Ask any RV tech on the Western Slope what they see most in spring, and freeze damage will be near the top of the list. It's also one of the most preventable repairs there is. Here's how winter cracks an RV and what actually keeps it from happening.
It comes down to physics: water expands as it freezes, and the plastic and metal in an RV's plumbing can't stretch to accommodate it. Water left in a line, the pump, or the water heater freezes, expands, and splits the component. Because it happens out of sight and in the cold, you rarely notice until spring, when the system is pressured up and water starts pouring out of a crack behind a wall or under the floor.
The number-one prevention is proper winterizing before the first hard freeze: drain the tanks and water heater, blow out the lines, bypass the heater, and run antifreeze through everything. Done right, it protects the whole water system for the season. Done halfway — antifreeze without draining and blowing out the lines — it often isn't enough.
Camping or living in the coach through the cold takes a different approach, since you can't fully winterize a system you're using. That means keeping the furnace and interior warm, using tank and pipe heaters where fitted, insulating exposed lines and the wet bay, and being ready if the heat fails. A reliable furnace is your first line of defense, which is why we treat no-heat calls as urgent in winter.
When you de-winterize, do it carefully: pressure the system up and walk the whole coach looking and listening for leaks before you trust it. If you find a freeze crack, or want it checked before a trip, our plumbing and inspection services can locate and repair the damage. Reach out and we'll come take a look.
Frozen and Cracked: Preventing RV Freeze Damage in the Grand Valley — Mobile RV repair that comes to you across the Grand Junction area.