Step By Step WINTERIZE

(article courtesy: http://www.koa.com)

Before you get started there are a few items you will need to have. These items can be found in most RV parts stores:

•Non-toxic RV antifreeze (The amount depends on the layout and length of your plumbing lines. Two to three gallons will normally do).
•A water heater by-pass kit, if not already installed.
•A wand to clean out holding tanks.
•A water pump converter kit, or tubing to connect to the inlet side of the water pump.
•Basic hand tools to remove drain plugs.
Now we can winterize the RV water system to protect it from freezing. Be sure to read your owners manuals for unit specific winterizing guidelines. Follow the steps below that apply to your RV.

•If you have any inline water filters remove and bypass before starting.
•Drain the fresh water holding tank.
•Drain and flush the gray and black holding tanks. If your RV doesn’t have a built in tank flushing system clean the black tank out with a wand, or use a product like Flush King that allows you to clean both the black and gray tanks. Lubricate the termination valves with WD 40.
•Drain the water heater. Remove the drain plug and open the pressure relief valve. CAUTION (never drain the water heater when it is hot or under pressure)
•Open all hot and cold faucets; don’t forget the toilet valve and outside shower.
•Locate and open the low point drain lines. There will be one for the hot and cold water lines. Using the water pump will help force water out, but turn it off as soon as the system is drained.
•Recap all drains and close all faucets.
•By-pass the water heater. If you do not have a by-pass kit installed the water heater will fill up with antifreeze before it goes through the water lines, wasting six gallons of antifreeze.
•Install a water pump converter kit, or disconnect the inlet side of the water pump (the line coming from the fresh water holding tank). Connect a piece of clear tubing to the inlet side of the pump and put the other end into a one gallon container of non-toxic RV antifreeze.
•Turn the water pump on and pressurize the system. Starting with the closest faucet, slowly open the hot and then cold valves until antifreeze appears. Replace the antifreeze container as required.
•Repeat this process on all faucets from the closest to the farthest away. Don’t forget the outside shower, if equipped.
•Flush the toilet until antifreeze appears.
•Turn the water pump off and open a faucet to release the pressure. Go outside to the city water inlet. Remove the small screen over the inlet and push in on the valve with a small screwdriver until you see antifreeze. Replace the screen.
•Pour a cupful of antifreeze down each drain. Pour a couple of cups in the toilet and flush into the holding tank.
•If your water heater has an electric heating element make sure it is turned off. This will protect the element if the unit is plugged in while being stored.
•Make sure all the faucets are closed.
•Consult your owner manuals for winterizing icemakers and washing machines.
•The unit is winterized.
This checklist is a basic guide that was intended to assist you in winterizing your RV. As with many other checklists it would be impossible to cover every RV. It is extremely important that you read your owner’s manuals for unit specific winterizing guidelines.

for more info visit: http://www.koa.com

Impressive...chuck.


There is one more option for Winterizing.

Camp all winter that way no worries of freezing

Thanks for the info on winterizing your trailer. This is only a part of the process of winterization. To completely put your camper to bed for the winter, you need to remove all food stored in the trailer. You should leave the fridge cracked opened. Make sure that you seal all enterances to keep any type of pests out. Some even take their batteries out and bring them indoors and hook up a trickle charger to them.

Coolbreeze1

I like doing one more thing that the article doesn't mention. I blow out my water lines with compressed air. I hook up my air compressor to the city water intake and charge the lines to 30-35 psi. I then go inside and open each faucet until I blown all the water out. I still add the pink stuff later, some have said that is going over board, but it's my trailer

Coolbreeze1

Ahhhh, no winterizing. The one advantage of my poor old pup.

coolbreeze1 wrote:I like doing one more thing that the article doesn't mention. I blow out my water lines with compressed air. I hook up my air compressor to the city water intake and charge the lines to 30-35 psi. I then go inside and open each faucet until I blown all the water out. I still add the pink stuff later, some have said that is going over board, but it's my trailer

and they are right!!!!

