Winterizing questions

Digger29 · 10-13-2015, 09:08 AM

I'm sure these questions have been asked 100's of times on here so please go easy on me. With winter fast approaching here in Ma I'd love some tips/help on getting our coach ready for it. If it makes any difference we have a new 15 Itasca 36G. It's always plugged in and we're taking it to Fort Benning in December for my son's Army graduation. So is there anything we can do in the meantime while not completely winterizing it and then completely shutting it down and winterizing it when we get back on December 14th. Thanks in advance for all the help. Everyone here has been so helpful and we truly appreciate all of the help...

jazzerjump · 10-13-2015, 09:55 AM

Not familiar with your particular coach but I have just blown ours out with compressed air-20 psi or so this time of year as we head south for most of winter. I have found the owners manual to be real helpful in the process. Things like ice makers and washer/dryer make it a little more complicated but again would guess the manuals are helpful with that. Dont forget rv antifreeze in the drains.

Most coaches have waterheater bypass vavles to avoid antifreeze in the water heater and also a winterization valve to add antifreeze to the waterlines as needed. Our coach manual gives instructions for both methods. There will be low point drains, etc. that are particular to each coach.

Digger29 · 10-13-2015, 11:00 AM

Just grabbed the manual from the coach and it has detailed pics of each step and it does seem fairly easy to do.

SuperGewl · 10-13-2015, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digger29

Just grabbed the manual from the coach and it has detailed pics of each step and it does seem fairly easy to do.

It's amazing what the Owners Manual will tell you.
Remember, it's there for a reason and not to just take up cabinet space.
Read it first, then read it again, then read it again when attempting to perform the task at hand. Remember when all else fails "Read the Manual"

Dennis Dean · 10-13-2015, 06:50 PM

I have reads my manual at least 4 times. Been on several forums. I finally had to call my factory rep. Good customer service is a plus and so far I have been well served. I couldn't figure out how to get antifreeze into my system. With some investigation we figured out I have to buy a small water pump or install a T line on the inlet side of my water pump with a hose to put In the antifreeze bottle. Seems Fleetwood forgot to install any sort of gravity feed for the fresh water tank or water line to get antifreeze into the system. It has to go thru the city water port and thus needs some type of pressure to get it in. LOL not a big deal but a little of the "what the hell were you thinking, Mr engineer" LOL I suggested a small paragraph in the manual would be a good addition.

LEHAFER · 10-14-2015, 01:13 PM

I live next door in Charlton and plan to head for Florida in late Nov. I just blew my Adventurer out with compressed air set at 45 lbs. I made sure the ice maker was drained and the filter bowl on the water pump was empty. If you have a water filter under the kitchen sink you may want to remove it. I always dump about a quart of windshield washer fluid down each drain to keep the traps from freezing. Congratulations on your sons graduation, my grandson graduates from the navy recruit training in March

skigramp · 10-14-2015, 02:31 PM

to Dennis Dean ...

install a T line on the inlet side of my water pump with a hose to put In the antifreeze bottle

Winnebago puts a two way selector valve there ... that is how we winterize

Digger29 · 10-14-2015, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LEHAFER

I live next door in Charlton and plan to head for Florida in late Nov. I just blew my Adventurer out with compressed air set at 45 lbs. I made sure the ice maker was drained and the filter bowl on the water pump was empty. If you have a water filter under the kitchen sink you may want to remove it. I always dump about a quart of windshield washer fluid down each drain to keep the traps from freezing. Congratulations on your sons graduation, my grandson graduates from the navy recruit training in March

Hey neighbor :-) Thank you very much and congrats on your grandson also. We're heading to Fort Benning on Dec 1 and staying at the campground for 2 wks that is 15 minutes away. Did you buy the fitting to blow your system out & why windshield washer fluid and not the RV style antifreeze? Thanks, Mike

LEHAFER · 10-14-2015, 05:15 PM

Windshield washer fluid is cheaper and still protects to 50 below. I read somewhere on this form that the RV antifreeze affects the valves on the black and grey tanks. I don't know how true this is since I used RV antifreeze for years with no problems.

