Winterize my Brookstone 360RL?

Nick M · 10-04-2014, 08:13 AM

Folks, we have had a great camping season with our Brookstone 360RL after getting through my Chinese tire issues.

Only other issue was the landing gear would not lift the front end in July and extended warranty paid for new motor and gearbox.

Getting ready to put it away for the winter (inside non heated storage) and need to winterize. Of course the owners manual is worthless on detail.

I've done some reading on the internet and it appears that all I need is a hose to connect to a port located at the top of my convenience center. The hose would go into the antifreeze container. By switching the valves as shown on the diagram I use the internal pump to pull antifreeze through the coach.

Before beginning I need to bypass the water heater - are these valves located in the convenience center?

Is there a separate water heater drain hose/valve? Or do I remove the anode?

I've not used the fresh water tank, the drain is always open. I'll probably sanitize this tank new year after de-winterizing and start using it.

Any other tips or helpful hints?

Thanks in advance folks,

Nick

rlocicero · 10-04-2014, 08:35 AM

The first thing I do is to change the valves to the hot water heater to isolate it. I then pull the anode rod to inspect it and drain the heater. I like to open the pressure relief valve to help drain the unit. At this time you can inspect the threads on the heater where the rod came out and clean as needed. I bought a plastic pipe plug and teflon tape to protect the threads over the winter. Most units also have hot and cold bottom drains. I always drain the lines out and then blow them out with compressed air making sure to not use too much air. I also empty my water filter. Then I use the hose to draw RV antifreeze into the system opening one faucet at a time, hot and cold, until I see the a/f come out. Don't forget the toilet and outside shower. I then loosen the bottom drain caps a bit to make sure that the a/f has traveled completely thru the system. I am a bit anal about this because once, in my early camping years, I missed some water and ended up with a ruptured line.

wingedone · 10-04-2014, 09:28 AM

rlo pretty much covered it.

Let me add that the access to the valves to the water heater are generally directly behind the water heater (on my 11 Brookstone anyway). You may have to remove one or more of the partitions in the storage compartment to access the back of the water heater.

I took one of the partitions out, cut a hole in it, and made an access door so I would not have to remove the partition every year.

Don't forget to blow out or antifreeze the black water flush. Once I have antifreeze through the system, I am using the little hose that connects to suck in the antifreeze, connecting it to the outdoor shower (replacing the shower hose) and then the blank end goes into a "water thief" that is screwed into to the black flash recepticle. A little loop.

rlocicero · 10-04-2014, 02:34 PM

Thanks, Wingedone. I totally forgot about the black water flush. That must have a trap also.

Nick M · 10-05-2014, 06:59 AM

Thanks for the information guys. Went to the camper yesterday (cool here low 50's) and dug out the owners manual. As I figured it was pretty generic telling me to fill the fresh water tank with antifreeze and pump it through the system. Our Brookstone is plumbed for a washer in the bedroom closet so those lines will need to be flushed and filled with AF also.

Unfortunately I did not receive the suction hose with mine, I'm sure it was lost by the previous owner. Anything special about the hose? Length?

I need to pull that partition and get behind the convenience center to check things out. Probably do that next weekend if weather permits.

wingedone · 10-05-2014, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick M

Unfortunately I did not receive the suction hose with mine, I'm sure it was lost by the previous owner. Anything special about the hose? Length?

I need to pull that partition and get behind the convenience center to check things out. Probably do that next weekend if weather permits.

Assuming your center is similiar to mine:

You need a female connector to the fitting behind the black cap. Unfortunately, it's not a standard hose connection. However, if you have the outside shower hose, it will fit on it. Then remove the shower head, so you have an end you can stick in the RV antifreeze jug. That should work.

Connecting to your black flush will be more of an issue. Maybe a Water Thief will work with the shower head end. Then again, I didn't do that the last 2 winters and lucked out with no issues. This year, I won't rely on luck only.

The partitions are not hard to remove. Just get everything out of the storage space. The panels are generally held in with a few screws. The screws go into flimsey supports, so try not to be too rough on them.

