Winterizing Jayco 154BH

[Newtron]

Hello fellow campers...

We have recently purchased a brand new Jayco 154BH and had a very exciting summer with a lot oc camping trips around Ontario. As winter approaches and being a first time owner of a new RV, I was wondering as to how difficult is it to winterize my RV? Can I do it by myself or it has to be done by the dealer only? I asked the dealer for their charges to winterize and they said it would be $100.00, is this a reasonable price to pay for my trailer?

Any help or suggestions most welcomed.....

[bigbird]

I just checked dealerships website and they quote 79.95 plus tax and any parts. Don't know if that includes the antifreeze.

[Boss Wagon]

It is high; however, I realize they have overhead, labor and are in business. It is not that difficult and on many newer Jayco products, they have made it easy, but never told the guy who writes the shotty manual they supply with the unit.

Locate and check your water pump and see if has a valve and a loose piece of hose connected to it, them check the back of your water heater to see if it is equipped with a bypass valve. If so, it is a piece of cake.

Drain the entire system from the low point drains. Drain the water heater by removing the plug in the lower left corner and pull the pop off valve. You can also blow out the system with a blow out plug which requires an air compressor but this is not entirely necessary if you fill all the lines with the "pink stuff", RV antifreeze.

Once the system is drained and closed back up, you can close off the water heater with the bypass valves and suck the pink stuff up from the hose connected to the pump. Simply put the hose into the bottle, turn on the pump and it will pull the antifreeze through out the system. I put in enough so that each faucet, shower and toilet all flow pink. It takes only about 2 gallons. If you don't bypass the water heater, it will fill up taking up 6 gallons there alone.

The clear lines in the newer models make it easy to see if you are in fact bypassing the water heater and filling the lines.

After all the water outlets run pink, I put some in the drained black and gray holding tanks, and enough to fill the drain traps on each sink. I also put some in the toilet bowl, about an inch deep. This reportedly helps maintain the seal. Don't put any in the fresh water tank, just drain it to the extent possible.

This can sound complicated if you have never done this and it is hard to write a quick and easy how to, particularly when some one old and tired like me tries to!

If you have any neighbors with an RV ask them. Most are very willing to help out and lend a hand.

Ok fellow members, help out here in case I messed up!

[Crabman]

Yes you can do this yourself, and in no time at all you will be a pro at it. Bosswagon gave good instructions and here is a thread that may help as well. If you have any questions or problems during the process just drop a post here with your issue and I`m sure one of us can get you fixed up.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthrea...zing-Poll-2012

[dlindsay001]

Those were great directions posted by Boss Wagon. I just winterized my 184BH, which is about the same camper that you have, and it went very quickly. The hot water heater has the bypass kit and the water pump also has the winterizing kit. Drain as noted in the above instructions, close the system back up, insert the clear tube coming off of the water pump into the antifreeze and suck a couple gallons through and you are done. $5 in antifreeze and less than an hour of time and you are done. An easy way to save $95 and since you did it yourself and saw the pink antifreeze coming out everywhere you know it is done correctly.

[sunstarsmoon]

[QUOTE=Newtron;99720]Hello fellow campers...

We have recently purchased a brand new Jayco 154BH and had a very exciting summer with a lot oc camping trips around Ontario. As winter approaches and being a first time owner of a new RV, I was wondering as to how difficult is it to winterize my RV? Can I do it by myself or it has to be done by the dealer only? I asked the dealer for their charges to winterize and they said it would be $100.00, is this a reasonable price to pay for my trailer?

Not sure of your location, but I have phoned a few rv dealers in my area and this is what I was quoted. Campkins 111.00 total including all anti-freeze. Owasco (this is where we bought ours) has a printout coupon online for 10.00 off bringing the price to 79.95 plus tax and anti freeze. I think this year we are going to take the trailer in and have it done at the dealer. Everything is so new and overwhelming this year we would rather have someone else do it and then maybe try it ourselves next year.

[Russell]

I also have the 184BH. So other than following Crabmans map to bypass the water heater is there anything else I have to do as far as bypassing? e.g. "Install a water pump converter kit, or disconnect the inlet side of the water pump (the line coming from the fresh water holding tank). Connect a piece of clear tubing to the inlet side of the pump and put the other end into a one gallon container of non-toxic RV antifreeze."?
This is already included so do I have to to close off any valves or do anything to bypass the fresh water tank?

