Winterizing Central and Winterizing Poll -2012

**Crabman** · 10-26-2011, 11:57 AM

Welcome to Winterizing Central. Do you Winterize your trailer or have someone else do it? Have Winterizing questions? Ask away, we`ll do our best. Winterizing tips or stories of Winterizing nightmares/calamities/lessons learned also welcome. Yep, its that time of year again. (BTW- Crabman does his own Winterizing)

Basic Winterizing instructions

Compressed air only Winterizing video

Typical water heater bypass valve setup:

Typical water pump equipped with winterizing bypass valves. The clear hose goes in the antifreeze jug. The image shows the valves in the NORMAL OPERATING position. For winterizing, the valve on the clear hose would be open and the valve on the suction line coming from the fresh water tank would be closed.

Typical non toxic RV antifreeze

Schooner · 10-26-2011, 12:06 PM

I will have the dealer do the winterizing this year and next until the warranty is up. I have them address the warranty issues at the same time.

**Crabman** · 10-26-2011, 12:12 PM

Sounds like a plan, Schooner. Please vote in the poll!

dalenoel · 10-26-2011, 12:31 PM

1/2 hour of time and I know it is done right.

wiscampsin · 10-26-2011, 12:40 PM

We do our own. Easy, cheap, and done right.

Topflight · 10-26-2011, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiscampsin

We do our own. Easy, cheap, and done right.

X2

jwstewar · 10-26-2011, 01:50 PM

I've got one down and one to go. I did Mom's yesterday. Took me maybe 1/2 hour - if that. We are planning another trip the first weekend of November, so ours will winterized once we return from that. I'm hoping we get to use it more next year.

hammerdown · 10-26-2011, 03:37 PM

Already did it myself but will be heading to the Keys in Jan. and will probably have to do it again on the way home in March. Oh well.

BluJay · 10-26-2011, 03:55 PM

While we're on the topic of winterization (I did my own): My X17Z will be staying outside this winter. Two questions....

1. Stabilizers up or down?
2 I'd like to protect the roof as much as possible, and have access to a quality (not blue) tarp that will cover and drape about 1' on each side. A/C and wheels are already covered. Tarp or No Tarp?

**Crabman** · 10-26-2011, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluJay

While we're on the topic of winterization (I did my own): My X17Z will be staying outside this winter. Two questions....

1. Stabilizers up or down?
2 I'd like to protect the roof as much as possible, and have access to a quality (not blue) tarp that will cover and drape about 1' on each side. A/C and wheels are already covered. Tarp or No Tarp?

I keep stabilizers up. No tarps for me, too windy here and I would be concerned with chafing issues.

mcfarmall · 10-26-2011, 04:34 PM

I do it myself...it's not rocket science.

**Crabman** · 10-26-2011, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

I do it myself...it's not rocket science.

True enough, its RV science! Looks like the majority of members Winterize themselves and save some bucks.

CityFarmer · 10-26-2011, 04:52 PM

My dealer wants 119.00 dollars to winterize, I do it myself for under 10.00

sootsweeper · 10-26-2011, 06:59 PM

I recently winterized mine myself (first time). My questions is: I had a hard time getting the pump to pull a prime and suction the anti from the rear of the trailer to the faucets,toilet, etc. Is it normal for the pump to cycle on and off. It seems like it took a long time for me to get it all completed (or seemed that way). I disconnected my city water connection hose and put a short section of hose on the water inlet, then inserted the hose into the anti container and then turned on the pump, went inside and went to the farthest faucet away and turned it on and waited, finally anti through lines. i just hope I did everything correctly.

**Crabman** · 10-26-2011, 07:09 PM

Hey, sootsweeper, I`m assuming your water pump does not have the winterizing kit, which is a valve that cuts off the watertank/city inlet and another valve which is hooked up to a clear hose that goes into the bottle. This kit makes it easy as the pump does not have to draw very far, you can purchase and install them yourself. Here is a pic of my water pump before I did some other mods, notice the clear hose coming up with the valve on it. This goes in the anti bottle. You would turn on this valve and turn the other one off that goes to the tank when winterizing. Another question, did you bypass the water heater? If not, gallons of antifreeze can pour into it before much flows out the faucets.

Here`s what it looks like now after some silencing mods and the addition of an accumulator tank, but that`s another story. The winterizing kit is still there.

clutch · 10-26-2011, 07:29 PM

Sometimes I have to winterize if we stay at home to late in the year. I drain everything and activate the hot water bypass. Pour two gallons in the tank and turn on the pump. When everything runs pink I am done and the traps are good too.

**FPM III** · 10-26-2011, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sootsweeper

I recently winterized mine myself (first time). My questions is: I had a hard time getting the pump to pull a prime and suction the anti from the rear of the trailer to the faucets,toilet, etc. Is it normal for the pump to cycle on and off. It seems like it took a long time for me to get it all completed (or seemed that way). I disconnected my city water connection hose and put a short section of hose on the water inlet, then inserted the hose into the anti container and then turned on the pump, went inside and went to the farthest faucet away and turned it on and waited, finally anti through lines. i just hope I did everything correctly.

I've had that problem on occasion. I solved it by inserting a funnel in the end of the hose. Then, slowly (so you don't get an air bubble in the line) pre-fill the hose with antifreeze, remove the funnel and put the hose in the antifreeze jug. You might get a small air bubble in the hose when inserting the hose into the jug but it's no big deal there. My winterization hose (the one that has some of the pink stuff in it) is very close to my pump (see photo below). It sounds like your trailer's is much further away. I don't know why your pump is cycling on/off.

The big blue tank is my accumulator tank.

I also winterize the water lines when plugged into shore power as the pump runs stronger (and has better suction) than when running on battery power alone.

**Crabman** · 10-26-2011, 08:21 PM

Hey Frank, one nice thing about having the tank inside like yours, you never have to worry about it freezing when you are using the rig in cold weather. My previous TT had the tank inside, under the rear bunks. But it was a BEAR to get to the waterpump which was right next to it!

dg1971 · 10-26-2011, 08:48 PM

1st year with the manuals and nervous anticipation, it took me 2 hours to winterize...the last 2 years, 20 minutes, tops. Do it yourself and save over 100.00 bucks.

**Crabman** · 10-26-2011, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dg1971

1st year with the manuals and nervous antcipatiopn, it took me 2 hours to winterize...the last 2 years, 20 minutes, tops. Do it yourself and save over 100.00 bucks.

Yeah dg, those manuals will get ya every time.

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