Winterizing my 2016 Isata 3 this year and want to get it right!

[pgeraghty]

I purchased a 2016 Isata 3 last fall, love it - but my winterizing efforts last fall were not good. This is my 3rd RV, I could not find any instructions for winterizing the Isata and thought I had everything covered. But I had no experience (or manual) for the Truma water heater and did not get all the water out of it (did not remove the filter) - the holding tank cracked over the winter and I had to send it in to Truma for repair - a real bummer.

So now I have the Truma manual and am following their instructions as follows:
1. Turn power to off on outside panel.
2. Turn cold water inlet valve for Truma to off (located behind the drawer under the stove)
3. Turn on hot water at sinks and shower and run.
4. Open Easy Drain lever on Truma AND remove water filter.

Other steps I am taking to winterize:
1. Run all faucets and toilet to remove fresh water.
2. Drain fresh water tank (valve on blue discharge hose under vehicle?).
3. Turn outside valve to "winterize".
4. Pour rv antifreeze in "city water" outside port and run faucets until antifreeze comes out.
5. Remove water filter cartridge under sink in bathroom.
6. Pour rv antifreeze down all drains.
7. Drain grey and black holding tanks.

Please look this over and let me know if you see anything wrong or have any suggestions. Any tips are appreciated!

BTW - we took our Isata 3 to Yellowstone around Labor Day (were at Fishing Bridge Campground the last day it was open, closing for upgrades) - and took along electric assist bikes. Now the roads in Yellowstone are not really bike friendly, but with an electric assist bike we were able to get around some and not be in the way of car/rv traffic, had a great time. If you haven't tried an ebike yet, you should!

Pat Geraghty

[bclemens]

This is what our guys do. They sort of hook it up, and go about their business. Aqua-Hot tells you to use antifreeze. I know some people prefer that...just passing on what our techs seem to prefer.

1. Open fresh water tank drain
2. Open all faucets to medium warm/cold
3. Apply air to white water hose 40 PSI
4. Alternate faucets cold-hot every 5 minutes
5. After 20 minutes, open hot & cold low point drains located in water bay, shut off faucets & continue to blow out lines for 5 minutes
6. Remove air, leave faucets cracked open and low point drains open.
7. Drain holding tanks and water heater (leave filter out on Truma)
8. remove ice maker line from back of refrigerator and drain.
9. Pour ½” gallon RV antifreeze down all drains and toilet
10 Winterization Complete

[pgeraghty]

Bclemons - thanks for the instructions, have a couple of questions:

1. Fresh water tank drain on Isata 3 - is the valve under the center rear of the RV running vertically on a blue hose, correct?
2. OK
3. White water hose? what are you referring to and where does it go?
4. OK
5. Where are the hot/cold water low point drains located?
6. OK
7. OK - should I shut off Truma cold water inlet valve located behind drawer under stove?
8. How do I get at ice maker line?
9. OK
10. YES!

Pat Geraghty

[Barch]

Originally Posted by pgeraghty

I purchased a 2016 Isata 3 last fall, love it - but my winterizing efforts last fall were not good. This is my 3rd RV, I could not find any instructions for winterizing the Isata and thought I had everything covered. But I had no experience (or manual) for the Truma water heater and did not get all the water out of it (did not remove the filter) - the holding tank cracked over the winter and I had to send it in to Truma for repair - a real bummer.

So now I have the Truma manual and am following their instructions as follows:
1. Turn power to off on outside panel.
2. Turn cold water inlet valve for Truma to off (located behind the drawer under the stove)
3. Turn on hot water at sinks and shower and run.
4. Open Easy Drain lever on Truma AND remove water filter.

Other steps I am taking to winterize:
1. Run all faucets and toilet to remove fresh water.
2. Drain fresh water tank (valve on blue discharge hose under vehicle?).
3. Turn outside valve to "winterize".
4. Pour rv antifreeze in "city water" outside port and run faucets until antifreeze comes out.
5. Remove water filter cartridge under sink in bathroom.
6. Pour rv antifreeze down all drains.
7. Drain grey and black holding tanks.

Please look this over and let me know if you see anything wrong or have any suggestions. Any tips are appreciated!

BTW - we took our Isata 3 to Yellowstone around Labor Day (were at Fishing Bridge Campground the last day it was open, closing for upgrades) - and took along electric assist bikes. Now the roads in Yellowstone are not really bike friendly, but with an electric assist bike we were able to get around some and not be in the way of car/rv traffic, had a great time. If you haven't tried an ebike yet, you should!

Pat Geraghty

I just did mine and it went well. A couple of additions:

1. I believe there are 2 valves to close under the stove. One valve shuts off the hot water outlet and the other is a check valve which bypasses the hot water heater cold intake.

2. You don't really "pour" the antifreeze in the city water port. It has a one way check valve in it. It is recommended that you first pressurize your water system from your fresh water tank with the Anderson Valve set on camping, then while the system remains pressurized, switch the Anderson Valve to Winterize (this is the only time that it is recommended to switch the Anderson Valve while the system is pressurized).Then open your faucets one at a a time and observe for antifreeze. The pump will pump the antifreeze throughout the coach. To avoid having to repeat this process 2 or 3 times each time you drain a gallon of antifreeze, I suggest putting 3 gallons of antifreeze in a bucket before you start. Finally drain fresh water tank and open low point drains and drain until you see antifreeze.

Hope that helps.

My wife and I were going to go through Yellowstone this weekend on our way back East. We have ebikes as well. Had to cancel the trip due to back surgery last week. Glad to hear you had a great trip.

[Barch]

Originally Posted by bclemens

This is what our guys do. They sort of hook it up, and go about their business. Aqua-Hot tells you to use antifreeze. I know some people prefer that...just passing on what our techs seem to prefer.

1. Open fresh water tank drain
2. Open all faucets to medium warm/cold
3. Apply air to white water hose 40 PSI
4. Alternate faucets cold-hot every 5 minutes
5. After 20 minutes, open hot & cold low point drains located in water bay, shut off faucets & continue to blow out lines for 5 minutes
6. Remove air, leave faucets cracked open and low point drains open.
7. Drain holding tanks and water heater (leave filter out on Truma)
8. remove ice maker line from back of refrigerator and drain.
9. Pour ½” gallon RV antifreeze down all drains and toilet
10 Winterization Complete

Makes good sense to me. That is how I used to do my Comfort Travel Trailer. What about the criticisms that the pump seals may dry out and or some water may get trapped in "low spots"?

[bclemens]

You can always find someone to criticize anything.

As for the OP questions. This was sort of a generic winterizing for all our stuff. So if you don’t have an ice maker, which you don’t one a 3 series, you would not need to disconnect it.

I would stick with what you’re doing. I was just adding our process in case there was something you could use.

[Barch]

Originally Posted by bclemens

You can always find someone to criticize anything.

As for the OP questions. This was sort of a generic winterizing for all our stuff. So if you don’t have an ice maker, which you don’t one a 3 series, you would not need to disconnect it.

I would stick with what you’re doing. I was just adding our process in case there was something you could use.

I would prefer the air method over the antifreeze method if it doesn't harm the water pump to be empty for a few months. Much easier and no need in the Spring to flush out all that antifreeze. Someone should have the answer to this question.

[Kenny kustom]

I do air, then antifreeze.
The only difference, is I leave the antifreeze in the lines, and leave the low point drains closed.

[Bill Davis]

I’ve always done air, no antifreeze except in drains. Never had a problem for 20 something years of doing it this way on many different RVs. The only thing I would recommend is using an oil less compressor.

[pgeraghty]

Ok - I'm almost there, but making sure I'm locating the proper drains etc without a manual is not easy. Are there any online manuals or somewhere I can see a plumbing layout of my Isata 3?

And I'm not clear on how to "pressurize system? I do have an air compressor.

[pgeraghty]

Barch - hope your back is doing well now - thanks for your suggestions!

I own a bike shop and have been a bicyclist for many years, but just started embracing ebikes - I rode a Trek Powerfly and my wife had a Trek Lift - they both worked perfectly, we got a bit of a workout but didn't have to struggle with the hills!

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by bclemens

This is what our guys do. They sort of hook it up, and go about their business. Aqua-Hot tells you to use antifreeze. I know some people prefer that...just passing on what our techs seem to prefer.
10 Winterization Complete

Thanks for those instructions. We prefer the air method but weren't sure of the process.

[Barch]

Originally Posted by pgeraghty

Ok - I'm almost there, but making sure I'm locating the proper drains etc without a manual is not easy. Are there any online manuals or somewhere I can see a plumbing layout of my Isata 3?

And I'm not clear on how to "pressurize system? I do have an air compressor.

Attached is a post from earlier this year that I saved outlining the process. By pressurizing the system I simply mean that before you turn the Anderson Valve to "Winterize" and start pumping antifreeze, you set it to "Dry Camping" and turn on your water pump to pressurize your water lines. Of course you have to have a little water in the fresh water tank to do this. You then switch the Anderson Valve to "Winterize". At this point all of your waterlines are full of fresh water (no air) and then when you turn the Anderson valve to "Winterize" and then open a faucet, your pump will begin sucking the antifreeze throughout the coach.

[caswelld]

Don’t forget the fresh water pump. There is a small filter at the inlet of the pump that the air doesn’t blow out.

[Teetime]

Originally Posted by Kenny kustom

I do air, then antifreeze.
The only difference, is I leave the antifreeze in the lines, and leave the low point drains closed.

Me too, but use about 20 psi, then suck some antifreeze into the pump, splash a little into the traps, and a little into the black water tank where we always have some solution.

[Barch]

Originally Posted by caswelld

Don’t forget the fresh water pump. There is a small filter at the inlet of the pump that the air doesn’t blow out.

Why would the air not blow out all of water in the pump? I looked at a picture of the pump (Shurflo Model 4008) and I don't see any filter. There is a check valve. That is all I see. Am I missing something?

[Kenny kustom]

We get down to -45c in the winter. I'll do everything I can to prevent problems.

[FFred]

If antifreez is used (the pink goo) if the FW system is drained some goo will remain in the pipes.

AS it dries out it hardens , so i in the spring Many ! flushes are required to get rid of the taste .

There is no easy way to get to the FW pump to service the strainer.

[caswelld]

Originally Posted by Barch

Why would the air not blow out all of water in the pump? I looked at a picture of the pump (Shurflo Model 4008) and I don't see any filter. There is a check valve. That is all I see. Am I missing something?

Sorry, they don't call it a filter, it is a "strainer" in the operation manual diagram. The strainer is the white casing on the right. It just unscrews and contains a screen material.

I also thought 30-40 psi air would blow it out, but when I unscrewed the screen case, it had water in it. I even ran the pump for 30 seconds or so with the air attached & the strainer had water in it

I don't recall a strainer on other RV pumps, and maybe most of the time air will blow out the water, but it didn't on mine.

Pumping antifreeze into the system takes care of this

[bclemens]

Yes, that strainer is optional, but highly recommended to keep debris out of the pump. I seem to recall at a time, that if you used the strainer it increased the warranty period. Either from 90 days to one year or from one year to two years.

The mind is a terrible thing to...something or other.