I hate to use the word in this title, however, since the high here tomorrow is suppose to be 48 deg. we should have to think about it.

I now have a really good air compressor, and so I have no intention to pay $50 for someone to do it for me. Can any of you describe what you do?

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Shortcuts Always Take Longer

Funny you would post this. I was thinking about it myself today. I have been told that the biggest mistake RVer's make when winterizing is forgetting to winterize the toilet. It's going to snow at 6000 feet here in Denver tonight so I better get to it, eh?

EKW

Since I live in Maine I've dealt with this issue in a number of ways trying different things. First off I do not use the alleged "Non-toxic" stuff in anything but the holding tanks and drains. I start by opening all faucets and drains on the rig, and I put a plastic cup in the toilet to hold the valve open. After everything stops draining I hook up an air value to the city water fill and hook up my air compressor, and turn it on. I have a regulator and I set it at 40 PSI---NO MORE!

I then walk away and do something else for a couple of hours.

Then I come back and unhook the compressor and leave all valves open. Last but not least I put a gallon of the Non-toxic antifreeze in the black water tank and the gray water tank, and pour some in each of the traps.

It works every time. In the spring I close the valves and add water and off I go!

Eric, like so many times in the past you have come through. The 40 psi is what I was looking for. I suppose the fitting to hook up to the city water should be available most anywhere???

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Shortcuts Always Take Longer

You can assemble what you need at your local hardware store (real hardware store, Not Home Depot)for about $5. One male hose fitting, one adapter, and one air chuck/fitting. Or you could by it from Campers World. I prefer fly-by-night engineering.

Oh yes. I almost forgot... It's not the amount of air pressure its the time you take. I don't reccomend any higher air pressure because you can blow things apart. Lower pressure works fine also. The trick I found is to hook it up and leave it alone till it drys out.

[This message has been edited by eric (edited October 03, 2002).]

dave, you might want to try this from camping world......



Description
Blow-Out Plug removes water from lines for winterizing. Screws into city water hose connection. Use compressed air to force residual water from lines as part of winterizing. USA.



Blow-out Plug
Catalog Item # 4410

$1.78
Member Price Reg. $1.98


Save 10% with President's Club Member prices ( Not a member? )

Ship Weight: � lb.

Thank you for the tip on compressor run time. I've probably been lucky by getting by with too little run time.

We live in Michigan and use our coach year round. Besides being a PITA, I found blowing out the lines to be a not very reliable method of winterizing. I installed a hot water tank bypass and a 'T' valve on the feed side of the water pump (these items are available from Camping World). Drain all the tanks; leaving the drain valves on the fresh water and hot water tanks open. Shut off the feed to the hot water tank and insert a hose from the 'T' valve to a container of RV anti-freeze. Turn on the water pump to fill the lines with anti-freeze. Starting with the tap furthest from the pump, open it until nothing but pink fluid comes out then close it. Work to the tap closest to the pump remembering to do the shower and the toilet. Pour some anti-freeze into the drain traps. Shut off the water pump, close the 'T' valve and you are finished. After the tanks are drained, the whole process takes about 1/4 hour to do. I have been winterizing coaches this way for about 15 years and have yet to have a problem with anything freezing.

OK you guys and gals. This is some good info. However, nobody has answered my question about Coach Covers so I'll ask it here. Is it a good idea or not?

Thanks,

EKW

Reminds me of a funny day we had. We winterize the same way as sdaniels. Husband stations wife at front faucet to watch, and starts siponing pink stuff into the back. Is it running pink yet? No. Now? No. ??? Shouldn't take this much?!
Ooops, we have a water filter under that sink, and it was taking all the Pink color out! DUH! Color our faces Red!

OK here is one of those very basic questions. Now one must understand that since I bought my motorhome, I found Rolands mobile RV repair and so each winter I just wrote a check and voila, it was done. But now since the electronics biz is disolving before our very eyes or going to China I suspect I better start doing this ourselves.

So here is my question. To bypass the waterheater, don't you have to get to the back of the tank. In my case that is under the sink behind a nice piece of nailed on cherry paneling. Has anyone had to cut through this stuff to get to their tank connections?



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hi dave, heres what i do....i turn on coach pump, and drain all water that will come out..including hot, cold, toilet, drain valves, etc.untill air spurts out.....then .....heres where some of you may not agree..i dump 3 gallons of rv antifreeze directly into my fresh water tank, and starting from the farthest away, start opening one at a time your faucets, untill they run pink....including your hot/cold, toilet, drain valves etc...i even stick my finger in my city water opening, and push the check valve untill pink comes out there too...thats it..i run pump till air starts spurting out again....done....this winterizes, your hot/cold lines, toilet, hot water tank, fresh water tank, black/grey tanks, and also your traps... spring time i fill with fresh water, and drain a couple of times,and then do the bleach and vineger thing...ready to go...it sound like a lot of work, but not really..one thing....you might need more than 3 gallons of antifreeze, depending on the size of your coach...this method has worked for me, but im from "joisey"...i know it gets colder in minnesota. someone let me know what you think of this method???...jim

Jim that sounds like the best idea yet. If you could see me at this moment I am scratching my chin and looking at the ceiling wondering if that will get all of the water out of the hot water heater tank. I have another valve under the floor beneath the sink that I think is the hot water heater tank drain. So I will make sure that is pink too.

I don't worry about the anti-freeze in the water tank because we never drink that water anyway. We always carry bottled water for drinking a coffee etc. Thanks for the help, Ill let you know how it goes.

Dave

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Hay I'll give the cover ? a shot.In my opion as long as it's a good beathable cover with a good fastening system.I'm going to try one one,because I had such a large problem with bees'this year.I even plugged every thing with steelwool and mothballs,but still the bee's made nest.I also hope it will keep the dust off the top side better when stored.

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Well thankee Slopemaster for your comments. I was beginning to think I had the plague or something. I hate asking a question and nobody even aknowledges it.

I think I'll go ahead and try the cover I have and see how it goes. I also think the tie-down system must be critical to keep the cover from flapping and self destructing or abrading the Coach finish. We must compare notes next Spring ( if I don't sell my unit before then)

Regards,

Keith