Winterizng a new trailer

[BudMan]

Kind of late in the year but we have a brand new trailer and it is our first. We got fed up with the snow in northern Illinois so last Sunday we hooked up and spent the week in Florida's Panama City beach where the daytime temp 78-80 and the night time temp was 70-74. Perfect weather all week.

Heading back home on Friday, we spent the night south of Nashville and this morning, we poured RV antifreeze in the drains and toilet after emptying the black and gray tanks.

We did not use the water tank at all. I used the low point to drain the lines but nothing came out. The JayCo book says to insert a hose end into a jug of RV antifreeze, plug it into the city water feed and turn the water pump on to suck antifreeze through the lines. We did that but the pump did not suck any antifreeze from the jug. After about five munutes, I shut the pump off because I was worried about damaging it.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance

[David472]

Originally Posted by BudMan

Kind of late in the year but we have a brand new trailer and it is our first. We got fed up with the snow in northern Illinois so last Sunday we hooked up and spent the week in Florida's Panama City beach where the daytime temp 78-80 and the night time temp was 70-74. Perfect weather all week.

Heading back home on Friday, we spent the night south of Nashville and this morning, we poured RV antifreeze in the drains and toilet after emptying the black and gray tanks.

We did not use the water tank at all. I used the low point to drain the lines but nothing came out. The JayCo book says to insert a hose end into a jug of RV antifreeze, plug it into the city water feed and turn the water pump on to suck antifreeze through the lines. We did that but the pump did not suck any antifreeze from the jug. After about five munutes, I shut the pump off because I was worried about damaging it.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance

I suspect the hose was full of air. You need to have fluid in the hose for the pump to draw anything through the hose.

[Crabman]

Did you turn on the valve on the hose that goes in the antifreeze bottle and turn off the one coming from the fresh tank? If not you`re getting air from the fresh tank and nothing from the bottle. You also have to turn the bypass valves by the water heater or you will fill it with antifreeze.

[kcconawa]

And don't forget to drain the H20 heater.

[barrelslime]

Originally Posted by Crabman

Did you turn on the valve on the hose that goes in the antifreeze bottle and turn off the one coming from the fresh tank? If not you`re getting air from the fresh tank and nothing from the bottle. You also have to turn the bypass valves by the water heater or you will fill it with antifreeze.

Theres your answer

[Terry]

Also - go ahead and open up a faucet so it can purge the air. Mine will not start pulling the antifreeze until I do.

[Terry]

plug it into the city water feed and turn the water pump on to suck antifreeze through the lines.

OH - now I see your problem now that I have re-read it. I know exactly what you are talking about in the Jayco book -- I dont know why that is in there like that....but it is wrong.

Look under your kitchen cabinet where the pump is located and you should find a section of clear hose lying there -- that is the hose it is talking about! Switch the valve over at the pump, stick it in the antifreeze and go.

Also - Shurflo says it will not hurt them to run dry, so dont get too concerned if you have to let it run for a while. I know when I purge my system I let it run for quite a while as it spits little bits of water out.

[Crabman]

The hoses in question are on the left of the pump in this picture. Open the valve on the clear hose, stick the hose in the bottle, close the valve on the hose coming from the FW tank, the valve farthest to the left. The second pic is my what water pump silencing mod looked like after completion, but that`s another story. -Lee

[kenbarls]

I have a hard time on winterizing a new trailer but because of my helpful friend made it.