Super 8 · 10-05-2014, 12:25 PM

Winterize RV with Compressed Air - YouTube

Ford Idaho · 10-05-2014, 12:45 PM

The Pex on my pickup tube is 24 inch's long.

Nick M · 10-05-2014, 03:13 PM

Wingedone - I have a spare shower hose I can use for that. Too stiff for the shower. Thanks a bunch. I'll check out a Water Thief and skull it out. Your convenience center looks identical to mine.

Ford Idaho, that hose looks like my stiff shower hose. The angle connector is another great idea.

Super 8, thanks for the video, maybe that's the way to insure no water in the black flush line.

Ford Idaho · 10-05-2014, 03:28 PM

The hose came with my Lite it was in a kitchen drawer.

I simply place a gallon jug of A/F with the tube in it on a five gallon bucket turn the pump on and turn on the faucets off and on, I start with the outside shower (head and hose off)which is right there as are the low point drains.
Bathroom sink, shower (I remove the hose and head first) and then the toilet followed by the kitchen faucet.

In all a gallon and a half pumped, I then use the rest by adding to that which is in the P-traps and some in the bowl to keep the seal from freezing.

Nick M · 10-05-2014, 06:47 PM

Thanks Ford Idaho, good information. Our camping season ends 10/31, we have to be out of our campground on the Ohio River. This has been our best season out of the last five years, mild summer weather and a campsight with million dollar view 10 minutes from my front door.

Our Brookstone goes into indoor storage Nov. 8 for 6 months. The storage months are the longest months we've experienced. This is the first year for us in the Brookstone, that last three years were in a Sundance 2800RL and one year before that in a Jayco Eagle. I winterized my Sundance last year, very simple so I'm expecting the Brookstone to be almost as easy.

Nick M · 10-26-2014, 07:52 PM

Dreading this chore but it was easier than I anticipated. My helper was a 7 year old grandson, a quick learner.

Found my 24" pex hose behind the water heater panel. Only saw one valve to isolate the water heater. There was something that looked like a solenoid on the hot water outlet, I'm assuming it is a blocking valve to keep antifreeze from flowing back into the WH.

No anode rod in the WH, just a nylon plug so I'll add the anode next spring when we de-winterize. The water pump picked up antifreeze and we used nearly 4 gallons. I made sure all the traps had ample antifreeze. The hookup for a washing machine was the most difficult, had to use a hose from each fitting to a bucket to catch fluids.

Thanks to all of you who replied to my questions, you were a great help!

The Brookstone had a bath yesterday and is ready for winter storage. Can't wait until April to take it out again.

Have a great winter folks....

wingedone · 10-27-2014, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick M

Dreading this chore but it was easier than I anticipated. My helper was a 7 year old grandson, a quick learner.

Found my 24" pex hose behind the water heater panel. Only saw one valve to isolate the water heater. There was something that looked like a solenoid on the hot water outlet, I'm assuming it is a blocking valve to keep antifreeze from flowing back into the WH.

No anode rod in the WH, just a nylon plug so I'll add the anode next spring when we de-winterize. The water pump picked up antifreeze and we used nearly 4 gallons. I made sure all the traps had ample antifreeze. The hookup for a washing machine was the most difficult, had to use a hose from each fitting to a bucket to catch fluids.

Thanks to all of you who replied to my questions, you were a great help!

The Brookstone had a bath yesterday and is ready for winter storage. Can't wait until April to take it out again.

Have a great winter folks....

Only one manual valve on my water heater also. You are correct, a check valve is used.

Not all water heaters require an anode rod. Steel ones do I believe to have the impurities eat the rod and not the tank. Aluminum tanks do not require them. Again, I believe that is the way it goes. Anyway, mine came new without the rod because it isn't required in our tanks.

We had to take ours to storage a couple weeks back. It will be a long winter.

Nick M · 10-27-2014, 05:41 PM

Wingedone, thanks for the news about the anode rod. The plastic plug looked original as I could see where it had been removed before.

I think in the spring I'll sterilize the fresh water tank and use it from time to time.

Installing an access panel for the water heater isolation valve may be in order also.

Thanks again,

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