I decided to winterize the Forester today. This is the first time I've done it so it partly a learning experience. I opened the drain valve for the freshwater tank and opened the fill cap to allow air in. I then opened the hot water line drain under the coach. Hey Forest River - what's up with the cheap plastic cap on the end of the hot water line? The line runs parallel to the cold water line in the cabinet space, why not put an inline valve there like the cold water line? I'm concerned about knocking the cap off if a rock kicks up from the back tires. I'm thinking that an inline PEX mini valve needs to be installed inside the cabinet.
I let everything drain out and removed the water filter housing. Another complaint to FR - how about adding a little more room so you can get the housing out without spilling water all over the inside of the compartment? I ended up sliding a plastic bag over the housing to catch the water when I tipped it to get out of the mount area. The thing I did like and give kudos to FR for is the handy antifreeze suction line that's built into the system. I shut the hot water tank bypass valves, shut the cold water drain and inserted the antifreeze suction tube into a jug of antifreeze. Fired up the water pump and started opening faucets inside...except nothing came out. Went back out and saw that the jug of antifreeze was just about empty. It took a quart or so to fill the water filter housing but I couldn't figure out where the rest was...until I looked under the camper and saw that I didn't put the cheap plastic cap back on the hot water line drain. Got that back on and everything pumped through - after getting another jug of antifreeze - and out of all the faucets, shower, toilet and outside shower.
I shut down the water pump and opened all the drain lines again. I didn't want to leave the antifreeze in the lines as we're going to Florida in a month and a half and don't want to worry about draining the antifreeze out at that point. I figured to help get back in action quicker I'd blow the antifreeze out of the lines so when we get ready to go it will be a quick flush to get everything operating.
I installed my brand new blowout plug and started at 20psi. I opened the outside shower faucets and nothing happened. OK....maybe I need more pressure.... bumped it up to 35psi.....nothing. I took the air plug off and tried running air through it, worked perfectly. Cranked the PSI up to 50psi, but to play it safe so I didn't hurt my water system I put my water pressure regulator inline between the coach and the air plug. Again, nothing.....
So, I gave up. I decided to check the air in the tires and found I needed to add some air to the rears. While I was putting air into the left rear tires I looked up at the outside shower and the water inlet (the one I used with the air plug) right below it. Then I looked to the rear of the coach and saw another water inlet....WTH? Then I realized, I'm an idiot....I put the air plug on the inlet for the black tank flush. Good thing the black water tank is empty otherwise I would have been blowing a bunch of stinky bubbles. Put the air plug with pressure regulator on the correct water inlet and everything blew out correctly. It's amazing how well things work when you do it the right way.
I removed the plug from the water heater to drain that out and was surprised to find that it was just a plastic plug. I thought there was supposed to be an anode rod attached to the back of the plug? Is this something Atwood cheaped out on and I should get an anode plug for the water heater or is it someplace else on it?
Anyway, lessons learned...don't hook up the air plug to the black water tank flush inlet, it doesn't do anything other than blow air out the top vent!