RV Winter Storage: How to Put Your Camper to Bed for the Season

Well, friend — for a lot of us, the season's winding down. The nights are getting cold, the leaves are turning, and it's about time to tuck the rig away until spring. I always get a little wistful at this point in the year. But here's the thing: how you put your camper away in the fall decides what kind of shape it's in come spring. A lazy shutdown means a moldy, mouse-chewed, dead-battery mess waiting for you in April. A proper one means you roll into next season ready to go.

I'm Joe — Squatch to most folks — and this is your complete end-of-season RV winter storage game plan. Give it an afternoon now, and future-you will be so grateful. Let's put her to bed the right way.

Step 1: Winterize the Plumbing (Non-Negotiable)

This is the one you absolutely cannot skip: protecting your water system from freezing. Water expands when it freezes, and a cracked pipe, split water heater, or busted fitting is a brutal, expensive spring surprise. You'll drain your tanks and water heater, blow out the lines or run RV antifreeze through the system, and protect the whole works from the cold.

Because it's so important (and has real steps to get right), I gave it its own full walkthrough — follow my [how to winterize your RV] guide for the complete process. Do this one even if you skip everything else on this list. Then come back for the rest of the bed-down routine.

Step 2: Deep Clean, Inside and Out

Whatever you leave behind sits there for months — so clean like you mean it.

• Inside: wipe down every surface, vacuum, and clean the bathroom and kitchen. Crumbs and spills you can barely see are a feast for pests and a starting point for mold and odors.

• Remove ALL food. Every crumb, every can, every packet. This is your single best pest-prevention move.

• Outside: give it a good wash to get off the bugs, road grime, and tree sap before they bake on all winter. A clean rig also lets you spot any damage that needs attention before storage.

Step 3: Deal With the Fridge (or Regret It)

A closed-up fridge over winter turns into a science experiment you do not want to open in spring. So: empty it completely, clean it out, defrost it, and — the key step — prop the fridge and freezer doors open. That airflow prevents the mold and stink that a sealed-shut fridge is famous for. They even make little props for this, or a rolled towel works.

Step 4: Wage War on Mice (Before They Move In)

As it gets cold, mice go house-hunting — and your rig looks like a five-star hotel. A winter mouse infestation can chew wiring, ruin upholstery, and leave a mess (and a smell) that haunts you for years. So seal up every entry point you can find, and set your deterrents before you close it up. I've got the full battle plan in my [keep mice out of your RV] guide — read it before you store, not after you find the damage.

Step 5: Take Care of Your Batteries

Cold weather is brutal on RV batteries, and a battery that sits discharged all winter can be dead for good by spring. Your options: pull the batteries and store them somewhere cool and dry (not freezing), kept charged — or leave them in and keep them topped off with a battery tender/trickle charger. Either way, a battery left to slowly drain all winter is a battery you're replacing in spring. My [RV batteries] guide covers keeping them healthy.

Step 6: Save Your Tires

Tires take a beating just sitting still. To protect them:

• Inflate to the proper pressure before storage — underinflated tires develop flat spots faster.

• Cover them to block the UV rays that crack sidewalls over time.

• Take the weight off if you can — leveling blocks or jacks help, and if the rig sits for months, moving it a few inches occasionally prevents flat spots.

Tires are expensive and a blowout is dangerous, so this small effort pays off.

Step 7: Shut Off the Propane

Turn your propane tanks off at the valve for storage — simple, and it's the safe way to put the system to rest for the winter. Store any removable tanks upright in a ventilated spot, never inside an enclosed space.

Step 8: Inspect and Reseal Before the Weather Hits

This one gets skipped and it's a killer. Winter throws rain, snow, and ice at your rig for months — and a small seal or roof crack you ignore in October becomes serious water damage by March. Walk your roof seams, vents, skylights, windows, and doors, and reseal anything that's cracked or peeling before you store it. Ten dollars of sealant now beats a rotted floor later. (Water is the number one killer of RVs — don't give it a way in.)

Step 9: Control Moisture Inside

Even sealed up, a closed rig can get damp and musty over a long winter. Fight it: set out moisture absorbers (DampRid tubs or similar) throughout, leave cabinet doors and drawers cracked open for airflow, and if your storage setup allows, crack a roof vent slightly (under a cover). Dry air inside means no mold and no musty smell to greet you in spring.

Step 10: Cover It the Right Way

How you cover matters more than people think:

• Best case: covered or indoor storage. Out of the sun, rain, and snow entirely. Worth paying for if you can.

• If it's outside, use a proper breathable RV cover — not a plain tarp. A tarp traps moisture against your rig (hello, mold) and flaps in the wind, scratching your finish. A real RV cover is made to breathe.

• Store with the slides IN and the awning clean, dry, and fully retracted — never store an awning wet or extended.

A Note for Motorhome Owners

If yours has an engine, there's a little more: add fuel stabilizer and run it through, consider how long it'll sit, keep the chassis battery maintained (it drains in storage), and check your owner's manual for engine and generator storage steps. A motorhome is a vehicle and a home — both sides need bedding down.

Squatch Tips: Winter Storage Done Right

• Winterize the plumbing no matter what. If you do one thing on this whole list, protect those water lines from freezing. Everything else is damage control; that one's disaster prevention.

• Food out, fridge propped, mice blocked. The pest-and-mold trifecta. Nail these three and you've dodged the nastiest spring surprises there are.

• Don't skip the seal check. A winter of snow and ice finds every crack you didn't fix. Reseal before you store, not after the leak.

• Keep those batteries alive. Charged and cared for, or you're buying new ones in spring.

• Breathable cover, never a bare tarp. A tarp does more harm than good. Cover it right or store it inside.

That's the heart of Camping with Squatch — a little care now so your rig's ready to roll the moment the weather turns nice again.

Print This: RV Winter Storage Checklist

Tape it inside a cabinet — knock it out in an afternoon.

Protect the Systems

• [ ] Winterize the plumbing (drain, antifreeze/blow out lines) — the must-do

• [ ] Batteries: pull and store charged, OR leave in on a tender

• [ ] Propane tanks off at the valve

• [ ] Tires: proper PSI, covered, weight off if possible

Clean It Out

• [ ] Deep clean inside; remove ALL food, every crumb

• [ ] Wash the exterior (bugs, grime, sap)

• [ ] Fridge/freezer emptied, cleaned, defrosted, doors PROPPED OPEN

Keep the Bad Stuff Out

• [ ] Seal entry points and set mouse deterrents

• [ ] Inspect and reseal roof seams, vents, windows, doors

• [ ] Moisture absorbers set out; cabinets cracked for airflow

Close It Up

• [ ] Slides IN; awning clean, dry, retracted

• [ ] Breathable RV cover (not a tarp), or covered/indoor storage

• [ ] Motorhome: fuel stabilizer, chassis battery, manual's engine steps

See You in the Spring

Putting the camper away for winter always feels a little like saying goodbye to a good friend for a few months. But do it right — winterize those lines, clean it out, block the mice, save the batteries, seal it up, and cover it well — and you're not just storing a rig, you're protecting your investment and guaranteeing an easy, happy start next season. When the weather warms up and it's time to wake her back up, my [how to de-winterize your RV] guide will be right here waiting for you.