Winterizing yourself...... - Montana Owners Club

Montana_621 · 10-11-2004, 05:14 AM

This weekend will be the last time we use our 5er before spring. When we get home we are going to try to winterize ourselves. What do we need to do to winterize? We have 6 gallons of RV antifreeze, know where the switch is by the pump to turn for winterizing, what about the water heater and the washer/dryer? I know you pull the plug on the water heater, do you put it back in then when it's drained? And how do you get the remaining water out of the washer?

ken · 10-11-2004, 05:40 AM

You will only need about three gallons. First drain the hot water heater and leave out the plug. Then turn the valve and bypass the hot water heater. Stick the prime hose into the antifreeze. Start with the washer/dryer. Start the water pump with the washer on medium or warm so both valves open up. watch the water level in the door to see pink antifreeze. When you see it, stop the proceedings and turn the washer to spin and pump it out. That way the residue will still be in your pump and not in the washer drum. Then start from the fartherst point and turn on both the hot and cold water until you see the pink coming through the spigots. Turn it off and move to the next one. Don't forget to get the toilet and any outside showers. Do the same at both places. Finally, pour a cup of the antifreese down each trap to including the toilet. The last thing I do is pour a gallon of antifreeze in my water tank. Note. There are at least three drains below the trailer, before you do anything, open these and drain any water out of them. Then cap them back. Also, If you have access to a compressor, you can blow out you lines before you start the winterzation process. That is an option. WE do the same thing after our last outing (this weekend)
Ken and Velda Taylor
Dahlgren VA
2003 3655FL Montana/Ford F350 Diesel

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Melissa and Mike S

This weekend will be the last time we use our 5er before spring. When we get home we are going to try to winterize ourselves. What do we need to do to winterize? We have 6 gallons of RV antifreeze, know where the switch is by the pump to turn for winterizing, what about the water heater and the washer/dryer? I know you pull the plug on the water heater, do you put it back in then when it's drained? And how do you get the remaining water out of the washer?

Montana_621 · 10-11-2004, 07:58 AM

Thank you, this is VERY helpful, I will print it off and bring it home for my husband. Thanks again.

NJ Hillbilly · 10-11-2004, 09:12 AM

One other item is to remove the washer/screen from the city water connection and push the center pin. This will allow antifreeze to push the water out of that section of hose. Be careful because it will spray.

John

8.1al · 10-11-2004, 02:56 PM

I winterized myself last night. Boy was that fun!!!
Sorry, couldn't help it. Seriously don't forget the outside shower if you have one.

sreigle · 10-11-2004, 08:54 PM

There's some very good advice in the above posts. The second year you do it, it will take 15 minutes. The first takes longer because you're worrying about getting everything.

Check your manual for your washer. Ours says to just pour in a cup or so of antifreeze and run the spin and drain cycle for xx seconds. So I did it that way rather than using the water pump. But if your manual doesn't have specifics, Ken's method is a good one. It probably works well even if the manual specifies a method.

Mine takes about two gallons but I always have three available, just in case.

The purpose of pouring some antifreeze in the toilet is to keep the slide seal from drying out. Antifreeze doesn't evaporate. Put it in the toilet bowl, don't flush it out.

One other thing - either remove the battery and store it where it won't freeze, or hook the rig up to shore power if available, or check the battery water level and maybe put it on a trickle charge once per month during the winter. We kept ours hooked up to shore power but we had that option avaialable. Now we just go south instead of winterizing.

snowbunny · 10-12-2004, 09:48 AM

Last year I winterized by using anti freeze and ended up using a lot of it because the check valve on the hot water tank was defective. I was thinking of simply blowing the lines out this year. What are the pros and cons of each method?

faeb and genb · 10-12-2004, 12:34 PM

I have never tried so what I say is from other. I don''t trust blowing out the lines just my opinion. A afriend tried it & he froze some lines.
Gene

NJ Hillbilly · 10-12-2004, 12:43 PM

I blow out first then add antifreeze. This way it's easier to see straight A/F and don't have to worry about dilution.

John

Glenn and Lorraine · 10-12-2004, 01:02 PM

I found the easiest way to winterize is drag the rig to Florida. Little chance of freezing temps in central Florida.

William H. Collier · 10-12-2004, 03:44 PM

When we left the Rally I put chemicals in the black tank and added a couple gallons of water like always. Can I just add anti-freeze to this or does it have to be drained first.

NJ Hillbilly · 10-12-2004, 03:54 PM

I leave the black and grey tanks empty with a little antifreeze added to them.

John

sreigle · 10-12-2004, 05:27 PM

Mel, I'm afraid I get a bit of a chuckle each time I see the topic of your post. I'm wondering if "winterizing yourself" has something to do with ingesting alcohol-based "antifreeze"??

8.1al · 10-13-2004, 02:21 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

Mel, I'm afraid I get a bit of a chuckle each time I see the topic of your post. I'm wondering if "winterizing yourself" has something to do with ingesting alcohol-based "antifreeze"??

Oh it isn't? I thought maybe everybody just got off topic talking about trailer winterizing.

Montana_621 · 10-13-2004, 04:55 AM

Steve you are too funny! LOL You see I don't think like you do so I didn't think of someone taking and twisting the meaning of the question.

It's 20 degrees colder here today than it was yesterday and it's going to keep getting colder and colder in MN. So I might just have to winterize myself!

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

Mel, I'm afraid I get a bit of a chuckle each time I see the topic of your post. I'm wondering if "winterizing yourself" has something to do with ingesting alcohol-based "antifreeze"??

BillyRay · 10-13-2004, 09:16 AM

I like the FLA method, but too costly for me!!

Theadamsfamily · 10-13-2004, 02:15 PM

I have a 2004 3295RK. Is the water heater bypass located in the access door in the kitchen? I know the winterization kit is located at the suction side of the water pump.

sreigle · 10-16-2004, 12:29 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Theadamsfamily

I have a 2004 3295RK. Is the water heater bypass located in the access door in the kitchen? I know the winterization kit is located at the suction side of the water pump.

Yes, there's a single valve handle on the back of the water heater. It's accessible through that door in the kitchen. The handle should 'point' the direction of water flow. To bypass, you want it pointing along the hose that goes between the intake and outgo hoses.

Use the clear (ours is clear anyhow) hose in the water pump area to pump antifreeze through the system. If questions on how to do that, just ask and one of us will try to help.

Theadamsfamily · 10-16-2004, 01:43 PM

Steve,

Thanks for the info. I thought you would probably know the answer since you are 24*7*365. We store our rig about one hour away and it is a little difficult to just walk out the door and check. Thought I would winterize it soon.

This forum has really been a big help to us. All the people are so helpful. Hopefully by the time I get to the fulltiming position (~14 years) I will be an expert like you.

sreigle · 10-16-2004, 02:36 PM

I'm not exactly an expert, just bumbled on some of these things and asked questions about the others. And learned a lot in this forum. And now that we are FT, we don't really winterize anymore!

Things to remember -
drain fresh water tank.
drain water heater.
drain low point drains below the coach.
run antifreeze through the outside shower, if equipped.
on city water connection, remove screen and press the white button to release water. it's under pressure so stand back.
i left water faucets turned on, 'just in case'.
pour a little antifreeze in all drains and in the toilet (to keep the slide seal moist).

I'm probably forgetting something but someone will help out.

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