Winter Use

[ltypd]

Hello everyone ; newbie here looking for advice on using my Georgetown in winter. I will be accepting delivery on my new unit in september. I have a covered storage area with electricity in new york and will be going to florida for a week in the beginning of january. is there a way i could avoid winterizing my unit until after my return trip home. any ideas would be appreciated.

[windrider]

Depends how warm you can keep your unit, and if you can rely on electricity with no power outages. Now 2 gallons of antifreeze, at Tractor Supply here today is $3.09 gallon, times two, plus tax has got to be less than $10.00. For 2 gallons of antifreeze, With labor for repair at $100 per hour, that is 6 minutes of shop labor time. What is the big deal with winterizing the rig anyway?

[cfsoistman]

Drain all of your tanks and water heater. Use a air compressor set at 40PSI and blow out the water lines using the city water connection. Be sure to open every faucet and toilet and outdoor shower to get the water out. Whatever small amount might be left will not cause any problems. You'll need to remove the filter housing and dump any water out and also remove the filter housing prior to the water pump and dump the small amount of water that will remain in there. Get a gallon of anti-freeze and pour it into each trap at the sinks and shower. When you're ready to use the coach you'll have to put water in the tank if you'll need it for the trip. Don't forget to refill the water heater before turning it on. At least you won't need to flush out anti-freeze if you plan to use it from time to time. Your traps will flush out as soon as you use any water.

[Hankster]

We use our Georgetown most weekends throughout the winter. It is parked up in NW Washington (near Mt. Baker). After the weekend, I pull the plug on the hot water tank to drain it, bypass the hot water tank, and using the water pump I fill the lines with RV anti-freeze. Total cost, about 10 bucks, total time, about 10 minutes and I have never had a problem with a frozen water line. The following weekend, I put the plug back in the hot water tank, reset the bypasses, turn on the water, run the water inside the MH long enough the clear the pink antifreeze and I'm good to go. Easy to do,and good insurance.
Hank & Barb
2007 Georgetown XL 359TS

[ltypd]

Thanks to charlie and hankster . I think i will try the compressed air method, so i dont have to flush all that antifreeze out each time. i was just concerned that the compressor would evacuate enough water to prevent a problem

[senforex]

Hi ltypd,

If you put water in the plumbing, you will have to do it each time.
If you use a plug and an air compressor and open all the faucets like explaining by cfsoistman you should not have any water in your plumbing, the antifreeze will be to protect your traps where a little bit of water can stay.

[sparks1032]

A tad off topic but after using our rig in the winter a few years rust has been an isue (IL like to salt the roads) so I would undercoat the RV in as many spots and cover your batteries if they aren't (ours are under the stairs and very exposed to cold and heat.

[oldprof1]

I hope the fresh water tank on your MH is not like my 2004/5 Georgetown. After draining there is 1/3 of a tank left! The pump is connected about 1-1/2 inches above the bottom. Although I haven't tried it yet I plan to remove the vent tube , insert a 3/4 inch plastic tube through the vent hole and use my shop vac to suck out the remaining water. Has anyone tried this?

[cfsoistman]

Originally Posted by oldprof1

I hope the fresh water tank on your MH is not like my 2004/5 Georgetown. After draining there is 1/3 of a tank left! The pump is connected about 1-1/2 inches above the bottom. Although I haven't tried it yet I plan to remove the vent tube , insert a 3/4 inch plastic tube through the vent hole and use my shop vac to suck out the remaining water. Has anyone tried this?

Haven't done anything other than drain the tank. I know there's no way for all of the water in the tank to come out but what remains will have plenty of room for expansion when it would freeze without causing any problems for the fresh water tank. However I do remove the pump filter reservoir with the screen to remove the water in there and leave it off until spring time. I then reconnect it, fill the tank with 1/4 cup of bleach per 15 gallons of water and pump it through the lines until I small the bleach. I leave it over night and then rinse out the next day or so. I then remove the water heater by-pass and fill the taht tank.

[starburst2]

I did my last de-winterization exactly as Hankster described it. I got a hot water tank full of antifreeze as I was endeavoring to flush out the antfreeze throughout the system. I learned then and there to change the sequence a little to put the flushing ahead of resetting the bypass valves. Maybe I read his sequence wrong or perhaps Hankster just got excited in his description and really meant to place the resetting of the bypass as the last step before refilling the HWT with fresh water.
Lloyd