winterize and bypass valves

[cpolese]

Hi,
I'm a brand new owner of a flagstaff 23fbs and loving it but winter's just around the corner and this is where I need help.

I can't find any decent info in the owner's manual on winterizing. I know I have to pour plumbing antifreeze into the system. Just don't know how or where and the manual talks about bypass valves but it doesn't show where they are.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

thank you

[Triguy]

Welcome.

This is a common question at this time of year. I am not familiar with the particulars of the 23fbs, but this should get you going...

[cpolese]

Thanks Scott, really did help. I appreciate it.

[jlongman]

I have a brand new Apex 18.9 FBS and am also concerned about winterizing the water system. I do not have a syphon to draw anti freeze into the system. This was all explained to me when we bought the unit but i had a lot of things going through my head that day. Absent the syphon hose do I put anti freeze into the fresh water tank and then use the pump to pump it through the water lines? i.e. turn on pump and open faucets, shower and toilet until they run pink? I see to leave some anti freeze in the toilet.
The video was very helpful about draining the watrer heater.

[Herk7769]

Darn it Scott! I am so sorry. I thought I was deleting a bad link and deleted the video by mistake. Could you repost?

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by jlongman

I have a brand new Apex 18.9 FBS and am also concerned about winterizing the water system. I do not have a syphon to draw anti freeze into the system. This was all explained to me when we bought the unit but i had a lot of things going through my head that day. Absent the syphon hose do I put anti freeze into the fresh water tank and then use the pump to pump it through the water lines? i.e. turn on pump and open faucets, shower and toilet until they run pink? I see to leave some anti freeze in the toilet.
The video was very helpful about draining the water heater.

You can make what you need easy enough. Go to the home store and buy 6 foot of vinyl tubing and a 1/2 inch NPT PEX to Hose Coupling to connect the pump inlet to the vinyl tubing.

PlumbingSupply.com - SharkBite Pipe Repair Fittings by Cash Acme

Unscrew the inlet feed from the fresh water tank and hook up your widget. REMOVE the fuse from the pump and go into the camper and turn on the pump switch.

Go back to the pump and use the fuse to run the pump to flush your system. DO NOT forget to remove the water filter; bypass the water heater; drain and flush the water heater; and winterize the drains, Turbo Flush (if installed) and check valve on the city water inlet.

I leave the fuse next to the pump for when I get the unit ready for spring.

[jlongman]

Lou thanks for the info. I am new to all this and get paranoid about doing this stuff right. I am seriously not handy. I have already crushed the built on stabilizer jacks (live and learn) can't afford too many more mistakes. This sounds easy enough. I think maybe I can handle it.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by jlongman

Lou thanks for the info. I am new to all this and get paranoid about doing this stuff right. I am seriously not handy. I have already crushed the built on stabilizer jacks (live and learn) can't afford too many more mistakes. This sounds easy enough. I think maybe I can handle it.

I will let you in on a secret. While I consider myself "handy," here is a photo of my stab jack after my first trip in the new 5th wheel.

[softwarejoe]

I'm scared to ask but how did you bend a stab jack? I want to make sure I don't make the same mistake.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Darn it Scott! I am so sorry. I thought I was deleting a bad link and deleted the video by mistake. Could you repost?

The winterize video can always be found in our FAQ area.

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Darn it Scott! I am so sorry. I thought I was deleting a bad link and deleted the video by mistake. Could you repost?

No problem, Herk. I think I might have caused the problem by attaching the video the wrong way anyway.

Originally Posted by KyDan

The winterize video can always be found in our FAQ area.

Good point. Here's the link. The video is post #6.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by softwarejoe

I'm scared to ask but how did you bend a stab jack? I want to make sure I don't make the same mistake.

So you want the whole sordid story, eh?

Well we were hurrying home from Florida on our second to last leg of the trip. The plan was for a "moderately" long day from NC to DC and a short hop home the next.

A winter storm advisory was posted for snow and ice on the leg home, so we decided to try and do the entire shot in one day. We talked about it and decided to leave right at the end of quiet hours in the morning so I planned on doing everything I could "noise-wise" that night and just hook up and leave at 0700. We then decided to go out to eat and I when I returned I dropped the tail gate and backed under the pin so I would be all lined up without a lot of idling and backing at that ungodly hour.

Well the height of the hitch was "just so close" to being perfect, that if I "bumped" up the front gear about an inch or so, I could actually latch without any other messing around.

Forgetting the stabs were still down (for the life of me it never entered my mind), the "or so" got me. A loud crash and the shaking of the camper like a wet dog reminded me though. Many bad words and many better spent dollars resulted from that moment's forgetfulness.

All damage was NOT covered by any insurance even though I had the extended warranty on my 8 month old camper. Even the car insurance did not pay since we were not actually connected when the damage occurred.
Th $1,000 dollar repair bill could have been worse since the structural inspection they said it needed did not require the mounting strips covering the screws to be removed. So, what DID they inspect for 4 hours?
(My FIRST bad experience with my dealer's back shop)

Additionally Lippert would have sold me a complete brand new in the box powered stab with all mounting hardware for 400 bucks plus shipping. I would have had to remove 4 mounting bolts and route 2 wires and have been done, but I wanted to be sure nothing "bad" had been done to the camper (since it was under warranty). They did give me the old unit when I asked, but none of the new electrical hardware was included even though they did not use any.

Now I am not even sure I HAVE a warranty since just about anything that goes wrong now "might be from that documented my fault" mishap.