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09-22-2019, 04:19 PM
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#43
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1
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After a few winters using antifreeze I changed to the air. I bought a small compressor, made a fitting and blew the lines out. Never had an issue. Just make sure you get everything like the outside shower, the ice maker, etc. I used antifreeze in the traps though and down the toilet.
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09-22-2019, 05:07 PM
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#44
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Member
American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Wooster, OH
Posts: 33
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Winterize using air
One other consideration could be to leave your coach at a location where winterizing is not necessary. Then drive your toad to/from your home. A friend of mine does that with his trailer and it works out well for him. Of course, that means finding storage, but it would avoid the winterizing hassle you would do multiple times per winter.
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09-22-2019, 05:56 PM
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#45
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Virginia
Posts: 15
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Winterizing
I’m on my third MH and I always do both....air followed by antifreeze. My current rig is a Tiffin and it comes from the factory set up for easy winterization. I drain my fresh water tank and then open my low point drains followed by opening all fixtures in the rig. Once the water is drained I close the low point drains and remove the plug in the water heater then reopen the low point drains until no additional water flows out of either. Once I have drained the vast majority of the water I close everything up and hook up my air compressor. I believe Tiffin recommends 25 psi to blow the lines out. With the compressor running, I reopen all fixtures until all water is expelled.
When the system is blown out I once again open the low point drains and close them again when the flow stops. As recommended in earlier posts, I then winterize using the onboard water pump, being careful to fill the traps with antifreeze in addition to the antifreeze which flows out of the fixtures. I also make sure there are several cups of antifreeze in both the gray and black tanks.
When I was on my first MH I used air alone for two winters. The first winter caused the ice maker valve to fail. The second resulted in a failure of the toilet water valve. By the third winter I had learned my lesson. My point is that even though you are meticulous, water can remain in the system if you use only air.
Hope all works out well for you! The Phaeton is a wonderful coach.
__________________
Guy Bryant
2014 Tiffin Allegro
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09-22-2019, 06:14 PM
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#46
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Grasonville, MD -- Golden, CO
Posts: 6,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVNuthouse
We had a travel trailer for about 5 years before we bought our 2019 Tiffin Phaeton 40AH. Every year before the snow I would winterize the TT using antifreeze as we would not use it in the winter as I am not retired. I am still not fully retired but I can now work while being mobile. We live where we get 200 inches of snow a year. We are looking to take multiple trips over the winter returning home for 3-4 weeks at a time. With the Phaeton we will be storing it inside out of the weather but not heated. I do not like the idea of winterizing it with antifreeze multiple times a year. Does anyone use the compressed air method? I know I would still need to put antifreeze in the drains but blowing out the lines seems easier and quicker. I looked at the Phaeton manual and they only talk about the antifreeze method. Will using air void the warranty or destroy something?
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OK I was in the camp with the pink stuff until I left my coach at the factory one winter for service.....guess what ...you guessed it...they winterized it with AIR.
So I asked why —-pretty simple it works and it’s easier and more reliable - so they explained what to do and I’ve done it for the last 14 years - and I have a hydro hot - and a fairly complicated coach.
So simple answer is to google winterization by air follow the instructions and if you are still worried just do it again to feel better.
You can do it.
Best of Luck,
__________________
Busskipper
Location - Grasonville, Maryland - and/or - Superior, Colorado
2005 Travel Supreme 42DS04 - GX470 Toad
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09-22-2019, 06:23 PM
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#47
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 5
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Winterizing RV's
I'm on our second motorhome and always used the air and antifreeze method. Never had a problem in 18 years using this method. As far as any residual taste from antifreeze, we always drink and make ice with bottled water.
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09-22-2019, 07:45 PM
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#48
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 292
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Drain the tank, do the hot water tank bypass and drain the heater, pour antifreeze in the sink and shower drains, drain black and gray, add a gallon of potable antifreeze to the black, use compressed air to blow out the lines starting at the water pump, Remember to drain the sink spray hose and drop the shower head onto the floor with the hot/cold valves open. Adding antifreeze to your fresh water tank is wasteful and it takes forever to get rid of the taste. Be careful to regulate the air pressure to less than 35 psi. Also, remove your water filters in in the refer and whereever else you have them, there should be plugs that allow you to remove the filter and pressurize the H2O system. I've winterized up to 200 boats per year and never had any damaged due to freezing. I used a portable tank to blow-down FW systems, it didn't take much air at all.
Bob /14 Winnebago Adventurer, Jeep Toad
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09-22-2019, 07:50 PM
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#49
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 431
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I have a somewhat less expensive travel trailer, my dad had the high end coach.
He usually just blew the tank out with air. One year, we missed the toilet valve. The tablespoon or so of water afforded me the opportunity to learn how to change out the valve.
I still blow mine out because I use it fairly often. Special attention to toilet valve and water pump bowl. I also pour anti-freeze in the p-traps and plug in a space heater when stored.
