|
12-07-2017, 08:16 PM
|
#1
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Talladega
Posts: 48
|
Winterize or not
We are planning on using our trailer at least one week a month throughout the winter. The question I have is what should I do to protect the plumbing for the other 3 weeks of the month during the winter. Is draining the water lines enough? Should I use a small electric heater in the camper when the nights are below freezing? I usually keep it plugged into the 110 volts at home so adding a small heater is no problem. Going through the whole winterization process seems like a lot of trouble when it is not going to be stored for the winter. Any suggestions?
|
|
|
12-07-2017, 09:51 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,224
|
How often do you see freezing temperatures in Talladega?
We would blow the lines and put pink stuff in the P traps only if the temps were going below 28 if day time was near 50. If daytime was colder then we would blow if getting to 32. If I traveled for work more than four days, I would check the forecast and if at all cold would blow and do the pink.
__________________
Russ & Paula and Belle the Beagle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 DRW 14,000# GVWR (New TV)
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS 32’ GVWR 12,360
Visit and enjoy Oregon State Parks
|
|
|
12-08-2017, 05:10 AM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Near Saratoga Springs,
Posts: 1,131
|
Even Alabama can get pretty chilly. A day or two when it drops to high twentys then goes into the 40s may not hurt anything. If it goes into the 20s overnight and never gets warm during the day - you may be in trouble. Myself, would probably not but have a couple gallons of pink stuff just in case the weather man predicts cold. If you look at today's weather, you will see that even San Antonio, TX area got measurable snow yesterday while we in Upstate NY haven't seen any this year. Our GD loved the Texas snow
|
|
|
12-09-2017, 05:28 AM
|
#4
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Cabot Arkansas
Posts: 23
|
Blow it out with air each time you come back from camping and put a shot of pink in the ptraps. you are probably looking at a total of an extra 30 minutes of prep time and don't have to lay awake at night worrying.
|
|
|
12-09-2017, 05:57 AM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Waco, Tx
Posts: 5,457
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by spdracr39
Blow it out with air each time you come back from camping and put a shot of pink in the ptraps. you are probably looking at a total of an extra 30 minutes of prep time and don't have to lay awake at night worrying.
|
That's been my practice for many years...
__________________
2015 Ford F350 DRW 6.7 Diesel XL
2020 Avalanche 313 RS
|
|
|
12-09-2017, 07:20 AM
|
#6
|
Site Team | Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
|
Blow out the lines. Don't forget any outside faucets or your toilet valve. Don't ask me how I know. Partially drain York HW tank to leave room for expansion. You'll be good to go.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
__________________
Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
|
|
|
12-09-2017, 02:21 PM
|
#7
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Talladega
Posts: 48
|
Update...Since we do not have that many nights with temps in the 20's, I decided to just heat the camper on those nights, at least temporarily. As it turned out last night that was a good decision. 8 inches of snow, and when we lost electricity at the house, we just moved into the camper for the night. Worked out great this time.
|
|
|
12-23-2017, 06:14 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Sammamish
Posts: 256
|
I winterized in November, since it was the first winter for our new trailer, I wasn’t going to take any chances. I recently put a remote wireless transmitting
thermometer in it, so I can monitor the interior temperature from inside the house. This morning is our coldest so far, 24F outside, and in the trailer it’s 29.
Normally we can get down to about 10F so I’m glad I did the air blowing out the lines and added antifreeze. Apparently the “freezproof insulation” is an exaggeration.
__________________
2017 Springdale 202QBWE, 2017 F150 XLT 5.0
|
|
|
12-23-2017, 05:02 PM
|
#9
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Talladega
Posts: 48
|
Latest update...Decided to blow out the lines and put pink stuff in the traps. Drained the hot water tank and the fresh water tank. In all it only took 20 minutes or less. After the snow melted temps climbed to 60 but expecting mid 20's tonight. Decided to do this so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I had no idea it was so easy.
|
|
|
12-23-2017, 05:25 PM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Sammamish
Posts: 256
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmlocklin
Latest update...Decided to blow out the lines and put pink stuff in the traps. Drained the hot water tank and the fresh water tank. In all it only took 20 minutes or less. After the snow melted temps climbed to 60 but expecting mid 20's tonight. Decided to do this so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I had no idea it was so easy.
|
Your water heater must be easier to drain than ours, it took that long just to get the plug out. It’s plastic, and hard to reach, had to remove some metal shields to get vice grips in there. It’s 23 now, 30 inside the trailer, and snow expected in the morning for a white Christmas Eve.
