mlts22
Austin, Texas
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Joined: 11/15/2010
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I have encountered people who do this with their boats, but never with RVs. Have anyone heard about using 80-100 proof "rotgut" vodka, or even Everclear for winterizing? The process used is as follows:
Drain and bypass the water heater, giving the tank a good rinsing and replacing the anode rod if a Suburban model.
Blow out the lines with a dry, oil-less air compressor at 35 PSI, faucet by faucet, making sure to get the bathtub/shower, toilet, and external shower.
Pump vodka or everclear in, so it comes out all faucets. Then blow the lines out again. This gets rid of almost all water, and any that remains is a water/alcohol mix with a lower freezing point.
Pour some olive oil or RV antifreeze in the U-traps and some on the toilet to keep the valve seals OK and odors out of the living space.
The reason people use vodka is that it doesn't give the oily taste/odor, and is supposed to kill germs actively. Plus, oddly enough, it is cheaper in my neck of the woods than RV antifreeze.
Anyone hear of this method? This is a first for me, as I've not seen any RV-ers use booze for winterizing. Here in Texas, either they just drain tanks and blow the lines, just drain the tanks and leave all faucets open, or if they are going north, actually use the pink stuff.
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d3500ram
colorado
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Joined: 07/31/2006
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...and look at the good side of when spring rolls around: just grab a bag of ice and a gallon of OJ and invite the friends over for a de-winterizing party! 
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Pangaea Ron
Anacortes, WA, USA
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I think that I just found a use for that 2 liter box of Russian Vodka that I got in Estonia for ~$12USD.
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md2lgyk
WV
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Why would you even consider such a thing?? Vodka, rotgut or not, is way more expensive that RV antifreeze. Is this thread some sort of joke??
"The great object is, that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun." - Patrick Henry
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downtheroad
Pacific Northwest
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Joined: 02/18/2003
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I just bought a 2 gallon jug of RV anti-freeze at Walmart for under $4.00.
Man, that must be some kind of nasty vodka to be less expensive than that....
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6.7 tow rig
kentucky
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downtheroad wrote:I just bought a 2 gallon jug of RV anti-freeze at Walmart for under $4.00.
Man, that must be some kind of nasty vodka to be less expensive than that....
No joke. That sounds ridiculous
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mlts22
Austin, Texas
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It is less about the cost issue, than the taste/odor of the pink stuff. However, I wonder about the fact that ethyl alcohol would dry out any rubber seals it is in contact with, while the pink stuff doesn't do that.
I just have never heard about anyone using moonshine for winterizing before with RVs, but hear/read about people doing it with boats.
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daveshan
Durango Colrado
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First trip out I use bottled water for drinking/coffee after than no taste and I use what's on board.
I'll stick with what's designed and tested for RVs.
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bigred1cav
ohio
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Sounds like it will work for me, a splash of Orange Juice and a dash of lime.
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old guy
Oregon (pronounced Or e gun)
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for one thing the RV anti freeze is cheaper and it only takes one gallon.One gallon of spirits is about ten times more money. I don't see the big reason or savings to this type of prevention.
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