How to Winterize your Food Truck
After a hot, busy summer in the food truck, the first thing you might want to do is kick back and relax a little. Not so fast! It is important to properly winterize and store your food truck in order to maintain the equipment properly and have a smooth launch the following Spring season. Here is a guide you can use when shutting down your food truck for the year:
Deep clean the interior.
Remove all food and dry supplies from the truck. Unplug and wipe down fridges and freezers and wash prep table compartments. Leave refrigeration units open. Clean between and underneath appliances as thoroughly as you can. You will likely find a lot of grease residue. Remove hood filters and thoroughly wash them. Finally, mop the floor and wipe down all countertop and shelving. You will be happy you did this when you come back to your mobile food unit next spring!
Run anti-freeze through the water lines.
This is very important. Flush out all remaining water in your fresh and grey water tanks by turning on both sets of taps (hand wash and main sinks) and opening the grey water valve underneath the truck and completely draining of water. Pour a jug of non-toxic RV anti-freeze in the fresh water tank and turn on all taps. This will ensure that water runs through the hot water tank, into all water lines, then down into the waste tank. If you do not take the steps to properly winterize your water system, the lines will crack and need to be replaced in the Spring.
Take out the batteries.
Remove the truck battery and the 12V water pump battery and store them in a warmer, dry place. Batteries deplete in a cold environment and if the charge goes to 0, they won’t charge up again.
Check fluids.
It’s nice coming back to a ready-to-go truck at the start of a new season. See if you need an oil change, check windshield wiper fluid, and leave a bit of gas in the truck to make your life easier in a few months.
Store your truck.
Store your truck in a safe place for peace of mind. It’ll be waiting for you in the Spring in mint condition!
Contact our expert team to get more information. Please call Venture Food Trucks at 1.855.405.2324 or visit our website at venturefoodtrucks.com
