Unwinterizing Travel trailer.

[sluggerbird]

I everyone,this is our first year owning a TT. I learned how to winterize my TT from reading the threads on this site. Now we are done with my job for the season and are setting sail for the warmer camp grounds. What do I have to do to flush my lines out.
Thanks for all your help.

[Bob_C]

Hook up to garden hose and turn water on....open faucets......turn water off and open low point drains, and flush again...hopefully you didn't add antifreeze to fresh water tank or water heater...

[sluggerbird]

I think I did add some to the fresh tank just to be safe. Do I need to use bleach or anything else because I used the pink antifreeze.

[Bob_C]

Yes....drain tank first, then 1/4 bleach for every 15 gal of tank size....run pump to fill line to first faucet, top off tank, let sit as long as you can, 2 hrs at least, overnight better, drain tank and refill with fresh water, turn pump on and flush line....if tank was almost empty, there wouldn't be enough water left to cause a problem, and leave that valve open...

[Persistent]

Since you put antifreeze in your fresh tank, flushing is going to be a more troublesome. Most fresh tanks hold some water when drained. When you fill with fresh water, antifreeze will be diluted and mixed with the fresh water, not flushed.
Technically it will always contain at least a trace of antifreeze. You must flush repeatedly to dilute it until you can't taste it. Some RV antifreeze tastes worse than others.
Hopefully, your tank drains almost completely.

My best recommendation is not to add antifreeze to an RV fresh tank. Drain it and leave the drain valve open. Ice in the tank is highly unlikely to damage anything.

[shane_the_ee]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

Hook up to garden hose and turn water on....open faucets......turn water off and open low point drains, and flush again...hopefully you didn't add antifreeze to fresh water tank or water heater...

And then re-install the sacrificial anode into the water heater and set the water heater bypass valve to the non-bypass position*.



Additionally:

1. Sanitize the fresh tank per above, but make absolutely certain you are using chlorine, not some weird product marketed as "bleach".

2. Inspect your exterior seals.

3. Turn on the propane and verify that all the appliances are still operating correctly. Friday afternoon when you're packing up for that two week vacation is not the time to find out that your refrigerator is broken.


*I'm assuming you winterized it and are familiar with the fresh water tank bypass valve, if equipped. If you didn't and aren't, you'll want to check this valve before trying to pump water/antifreeze out of the fresh tank.

[tuffr2]

Hope you can get out of Dodge before the real cold weather hits.

I am in Nothern Florida and we are chilly. Better Chilly than cold. Head south ASAP.

[Gigattime]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

Yes....drain tank first, then 1/4 bleach for every 15 gal of tank size....run pump to fill line to first faucet, top off tank, let sit as long as you can, 2 hrs at least, overnight better, drain tank and refill with fresh water, turn pump on and flush line....if tank was almost empty, there wouldn't be enough water left to cause a problem, and leave that valve open...

X2.

[mike.t]

I too have a winter question(don't mean to railroad this thread) I want to set up a heater in the trailer on a timer, it's going to get into the teens for a few days. Trying to set the timer to come on for an hour, shut off, then come back on at later set times. Once the heater shuts off you must manually push the on button, any tricks?
Thanks
Mike

[PKI]

Since you put anti-freeze in fresh, consider using bottled water for drinking. If at all possible, use shore water for first two or three nights. You can run the pump to use fresh tank for showers. That will flush the tank some more. Use shore water for dish washing to dodge the residual AF in the fresh tank. With a tripple rinse your tank will be better, but a 10x rinse is likely what it takes to get enough of the AF out.

Depending on your storage conditions and weather, AF in the fresh tank might become standard. Note, to dry out the fresh tank, some folks open fresh drain and tow for the day headed home. That is thought to do a good job draining residual water by sloshing it around. Note, the check valve on the pump can let shore water back flow into the fresh tank, so if you hookup to shore after your dry out tow, some new water may spoil your dry out efforts. RV systems do conspire to make our work a challenge, so be prepared to adjust the plan.

[billyw]

To be clear, bleach will do nothing to remedy antifreeze in the fresh tank. The pink stuff is not poisonous. Bleach is used to sanitize the tank, nothing more. After using bleach, you'll probably find yourself adding something else, like vinegar, to rid the tank of that particular flavor.