Summer goes by way too fast, don’t they? Winter will be here before you know it. Before
it hits 32 degrees you’re going to need to winterize. There are a few way to go about
this, so to show you how to winterize, our special guest, get excited, you ready, here
he comes, OLD MAN WINTER! (Cymbal crash)
I’m not coming out there. I said, OLD MAN WINTER
What is this? This is not old man winter, I said get an old man winter costume. I said
Tom, get an old man winter costume.
First of all, Stop saying old man winter. Second of all, you gave me two hours to get
this done and all they had was ice princess costumes left. And I am not wearing this wig.
Works for me
Start with a half full fresh water tank. Use the fresh water to help flush the black and
grey tanks…. Make sure they are about 1/3 full
This is a great time to pour some tank cleaner in... And drive a few miles to work it around…
Now you’re ready to drain the holding tanks… just like when you’re dumping the tanks...
empty the black first… then gray. Second…completely drain the fresh water
tank. You want tanks to be empty so nothing freezes in the valves or in the tanks.
There will still be a little H20 in that freshwater tanks… and there is where you have options
on what to do next. If you can get your hands on an air compressor,
you can blow the lines out. You need a ¾ inch hose connecter and an air chuck. First
thing you need to do is open all the faucets including the toilet and the shower head sprayer.
Open any other water lines that are closed. With an adapter, connect the air compressor
to the city water connection. This is important… to avoid any damage….Do
not exceed 55 psi. If your coach has a water filter, take it
off and and drain it. Replace it with this diverter tube. What happens here is the antifreeze
will bypass in the water line and not make its way into the filter assembly.
5. Turn on the water pump and allow it to run to clear all water from lines. Turn off
the water pump. 6. Open all low point and water tank drains.
(These are the drains for the water tank and the water lines. They are in theory located
at the lowest point in the plumbing system so all water will run out and not be trapped
in the lines.) What we need to do now is pour some rv antifreeze
down the drains. How do you talk me into this stuff.
Oh, its not me, it says right here in the manual, tom needs to wear a dress to winterize.
It doesn’t say that in the manual, you wrote that on a post it note.
7. Drain your water heater... but MAKE SURE THAT THE WATER HEATER HAS COOLED DOWN BEFORE
DRAINING. Remove the water heater drain plug located near the bottom of the water heater.
8. Now, turn on the air compressor and Blow out the water lines. Again, it’s important
you do not exceed 55 P.S.I. Once that’s done. Pour RV 2 cups or so of
antifreeze in the drains, p-traps, and water tanks.
If you do not have an air compressor there are a few other options.
Find your water pump and remove the inlet house…that would be the line with the strainer.
Take the line off and attach a hose and run it into the gallon of RV antifreeze. This
way keeps the anti-freeze out of the fresh water tank. You also want to bypass your water
heater. Close the top and bottom valve…open the one in the middle.
Turn the water pump switch on….. Open the faucets…. Once you get the pink flowing
you’re good there. Move on to the next one. Both hot and cold in the bathroom. Hold down
the flusher on the toilet. Don’t forget the outdoor shower.
The final method is the wet method. Word of warning here… doing this means RV antifreeze
in your fresh water tank… and your fresh water may never taste the same again. So here
we go. After you have completely drained all the
tanks, pour 4-6 gallons of RV antifreeze into the fresh water tank. Turn on the water pump
get it flowing. Open the furthest faucet or water valve from the pump and work your way
through the entire system. Turn on one at a time until you see the pink
is flowing. You want to have about 2 cups of antifreeze flow before you turn off the
faucet. Do all the water lines… showers and tubs,
toilet, washing machines, dishwashers, ice makers and outside showers.
Leave the antifreeze in the sink, washer and shower p-traps and toilets during storage
to protect those lines. Finally all faucets half way to take pressure off the valve seats
during storage. Wipe all fixtures clean and you’re done with that part.
While you’re wiping down the fixtures, wipe down the countertops and tables.
Clean the fridge and Leave both doors open. A box of baking soda wouldn’t be a bad idea.
It’s also a good time to close all curtains and blinds. A little trick to keep the curtains
from fading is to put some foil or paper between the windows and the curtains.
Give the AC one more run so the compressor seal is lubricated.
Moving outside. Clean and wax your coach.
Oil locks and hinges. Seal roof trim. While you’re up here, you
can cover the vents and ac units to keep critters from making a winter home. If you get a heavy
snow, you’re going to need to remove it from the roof.
Block up your coach with wooden blocks or manufactured jack stands on a hard level surface.
Partially deflate the tires and cover them. If possible, remove batteries and store them
in a cool dry place. Check them once in a while and charge them if you need to.
Store with the fuel tank full to prevent condensation buildup.
It’s not a bad idea to start her up once a month and have a walk through to check for
leaks or condensation. While you’re doing that, keep the door open, maybe open a window
or two and air it out. Now all you have to do, is wait for winter
to end, and you’ll be ready to hit the road. You Realize this isn’t even my color
Tom, Let It Go