Well, winterizing.... none of us like it, especially me. I live at the west coast of Canada, near Vancouver. It just doesn't get that cold here, it seldom freezes.......
I think in my life of RV'ing, I have winterized once by simply blowing out the lines and draining everything.
I put the old pig away for the winter late last fall, and I forgot to drain the hot water tank. When I put it away, I usually just pull the cork on the tank, drain it and leave the rest. Never had an issue.
So last winter it got cold for a few days, everything froze.
Dang it I says, I didn't drain the HWT on the TT. I shrugged my shoulders and mumbled something stupid like "Ahh, it'll be alright, it doesn't freeze too hard here". But in the back of my mind I was thinking I really should have drained the HWT like I usually do.
Well, a few days ago I needed the thing for a trip to Vancouver Island so I drove the 40 minutes to my storage, dropped her on the hitch and away I go home to prep for my trip.
Check fresh water, still full from last trip - OK, Fire up the fridge - OK, put in some food, some clothes, usual stuff, you know the drill, Oh yeah, turn the water on and flash up the HWT to get it ready.
Hmmmmmmmmm, gee my water pump seems to be running a long time....... That's odd, it should have cycled off by now......... Oh, well, it'll shut off shortly. Meanwhile I'm standing in my kitchen in my socks..
All of a sudden. WHAT THE?????? my feet are wet!! I look down and there is brown schmoo flowing across the floor. I quickly reach over and shut the water off, but too late, I have a HUGE mess.
So I am wondering, where in heck is this water coming fr..... Oh Crud, as the memory of failing to drain the HWT came back to haunt me..
Sigh!!
Bob, you are a stupid doornknob!!
OK, grab a few tools, 15 minutes later the HWT is sitting on the tailgate of my truck. Cut the plastic straps, pull the foam things off, roll the tank over and YUP!! There it is, a great big split in the tank. Dang!! I am running late for the ferry, hafta be on site in Campbell River at 8 AM the next morning.
Grumble grumble, throw the tank back in the hole, close the valves, open the bypass, finish loading, run for the ferry. 10:45 ferry, puts me in Nanaimo 2 hours later, I'm tired, wanna sleep, don't feel like driving, wheres the nearest WalMart?
1:30 AM, I park near a bunch of other cheap bas.... I mean thrifty RV'ers and crawl into the sack. Dang it's cold. Fire up the furnace, let it run a while...... meanwhile I fall asleep. 2 hours later I wake up, furnace still running but it is 49 degrees in here. Great, wonderful, not only do I have no hot water, but my furnace quit!! . It's 3AM, shut the thing off, back to bed, I'll deal with it in the morning.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
8 something I wake up, try the furnace again, I get a little heat and then it quits again. Argh!
Pull out the iphone, look for RV parts places nearby, I start phoning, second call, guy in Parksville has a new Suburban to replace my perfectly good tank that I messed up by not draining it. Stupid a.. Bob... I get on the road, drive a bit, find the place, here we go. Same unit 400 and something bucks. Eeek! me says, this old Sportsmen is done, junk, rotten, worn out, heading to the boneyard soon..... But meanwhile I have to use it. And I really don't like showers in ICE cold water!
Ok, OK, sign me up for one of them, I said. So he points to them, 3 in stock, 2 pilot lite, one DSI. 50 bucks more for a DSI.....
Sigh again, OK, gimme the DSI and some wire. 500 and something bucks later, I have a new, measly 6 gal tank. But its DSI instead of the old pilot lite jobbee I had.
This guy was great, I mean really great! He rolls me off some butyl tape, a bit of wire, some dope for the pipe threads and lets me change it right there in his yard. And he let me leave the old tank behind so I didn't have to find a place to dump it.
So I pull the old tank, put in the new one, leave the DSI wiring for later and boogie down the road to Campbell River. 4:30 I get to the jobsite, customer waiting for me, I was supposed to be there at 8 AM. I did phone, she was fine, but I lost a days work. Off to the RV park, cook up some dinner and dive into converting the install to DSI. cut a hole with my dremel for the switch, run some wire, peel open my converter, find a spare spot on the terminal strip, run my wires and hook it all up. Last thing, poke in a fuse, reach over, flick the switch and the reset light comes on. Hmmmmmmm why? a short bit later the light goes out and the HWT launches. Ahhhhhhhh. hot water here we come as I listen to the old familiar sound of the HWT running!
Bob doesn't have to shower in ice cold water, all is well, I have hot water again.
Meanwhile, my furnace is on the fritz....... But I'm plugged into a 30A service and I have an electric heater.
All is well!
But it cost me a days wages and 500 and something for a new HWT!!
Moral of the story?
Hey dummy, drain your hot water tank at winter time!!!!
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Bob, I think if you would combine all your interesting adventures and projects you have posted about on this forum over the years into a book you could just retire! You really do have a way with words and I think you could sell the product.
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I must say after reading this I was laughing out loud. Not at your misfortune but at your ability to take it all with a grain of salt. Most of us would not have been so easy going in this situation.
You certainly know how to put a good spin on a bad deal! I agree you need to write a book.
Great story BYU, as always, and this one has a moral. Thanks for sharing! And Dick is right, get an agent and publish!
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I laughed out loud at your story. We've all done something like that if we're telling the truth! Agree about the book. You write so people feel like they are right there watching you! Too funny!!
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I have never, ever done nuthin' stoopit like that. Never ever. Well, not since last Wednesday, if you don't count Friday...
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and crawl into the sack. Dang it's cold. Fire up the furnace, let it run a while...... meanwhile I fall asleep. 2 hours later I wake up, furnace still running but it is 49 degrees in here. Great, wonderful, not only do I have no hot water, but my furnace quit!! 
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