Community Forums

jaycle · 07-09-2011, 11:39 PM

Has anyone been successful with winterizing their travel trailer using the evaporation method in climates where the temperature drops to minus 20 for a week or two several times a season?

It is my understanding that this method involves just pouring antifreeze down the drains. To keep the water lines from freezing, one would only open up all the facets to allow most of the water to evaporate out.

partsman01 · 07-09-2011, 11:45 PM

No, one must blow the lines out, that is the only way to ensure the lines are as dry as they can be.
Some I believe even have run anti freeze through the lines to push water out, then blown the lines out to dry the lines out.

D&J · 07-10-2011, 06:32 AM

I drained and then blew the lines out for years on our trailers and then poured RV antifreeze into the drains without any problems. Now I do the same thing with out house (home base) before we leave just in case the heat quits.

Denny

Dr4Film · 07-10-2011, 06:50 AM

My proven method of winterizing the RV without antifreeze is turning the key and driving further south until the weather is warm enough without having to activate my winter package, tank heaters, light bulbs for the service bay, heaters for the coach, etc.

Works every time!

Do not rely on evaporation, use the proper amount of RV antifreeze in everything that water goes into or through. It is VERY expensive to repair broken pipes, fittings and tanks.

Dr4Film ----- Richard.

johno97007 · 07-10-2011, 07:35 AM

For the first couple of years, I used anti-freeze in everything, but because we use the trailer throughout the winter it was starting to get expensive. Now I open the low point drains, open the faucets (including the outside shower), and drain the waterheater. No problems so far.

Oh, we also put a Dri-Z-Air canister in the kitchen sink.

Conquest102 · 07-10-2011, 07:39 AM

I use the blow the line method and anti freeze in the drains. Works great just remember to flush the toilet when you put the air in the lines. I think Dr4film's idea is WAY better though.

ga traveler · 07-10-2011, 08:08 AM

After I took over as service mgr. We started blowing out all units with compressed air. Some people will tell you it doesn't work well, but we did everything from popups to bluebirds with no frozen lines. We had from 60 to 100 units in stock at any time. Atlanta, Ga. gets down in the teens at times and anything will freeze if it is not properly winterized.