Instead of clipping on an air hose, I hook up a threaded male to the inlet and have a air compressor nipple on the other end. Plug it in and forget it. Build it yourself for about $4 at Lowes or home depot.
I think that if I had a coach or after I get a little older I'll switch to antifreeze.
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09-22-2019, 08:04 PM
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#50
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Member
Gulf Streamers Club Workhorse Chassis Owner RV Trip Wizard
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 98
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You have a very new expensive motorhome that explains how to use antifreeze in the manual. If you do not follow those directions and damage happens, your warranty and insurance will have cause to deny the claim. Around here, Menards has the pink stuff on sale for $1.99 a gallon. Since it is so easy to just add it to the bulk water tank and turn on the water pump, it is cheap and easy protection even if the coach will be used in winter.
[QUOTE=RVNuthouse;4957927]We had a travel trailer for about 5 years before we bought our 2019 Tiffin Phaeton 40AH. Every year before the snow
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09-22-2019, 08:22 PM
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#51
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: The Bluegrass State
Posts: 8,886
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobfrommaine
Drain the tank, do the hot water tank bypass and drain the heater, pour antifreeze in the sink and shower drains, drain black and gray, add a gallon of potable antifreeze to the black, use compressed air to blow out the lines starting at the water pump, Remember to drain the sink spray hose and drop the shower head onto the floor with the hot/cold valves open. Adding antifreeze to your fresh water tank is wasteful and it takes forever to get rid of the taste. Be careful to regulate the air pressure to less than 35 psi. Also, remove your water filters in in the refer and whereever else you have them, there should be plugs that allow you to remove the filter and pressurize the H2O system. I've winterized up to 200 boats per year and never had any damaged due to freezing. I used a portable tank to blow-down FW systems, it didn't take much air at all.
Bob /14 Winnebago Adventurer, Jeep Toad
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You made some good points Bob, but I gotta ask, why use regular antifreeze in the shower and sink drains, then use potable antifreeze in only the black tank? Why not use something in the gray tank?
Why limit the air pressure to 35 psi?
__________________
Good Luck, Be Safe and Above All, Don't Forget To Have Fun
Pete
Central Kentucky
2006 Fleetwood Discovery 35H, 2014 Honda CR-V, M&G Engineering Braking System
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09-22-2019, 08:42 PM
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#52
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,146
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I agree, either is good if done properly. I have used air for 16 years and 4 different motorhomes with no issues.
__________________
Zeb and Teena (In my heart)
2005 Mandalay, 2013 Ford Edge
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09-22-2019, 08:53 PM
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#53
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Mulino, OR
Posts: 485
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It will only take one forgotten line or trap, and you have repairs. I did the antifreeze for a couple of times. Didn’t like the taste in the lines, and the labor/cost of doing it multiple times a year. It’s way better for the coach to be kept above freezing. Then you are sure you don’t crack an aquahot, if you have one. That alone will cost way more than having your coach in a climate controlled space.
__________________
Ready to retire and get out of Oregon
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09-23-2019, 12:30 AM
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#54
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 292
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I always use potable antifreeze except in the engine. Sorry for causing confusion. 35psi is easily achievable and maximizes what you can accomplish with a relatively small volume of air. Plus it virtually guarantees you won't damage anything. Most compressors are set to shut off at 100psi which will very likely cause damage to filters, valves, pipes, water pump, etc. Also, higher air pressure can cause damaging 'water hammer' where you move a slug of water down a length of pipe and when it hits a valve or block it can cause significant damage.
Bob '14 Winnebago Adventurer; Jeep toad
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09-23-2019, 05:49 AM
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#55
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Grasonville, MD -- Golden, CO
Posts: 6,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVNuthouse
Called Tiffin, they said I can do air or antifreeze. They do antifreeze at the factory when they pressure check the system for leaks, the pink liquid shows up easily, no leaks and they are done. The guy at Tiffin would not come out and say but he was implying that with either method if there is a break they do not cover it, as it is out of their control as to how it was winterized. Still not sure but I am leaning towards antifreeze.
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https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-361...CABEgLoIPD_BwE
Simple
Works
No Bad Taste that will linger for weeks +
IMHO much less chance for a Mistake
BUT
You need to have an air compressor and be able to logically Follow Instructions
Even Better Solution - Head south and Avoid the Cold - OR - Turn on the Heat and enjoy the Cold -
Best of Luck,
__________________
Busskipper
Location - Grasonville, Maryland - and/or - Superior, Colorado
2005 Travel Supreme 42DS04 - GX470 Toad
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09-23-2019, 05:57 AM
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#56
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 3
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Washer / Dryer needs winterizing too
My W / D has a procedure for getting the water out of it for the winter and requires a bit of RV antifreeze.
Check your manual or lookup online.
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