LEHAFER · 10-15-2015, 06:28 AM

Digger29,
I just noticed that you ask about the blowout fitting. RV's R US in Oxford carries all that stuff, Shelly will get you one. Also I have used them for all major repairs that I can't do myself and have never had a problem with their work in over 11 years.

jazzerjump · 10-15-2015, 03:54 PM

Ditto on draining any filters. Most hardware stores that sell compressors and accessories will have what you need. I bought a hose bib style connection that fits the water inlet connection and a male style connector that fit my compressor hose. I also added a small ball valve in that connection to turn the air on slowly rather than "shock" the system-seems like our manual mentioned that. It also allows me to turn on and off at the coach rather than where my compressor is located to let the compressor catch up as I don't have a very large compressor.

I also turn the tank fill valve on for a few seconds to blow that line out and also open the low point drains a second time with air hooked up just to be anal I guess.

It really isn't that tough a job-just follow the manual and then double check that all items are accomplished. Adding antifreeze to lines later isn't hard either just be sure you find the water heater by-pass valve and shut that off to avoid getting anti-freeze in the water tank. I guess it bubbles like crazy and is really hard to get out-lots of flushing.

Digger29 · 10-15-2015, 04:10 PM

Thanks for all the help guys :-) I called Flagg (where we bought it) and they said they have the fitting to blow the system out BUT they also recommended that I bring the coach to them and stay while they do it so can I see the proper way that it's done and that it should take less than an hr. I'm leaning towards doing that. One question that I didn't ask them & I'm going to call and ask is so we're using the coach for the Halloween weekend at Normandy Farms and we should obviously be fine cold weather-wise but then we also need to leave on December 1st for Fort Benning and there's where from Nov 1st to Dec where we could get some pretty cold weather. I really don't want to winterize it right after Halloween just to have to un-winterize it to leave for GA. I'm plugged into a 30amp service at my house. Can I just leave the heat on 50-ish and perhaps throw a cpl of those small heaters in the underneath area where the water would potentially freeze?

skigramp · 10-16-2015, 11:37 AM

Mike ...

The two most expensive (and most likely to be damaged by freezing) are your water pump and water heater.

One winter we got stranded by a blizzard in Tucumcari, NM and over night the temps dropped to -10 F with a strong wind. We were in an RV park with 50 amp electric. We had the water heater on electric and a trouble light beside the water pump. When we got up in the morning there was no water flowing from the faucets ... I put a ceramic heater in the fresh water bay and about 15 minutes later we had water flowing in the coach again. There was no damage to anything in the coach.

The point of this post is: put a source of heat beside your water pump and in the fresh water bay and leave your hot water heater on ... you should be fine with temps in the teens or twenties.

Make sure you pour windshield wiper fluid (or the pink stuff) in all your traps ... and probably a gallon into both the black and gray tanks

Digger29 · 10-16-2015, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skigramp

Mike ...

The two most expensive (and most likely to be damaged by freezing) are your water pump and water heater.

One winter we got stranded by a blizzard in Tucumcari, NM and over night the temps dropped to -10 F with a strong wind. We were in an RV park with 50 amp electric. We had the water heater on electric and a trouble light beside the water pump. When we got up in the morning there was no water flowing from the faucets ... I put a ceramic heater in the fresh water bay and about 15 minutes later we had water flowing in the coach again. There was no damage to anything in the coach.

The point of this post is: put a source of heat beside your water pump and in the fresh water bay and leave your hot water heater on ... you should be fine with temps in the teens or twenties.

Make sure you pour windshield wiper fluid (or the pink stuff) in all your traps ... and probably a gallon into both the black and gray tanks

Perfect and that's exactly what I needed to know and was hoping would be the case. Thanks so much, Mike

jazzerjump · 10-16-2015, 06:57 PM

If you use a heater of some type while plugged in you might considet a temp controled plug in adaptor. I know farm/feed supply stores sell them. They dont turn on until a specific temp. I know there is a 35 degree one and seems like I read where there may be a 40 degree one.

Just plug the adaptor into an outlet and plug heater into it. Also in 2013 the first year we headed to the desert there was a freeze in NW area that caught a lot of folks traveling south off guard. We hit single didit temps but hadnt pressurized the water system yet so were fine. Might check the forum for feezing or no water 2 years ago lot of info on heat etc. One note was use gas furnace and not electric as the gas bleeds some heat into the holding tank/water bays on many coaches.