How Much Pink Antifreeze?

[Ezzie65]

I looked in the forum and couldn't find an answer to this:
Can anyone tell me how much antifreeze I may need to winterize my 26ft Class C RV? My hubby told me to pick up 8 gals which I did and then saw a man in the Wal-Mart parking lot as I was leaving who had 3 gals. He said he had a 40ft rig and only uses 2-3 gals to winterize his. Can you tell me approximately how much we need? Thanks in advance.

 

[scottydl]

Nope, nobody can tell you how much you'll need.    Unless someone here has your same exact rig.  Plumbing systems are set up differently between pretty much all RV's.  I can do my whole system (35 foot Class A) with 2 gallons, but that's being pretty conservative with usage.  Plus I don't put any extra pink stuff down the gray/black tanks, since they are mostly empty and there is plenty of space for any remaining contents to freeze & expand.

I buy the stuff when it's on sale ($2.50/gallon around here) each year, 4 gallons to be safe but I've never needed more than 2 at a time.  I don't think it expires, so you could just hold on to your 8 gallons, or use what you need and return the rest.  Then you know for next year how much to buy.

 

[John From Detroit]

Depends. On my rig, for example. If I decide to pour the pink stuff in the tank and use the pump to push it through the lines it will take a whole bunch (5 gallons just to get it over the tank outlet.  I don't use that method

About 2 gallons will fill my lines, and another 1-2 for the traps

However, the way I do it, about 1.5 for the traps. and several gallons of air.

 

[Biker56]

You don't need to put any in the Black tank, Grey tank, Fresh water tank or the water heater tank.

That only leaves the hot & cold water lines, outside shower facet, kitchen sink facet & trap, shower facet & trap, bathroom sink facet & trap, and Ice maker if you have one.

After you have drained water heater tank, and all the low water points and shut them off.
Have a adapter on your fresh water pump to suck antifreeze out of the gal. jug and it should take not much more then 2 gal. to get pink out of all the facet's.

 

[scottydl]

Have a adapter on your fresh water pump to suck antifreeze out of the gal. jug and it should take not much more then 2 gal. to get pink out of all the facet's.

Yep that's how I do it.  And the pink that comes out and goes down the corresponding drains should be enough to fill the traps.  Pour in a little vegetable oil (down the drains) to prevent evaporation of the liquid in the traps.

 

[DonTom]

I looked in the forum and couldn't find an answer to this:
Can anyone tell me how much antifreeze I may need to winterize my 26ft Class C RV?

Yes, Gemco Mfg. can!    You need three gallons.

On my bottles of Gamco RV & Marine Antifreeze it says:

No water tank, use one gallon.

Under 18 feet, use two gallons.

18 to 28 feet, use three gallons.

If longer, use three or more gallons as needed.

-Don- Reno, NV​

 

[scottydl]

^^ I think they're numbers are a little generic.    'Cause I've got 35 feet and I only use 2 gallons.  And I know I've read folks' accounts that have said (for instance) that their old 28 foot Class C would require more antifreeze than their new 45 foot Class A diesel pusher.  It all depends on how an individual rig's plumbing is set up under the surface.

 

[DonTom]

^^ I think they're numbers are a little generic.    'Cause I've got 35 feet and I only use 2 gallons.  And I know I've read folks' accounts that have said (for instance) that their old 28 foot Class C would require more antifreeze than their new 45 foot Class A diesel pusher.  It all depends on how an individual rig's plumbing is set up under the surface.

No doubt they (Camco) would rather you use more, which isn't going to hurt anything. Perhaps they should have added "or more as needed" to all of the lengths listed.

                                                                        -Don- Reno, NV

 

[taoshum]

Pray tell... How do you get the icemaker water solenoid to turn on so the pump can push some of the pink stuff into the icemaker water line?  or blow out the icemaker water line?

thx.

 

[GKman]

According to my rusty math skills, a gallon would fill about 550 feet of 3/8" pipe.  I know you folks have some long motor homes but....?

 

[cdrcos]

I am on my 3rd FW, the previous ones were 25' and 28.5', and I have never needed more than 2 gallons. 

I am in Minnesota (serious winters) and have never had a problem.  ;D

Joe

 

[Ezzie65]

Have a adapter on your fresh water pump to suck antifreeze out of the gal. jug and it should take not much more then 2 gal. to get pink out of all the facet's.

What kind of adapter? I don't want to just go in the store asking for a thing-a-ma-jig, LOL. Can I find this adapter at Wal Mart or do I need to go to an RV store for it?

