Winterize!!!!!

[DeWat]

Originally Posted by D Lindy

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As to winterizing the residential fridge w/water & ice maker, I'll be using the pink stuff and running the water till it comes out, and then run the ice maker till I get pink cubes.
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I know this particular post is from mid September, but I'm surprised no one said anything about this part. They don't call it antifreeze for no reason. If you wait for the ice maker, you're not going to get pink cubes, you will get a pink mess. While even antifreeze has a freezing point, it's much higher than water (it also is not supposed to expand like water). So what generally happens when people wait on the ice maker to eject frozen antifreeze is that the stuff never freezes. Instead when the ice maker thinks it ejected the cubes and calls for a fresh batch of water, you just get more antifreeze in the ice trays resulting in overflow into the freezer/refrigerator, or even worse, out the ice/water on the door chute.

[DA_BUS]

I leave the batteries in and go out and check my coach once a month. I plug it in a day or two once in a while to keep the batteries charged.

[DA_BUS]

I don't unhook. I do a regular winterize on the coach. Then i start a cycle with cold water and get some antifreeze in the drum. Then I run the spin to pump out the antifreeze. I repeat the process with the warm. After pumping out the anti freeze I wipe out the drum. The anti freeze may discolor the metal drum if left on it.

[Musikboy]

We plan to winterize with pink stuff and park next to our house. We live in MA where the winters can be brutal. 80-120 in of snow during the season are common as you probably know.

Our idea was to leave a small space heater on low inside the coach all season long to lower moisture levels and keep the inside from freezing solid.

We are plugged in all winter.

Does anyone else do this? Is it a bad idea?

[nothermark]

If you are going to try to keep above freezing all winter it will take a lot of expensive heat and added insulation. I think you will find most folks remove anything portable that can be freeze damaged, block the refrigerator and freezer door open or load with newspaper, and just shut it up until spring. That is what we will do.

If we take a winter trip I will start some heat a day or two before a couple of plastic tubs of stuff get moved out there to stock cupboards and get us moving. It won't get really warm until after we are on the road for a while.

["007"]

Carol & Mitch I would leave the heater out of coach it will only add to what ever moisture that may collect in coach.
Use a couple of dry-pack containers in coach that will collect the moisture from temperature changes during the winter. You may have to change one or two during the close up.
Leave you coach plugged in you may have a Bird System that will keep all your batteries charged with the battery cut off switch on.
Exercise the Gen and AC's once a month and leave the coach engine a sleep for the shut down period.

[Nxkharra]

We just did winterization on our coach. Didnt know how to bypass the water heater. Few gallons of pink stuff is in the water heater now. Everything else is ok i think.
Should i leave the pink stuff in the water heater or should i empt it? Does it heat to leave till spring?
Thanks.

["007"]

This post has pictures of by-pass set ups.
It will not hurt to leave the pink stuff in WH, but did you empty the water heater of water, pink stuff will not mix with water to protect in winter months.

[Nxkharra]

Thanks. Yes I did empty the WH first. Was confused how to bypass so all that pink stuff does not get there.

[DA_BUS]

I didn't read all of the posts - so if this is repetitive...sorry. I haven't read of this before though....If you can - pull the drain plug or electolisis...pipe and drain the hot water heater. Last winter was cold in MN and we had the rv antifreeze crystalize and harden in the hot water heater...you are better off to drain it dry. It didn't seem to hurt anything BUT I had to use my finger to break up the chunks to get the hot water heater to drain out...Just my opinion.

[DA_BUS]

I forgot to mention - the small crystlaized particles plug up the shower head and the scre
ens in the faucets.

[Nxkharra]

Thanks. The coach is close enough and I will do that before it gets cold here.
Should I bring the jacks down or leave them up.
Also I like to turn the house battery switch off but the security system does not work with off. So i have left in on.
Chase switch off right?

[Nxkharra]

Any recommendation anyone?

[SpursMVP]

I see one post indicating not to start the engine; however our mechanic recommends (and we do this) taking her out for a spin each month. Simply starting the diesel and idling isn't enough to keep moisture out of the block so he recommends a good 15-20 mile drive each month to really heat her up. This also keep us from getting flat spots on the tires.