FYI Winterization reminders

[Neal]

Not even just for winterizing but cold weather ops, keep in mind of your water lines such as one I always forget which is in the generator bay to my hot water spigot. If in sub-freezing conditions you should find and turn off the cutoff valve.

The icemaker water line is in the basement and I've never had an issue but I've heard others have. In my coach (like above) there is a cut off valve and you may want to turn that off too, especially if in storage.

If winterizing and putting in the RV antifreeze, make sure you at least get your pink fluid showing in these lines so you know they are protected from freezing.

Anyone else feel free to chime in on more commonly missed winterizing locations.

Amazon product ASIN B0834N3XWW

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

 

[DennisT]

For an additional item - we always emptied the tanks and put some down the black and grey so the dump valves had antifreeze against them.

 

[Neal]

View attachment 21479

Wonder what RettroAir would cost? Cheap people!

 

[Just George]

Well I'm not sure if these get missed but this is how I do the Winterizing process on my DutchStar. Perhaps the items most likely to be missed would be the Dishwasher, Washing Machine and Ice Maker.

1) Remove & drain whole house water filter, & reinstall the canister without filter.
2) Remove refrigerator water filter.
3) Drain fresh water tank.
4) Using an air blow out plug that attaches to the fresh water inlet hose & with my air compressor output adjusted to 50 PSI I "blow out" the system by opening each faucet, the refrigerator in door water dispenser, toilets, shower (both shower heads if more than one) one at a time until the water is pushed out & air flows. (In my opinion the primary benefit of this step is to get the majority of water out of the freshwater hose and hose reel. The later process that puts RV antifreeze into the plumbing does NOT cover these.)
5) Drain the Black & Gray Tanks.
6) Open low point drains & close after water stops flowing
7) Remove, empty, & reinstall the whole house water filter canister.
8) Using the winterizing valves and tube in the wet bay pump RV antifreeze throughout the plumbing system. (In my case it takes about 6 gallons) With the pump on, open each faucet, the refrigerator in door water dispenser, toilets, shower (both shower heads if more than one) one at a time until the pink antifreeze is present. Since this step flows antifreeze into the drains the gray and black tank valves are also protected.
9) Cycle the Dishwasher, & Washing machine such that they run the fill cycle until pink antifreeze is present, then cycle them to drain so the antifreeze is also pumped into the drain line.
10) Cycle the refrigerator ice maker until the pink antifreeze is present in the ice tray. (Note many ice makers can be manually cycled by using a jumper wire inserted into test points under the front cover of the ice maker.) If the manual cycling process is not used allow the refrigerator & ice maker to run until it cycles to make ice and pink antifreeze is present.
11 Optional) at this point the pluming system is protected since the RV antifreeze has displaced any water throughout the system. There is no need to leave the antifreeze in the system. If desired you can repeat step 4 which will remove the majority of the antifreeze from the system.
12 Optional) As mentioned in step 4 the freshwater hose and hose reel do not have RV antifreeze in them. I have 110v power at my storage location so for some added protection (beyond the air blow out) I suspend a 60W incandesent light bulb in the wet bay and leave it on to provide a bit of heat in that area.

 

[Neal]

Excellent info @Just George - thanks for sharing.

 

[Scooterfan]

Huh ? One should change the air in the tires ? Perhaps it's not a "thing" in our temperate zone but I guess I never heard of this...learn something new everyday Blessings

 

[Neal]

T.C. got some splain'in to do!

 

[Rosy]

I think I forgot to do the outside shower the first year I had the trailer but luckily we hadn't used it so it was still full of antifreeze from the previous owner winterizing it the year before.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

Wonder what RettroAir would cost? Cheap people!

That's one of those questions that if you have to ask you probably can't afford it. I remember when American Petrofina stations were using pink air and it was free.

 

[AbdRahim]

When I head south, the summer air automatically converts.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

When I head south, the summer air automatically converts.

I'm confused! I live in Texas and when we left this summer with Texas summer air in the tires and returned in the fall, which means the low temps were mid 80's at night, I still had summer air or did spending a couple of months in the mountains mean I should have changed to winter air this summer and then back to summer air when we got home and now change to winter air. I think I'll just go get new tires but dang I hate to do that since I just put new Toyo tires on before we left. Oh well, at least they will put the correct air in...I hope. Now to decide retrobands or not? Does anybody have recent experience installing them? What if they damage a tire? Is that possible? What if they do, will I have to drive all over creation looking for a replacement? My head hurts and I know it is not the Jameson Irish Whiskey I'm sipping.

 

[Neal]

I’m beginning to understand the problems related to the dash air!!

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

I’m beginning to understand the problems related to the dash air!!

Are you referring to my dash air problem or your dash air problem? We have had the same problem I'm just not sure if its for the same reason.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Oh wait!! Now this is something that has always slipped my mind, to winterize the dash air.
Gotta make sure that I don’t have any of that crisp northern mountain air remaining in the dash when we head to the southern Texas beach.
Here are my new items for winterizing this far
Swap tire air summer/winter
Swap dash air
Swap all clothing in coach summer/winter
convert water dispenser in fridge to hot water dispenser
Since they say that heat pumps run the A/C backwards, move the air filters from the A/C intake and place on the A/C air outlets
Anything else that I have been missing all these years?
Now I am looking for some real wood to go knock on…

 

[Neal]

Are you referring to my dash air problem or your dash air problem? We have had the same problem I'm just not sure if its for the same reason.

My dash air is working great, drive to current location was 85F out and the A/C (in recirc) was doing great. But it's apparent to me the problem with yours is you're still running winter air and you probably forgot to change it to summer air. Easy to miss when de-winterizing!

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

Why do the simplest things slip my mind? Actually, a lot of things skip my mind.

 

[Neal]

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

I'm positive Jameson Irish Whiskey has nothing but positive affects or effects on my memory.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

The great thing about conversations here on RVF is I don’t have to work on memory or recall of what we were talking about.
A sip, a scroll - all good!