 

[FrontrangeRVer]

I normally use 3 gallons, but I ended up using 4 gallons this year.  I just wanted to "make sure" I guess....it's so cheap!

 

[RoyM]

ezzie, our trailer came with a short piece of garden hose equipped with a fitting to screw on to the inlet side of the pump. Problem was I could not get the pump to prime, the jug was higher. The only solution would have been to rig a fitting on the jug and invert it. I gave up and put two jugs in the tank then ran the front jacks up to the max. The pump then primed.

 

[scottydl]

What kind of adapter? I don't want to just go in the store asking for a thing-a-ma-jig, LOL. Can I find this adapter at Wal Mart or do I need to go to an RV store for it?

Make it yourself from some plastic plumbing parts, found at any hardware store.  It'll cost you a few dollars max.  Give me a bit and I'll take a photo of what we have, and post it here.

 

[cdrcos]

What kind of adapter? I don't want to just go in the store asking for a thing-a-ma-jig, LOL. Can I find this adapter at Wal Mart or do I need to go to an RV store for it?

This is the one:  https://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/pump-converter-winterizer-kit/6279

Might have it at Walmart...

 

[scottydl]

Give me a bit and I'll take a photo of what we have, and post it here.

Okay here it is... photos below correspond with these descriptions:

(1) this is a corner of my fresh water tank.  On the bottom right corner there are two water outlets, one is the tank drain (works by gravity when valve is opened) and the other feeds the RV water supply by getting sucked out by the water pump.

(2) this is the device I found in a compartment (left by the previous owner), and eventually figured out it was an extension used for winterizing with RV antifreeze.    It's a small piece of plastic pipe with double threaded nuts on each end.  The "bottom" end has a length of flexible plastic tubing attached with a hose clamp.

(3) AFTER draining the tank as much as possible, I unscrew the water pump feed pipe.

(4) Once unscrewed, I pull it away from the tank... this is possible because it hangs down to its regular place on a flexible piece of hose/pipe.

(5) I screw on the homemade extension to the water pump feed pipe.

(6) The plastic tubing on the extension goes IN to a jug of RV antifreeze, raised up to the "right" height (by a 5-gallon bucket in my case).  I leave this set up, turn on my water pump, and go around the RV turning on each water faucet/toilet/shower (one at a time) until pure pink comes out.  Don't forget your outside shower and drinking water spigot if you have one.  I only had to swap jugs one time.

(7) For bonus, this is the 3-valve system on my hot water tank under the kitchen sink.  To bypass the HW tank on mine, I have to close the bottom valve (prevents water from going in) and open the middle valve (allows the hot water supply to get through to the hot water faucets without going through the tank first).

I drained all my RV's water last night, and winterized with the RV antifreeze today.  I really only used about 1.5 gallons, and used the remaining half gallon to pour some more down each drain.  All seemed to go fine, once I figured out those HW tank valves again.  Since I only mess with them once per year, it always takes a little refresher to remember what the heck they're all used for.    Let me know if any of the photos below don't line up with my descriptions above.  Hope this helps!

 

[rsalhus]

If you blow out your water lines, you will only need a few cups of antifreeze in your drains.  Of course, before adding that you should drain the fresh water tank, the water heater tank. and the black and gray tanks before blowing out your water lines.  You don't even need to bypass your water heater.  To blow out your water lines by yourself, without a helper, all you need is an air compressor (with the output pressure set to about 40 PSI) and the two items shown in the picture below.  

The item in the bottom of the picture is an air valve that screws into your water fill connection.  The top item in the picture has a quick connect on one end to connect to the air compressor hose and a Schrader air valve connector on the other end.  It holds the air hose to the air valve connection so you don't have to.  Then you can go inside the RV and turn on one faucet at a time and blow all the water out of the water lines.  I open one faucet before turning on the air compressor and keep at least one faucet open whenever the compressor is on.

You then just go from one faucet to the next, one at a time, opening both hot and cold faucets, keeping each one open until all the water is blown out.  Don't forget the toilet water valve, the inside and outside shower faucets, and the toilet spray hose.  It takes less than five minutes to do them all after turning on the air compressor.

When you're done, add antifreeze to the drains, one or two cups to each, and you're set for winter.  It works for me.   8)

 

[DonTom]

 Don't forget the toilet water valve,

What is this "toilet water valve"?  What does it do and where's it located?

My toilet is a Thetford, with a hand flush (no foot pedal).

-Don- SSF, CA​

 

[scottydl]

I'm assuming he is referring to the hand flush valve.  In other words, making sure you clear the water from the toilet plumbing also.