We will be leaving for Texas shortly after Christmas and the motorhome has been winterized.  Should we clear the lines and put water in before we leave or wait till we get to Texas.  Is this even allowed at the CG's?  As a diabetic I must have my bathroom close by and usable.

Yes, dewinterize before you hit the road, G

I would think the answer depends on where you are starting from (Alaska or Canada would be a different answer than Iowa or Nebraska) and the air temperatures your rig will be exposed to while traveling, and, how your rig is setup to keep your holding tanks and water pipes above freezing temperatures.

Before we went full-timing, we lived in Northern Illinois. When we would take our RV South in December to be with family for Christmas, we would wait until we were in a warmer climate before we put water into the system.

In order to have bathroom facilities, we purchased a Porta Potti and used it while we were "up North". We also carried about 5 gallons of water in plastic jugs to use for drinking and washing.

Jim

Many RV's are good to go in cold weather with the heat on, if you have an enclosed basement. 

Otherwise, you can take some jugs of RV antifreeze to use to flush the toilet and dump when you get to warmer weather.

We camp often in freezing winter weather and leave the lines winterized, use portable water bottles to drink and RV antifreeze in the can.

Best Regards!

We are starting our journey from southern Illinois. Thanks for the help.

Left Ohio last December for the southwest.. we filled several gallon jugs with tap water and used it the flush the toilet.. left the antifreeze in the line until I thought it was safe from freezing. Still froze the water hose in Texas.. RV antifreeze won't hurt the sewer system, however, it could cause problem to a " small" 500 gallon septic system since it contains alcohol.

am I reading that it is ok to put the RV antifreeze down in the blackwater tank? would that prevent the valve from freezing & popping? we don't have a basement....just exposed tanks on our 5th wheel. we are planning a 2 week trip starting this sunday but were planning on coming back home if temps dropped down too low. we will have ability to drain grey water into provided areas at campground (if we get to park in a space that has one close by) but would not be able to do so w/black water so valve will have to stay closed until we go to dump station.

yes it is OK to put RV antifreeze down your drains and into the gray and black water tanks.... you should be adding antifreeze to your drains when you winterize your unit.. The trap hold water and will freeze overwise.. When I flush the anitfeeze from the lines in the Spring it simply goes to the gray and black water and the first time it's dumped.. I always drain the tanks in the fall and pour enough in the drains that I know there is some in the tanks and down in the dump valves. So, yes you can add it to either tank HOWEVER you have to figure out what amount to add to your tanks to keep them from freezing. I haven't tested RV antifreeze to see what rating it is and how far it can be diluted to then at what temp. range you're going to be in.... Lower the temp the more you'll need. At 2 to 3 bucks a gallon it may be somewhat costly.. You may want to ask somebody from a port-a-john company and see what they add in the winter. Also, you mentioned that your tanks are not enclosed so something else you'll need to be aware of..Make sure that there is a space between the bed and the wall, clothles and the walls.. The RV will sweat due to the high humidity that will build up inside and we found out real quick the pillows, the mattress and clothles that were touching the outsides got wet(soaked) in a very short time.. Like the first night.. Hoping for nice weather so you don't need this info. Bill