Need help to winterize

[bklyncat58]

we have a 2016 prime time avenger ati 26bb travel trailer . we drained the hot water heater . I'm reading the maual and if I understand it says to fill up fresh water with antifreeze . turn on pump and open all the faucets till pink runs through. oh and turn bypass valve on hot water tank. has anybody done this .please help as I'm in nj and the weather is getting colder

[mel s]

Originally Posted by bklyncat58

we have a 2016 prime time avenger ati 26bb travel trailer . we drained the hot water heater . I'm reading the maual and if I understand it says to fill up fresh water with antifreeze . turn on pump and open all the faucets till pink runs through. oh and turn bypass valve on hot water tank. has anybody done this .please help as I'm in nj and the weather is getting colder

bklyncat58

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Hvn9NpJa8

Google "how to winterize a travel trailer videos" for more.
Good luck.

Mel
'96 Safari

[jason_sos]

Definitely go with the way mel_s's video shows. Filling up the fresh water tank would take gallons of antifreeze and cost more than you need to spend. My trailer took less than 2 gallons to winterize. The average, depending on what you have for features is about 2-3 gallons.

[idnative1948]

Have done it this way for years. Ours takes about 1 3/4 gal for the water lines so the remaining goes in the sink drains just for good measure. The guy who taught me how to do this *back in the day* also blocked toilet valve open with a soda can.

Originally Posted by jason_sos

Definitely go with the way mel_s's video shows. Filling up the fresh water tank would take gallons of antifreeze and cost more than you need to spend. My trailer took less than 2 gallons to winterize. The average, depending on what you have for features is about 2-3 gallons.

[JimBob46]

Originally Posted by idnative1948

The guy who taught me how to do this *back in the day* also blocked toilet valve open with a soda can.

Never heard that one before.....Why?

[mel s]

Originally Posted by idnative1948

Have done it this way for years. Ours takes about 1 3/4 gal for the water lines so the remaining goes in the sink drains just for good measure. The guy who taught me how to do this *back in the day* also blocked toilet valve open with a soda can.

idnative1948

Originally Posted by JimBob46

Never heard that one before.....Why?

JimBob46
Perhaps because you never talked to the the right guy?

[tcg]

Originally Posted by mel s

idnative1948




JimBob46
Perhaps because you never talked to the the right guy?

I'm curious why as well.

Is it so you don't have to keep depressing the foot valve while the antifreeze circulates?

What happens when the can falls in the tank?

[JimBob46]

Originally Posted by mel s

idnative1948




JimBob46
Perhaps because you never talked to the the right guy?

I was hoping YOU were the right guy.....

[LarrySharon]

What else would you use in a can? A can of course. hahaha I personally would not keep the trap door open, because of smell and also as I understand it the gasket would dry out. As I understand it.

[renegade]

I have been repairing and winterizing RV'S for over 40 years, the only place I use antifreeze is in the washer/dryer,both holding tanks, and plumbing traps, including the toilet. I blow everything else out with air, doing an especially good job on the toilet valve, and then leave the low point drains and all faucets open. I also remove the sink sprayer handle and toilet sprayer handle if there is one. I just make sure to blow enough air through the system that there is no water remaining. I leave the anode rod out of the water heater and may open the valve that connects both sides of the water heater if it is vertical, if it is horizontal you don't need to. The pex tubing used in these units is very durable, I did a test many years ago with an old trailer that was going to be stripped for parts and left the lines full and let them freeze. None of the lines ruptured, the toilet valve and sprayers did rupture, but all the lines were still 100% when they thawed in the spring, that was a test and I would not do it on a good unit, but I learned that the small amount of water left after blowing everything out with air and leaving all the valve open is NOT going to cause any problems. In the spring it is much easier to put the unit back in service, you don't need to flush a lot of fresh water through the tanks a line to get rid of the taste and smell of the antifreeze, just sanitize with bleach and you are done.

[idnative1948]

Wow! As a newb I am sorry I even brought the *can in the crapper* thing up. I apologize.

On our 4th TT and after the 1st have never had any issues with the toilet valves after listening to an old-timer who did it to his Airstream all the time. His theory was that if the valve is blocked open you won't freeze a valve up (in areas that freeze in the winters). He also cracked any faucet over winter months. For those of you in freezing climes who have lawn sprinkler systems and winterize them yourself, you know to crack the bleed valves open on your backflow valve. Basically the same concept with RVs. To me is just another safeguard I am willing to do.

[JimBob46]

Thanks for the update. Depending on how old the "old timer" was it may have been prior to the availability of non-toxic antifreeze. First trailer I winterized back in the early 70's was 55 foot mobile home. Drained everything, then I siphoned 190 proof Everclear from the liquor store thru the system and filled the traps. The pink stuff may have been available, but 190 proof was what the good old boys used.

[DTG173]

Don't forget the outside shower if you have one!

[JimBob46]

Oh, and nothing wrong with bringing up "the can in the crapper", I'd never heard of it before, just wanted to know the why & how. Hey, if somebody's got a great idea I want to hear about it. But now that I know the why & how, I'm going to stick with the pink stuff besides I wouldn't want to have to fish a can out of the black tank!