Greetings. I have a 2018 Forest River A192HW pop up camper. It has a fresh water tank and a sink... and a water heater. Two seasons ago, I winterized it per the manual's instructions. Essentialy, I just cut off the hot water heater, poured some RV antifreeze into my tank and ran the antifreeze through the sink for a bit. I've used the camper a few times since then but never de-winterized. I'm coming up on the third cold season and I'm concerned about the state of the winterization. Is it ok to have left the winterization this long? Should I de-winterize it and re-winterize it again before this season? I'm concerned that the antifreeze may have evaporated and wonder if I could just add more instead of fully de-winterizing it first. Any thoughts will be appreciated.
Winterizing - How Long is too Long?
- Thread starter rbudj
- Start date
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Utclmjmpr
Well-known member
Sounds to me that it would be easier to just drain all the water,( including the water heater ) and walk away.. You won't freeze an empty tank..>>>Dan
Skookum
Well-known member
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- Dec 19, 2018
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Having it winterized can't really hurt. You are correct to want to check the state of the antifreeze after that long.
You didn't mention - is your water heater empty right now? I guess corrosion could be forming in there but it will corrode even with water/antifreeze inside it.
If it was properly winterized and you want to keep it that way, I'd top up all the drain traps and where the manual said to put antifreeze and call it good.
You didn't mention - is your water heater empty right now? I guess corrosion could be forming in there but it will corrode even with water/antifreeze inside it.
If it was properly winterized and you want to keep it that way, I'd top up all the drain traps and where the manual said to put antifreeze and call it good.
Thanks for the replies. I drained the hot water tank so it is empty. My concern with not using antifreeze is any left over water in any lines but I suppose it would be so minimal that there should not be enough water left to cause bursting. Most research says to use antifreeze which is why I did.
Utclmjmpr
Well-known member
RV antifreeze is nasty stuff and the taste is difficult to remove,, I haven't bothered with it since I built an insulated garage,, now I keep everything topped off for emergencies and never think about freezing..>>>Dan
That sounds reasonable. I'll remember this method for next season and really clean out the system in the spring. For my case, with no insulated environment, would you suggest I do the compressed air method then leave it dry for the winter?
Utclmjmpr
Well-known member
If you drain the tanks,, including the waste tanks,, then the next consideration is the water pump.. East to blow out it and remaining low point lines..>>>Dan
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Assuming your original winterization was effective, I see no reason it would not remain so. The water lines are closed off so nothing is happening to dilute or evaporate the existing antifreeze. Drain traps and tanks, however, are a different story. They are exposed to evaporation and the addition of other liquids (you have used the RV, you said), so I'd re-apply antifreeze to the drain traps and also the tanks if you have used any there before.
RV antifreeze is simply a substance that has a lower freeze-point than plain water. Unlike car coolant anitfreeze, it is not subject to continual heating and recirculation, nor does it have to provide anti-corrosion protection.
RV antifreeze is simply a substance that has a lower freeze-point than plain water. Unlike car coolant anitfreeze, it is not subject to continual heating and recirculation, nor does it have to provide anti-corrosion protection.
I consider winterizing to be a lessor evil than replacing a broken pipe buried somewhere in a wall or floor. Until 20 years ago I just blew out the lines at 30 psi and considered that good. But I had water collect in a low point inside the floor and burst a pipe. Now after blowing out the lines I force antifreeze thru the entire system, blow that out, and leave it dry which reduces the smell in the spring. Takes 30 minutes.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Ok there are several types of antifreeze... There are reasons the antifreeze in older cars needs frequent replacement. But the "Pink stuff" used in RV's do not.
It is a chemical that does not easily evaporate
And unlike the car's engine it does not become highly contaminated over time from engine operation.
So it should be good for a decade or more.
