied regularly.
Preparing the vehicle from the outside
The bodywork and roof of your motorhome should also be protected from the winter weather. Here are a few tips:
- Thorough cleaning before winter protects against dirt deposits and corrosion.
- Treat window and door seals with special care products so that they remain supple in winter and do not let moisture through.
- If your motorhome is parked outside, you can use a motorhome cover to protect it from snow, rain and UV rays. Make sure that the cover is breathable to prevent moisture build-up.
If your motorhome stands still for a long time over the winter, the tires can be damaged by the one-sided load. It is advisable to increase the air pressure slightly or use special tire pads to reduce the pressure on the tires. Alternatively, you can also place the motorhome on wheel chocks or, if possible, relieve the load on the tires by jacking up the vehicle.
Gas cylinders in winter: What you need to consider
If your motorhome is shut down for the cold months and you have a gas cylinder on board, there are a few things you should bear in mind here too:
- Before you mothball your motorhome for the winter, you must close the gas cylinder valves tightly. This will prevent gas from escaping uncontrollably.
- Disconnect the gas cylinders from the system and, if possible, remove them completely from the motorhome.
- Store the gas cylinders in a well-ventilated, frost-free place. A garage or shed that is dry and offers sufficient air supply is ideal. Gas cylinders must never be stored in closed rooms without ventilation, as even small leaks can be dangerous.
- Avoid extreme temperature fluctuations and direct sunlight, as this can affect the pressure in the gas cylinder.
- Remember that the gas pipes and the gas filter can also react sensitively to the cold. To prevent the pipes from becoming blocked by freezing condensation, you should make sure that they are also well cleaned and vented before the motorhome goes into hibernation.
Conclusion: winterizing your motorhome
Winterizing a motorhome is an important task to protect your vehicle over the cold months and avoid unpleasant surprises next season. With the right preparation, you can prevent expensive repairs and ensure that your motorhome is ready to go again in spring.
If you follow these steps carefully, nothing will stand in the way of a carefree start to the new camping season!