Also, what do the directions mean when saying "open all hot and cold faucets" in step 5 of the KOA Step by Step Winterizing Checklist? Are they just referring to the actual faucet handles or is there something I need to open under the sink or behind the tub/shower?

Thanks in advance for your help. It's just one of those things that seems too simple to be true

dlindsay001,
I PM'd you as well

[sailor]

Don't forget to run the stool when running the antifreeze through the system. I have had to go back and do it when I remembered. Fortunately the memory kicked in before a hard freeze.

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by Russell

I also have the 184BH. So other than following Crabmans map to bypass the water heater is there anything else I have to do as far as bypassing? e.g. "Install a water pump converter kit, or disconnect the inlet side of the water pump (the line coming from the fresh water holding tank). Connect a piece of clear tubing to the inlet side of the pump and put the other end into a one gallon container of non-toxic RV antifreeze."?
This is already included so do I have to to close off any valves or do anything to bypass the fresh water tank?

Also, what do the directions mean when saying "open all hot and cold faucets" in step 5 of the KOA Step by Step Winterizing Checklist? Are they just referring to the actual faucet handles or is there something I need to open under the sink or behind the tub/shower?

Thanks in advance for your help. It's just one of those things that seems too simple to be true

dlindsay001,
I PM'd you as well

If you look at this pic of a waterpump you will see two valves. To winterize you close the valve coming from the water tank and open the valve with the clear hose on it.(The valves in the picture are in the normal, non bypassed position). You put the hose in the antifreeze jug and turn on the waterpump. This bypasses the fresh water tank and pumps antifreeze into the system. By opening all hot and cold faucets they mean start at one set of faucets, the ones closest to the waterpump, open until all water is purged and you see the pink antifreeze start to come out. Close faucets and move to the next set of faucets and so on. Do not forget to do the outside shower this way as well, if so equipped. Cheers.

[29BHS ECO]

Don't forget to flush the toilet until you see pink Larry

[Newtron]

Thank you all for the help. I managed to find the water pump and figured out how to bypass the hot water pump, Jayco had provided a clear tube to suck in the antifreeze. I drained the hot water tank first, then blew compressed air thro'the whole water system and then bypassing the hot water system, ran the water pump till I saw pink antifreeze come out thro' the faucets, bathroom taps and toilet flush. All of this cost me $16.00 ($14.00 for the antifreeze) & 2hrs since I was doing it very carefully as it was my first time doing this procedure and also my trailer was brand new. Hopefully I have done everything right and we have a great camping season in 2013.

[jdorant]

Originally Posted by dlindsay001

Those were great directions posted by Boss Wagon. I just winterized my 184BH, which is about the same camper that you have, and it went very quickly. The hot water heater has the bypass kit and the water pump also has the winterizing kit. Drain as noted in the above instructions, close the system back up, insert the clear tube coming off of the water pump into the antifreeze and suck a couple gallons through and you are done. $5 in antifreeze and less than an hour of time and you are done. An easy way to save $95 and since you did it yourself and saw the pink antifreeze coming out everywhere you know it is done correctly.

Don't forget the outside shower if you have one

[pawntan]

Originally Posted by sailor

Don't forget to run the stool when running the antifreeze through the system. I have had to go back and do it when I remembered. Fortunately the memory kicked in before a hard freeze.

Can you please explain what do you mean by "run the stool" ?

What do you mean by stool in this case ??


Thanks

[ctbailey]

Originally Posted by pawntan

Can you please explain what do you mean by "run the stool" ?

What do you mean by stool in this case ??


Thanks

He meant to flush the toilet, which would displace clear water with antifreeze in the flush valve.

I'm guessing its a nautical term.

[krcarter54]

Don't forget the outside shower if so equipped and also pour a cup or so of antifreeze down each drain when finished.

[sfenneran1364]

Hello
I am anew owner of a Jayflight SLX 18Bh and was looking for a propane cover but the propane regulators is attached to the front of the trailer
All the tank covers I saw have the propane line come from the bottom
Like some assistance
Shawn

[Jake]

I have a similar trailer, I bought a vinyl snap on propane cover from the dealer and the hose to the regulator fits out via the snap opening at rear. It looks loose in this picture because it was opened to get hand in to open and close tank, but while travelling the snaps are all closed and the cover works very well.