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Dewinterizing issue

ragdogs
Explorer
Explorer
I have a 2003 Itasca Spirit 24 V. I just got it out of winter storage and attempted to dewinterize it. When I did I have water pouring out of the bottom I believe from water holding tank. Is their a plug that was left unplugged under the coach? I have never had this problem before and I used a different RV place to winterize last year. I called them and they want to charge me $120 to diagnose the issue ?
2002 Itasca Spirit 24V
13 REPLIES 13

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II
ragdogs wrote:
I took a look under the Moho. My levers etc are under my mattress in corner of Moho It drains/leaks when I turn the water pump on and it is coming out underneath. I am unable to attach the pic but it is two tubes/hoses directly under my bed area that drains the water tank when I put the pump on. I realize it is a valve or plug but I just can’t find it or figure it out.


There might be a petcock (valve) that you can turn on/off next to the water pump.

The ends of the tubes:
If one has an open end and one has a capped end that can unscrewed, then the open end tube should have a valve somewhere above that tube. If your water pump is near that location, that would my guess for its location.

You would just to remove the cap off the capped tube to drain that one. That's usually the hot water drain. The other open ended tube is the cold line and it can sometimes also be the low point drain for your freshwater tank. If your system is designed that way , that line will take longer to drain than the capped line because of the volume of water being drained out of your water tank.

reinita
Explorer
Explorer
To the OP, I am still learning how to do all of this. I often don’t even know what anything is called, so directions with proper terminology aren’t always useful. Ha!

I had a similar issue. Here are some things to check. This said, I am not familiar with your particular motorhome, but I do have a class C.

There should be a couple of drains under your unit. Mine are blue plastic. They look like long straws. One has (or should have) a screw-on cap.

If you think about where those tubes come from, look in one of your outside compartments on top of the drains (tubes). My motorhome has a lever that I can turn up or sideways. It is attached to one of the tubes. When it is turned sideways (or perpendicular), that blocks the flow of water from the fresh water tank. If it’s turned up and down (parallel) to the tubes, it lets the water out (drains the tanks).

Something else to check is whether the anode (it’s a metal rod that gets screwed into the hot water heater) is not screwed on. Depending on whether they bypassed the hot water heater when they winterized or not, water may be pouring out of your water heater if the anode is not in properly.

Hope that helps!
Forest River Sunseeker 3170 bunkhouse. We travel with a Leonberger, a 22-year-old, 19-year-old and 12-year-old.

ragdogs
Explorer
Explorer
I took a look under the Moho. My levers etc are under my mattress in corner of Moho It drains/leaks when I turn the water pump on and it is coming out underneath. I am unable to attach the pic but it is two tubes/hoses directly under my bed area that drains the water tank when I put the pump on. I realize it is a valve or plug but I just can’t find it or figure it out.
2002 Itasca Spirit 24V

AJR
Explorer
Explorer
First you are not looking for a plug. You are looking for a valve or two I think. If the low point drains are open.

If you put water into the fresh water tank and water is coming out someplace. There are only three valves that will let water out. The fresh water drain valve and the two low point drain valves. Well there could also be a real plumbing problem also.

I had an RV that had the two low point drain valves that were visible only from the outside under the rig behind the rear wheels. Not very convenient. They are used while winterizing the plumbing.

Most often the valve to drain the fresh water tank is next to the fresh water tank or sometimes external. Where ever that may be. That water tank is drained every fall while winterizing the system.

Learn how to do it yourself is a good suggestion.
2007 Roadtrek 210 Popular
2015 GMC Terrain AWD

whemme
Explorer
Explorer
That is why you should learn to winterize your RV yourself. That way you will know how to unwinterize it.
2002 Born Free 26' RSB Motorcoach
2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS Toad

Dusty_R
Explorer
Explorer
We had an Itasca 24V with the rear dinette.
If that is what yours is, under the rear dinette seat is the fresh awarder tank, coming out of the side at the bottom is a line with a valve, push pull if I remember right, that is the tank drain, and a line goes from that drain vale threw the floor.

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II
ragdogs wrote:
Thanks for all responses. I am a woman learning as I go. I will take a look underneath and see if can see exactly where water is coming from.


If you are filling from the gravity fill port:
It might be coming out of a hose from a low point drain off your holding tank. As you gravity fill your water tank the open petcock will allow the water to simply drain out the open tube at the bottom of your tank.
If so that petcock needs to be closed.

Many people leave them open to insure complete drainage of the tank and never close them during the winter months. The holding tank and drain line stays dry all winter once its drained out, so there is nothing to freeze and no anti-freeze goes in there .

ragdogs
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for all responses. I am a woman learning as I go. I will take a look underneath and see if can see exactly where water is coming from.
2002 Itasca Spirit 24V

bdpreece
Explorer
Explorer
When you say water pouring out of the bottom; you don't say if it is from a pipe or from the bottom covering of the RV. Crawl under and look. If it is from a pipe you have a valve open. If it is from the actual bottom then you have a major problem.
Brian, Loretta & Daisy (Golden Retriever)

2008 Holiday Rambler Endeavor PDQ40
2014 Ford Explorer toad

way2roll
Nomad III
Nomad III
Low point drain open or water heater plug still out?
2023 FR Sunseeker 2400B MBS

Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Explorer II
Perhaps there is a Low-Point drain open?

~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (27-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (22), 2 boys (23 & 20).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.

CloudDriver
Explorer
Explorer
Winnebago plumbing diagram for Itasca Spirit 24V - See page 6 for location of fresh water tank drain valve, which may have been left open. There are also low point drains in the plumbing system, although their location isn't clear on the diagrams.

Winnebago website - Click on Resources link for lots of other info about your rig.
2003 Winnebago Minnie 24F - Ford E-450🙂

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
Something froze and broke? You can't just crawl under and look?
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman