Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > TRAVEL TRAILER, 5th WHEEL & TRUCK CAMPER FORUMS > Travel Trailer Discussion
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-05-2019, 08:45 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
RyanPetersen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Posts: 4
Dewinterize travel trailer yourself or pay a dealer/service center to do it?

Bought a 2019 Keystone 21' travel trailer during winter (winterized w/ antifreeze) and not sure if I should try to de-winterize it myself having NO experience or should I tow it to a dealer to pay $150 to have it done? If its a simple job is there a "dummy-proof" step by step video out there someone could suggest? Any thoughts or help with this are appreciated. Thanks!
RyanPetersen is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 03-05-2019, 09:03 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 166
Very easy, check out YouTube. Really depends on how they did it but not much to dewinterizing.
__________________
2018 Keystone Cougar 22RBS
Steveo57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2019, 09:07 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
IBTripping's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 414
The owner's manual probably has a step by step guide on how to winterize and de-winterize. Probably one of the easiest things to do in an RV. Biggest issue is remembering to on the by-pass valves to the hot water heater after rinsing out the drinking water tank.

De-winterizing takes less time than towing the RV to the dealer.
IBTripping is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2019, 09:16 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 1,522
That will be one of the first things you will appreciate doing by yourself. I routinely take mine out if weather permits, so I will winterize/unwinterize several times every winter. As someone else said, there are good guides to follow and the steps are pretty straightforward. Just don’t forget your outside shower if you have one

Enjoy!
__________________
2022 Winnie Forza 36H
BirchyBoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 08:35 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
tuffr2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Palm Coast Florida
Posts: 12,995
Do it your self. No doubt as it is kinda fun and easy. Yikes, they want $150 to do it??? That is highway robbery!!!

You may have a problem understanding the water heater bypass valve position as when it was winterized the, who knows how they left it the valve positions.

Make sure the water heater has water in it by hooking up a hose and turning on z hit water facet. You will not get water out of the faucet until the water heater is full. Either 6, 10, or 12 gallons so it will take awhile for it to fill up.

Agree with, Watch a few YouTube Videos on how to Winterize and un-winterize.
tuffr2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 10:07 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: St. George, UT
Posts: 1,950
Agree, it’s as simple as making your bed.
I always de-winterize and follow up with a sanitize with bleach.
Just be sure your water heater is in the bypass position while flushing the lines.
__________________
Owners of a 2018 Lance 1995
St.George, UT
Former 02 Intrigue by Country Coach
bneukam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 06:25 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,085
Quote:
Originally Posted by RyanPetersen View Post
Bought a 2019 Keystone 21' travel trailer during winter (winterized w/ antifreeze) and not sure if I should try to de-winterize it myself having NO experience or should I tow it to a dealer to pay $150 to have it done? If its a simple job is there a "dummy-proof" step by step video out there someone could suggest? Any thoughts or help with this are appreciated. Thanks!
If you had winterized it yourself, you would easily see how easy it is. A 21 ft. Keystone probably does not have an ice maker or other fancy water appliances so it is simple.

The water heater has been drained. Leave it that way until the system has been flushed. The fresh water tank also has probably been drained. That is it does not have antifreeze in it.

You have two water inputs, the city water inlet and the fresh tank inlet. You should flush both.

Put water into the tank and turn on each faucet including toilet flush and outside taps. Don't forget any low point drains. Connect hose to city water and do the same. The antifreeze is red or pink. Flush until flow is clear and then some.

The water heater has one or two bypass valves. Turn them to the operating position and fill with water from tank or city water. You may have to screw in the water heater drain plug first.

Finally, sterilize the whole system. Some water heaters may not allow chlorine use. Wait to fill it until after sterilizing. The amount of standard unscented chlorine bleach is usually 1/4 cup for 40 gallons. Check your manual for correct amount. Flush all lines until you smell chlorine from each tap. Let set for 4 hours, longer for very cold water. Flush all taps again.
__________________
Paul Bristol
Kodiak Cub 176RD
Nissan Pathfinder 2015
Persistent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 06:31 PM   #8
Community Moderator
 
Spdracr39's Avatar


 
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Central, Arkansas
Posts: 11,223
I would be happy to spend 15 minutes dewinterizing it for you for$150.00. I would even sanitize the lines and freshwater tank for an additional $150.00. JK Please don't pay to do this it is so easy.
__________________
2004 Beaver Monterey Laguna IV
Cummins ISC 350HP Allison 3000 6 speed
2020 Chevy Equinox Premier 2.0t 9 speed AWD
Spdracr39 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 06:44 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,085
Ryan,
Just a note. You have not posted your details so I don't know where you are or exactly what model you have.
I live in Wisconsin. It is too early to de-winterize in Wisconsin. If the temperature in your area drops below freezing even for a short time you are likely going to sustain freeze damage. Every valve, pump, water heater, and appliance can be severely damaged if the temperature drops even 2 or 3 degrees below for one or two hours. A full fresh tank may not freeze for a couple of days at moderate below temps. Everything else will.
Heat in the cabin will protect a lot, but water heater would need to be on. Any pipe fittings and valves underneath are probably not protected. I have a Kodiak Cub that froze pipes underneath after two hours at 29 degrees. The Cub has an enclosed and "heated" underbelly.
__________________
Paul Bristol
Kodiak Cub 176RD
Nissan Pathfinder 2015
Persistent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2019, 06:59 AM   #10
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Choctaw Beach, FL
Posts: 38
My TT was also dealer winterized when I bought it a little over a year ago. Water heater was not drained nor bypassed. Just FYI, it is a very easy task and is a good way to learn about your rig.
__________________
Kat & Clyde, Choctaw Beach, FL
2018 Sundance 273RL
2019 F-250, 6.2, FX4, tow package
blindhanger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2019, 08:34 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,621
When we had our TT and it came time to winterize it I asked the dealer about it. He said it would be $50. (2010)
He said that I could watch and learn then do it my self the next time.
I'm guessing if you called you dealer they may do the same for you, unless they're so swamped that they want your trailer for a week to do a 20-30 min job.

Other than that do like mentioned and YouTube or look in your RV's manuals to see if there's a winterizing/dewinterizing section.
Cumminsfan is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2019, 05:39 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Brenwol1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Chickamauga, GA
Posts: 134
I would add my voice to those saying do it yourself. It takes me 20-30 mins on a small TT less time than it takes to tow to the dealer and just 2 bottles of antifreeze (for my TT) so about $120 cheaper! Oh, and I'm a newbie! We camp all year, so I've done this 3 or 4 times this season alone. YouTube was a great resource for instruction.
Brenwol1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2019, 06:02 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 2,093
As others have said , de-winterize yourself . It's easier than packing for a trip.
__________________
1993 Tiffin Allegro Bay 32'
Soppy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2019, 08:29 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Gigattime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,756
Super easy to do. It all depends on what your time is worth. By the time you hook up, take to the dealer, and then pick back up, you are actually saving both time and money doing it yourself.

Flush lines, add bleach mixture (1/4 cup bleach to 15 gallons of fresh water so if you have a 30 gallon fresh water tank you use 1/2 cup bleach and so on...) to your fresh water tank, pressurize the system (run the bleachwater mixture through every fixture including your outside shower and let the bleachwster mixture sit for a couple of hours to kill any bacteria, etc.). Then flush the system again by draining and running fresh clean water through every fixture for a few minutes. You're now finished and ready to camping.

Most folks will clean and check other systems while the bleachwater mixture sits for the couple hours needed to sanitize.
Gigattime is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
dealer, service, trailer, travel, travel trailer, winter



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Base Plate + Brake System - did you install it yourself or pay to have it installed? wfcentral Toads and Motorhome Related Towing 71 05-21-2019 07:38 PM
Are you a "do it yourself" or "pay someone" Kind of a person? banjopickin1 Class A Motorhome Discussions 36 01-28-2017 11:44 PM
Battery Control Center CB115 problem - how to fix it yourself cbilodeau Ford Motorhome Chassis Forum 16 05-06-2015 10:22 AM
De-Winterizing Pay or Do It Yourself? lenjen Class A Motorhome Discussions 20 03-07-2012 08:31 AM
Dewinterize --when??? Indy Itasca Winnebago Industries Owner's Forum 9 04-05-2007 04:31 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:10 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.