It's funny how some things about an RV can be intimidating at first.. then when you complete a procedure and understand how and why it works.. it seems much easier. I remember when I first bought the TT and sold the PUP.. I thought I would not use the shower and bathroom because taking care of the gray and black tanks seemed like a chore. However.. it's easy. I understand my system now and what makes it work. I haven't been to a bath house since my second trip in the TT.

I believe the same will be true about winterizing.. Gonna do my first winterizing this weekend. I have thought this through and think I understand, better.. how it works and why. So it shouldn't be a big deal. Funny.. before I researched "winterizing".. for some reason I was thinking I had to fill all the tanks with ANTI-FREEZE.. not just the lines. I was gonna need a lot of ANTI-FREEZE!!!!

I'll let ya know how it goes.

OK.. I am WNTERIZED!.. Gee I feel so much better with the "pink stuff" flowing throguh my veins!

Seriously.. it went pretty smooth.. even remembered the outside shower. I started to say it was easy.. but I will let ya know next spring.

chuck wrote:OK.. I am WNTERIZED!.. Gee I feel so much better with the "pink stuff" flowing throguh my veins!

Seriously.. it went pretty smooth.. even remembered the outside shower. I started to say it was easy.. but I will let ya know next spring.

Now if you can get it out of your veins and into the camper, you'll be winterized

Coolbreeze1

by the way.. just for info purposes. I used about 1 gallon and 1/4, or so.. of antifreeze. and that included pouring some down the drains in the kitchen and shower.. and a half a cup or so down the toilet. I probabloy wasted some being over cautious and running more through the lines than needed. Once I get used to the procedure. A gallon might work. For me.. I think I would always start with two gallons on hand.

I would say that 2 gallons should do on average. It also depends on how far your pump is to your fartherest fixture. My pump is located at the rear of my 5'er and I have to run it almost to the front of the 5'er.

Coolbreeze1

Went ahead today and put the rv antifreeze in the 5'er today. Just one thing to remember is when you push in the screen on the city water inlet, make sure your pump is off. Don't ask me how I know this, I just do

Coolbreeze1

coolbreeze1 wrote:Went ahead today and put the rv antifreeze in the 5'er today. Just one thing to remember is when you push in the screen on the city water inlet, make sure your pump is off. Don't ask me how I know this, I just do

Coolbreeze1

oops!! ya got pink stuff on your shirt???

Between winter camping trips I have been known to plug the camper into shore power, open up all the cabinets and crank up some space heaters. I don't turn the heaters up all the way just enough to keep it above freezing. I do that because I use my camper alot in the winter.

abivens wrote:Between winter camping trips I have been known to plug the camper into shore power, open up all the cabinets and crank up some space heaters. I don't turn the heaters up all the way just enough to keep it above freezing. I do that because I use my camper alot in the winter.

Ya know.. I thought about doing this too.. Really.. the winters here are not that harsh.. and the lines I pumped full of anti-freeze are all inside the camper. I seriously doubt there would be any freezing problem with "abivens" technique.

I bet you are right (Chuck and Alan) Any outside pipes could be insulated, just like with a house.

For those that have an outside shower what i have done since i have had an one freeze before is to disconnect from the inside. By that, I mean i disconnect the piping and cap it off so that no water is run into the shower (pink , clear or muddy). CB has watched me changeout my outside shower to its not a big deal to changeout but it is annoying. For me this way it gives me a peace of mind that the outside is waterless.

Richard wrote:I bet you are right (Chuck and Alan) Any outside pipes could be insulated, just like with a house.

Mine doesn't have any outside pipes except for the black and gray and holding water dumps. So far I haven't busted any pipes.

abivens wrote:

Richard wrote:I bet you are right (Chuck and Alan) Any outside pipes could be insulated, just like with a house.

Mine doesn't have any outside pipes except for the black and gray and holding water dumps. So far I haven't busted any pipes.

Alan you do have one pipe connection on the outside. It's for you city water hookup.

Coolbreeze1

Thats right Cool, plus my outside shower. I forgot about those.

abivens wrote:Thats right Cool, plus my outside shower. I forgot about those.

I had forgotten about the outside shower myself. I guess since that my 5'er doesn't have one is why

Coolbreeze1