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Tylerdh · 10-17-2022, 09:22 PM

I am still learning, and looking for a (what I hope is incredibly obvious) solution to an issue I'm having with winterizing my 2008 Coachmen Freelander 2130qb.

We're following the winterizing directions in the manual, which tells us to add water to our fresh tank through our city water connection, then use the pump to pump antifreeze through all of the faucets, shower, and toilet, but how do I add antifreeze through the city water connection? I cut a hose and rigged up a funnel, but the antifreeze just stayed in the hose and did not enter the system. Do I need to buy a hand or electronic pump?

I've researched and watched videos, and our situation appears to be somewhat rare. Our RV doesn't have a tube near the pump that I can use to introduce antifreeze into the piping. We don't have a system in which we can pour liquid into our fresh tank unless we use a pressurized hose. There is literally no other way to introduce water into the system.

I am not a smart man, and I would appreciate any help in getting this done! Thanks.

Kayakist · 10-19-2022, 11:38 AM

Welcome to the forum. I'll try to help but your system as explained doesn't make sense to me.

Do you normally fill your fresh water tank through your city water port? I'm used to seeing two separate fill ports, one for fresh, and one for city although I'm not familiar with your rv.

If you don't have separate ports there are hand pumps you can buy that might work for you.

Example: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Antifre...ps%2C70&sr=8-2

If you can access the water pump easily there are kits you can get to add a permanent winterization port to your system to use each year.

Example: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-36543-C...3D&sr=8-1&th=1

This will draw the antifreeze right from the bottle which makes things easier. Hope this helps. Happy travels!

2cyber71 · 10-19-2022, 11:48 AM

I would recommend paying a mobile tech to show you how to winterize, that’s what I did back in 1999.
Here is my video on how to winterize a diesel motorhome with Aquahot

SoonToBeFT · 10-19-2022, 12:45 PM

We have a 2003 Fleetwood Southwind and have been doing our own winterising for the past 18+ years after having paid a dealership to do it prior and on every start up in the Spring we had leaks. Since we've been doing it ourselves never a leak but we do make sure that the pink stuff is flowing readily out the faucets before shutting them off.

In a nutshell, we drain our hot water heater and open the valve above the drain for speedier discharge. We have drained our FW tank fully prior on returning back to base from last trip.

We turn the leaver to BYPASS, and then we unscrew the pipe to the pump from the FW tank and just screw on our 5ft piece of hose put the other end in the Antifreeze bottle and then hubby outside (he switches to other containers as they deplete) and I inside, I switch on the pump and open faucets and voila, sucks it all up. We do the kitchen sink Hot & Cold position, same with the bathroom faucets, same with the shower faucets. Depress the toilet lever, and also the sprayer. Go to outside shower (nothing much comes out of the low point drain ever though we do open it), and again hot then cold taps and depress shower head until all pink comes through.

Lastly is our washer/dryer = start generator or are plugged into electricity, put it on a short cycle and watch in the drum until we see pink in the bottom of the drum through the window door. Lastly we pour a little antifreeze down the waste pipes of washer (pee trap!) and again a good amount left in the toilet bowl, which is then Saran wrapped, as well a wee bit poured down all sink and shower drains.

Probably overkill but Antifreeze is a cheap insurance, and this system has worked easy and well for us over many years, and never since we have been doing this have we (touch wood, as typing this!) had a leak on spring major flush out and start up.

This whole process only takes us about 15 mins total between two of us doing it.

Of course YMMV.

fishchamp · 10-20-2022, 08:46 AM

Here is what I would do:
Purchase a fitting with a hose that you can connect to the intake of the water pump. Simply remove the intake (not the out) hose from the water pump.
The hose should be long enough to go into the anti freeze jug set on the ground.
Also purchase an air compressor valve which would screw into your city water
The valve would screw into the water intake and connect to an air compressor.

Drain the water tank: There should be turn valves you simply open.
Drain the hot water tank, You should have a shut of control that shuts off water from going into the hot water tank. Shut that off.

Remove the screens from each tap, so they do not plug with chemicals.
Open one tap at a time starting with the far one. Blow air with a compressor
into the city water inlet. (have to have the proper connection between the compressor and water inlet) Blow air through the lines on each tap until no more water comes out. Once this is completed start your water pump and pump antifreeze through the water lines until you see colored anti freeze coming through every tap. Pour some anti freeze in each drain. You are done. In spring time connect your water pump hose from the water tank.
Open the shut off valve to the hot water tank. Pump fresh water through your lines.

Unplanned Tourist · 10-20-2022, 09:20 AM

If you can't access the water pump, you can use a little pump that is powered by an electric drill. They are available from Harbour Freight or most hardware stores. There's a male and female garden hose fitting on them. Put a short hose between the pump and your city fill fitting, and the cut off hose on the other side. Then draw the pink stuff out of the jugs and pump it into the system.

Be sure to have the water heater bypassed when you do this, otherwise you will just be wasting antifreeze.

Also, don't fill your fresh tank, but give it a quick shot, then turn to city water, run each tap until you start to see pink. Once all taps, your toilet, and anything else that dispenses water show pink, that's done.

Don't forget the outside shower and toilet wash sprayer.

Lastly, dump maybe a cup or so down each drain to protect the P traps.

I like to pull the gray and black tank dump valves, but it's really not necessary because there will be enough antifreeze in the drain pipes to protect them providing you have emptied the tanks already.

Have a good Winter.

Encore_325SS · 03-08-2023, 10:18 PM

If your fresh water tank has a garden hose type connection, you could fill your hose with the mixed bleach solution. I zip tied each end of the disconnected hose to at a height of 3 or 4 ft. , put a funnel in the far end. and poured my mixed gallon, then connected one end to the spigot and the other onto the fresh water tank. 1 gal pretty near filled my 50 ft. hose. I then turned on the spigot pushing the mix into the fresh water tank.