As the seasons change there could be some work you need to do on your off-road rig.
Winterizing is basically the art of making your water, power and refrigeration systems unusable by prepping them for inactivity.
In other words, you’re taking your off-road, well, off the road.
If your outfit requires this kind of work you need to make an honest assessment: is your off-road rig really off-grid? Is your trailer in fact an off-road beast or merely an RV with better clearance?
No, we’re not giving anyone a hard time here.
But take a look around all the “adventure” websites out there. They are all about winterizing right now. And boy, do they have stuff to sell you to help you do it.
For the record, our Trail Trailer trailers do not need winterizing.
They are good to go any time of the year.
In fact, it’s becoming a favorite of hunters and winter trail enthusiasts because it can handle the adverse conditions of winter and does not require seasonal maintenance.
We’re good to go in the winter.
But there are some other rigs you just shouldn’t take there. Some might be steel plated monsters capable of any kind of mud but they get crippled by the cold. Right now, the manufacturers of such outfits are suggesting the following:
This is the detestable routine of RV, boat and travel trailer owners.
Winterizing not only means a lot of work it means making that investment sit and unused while the weather of winter takes over adventure destinations. (And there’s work again to be done in de-winterizing once the snow thaws. Yay.)
Maybe that’s the way you want it. Maybe your brand of adventure doesn’t include winter travel.
But for many, off-roading isn’t just about fair-weather conditions.
For many more, winterizing just sucks and nobody likes to do it. Why not just avoid it by not having a rig that requires winterizing?
It is all the rage among influencers in the off-roading community right now to decry the over-doing-it of overlanding. Less is more they now say. See this video, for example:
Their points are well taken.
But we feel it should go beyond just superfluous accessorizing of an off-road rig. We think off-roaders should rethink what it means to be truly off-grid by having a trail-ready rig that can roll in any kind of weather.
After all, what sense does it make to go “off-grid” by basically making new internal grids of water and power that require upkeep?
We’re not saying all that is wrong.
We’re just wondering if it is necessary, smart and worth all the extra work.
Technology and the urge to make the off-road rig carry all the comforts of home means making accommodations for seasonal shifts that are hard on equipment.
Water systems are just the beginning.
Batteries will require some study of what to do. Different types of batteries require different off-season maintenance. Lead acid batteries should be cleaned to remove corrosion. Lithium batteries are lower maintenance but some might require trickle charging while in storage.
Solar equipment might require some disconnection for downtime too, just to avoid any hot wires. Disconnects everywhere need to be used.
Appliances need prep for sitting as well.
Fridges should be defrosted, cleaned out, sealed to keep out rodents, and stocked with baking soda. Water heaters need to be drained and maintained to keep a valid warranty.
Of course, letting a trailer sit from November through April could have some unintended consequences. Letting the tires bear the weight of the trailer in the cold for months on end might not be a good idea.
Depending upon emergency brakes also might be ill-advised.
In many ways, storing a trailer for periods of non-activity is a lot more work than just using it year round.
For the record, here then is our list for winterizing your Trail Trailer:
