First Winterizing Experience

[coldbrew]

Well after many years of tent camping, we decided to step up to a TT and bought an 08 Wildwood LE 26TBSS about two months ago. After reading, reading and more reading on the best way to winterize, I took the plunge last night and everything went really well....almost.

I had already drained the water heater, emptied the fresh water tank and blew the water as best I could with the my air compressor a couple of days ago and went to finish the task since we will be getting into the mid 20s for the next couple of nights here in Atlanta.

I bought a winterizing bypass valve to allow me to pull straight from the antifreeze containers without having to fill the fresh water tank with the pink stuff and that install went without a hitch. I then flip the bypass to the water heater to keep it from filling up and begin to think that I might actually pull this off the first time with no problems.

I then screw the hose onto the fitting and flip it to bypass and insert the tube into the antifreeze jug. I then flip the switch to turn the water pump on, squint, plug my ears and turn sideways to help absorb any sort of shock wave that may hit me from the work to the tubing and pump and then just hear the nice low hum of the pump...whew. It pulled about 1/3rd of the jug into the system and then turned off once it was pressurized. Now I am feeling really confident and turn to the next task of going to the kitchen sink and doing the old, turn them on and wait for the pink for the cold and hot.

I do that sink, the bathroom sink, the shower and then the toilet and everything ran pink. Feeling like I have all but mastered this, I go to the last thing that I read to do, which is to go out to the city water connection, remove the screen, stand to the side and give it a tap to "pink" it as well. Keep in mind that it is dark and I have a small flashlight, so I give it a tap and a quick jet of liquid shoots out briefly. Not exactly sure if it was pink or clear because the flashlight was aimed away from the connection, I figure one more tap for good measure and I will call it done.

I tap it the second time and it lets loose and will not stop. While spewing, I tried my hardest to press and release the valve over and over hoping that it would reseal, but to no avail. About two gallons of pink make the nicest rooster tail arc out the back of my camper until there is nothing left except for a very upset owner with more pink on me than there is left in the camper and looking from side to side hoping that nobody saw what just went down.

I tried a couple of times to reseat the seal in the check valve, but it just wasn't happening. So, I begin to pack things up, lick my wounds and head back to the house uttering some words that many people would find slightly offensive in hopes of getting online to see just what happened.

I have since found that there are a couple of camps regarding the old "pink the city water connection" thing goes. One camp says to press the little release button to pink it, and the other camp says they used to do that until what happened to me happened to them. Apparently, those little buggers aren't really designed to handle that much pressure very well. I still learned a lot from the experience and feel that it was, for the most part a success. Had it not been for that last, second tap, the water lines would be full of the pink stuff and everything would be buttoned up for the winter.

This leads to my question. Since I watered the gravel with my antifreeze, should I still call this winterized since all of the faucets were pinked before the blowout. I am thinking that between blowing out the lines with about 20psi and then pinking each of them, there should be no water left in the lines to freeze. There is also pink in each of the traps and in the toilet as well, protecting the seal. Also, living in the Atlanta Metro area, winters do not get near as bad as further north, although there still are plenty of days and nights well below freezing.

Second question is how easy is the fix to the City Water check valve? So far, from what I have read, it seems as though it is not tough. I've just never had to do this before. I have the connection capped currently, so nothing can get back in.

Thanks for the great forum here. I have learned so much and have found everyone here to be so helpful. I just thought that I would share my experience being a new TT owner. I know that everyone is new at first and I am really enjoying the experience and learning new things. I hope that as I gain more experience, I can then share with others in need of help.

[rracer5]

Coldbrew

I think you will be fine. I've even heard of people just blowing out the lines, filling the traps and that's it. Since you had pink in the lines already, you still have a little residue in there just not under pressure.

Now, maybe in the spring when you hook up your city water hose again and pressurize the system, it may reset the check valve.

[coldbrew]

Thanks for the advice. I did learn a lot during the process. We have only had the TT since Sept. and I am learning as I go. We only had the chance to take it out once this Fall before putting it up for the winter. I am having a great time with it and enjoy this forum for all of the good information.

I have a couple of Winter projects that I would like to get done and then will cross my fingers that the check valve resets next Spring!

[glen1971]

I did the same thing to mine when I first did it.. I left the city connection until the de-winterizing time came. I went out and bought a new fitting (just in case) and the tech told me what to try and see if it would help. I replaced it (that way I knew it was new) and did what he suggested and kept the old one for a spare..

Mine had the 3 screws to mount it to the trailer. I took them out and worked the fitting out. If I remember right it was a hose fitting on the inside. To reseat it I think I used a pair of needle nosed pliers to push it back into place and you'll hear a small "click" when it is in.. It took about 5 minutes when I saw how it worked and how it had to seat.. They aren't that complicated..

[coldbrew]

Originally Posted by glen1971

I did the same thing to mine when I first did it.. I left the city connection until the de-winterizing time came. I went out and bought a new fitting (just in case) and the tech told me what to try and see if it would help. I replaced it (that way I knew it was new) and did what he suggested and kept the old one for a spare..

Mine had the 3 screws to mount it to the trailer. I took them out and worked the fitting out. If I remember right it was a hose fitting on the inside. To reseat it I think I used a pair of needle nosed pliers to push it back into place and you'll hear a small "click" when it is in.. It took about 5 minutes when I saw how it worked and how it had to seat.. They aren't that complicated..

Thanks for the information! I thought I was doing so well, and was, up until that point. I guess that is part of learning, though. I was actually thinking about doing the same thing that you did, which is to just replace it for peace of mind and fix the existing one and hang onto it as a spare. I am big into redundancy, so that may not be a bad idea. They are inexpensive also and seem to be really easy to change out.

[fonzie]

Have you done your outside shower?

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by coldbrew

This leads to my question. Since I watered the gravel with my antifreeze, should I still call this winterized since all of the faucets were pinked before the blowout. I am thinking that between blowing out the lines with about 20psi and then pinking each of them, there should be no water left in the lines to freeze. There is also pink in each of the traps and in the toilet as well, protecting the seal. Also, living in the Atlanta Metro area, winters do not get near as bad as further north, although there still are plenty of days and nights well below freezing.

Given the amount of pink you were wearing, I feel like we should call you coldparis or hiltonbrew.



However, from a winterization perspective - you're fine. Even if you lived in an extremely cold climate, you'd still be fine. Since you pulled pink through all of the lines, you have pushed out any water from them. After your antifreeze geyser, all that is left in the lines is air + residual antifreeze. The air doesn't freeze and the antifreeze doesn't expand when/if it crystallizes.

[Herk7769]

I'm BLIND!
I'm BLIND!

[coldbrew]

Originally Posted by fonzie

Have you done your outside shower?

No outside shower on mine.....well, unless you count my City Water connection

[coldbrew]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Given the amount of pink you were wearing, I feel like we should call you coldparis or hiltonbrew.

Now that's not funny, she is not wearing NEAR as much pink as I was that night

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by coldbrew

Now that's not funny, she is not wearing NEAR as much pink as I was that night

If it's any consolation- my sister's boyfriend winterized their camper. He moved the tubes for the water pump to suck in from his bottle of antifreeze. He said he could see/tell it was pulling antifreeze in, but when he went into the faucet, it wasn't there. In short time it dutifully sucked through the gallon and he was fixing to setup the next gallon when he noticed antifreeze shooting out of the city water connection out of the back of the camper!

[coldbrew]

At least I can identify with him on that one. I can tell you now which little button inside the city water connection I will not be tapping next year!