RV winterizing--blow out or antifreeze?

[wyosteve]

My previous 5th wheel I always ran rv antifreeze into the pipes. My current unit the owners manual says can blow out lines or pump antifreeze in the lines. Wondering if there are any pros or cons to either method and what everyone prefers? My preference would be to blow out the lines on this camper. Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[AH64ID]

I prefer to blow out the lines and do so on all of the campers I winterize.

I will suck a little RV anti-freeze into the pump if there is a provision for such, but some RV's don't have that so I just run the pump dry for 10-15 seconds.

My trailers have seen well below 0°F and it's never been an issue.

 

[Larry Willard]

I have done it both ways, but currently use antifreeze since I don't trust getting all the water blown out of the refrigerator including the icemaker.

 

[Road Dog]

I've done it both ways. My current Northern Lite camper is set up for using anti-freeze (low point drains, shutoffs, bypasses and an anti-freeze inlet. No anti-freeze goes in the fresh water tank. With previous campers and trailers I would have put anti-freeze in the fresh water tank and pump from there so I blew out the lines. I made up an adapter for my air compressor (you can buy them now) and a pressure regulator so I don't blow a pipe.

 

[bcbender]

I also have done both, but now I just open all the low point drains, go in side and open the farthest away fixtures (for me its the washer prep in the closet) and let vacuum suck the water out as I open other faucets / fixtures... I then close everything back and blow it out, then open low point drains again,.. been doing for a few years now w/o any trouble and it saves me pumping 4 gal of antifreeze in. I only ever have thought about the toilets, but I cycle them several times to get the water out best I can... dont forget to drain the water heater first and check the anode.

 

[jgillott]

I simply blow out the lines and add a little bit of antifreeze to the drains. Works well here in western PA.

 

[Jim W]

I winterize both ways blow out the water lines first and than fill with RV antifreeze. For about $12 in antifreeze cost it is worth this to me to go the one set extra.
I have done this on all of my trailers and i never had any issues.

 

[bigceltic]

I use the blow out method and then add antifreeze to the drains and the toilet - only use about a gallon or gallon and a half.

 

[mwilson]

My procedure.....

Open Low Point Drains, open faucets, drain water heater, drain fresh water tank.

Once drained I close the Low Point Drains, close faucets, turn Water Heater Bypass Valve on.

Leave Anode Rod / Drain out along with fresh water tank plug. Put both inside of water heater behind access door. Then they are right there come Spring Time.

Remove inbound water connection from water pump and attach antifreeze suction hose. Submerge line in antifreeze and kick the pump on. You will see about a third of the jug disappear before pump kicks out provided you have closed all faucets and bypassed the water heater. Start with the fixture closest to the pump, crack the cold until you see pink, then the hot until you see pink.
Work your way up or down depending on your layout. Don't forget the outside shower..
Watch the jug and change it before it goes dry and sucks air. Once all fixtures are done drain suction hose (I pick the end of the hose up and crack a nearby faucet and the pump will suck the hose dry, no mess), close faucet, shut pump off and then re-attach the coach water line back on the pump.
Combine remainder and hit the sink traps and toilet slide.

I can do the entire trailer including toilet and sink traps with two gallons of R/V Antifreeze. Once I figured it all out I quit blowing it with air.

 

[wyosteve]

Thanks guys. I don't have an ice maker so don't have to worry about that. The camper has been connected to city water only all season so should be a bit easier. I'm going to try the blow out method and if for some reason I'm not confident in getting all the water out, I'll do antifreeze as a backup. Thanks again!

 

[kthaxton]

I use antifreeze. I can't see all of my water lines and I am reasonably certain there are low spots that will retain water after blowing.

 

[AH64ID]

On of the main reasons I blow the lines out is it takes forever for the antifreeze taste to leave the lines. I can taste it for hundreds of gallons, so I only made that mistake a few times.

I use antifreeze. I can't see all of my water lines and I am reasonably certain there are low spots that will retain water after blowing.

It's not likely as the air pushes the water very effectively.

At the end of the day you don't have to remove all the water, just enough that if it freezes then it has a place to expand.

 

[SSage]

I blow mine out with air, one person goes inside and opens and close the faucets as I feed the air in, makes sure its all clear and just blowing air. My trailer has low point drains for everything under the water heater the shower and the sinks. i just blow one out at a time. Anti freeze goes in the traps/drains. I leave my valves open with a screened cover, drains unplugged if its a hard freeze. I don't want those plastic fittings cracked.

I use the RV in the winter sometimes, so I wouldn't try putting the pink crap in the water lines, too much flushing to get back on the road. The Gulf Coast has RV parks open all winter. Its only 367 miles to the Alabama coast and Panama City is a few miles closer, ain't bad places for a quick run down when its cold and dreary at home. It mostly just rains here in Alabama during the winter, no snow, just mud where I live.

 

[TMyers]

We use our camper some during the winter so I just blow it out and pour a little antifreeze in the traps and toilet. I have a Montana 5th Wheel and they did a good job with low point drains that gets most of it out. The key is to open all the valves before opening the low point drains. It pulls most of the water out as it drains. I pull the anode rod out of the water heater and pull the handheld hoses loose from the inside and outside showers.

I can do it all in about 10 minutes and cost about $2. Our local RV center offers a $149 "Special" to Winterize!

 

[kthaxton]

It's not likely as the air pushes the water very effectively.

At the end of the day you don't have to remove all the water, just enough that if it freezes then it has a place to expand.

When I blow it, I always hear gurgling in the line to the shower, it never seems to stop. I have assumed that in the vertical lines air eventually just blows past the water (which is clinging to the inner walls of the lines) and that water just flows back to the low spot to once again be moved up the vertical line and the process repeats.

The antifreeze is easy enough so I just do it and don't have to risk it. I've never tasted the antifreeze before.

 

[bcbender]

Well its probably a moot point about antifreeze taste anyway since when you do a proper fresh tank and line cleaning with bleach solution, it usually takes me a couple of rinsing cycles to get the bleach smell out so by then any residual antifreeze is gone... Here in NC stored inside my shop freezing is really a non issue.

 

[GAmes]

I too just blow the lines out because I use my 5er in the winter sometimes. I did learn during the TX freeze that I need to disconnect the water line at the pump and drain that water out manually.

 

[AH64ID]

Well its probably a moot point about antifreeze taste anyway since when you do a proper fresh tank and line cleaning with bleach solution, it usually takes me a couple of rinsing cycles to get the bleach smell out so by then any residual antifreeze is gone... Here in NC stored inside my shop freezing is really a non issue.

I've also never felt the need to sanitize the water tank with bleach. No issues with bleach smell when you don't use it

 

[Jim W]

I never use the fresh water tank at all the drain is open 100 % of the time. So, it is not winterized nor sanitized at all.

 

[AH64ID]

I never use the fresh water tank at all the drain is open 100 % of the time. So, it is not winterized nor sanitized at all.

We rarely, very rarely, use hookups so our fresh water tank gets used every time we camp.