Dewinterize question

[jjlavin]

So my wife and I will be taking our first long trip over the new year. I want to dewinterize it here in PA so once I'm on the road going south, I only focus on the vacation at hand. My question is this... if I dewinterize the day before and run heat into th e camper the night before, do I have anything to worry about freezing (if I'm not running water into the camper)? Are there risks of any external water lines freezing, or maybe my question really is... are there external water lines or will simply heating the interior be enough?

[davel1971]

how are you dewinterizing without using water?

[jjlavin]

I will use water to flush the antifreeze out of the lines, but if the interior is completely heated, will I still have a potential freezing problem?

[davel1971]

do you have a trailer, class c or class a? Anything on the exterior is in danger of freezing

[jjlavin]

Class c

[campnqueen]

Blow out your lines and leave your faucets open.

[davel1971]

you will also need to winterize before coming home if coming back to freezing temps

[WFD]

You will absolutely have water in the lines or low spots after dewinterizing. There is no mystery in dewinterizing, just flush copious amounts of water through the system. Personally I would not dewinterize till you are in warmer weather. If you dewinterize before leaving, you will have to partially winterize before leaving anyhow, even if if just blowing out the lines, so why bother? Just wait till you are in warmer weather, hook up to city water connection at your first campsite and flush away. If you are winterized right now, why would you take the risk by dewinterizing and suddenly a hard freeze comes one night, and you expose yourself to possible problems.

[Unruly]

We left PA the beginning of November with a winterized trailer and de-winterized once we were in warmer weather just to be safe. If you are still in PA I would not de-winterize until you get south. It only takes about five minutes to flush it out and possibly save you a lot of money if you freeze lines or a tank.....

[jjlavin]

Ok. All great advice. Will definitely do that. 1st stop in warmer weather... dewinterize! Thanks all

[Hoglou]

We make a few mid winter runs that puts us in de-winter and back again. Upon return I drain the cold and hot lines then close. Pressurize the shore water to 50 psi and blow out the lines one facuet at a time. Drain black and gray. Leave all of the fucets open. Pour anti freeze in all the traps including some to cover the toliet ring. Drain the large spin on filter.

I use an oil radiator heater inside of the coach all the (winter) time and I have yet to use the propane furance since the first week of ownership. It stays about 68-70 inside even when the outside temp is 20. We live in the south so super cold is rare. I also run a 60 watt light bulb (added 120v outlet) in the water pump bay so I dont bother with pulling the screen filter out.

A few days before leaving I will fill the the house fresh water tank up and fire up the frig. Time of launch close up the facuets, switch on the tank heaters, turn the propane on for the frig, and ride.

To winterize again takes about 10 minutes. Emptying the fresh water tank takes the longest as we often get home with a 1/2 a tank left. Having water on the road a DW requirment. I do pull the water heater anoide when I think we are done for the winter (wrong two years in a row).

[DXSMac]

I have a question. When it's "winterized," do they still do water heater bypass? My understanding is that we no longer need to have the dealer "de-winterize," we just flush water through the system. I am having my Class C winterized before leaving it for two weeks for a stress crack repair.

[Ford Idaho]

Leave the water heater bypassed till after you flush the system other wise you will flush A/F into the heater.

Be sure to open all low point drains to remove any A/F in there.

[Hoglou]

Unless I am missing something using the hot water bypass is not needed if you are blowing the lines out opposed to antifreeze. In my last rig I used antifreeze in the system with the bypass but that seemed to take forever putting it back in service (ten thumbs has a short antention span). Now I just blow & go. I do cycle a tank of bleach infused water throuht the system each spring to keep it tastey.. I do have the benefit of having the coach next to the house with full time shore power so it stays toasty in the winter and cool in the summer. It seems that we are in it everyday doing something or other

[DXSMac]

THat's what I thought. I think the RV dealer is going to "blow it out" because I was told that "de-winterizing" won't really be necessary, I can just "use it and go" and that the water would automatically flush out all anti freeze. As a precaution, when I get the RV back from the repair, I'm going to bleach flush the water tank.

[DXSMac]

My RV is turned in for the crack warranty repair. I have asked for it to be "winterized" before sending to body shop. I was told they just do a "blow out" and don't do a water heater bypass. This confirms what Hoglou said. They said this method means when you want to use the RV again, it's just ready to go. Just have to flush the anti freeze out of the water heater, I think....

[Hoglou]

Actually with a "blow out" there shouldn't be any AF in the lines. The only place I have AF is in the traps that will flush to the gray and black when they get used. It is suppose to get in the 10's for the next few nights, no concerns for the coach but I am sure glad I ordered the block heater for the JK when I go to work in the am.