Winterizing

[fman]

I searched the board and was not able to get a solid answer. I'm in NJ and the weather is getting nippy and I'm concerned with winterizing. But the thing is the wife and I plan on using the RV all winter for short trips. I know if I'm going to store it, I should winterize it. We may be taking weekend trips once or twice per month and the RV would most likely sit the rest of the time. Does this become a winterizing schedule where as I go on a trip, flush the rv before hand, come back and winterize each time?

 

[robertusa123]

I recommend that you pick up a pancake air compressor and the appropriate adaptors the blowout the plumbing after every trip otherwise constantly running antifreeze will get a bit expensive.  I would blow the water out of the plumbing before you even leave the campground. You're still going to need a little antifreeze for the drain trap in the shower and sinks

 

[Rene T]

We've camped in the middle of a major snowstorm in NH one time. I left the pipes winterized and used windshield washer fluid to flush the toilet. We use to keep a 100 coffee urn on the counter just for hot water. We'd carry fresh water in a couple of 5 gallon water jugs.

 

[Stephen S.]

We've camped in the middle of a major snowstorm in NH one time. I left the pipes winterized and used windshield washer fluid to flush the toilet. We use to keep a 100 coffee urn on the counter just for hot water. We'd carry fresh water in a couple of 5 gallon water jugs.

Yup. If the temps are gonna be below freezing, keep the water lines winterized and treat the camper as a box with a bed.
If you use the holding tanks (black or gray) get some RV anti-freeze in there to keep them from freezing.

Fridge, stove, oven, and furnace will all work fine.

I've been going down to Florida over Thanksgiving weekend since I bought the RV a few years ago. I also went to Tybee Island for 2 weeks over the Christmas/New Year holiday break one year. I didn't de-winterize, and just stopped at Dollar General to buy a bunch of one gallon jugs of water for each trip. I've since bought a 5 gallon water jug with spout that I keep next to the sink. I'll fill it up at home each trip, and refill from potable faucets I can find at the campground.

 

[fman]

Wow that's interesting. I just got the replies for this today. Anyway I wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting. Here's what I have done. I blew out all the lines, drained the hot water heater, etc. I'm reading the manual on how to do all this stuff only to come to the end in which it says, Hey if you have a siphon on your model MH you can suck up all the rv antifreeze into the plumbing etc. So that takes all of a few minutes cause I have a siphon on my MH model. So the rv is winterized and now we are going on a trip in a couple of weeks to VA, Anvil camp ground. I figured I can clear it all out with fresh water and start all over again. The antifreeze is like $2.50 at Walmart and I figured now that I have done it, it's not that hard. So we will go on trips and when I store it back at home for a couple of weeks or so, I'll winterize it each time. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Rene T]

The last three years, when I winterized, I just blew everything down. Then when it came time to head south for the winter, I put fresh water in the fresh water tank the night before we left. Then while traveling south, when I got to a point where there was no danger of freezing, I would just charge the system with fresh water using the pump and there was no need to flush out any antifreeze. This year we left in the middle of October so the lines already had water in them.

 

[John From Detroit]

My problem with using RV antifreeze was getting rid of it come spring, Took me a lot of work to get it all out of the system.

Hope you have an easier job than I did.

 

[HappyWanderer]

I've never had an issue flushing out antifreeze with fresh water.  Open each valve in turn until the water flows clear.

The odor of bleach after sanitizing, that's another story.

 

[malibu06]

Like the OP, we plan to use our RV in the winter as much as possible, but will be in storage for weeks at a time. If I want to do the "blow out" method, is this the type of tool for the job?

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/blow-out-hose/69232

Thanks!

 

[Rene T]

Like the OP, we plan to use our RV in the winter as much as possible, but will be in storage for weeks at a time. If I want to do the "blow out" method, is this the type of tool for the job?

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/blow-out-hose/69232

Thanks!

That will work but I think most of the people use a fitting like this. You can connect the standard air hose quick disconnect fitting and then just go in and start opening faucets while the hose is still connected. I understand Home Depot and Lowe's also sells these.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-36153-Brass-Blow-Plug/dp/B0006IX68O

 

[malibu06]

Thanks Rene T - that makes sense!  Then just hook up to a hand pump or bike pump.  Cool! 

 

[2kGeorgieBoy]

You'll need more than a hand pump or bicycle pump to supply pressure, volume and constant air flow needed. A small pancake type compressor should work fine. Also note that the unit from Camping World doesn't include the male air fitting needed to connect to your air line.

 

[malibu06]

Thanks again for the help.   

Other question - is there a specific tool needed to clear out the water heater?  I saw something on Amazon...

 

[Alfa38User]

is there a specific tool needed to clear out the water heater?

There is a plastic fitting that connects to a hose for that purpose, but need it?? No.... But it makes the job much simpler as you insert the smaller plastic tube right into the drain hole and the water will swish around taking out more junk with it as it flows out the drain!! They usually have a water shut-off on the fitting too so you don't soak yourself and everything around you.

 

[Rene T]

This is it. I believe WalMart also sells them:

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-11691-Water-Heater-Rinser/dp/B002XL2IBS