Winterizing Travel Trailer

[rfloyd99]

We live in Florida, so have never needed to do this until now. We're leaving our TT in Colorado at 8,300 ft elevation, so very cold at times, for several months. Leaving it at a lower elevation wouldn't solve the problem, still very cold, and my family's place is free.

I've researched it, and could do either the antifreeze method, or the compressed air blowout. One site said the blowout method is only recommended for moderately cold areas, but I'm not sure why that would be true.

Please let me know your thoughts on this, plus any tips you may have for either method.

I will be buying a cover for it, and will cover the tires. It will be stored for 10 months, October through June. Any tips for this lengthy storage also appreciated.

Thanks!

[milo]

Milo, why do you think that the pump isn't getting winterized by sucking the antifreeze out of the jug?

Super Dave
Cuz where the pump is, in the lower half of a little cabinet in the back corner of the 5'er under the electrical junction box which is in the upper half of the cabinet. There is no room to add a hose so the pump can suck antifreeze out of a jug. I don't trust just running the pump dry that all the water is out of it.








Impossible to add a winterization kit to this mess. Would have to take apart the cabinet just to get to the pump. 2nd pic, if you look really hard you can see the pump in the back left side of the picture. So I have to put some antifreeze in the tank so the pump can suck some thru it.


Milo

[Super_Dave]

milo wrote:
Sorry folks..but the only way to make sure the pump in our 5'er is winterized is to put some antifreeze into the FW tank and suck it thru the pump. Pump has no winterizing kit attached to it and is not accessible to put one on it. So I run it for 10 or 15 seconds to make sure all water is out of it and then add just enough antifreeze to the tank so the pump will pick it up, then drain the remaining out. Also there's no gravity hole to fill FW tank so I have to pump it in with another pump. We have a lever to switch from tank fill or city water usage. Been doing this now for the 7 years we've had it. Come spring I sanitize the tank & system good with bleach and have had no antifreeze foam or after taste.

Milo

Milo, why do you think that the pump isn't getting winterized by sucking the antifreeze out of the jug?

[AJR]

Always used pink stuff. Never had a problem.

[tomman58]

remember the hose connection and after you do the pink use a screw driver to push the small white plastic valve in the hose fitting. Do not stand in front of it !!!

[milo]

Sorry folks..but the only way to make sure the pump in our 5'er is winterized is to put some antifreeze into the FW tank and suck it thru the pump. Pump has no winterizing kit attached to it and is not accessible to put one on it. So I run it for 10 or 15 seconds to make sure all water is out of it and then add just enough antifreeze to the tank so the pump will pick it up, then drain the remaining out. Also there's no gravity hole to fill FW tank so I have to pump it in with another pump. We have a lever to switch from tank fill or city water usage. Been doing this now for the 7 years we've had it. Come spring I sanitize the tank & system good with bleach and have had no antifreeze foam or after taste.

Milo

[Terryallan]

kellem wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
You would feel better using antifreeze. And be safer.
Truth is. IF you are going to run antifreeze thru it. Blowing it out first is a waste of time. The antifreeze will displace any water in the system. that is what it does.

Now next thing. IF you use the winterizing kit inside the RV. Please remember to let the antifreeze run out the city water connector. There is a button inside the hose connector that you can press with a screw driver. However, Remember to stand to one side, as there will be pressure on it. Ask me how I know.

Be careful with relief valve on the city water hookup as you could potentially lose the seal under pressure.
Best way I've found was to relieve some pressure at the outside shower or sink with the water pump off before pressing on city valve.

Exactly. Should have said to release a little pressure. My bad

[ReneeG]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Actually, I do the opposite of what some of the posters here said. I run the pink antifreeze through first, and then I blow it out. That way the pink stuff is not setting in the lines all winter long and it's easier and quicker to get rid of the smell of it in the spring.

I mentioned this to hubby and he said he's thought of doing this too. He only pumps it through the pipes and faucets, but we still have a heck of a time in the spring getting rid of the leftovers so this might help.

[Bobbo]

Terryallan wrote:
Now next thing. IF you use the winterizing kit inside the RV. Please remember to let the antifreeze run out the city water connector. There is a button inside the hose connector that you can press with a screw driver. However, Remember to stand to one side, as there will be pressure on it. Ask me how I know.

Never, EVER, do this while the water system is pressurized. It can blow the O-ring out of the backflow preventer. After everything else is full of antifreeze, open the kitchen tap to release the pressure, and leaving that tap open as a vent, press that button on the shore water inlet. There will be enough pressure from the full water lines higher than the inlet to make the antifreeze flow back out of the inlet, protecting it.

[d3500ram]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Actually, I do the opposite of what some of the posters here said. I run the pink antifreeze through first, and then I blow it out. That way the pink stuff is not setting in the lines all winter long and it's easier and quicker to get rid of the smell of it in the spring.

When I had my TC's, I would do similar... only just opening everything and let the RVAF just drain out and then store the camper without any pressurized lines. I never left full lines as the AF did it's job by displacing water.

I would do this many time in the winter because I was using it often for hunting or ski-camping around the state during winter.

[magicbus]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Actually, I do the opposite of what some of the posters here said. I run the pink antifreeze through first, and then I blow it out. That way the pink stuff is not setting in the lines all winter long and it's easier and quicker to get rid of the smell of it in the spring.

Huh, and I thought I’d avoid adding yet another option because I always open my low points and faucets after using pink stuff. As you said, less to clear out come warm weather.

Apparently there are 4 or 5 sides to this coin and 50% of Rver’s choose one those of those multiple methods.

Dave

[CavemanCharlie]

Actually, I do the opposite of what some of the posters here said. I run the pink antifreeze through first, and then I blow it out. That way the pink stuff is not setting in the lines all winter long and it's easier and quicker to get rid of the smell of it in the spring.

[Sjm9911]

Use the antifreeze. Using air can work, but sometimes it dosent get all the water out, then it settles and crack. This, as stated happens around the water pump also. My buddy was a air guy for 20 ywars untill he split his water pump one year. Also, dont forget to take care of or remove the batteries.

[kellem]

Terryallan wrote:
You would feel better using antifreeze. And be safer.
Truth is. IF you are going to run antifreeze thru it. Blowing it out first is a waste of time. The antifreeze will displace any water in the system. that is what it does.

Now next thing. IF you use the winterizing kit inside the RV. Please remember to let the antifreeze run out the city water connector. There is a button inside the hose connector that you can press with a screw driver. However, Remember to stand to one side, as there will be pressure on it. Ask me how I know.

Be careful with relief valve on the city water hookup as you could potentially lose the seal under pressure.
Best way I've found was to relieve some pressure at the outside shower or sink with the water pump off before pressing on city valve.

[magicbus]

It's always entertaining when this comes up. There is always one blow-out side, one pink stuff only side, and one both side. I do miss the days on my Country Coach when I could just open the low point drains and faucets and call it a day. That coach was well plumbed!

Dave