Winterizing REV

[Delco Bobby]

2017 REV RB.

TRUMA COMBI HEATER.

Please hold comments about any other kind of heater as they are different.

I was told in my first year of ownership that there was no heater bypass. I recently read in this forum that some REV owners do have a heater bypass. If I have one I cant see it or any valves other that the yellow tank drain valve on top of the heater.

With some difficulty today I searched for these valves but found nothing. The Truma user manual says the valves are not supplied by Truma.

In the past 4 years when drawing anti freeze into the system it would also go into the heater. Then I had to do a lot of flushing the following spring. When drawing the antifreeze in, the Anderson valve was set to Sanitize/Winterize.

Any comments other than having someone install a bypass which is probably not cost effective for me?

I will try to get decent photos but there is not much head room under the jackknife sofa and the heater tube blocks the area.

Thanks,

Bobby

[Delco Bobby]

I winterized the REV today with anti freeze. I drained the water a couple of days ago.

I doubt I have hot water heater bypass. So once again I used about 4 or 5 gallons of antifreeze. Not a big deal cost wise, better than freeze damage. The main problem is purging the anti freeze in the spring. I drain everything then fill and drain several times including running lots of fresh water through the system.

I would appreciate it if anyone with an RB can take photo of their bypass if they have one.

I can see the hot a cold water lines around the Truma heater but the heat ducts block a good view. I don’t want to mess with the heat ducts to much as I had troubles with them coming off in my first year of ownership. The dealer guys had no clue but BC and my wife figured out the fix.

[steve32409]

mine is very simple as i have the instant hot water = 1 1/2 gal and im done but i think you did what I would have done - just fill the whole thing and worry next spring about purging the pink out of it

[Delco Bobby]

Originally Posted by steve32409

mine is very simple as i have the instant hot water = 1 1/2 gal and im done but i think you did what I would have done - just fill the whole thing and worry next spring about purging the pink out of it

Yup, I stopped fussing and got the job done. Lots of purging every spring.

Sometime in the recent past I thought another REV owner said he had a hot water heater bypass.

We tested the hot water heater in 2016 during our PDI and maybe used it one other time. The water gets hot in warm weather due to ambient temperature and the sun shining on the side wall. So I don’t bother turning on the heater. Used for hand washing, never used the shower.