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Old 08-26-2014, 05:57 PM   #1
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Winter Use and Winterization

with winter coming and some of you winterize and not rv until spring, some head south. we plan to use our mh frequently thru-out the winter and store between uses in a covered, non heated storage facility where temperatures frequently drop below freezing. I plan to empty tanks and blow lines out between uses. Is that enough or should I add anti freeze every time also? any tips, or experiances would be appreciated. thanks Bob.
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Old 08-26-2014, 06:19 PM   #2
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I could be more helpful to you if you said you were heading south--sorry [smile]...
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Old 08-26-2014, 06:26 PM   #3
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Depends on how cold it gets, and for how long. I only drain all tanks and blow the lines. Then add the pink stuff to all the drains, and some in black and grey tanks. I am in central Texas so it's not cold very often.
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Old 08-26-2014, 06:29 PM   #4
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Antifreeze everytime because if you dont blow
everydrop of water out you will have severely damaged
your unit. I wouldn't even bother blowing the
water out. Just use the antifreeze.
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Old 08-26-2014, 06:39 PM   #5
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copy on the pink stuff, here in nevada it will get cold, and for extended periods. since we plan to use the mh a week or two a month, mostly going to california coast, i guess i will get experianced in winterizing and de-winterizing. heated storage about 300 a month. with kids and grankids around, wife wont leave for long.
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Old 08-26-2014, 07:15 PM   #6
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Before we moved from Colorado, we stored our coach out at an outdoor storage facility during fall & winter months without a problem. I blew out the system with an air compressor set for 65 psi after the water tank & low point drains quit dripping.

If you have a washing machine be sure to run a normal wash cycle long enough to blow out its water line.

If you have a refrigerator with a water line make sure you blow out its tank as well as its line by using the water dispenser. I had to loosen the tank in our Amana residential refrigerator and turn it upside down to evacuate all of the water.

I poured the pink stuff down both sinks, the shower drain, and the toilet. I also poured it into the washing machine tub followed by running the rinse cycle to pump it out its drain.

One item that's easily overlooked is the toilet seal which can dry out & crack if sitting for long periods. You can purchase toilet seal protectant (Thetford?) at Walmart as well as most RV supply stores.

If you use wet cell house batteries keep them topped off with distilled water.

I always disconnected the input & output lines to the water pump using a bucket to catch the water. The water pump manufacturers claim that the pumps can sit dry without damage.

Lastly, make sure you pull the anode plug out of the water heater to drain its water. It's a good time to check and replace the anode if necessary. I also clean it with a wire brush when being reused.

I think that's it ... hopefully that helps.
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Old 08-26-2014, 07:25 PM   #7
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Quote:
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with winter coming and some of you winterize and not rv until spring, some head south. we plan to use our mh frequently thru-out the winter and store between uses in a covered, non heated storage facility where temperatures frequently drop below freezing. I plan to empty tanks and blow lines out between uses. Is that enough or should I add anti freeze every time also? any tips, or experiances would be appreciated. thanks Bob.
It would help to know what kind of MH you are trying to winterize or how cold it is when it does drop below freezing. Being in storage will be different than storing it outside.

Our MH has hydronic heat so blowing out the lines will likely leave some water in the coils. We also have several filters that have to be addressed. Our toilets require antifreeze as well. Fridge is residential with an ice maker. HMMM!

Winterizing the MH will not be as easy as the 5er. There I still added antifreeze after blowing out the lines and draining the water heater (with bypass on). Way cheaper than replacing a line.
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Old 08-26-2014, 07:49 PM   #8
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storage covered on 3 sides, winters in northern Nevada can be cold with extended temps below freezing with occasional periods near or below 0. mh a 2001 Alpine coach class A dp, refer with icemaker, no wd, outside shower. with comments already, I will probably drain and winterize prior to returning and use bottled water on return trip. A little work but worth it. Only other option is to store mh a little further away in sacramento area where no freezing and winterizing not necessary. still considering that option.
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Old 08-26-2014, 07:53 PM   #9
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If you stored it in the Yuma area you would have a great place to stay. Also heard the Havasu area is a good place to be.
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:06 PM   #10
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does sound tempting. we bought mh in april, took a 3000 mi. trip to sons home in san Antonio tx, gone 3 weeks. wife couldn't wait to get home for grankid fix. baby steps. eventually hope to leave snow and cold in winter for warmer climate. maybe a dream, our son and his wife in texas, are trying to have a baby, so could solve that problem. Bob
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:13 PM   #11
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The ONLY way to insure that your coach is properly winterized is to take it to Arizona...
We first did it 10 years ago, and return every year since.
When we were still working, we left it in storage and flew down to enjoy it.
Just another option to consider.

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Old 08-27-2014, 09:05 AM   #12
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does sound tempting. we bought mh in april, took a 3000 mi. trip to sons home in san Antonio tx, gone 3 weeks. wife couldn't wait to get home for grankid fix. baby steps. eventually hope to leave snow and cold in winter for warmer climate. maybe a dream, our son and his wife in texas, are trying to have a baby, so could solve that problem. Bob
In my experience and observation the grandkid fix seems to diminish as the grand kids get older and start going their own way. Really cute as babies but once they are playing baseball, going to camp, etc grammas relax a bit more.
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Old 08-27-2014, 09:09 AM   #13
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The anti-freeze is cheap compared to having to replace a water line or an appliance. It's not hard to do, so why not. Be sure to take good care of your water heater as you do not want to put the pink stuff in that.

Best of luck and Happy Trails!!!
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Old 08-28-2014, 10:39 AM   #14
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It got down to -26° here last winter and we didn't have any damage to the water system. So my routine might be excessive for your area, but most thorough :

  1. empty fresh water tank (black and gray tanks are empty) Open low point drains, then close when flow stops
  2. empty water heater
  3. change valves on water heater by-pass
  4. empty water drinking filter, reefer filter
  5. blow air thru all faucets, incl. outside shower, reefer ice maker and door water. Open water heater line briefly while blowing.
  6. change valve on water inlet line, blow out water fill and black tank flush
  7. pump anti-freeze thru all faucets, hot and cold, and toilet
  8. anti-freeze in drains, toilet, shower
  9. washing machine (see special instructions)
  10. open low point water drains
  11. blow out lines again (removes most of the anti-freeze)
  12. empty gray and black tanks, add antifreeze
  13. empty battery fill tank
  14. windshield washer fluid?
Splendide has special instructions for the washer, so check your owner's manual. It's more than cycling the water out.

Doing all of this had the added benefit of convincing my wife to go south this winter—Mesa here we come!
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