__________________
2017 Springdale 202QBWE, 2017 F150 XLT 5.0
|
|
|
12-23-2017, 05:49 PM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,224
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmlocklin
Latest update...Decided to blow out the lines and put pink stuff in the traps. Drained the hot water tank and the fresh water tank. In all it only took 20 minutes or less. After the snow melted temps climbed to 60 but expecting mid 20's tonight. Decided to do this so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I had no idea it was so easy.
|
Sounds like I would do sometimes several times over the winter. We camped at SP that didn’t have FHU so flushing pink stuff out of the water lines was not easy!
__________________
Russ & Paula and Belle the Beagle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 DRW 14,000# GVWR (New TV)
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS 32’ GVWR 12,360
Visit and enjoy Oregon State Parks
|
|
|
12-23-2017, 05:58 PM
|
#12
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Talladega
Posts: 48
|
It was easy to drain. Of course I had to buy a socket wrench set in order to get a socket big enough to fit the plug. I now have lots of sockets that I will never use and spent about $60 for them, just to get the one I needed. Throw in the time I spent going to different stores hunting the sockets...but that's just my luck.
|
|
|
12-24-2017, 04:49 AM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Near Saratoga Springs,
Posts: 1,131
|
For those with a plastic plug, there is a steel replacement available with a petcoock. Just make sure you put some thread sealer on it if you want to get it out easily. Oh and that socket size - it's usually a 15/16" which is not included in most common 3/8" drive sets.
|
|
|
12-24-2017, 06:59 AM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Picacho, Az
Posts: 6,809
|
For those that just need the 15/16" socket you can buy individual sockets at most automotive or hardware stores.
Also if you own a rv at some point you will most likely need/use all those sockets along with lots of other tools.
__________________
Full-timed 10+ years
Sold '13 Redwood FB
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Replacement undetermined
|
|
|
12-24-2017, 04:14 PM
|
#15
|
Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Rainbow City, AL
Posts: 51
|
I have a couger 34 foot. If heated inside is it ok to lower 20's? Or should it be winterized? It is a live in situation. Forcast 25 tonight in sunny Alabama
|
|
|
12-24-2017, 04:21 PM
|
#16
|
Site Team | Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldmanbill
I have a couger 34 foot. If heated inside is it ok to lower 20's? Or should it be winterized? It is a live in situation. Forcast 25 tonight in sunny Alabama
|
Fill your fresh water tank for water and disconnect your hose. Valves may be stuck in the morning but will thaw. If stuck, don't force them or you could mess up the seals.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
__________________
Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
|
|
|
12-24-2017, 04:36 PM
|
#17
|
Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Rainbow City, AL
Posts: 51
|
Thanks so much for that. Been living in a Dutchman and never drained or winterized, just disconnect water. Just got this one though.
|
|
|
12-25-2017, 03:29 PM
|
#18
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Talladega
Posts: 48
|
The socket that I needed was 1 and 1/16 inches. I could not buy just the socket because they were out of that size so I was stuck with buying a whole set of larger sockets or ordering one and wait for it to come. Since I thought it needed to be done I choose to buy the set. Just typical luck in this town.
|
|
|
12-25-2017, 03:31 PM
|
#19
|
Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,353
|
Your local AP store (AutoZone) didn’t have it?
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
|
|
|
12-25-2017, 04:51 PM
|
#20
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Talladega
Posts: 48
|
Well, I did not check there. I had no idea of the size, except the 1 inch was too small, so went to the hardware store instead. Never thought about the auto store.
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|