MALE*RN*777
Western MD, USA
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Joined: 04/24/2003
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Anyone live up here in the North and camp in the warmer South during the winter and take antifreeze and winterize prior to returning back to the cold North?
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Polishnurse
Schodack, NY
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Joined: 03/13/2007
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If I was in a trailer I surely would, but in MH no. I wait till I'm home. Only takes 15 minuets at the most. Will leave the tanks empty at the last camp ground on the way home. Bill
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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Joined: 08/19/2003
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Hi,
I would take along a air compressor, and get the water out with compressed air. You can get most of the water out, then run the pump dry for a few seconds to bring in air to the chambers, and then chase out that tiny amount of water.
This way any water left in the water lines will have 90% of the lines to fill with ice. It will not damage anything if the ice is in tiny amounts, and has plenty of room to expand.
You still need to add anti-freeze (non-toxic kind) to the P traps, and also make sure the water heater plug has been removed to drain that tank, and I always unplug the circuit board so I can not turn on the heater when it is empty.
Make sure the outside shower is drained to - with the compressed air. If you have a washer / dryer, then I would make sure they are not turned on, so they will stay dry. The washing machine has a inlet valve that must be dry, or ice can build in there and crack the housing.
Same goes for an ice maker - if you have one of those. I find ice makers so inconvenient. Who wants to use water straight out of the tank? And now you want to make ice with that same water? And put it into something you drink?
Good Luck,
Fred.
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DavidandDayle
Brampton, Ont
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Joined: 10/20/2009
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We usually winterize at the last unfrozen campground on the way north. Last year we misjudged and I had tanks with the valves frozen shut. I kept the tank heaters on and we got to our dealer the next day and they took it in until it thawed.
We were told that the practice for the last day should be to have the tanks emptied, fill the pipes with pink fluid and use pink to flush the toilet if you have to.
Plumbing antifreeze may be hard to find in those places that don't get a hard freeze. We carried 4 bottles with us.
David and Dayle
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You can't take the Fisherman out of this Camper
Ontario, Canada
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Joined: 04/09/2004
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I have taken antifreeze with me for 4 years running... just in case. We always come home during the first week of April and.. so far we have made it home without having to use the antifreeze. But every time I have had to winterize the trailer during the first 24-48 hours because we are expecting overnight freezing temperatures when we get here. So I always have to blow out with compressed air upon arrival.
1960's: Tents.. 1970's: Soft top & Hard top P/U.. 1980's: 17' RV.. 1990's: 24' RV.. 2000's: 2002 Cougar 276EFS & 2005 Laredo 29GS; 2002 GMC 2500HD Ext Cab 4x4; (Nfld/Labrador-Yukon/NWT/Alaska-Gaspe', Que./Florida!!)
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vwsportbug
Ontario, Canada
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Joined: 08/27/2004
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DavidandDayle wrote:We usually winterize at the last unfrozen campground on the way north.
Ditto. We usually stop at a campground in Tennessee or Kentucky with full services and winterize the RV before getting back into the freezing temps around Ohio/Michigan/Ontario. Have always been able to find the pink RV anti-freeze at Camping World stores.
Our main complication has been with our Kenmore washing machine. It's owner's manual indicates that you should just disconnect and drain all of the hoses for winterizing - tough to do when it's in a tight little compartment and weighs more than I like to move around. I end up having to do a first load and spin cycle with anti-freeze (it is push-button controlled instead of the old dial mechanism so you can't jump ahead in any of the wash cycles). It takes close to 10 gallons of the pink stuff to winterize. Good job the stuff isn't very expensive! Wouldn't be without the washer/dryer though when we are camping for months at a time.
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Eycom
Fl to NY
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Joined: 09/12/2004
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I'm in and out of western NY and PA during the winter. If I'm going to be up there in a S&B for a week, I'll use a dump at one of the rest areas in WV and winterize there. Also I usually de-winterize in WV and just run the furnace until I get into the Carolinas.
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runway18-2
missouri
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Joined: 12/03/2008
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I always take a jug of anti freeze along just in case. One year we came home early & had a hard time finding it. I think I bought the one & only jug in Joplin Mo.
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bluck
Silver City, NM 88061 USA
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Joined: 01/01/2002
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I at different times during the winter we will spend any where from a few days to a few weeks in Mesa AZ. I always carry 3 gallons of anti-freeze with me and winterize before we leave. It can be hard to find anti-freeze in the Phoenix area, really get some dumb looks when asking for it. We are only 250 miles from there but live at 6500 ft. Several times we have left in 80 degree weather to get home and it be 25 degrees and snowing. Thats not a good time to be draining water adding anti-freeze to the outside shower etc.
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xaugievike
Chicagoland
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Not regularly, but last year I took a late-winter trip south with a couple gallons of Pink stuff on board. Got to my destination and opened her all up.....pumped pink stuff back through before coming home just to be safe....
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