Winterizing Woes - 29RLI 5th Wheel

[Landarts]

Purchased a 2022 29RLI 5thwheel about 6 weeks ago. Did a 16 day shake down over about 2100 miles. Back home and trying to get it ready to put to bed for the winter here in Idaho.

Drained the black and two grey tanks first and did a tank flush in each. Then emptied all fresh water left in the tank. Blew out all lines with compressed air. opened all low point vales and drained. Drained water heater and removed anode rod and flushed with wand. Flipped the heater by-pass switch and hooked up fitting to winterization port. Pump comes on but will not suck up any of the RV anti-freeze. The 5 gal bucket is sitting above the bottom of the trailer tunnel.

Here are the items I have tried with no luck yet:
-cracked open a faucet cold side while pump running
-had all faucets closed while pump running
-tried turning on and of the winterization port switch
-pulled brass fitting off and added an addition rubber washer
-also tried some persuasive curse words - no luck

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcomed. Tried calling Camping World where I bought the RV and they said they were too busy to look at it until about 4 weeks down the road. By then the damage will have already been done.

[Landarts]

Hope this will help someone along the way if they run into the same situation. Went back over to storage today after lunch and hooked up the clear hose to the winterize outlet and had brought a long narrow funnel that would fit into the end of the 1/2" tube. Held it up above the inlet port and poured the anti-freeze in, once it started to take it, I pulled the tube and stuck in a full bottle of anti-freeze. That did the trick to prime the pump. Four gallons later and about 10 minutes of time turning on off all faucets, shower inside and out, and toilet flushed. All good for the winter.

[notanlines]

And your black tank flush also?

[Landarts]

Originally Posted by notanlines

And your black tank flush also?

Yes I mentioned it in the first thread. "Drained the black and two grey tanks first and did a tank flush in each"

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Landarts

Yes I mentioned it in the first thread. "Drained the black and two grey tanks first and did a tank flush in each"

He meant the line you connect a hose to for flushing the black tank, the grey tanks do not have this feature.
Now that you've finished winterizing you can sit down & fill out the required signature with your rv & tow vehicle information.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Landarts

Yes I mentioned it in the first thread. "Drained the black and two grey tanks first and did a tank flush in each"

What I think he meant to ask (the way it was phrased) is "and did you winterize the black tank flush line too?"..... If not, you'll probably have a flooded vanity the first time you flush your black tank in the spring..... That fragile, too cheap for its own good plastic anti-siphon valve will do you no good once it's exposed to freezing temperatures without protection.

[bobbecky]

I have found that the easiest way to winterize, short of just going south to warmer climates, is just get a 12 volt transfer pump from Harbor Freight or Amazon and just pump the pink stuff into the plumbing system that way. It's quick and easy. I also winterize house and other buildings that way too, just use a 120 volt pump.
https://www.amazon.com/FPOWER-Transf...d670b6bc&psc=1

[Landarts]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

What I think he meant to ask (the way it was phrased) is "and did you winterize the black tank flush line too?"..... If not, you'll probably have a flooded vanity the first time you flush your black tank in the spring..... That fragile, too cheap for its own good plastic anti-siphon valve will do you no good once it's exposed to freezing temperatures without protection.

I used a small 5 gallon air tank at low pressure to force any water in valve into black tank. At the end of winterization process I had about 3 quarts of anti freeze left so I flushed it into the black tank and left some in toilet.

Sorry I misunderstood the question.

[dutchmensport]

Yours may have the same problem that most Montana's have. If you are attempting to pump the pink with your pink stuff bottle on the ground, it won't suck up the hose. The bottle has to be raised higher than where the hose connects in the convenience panel. There is a work-around, and that is to remove that little valve inside the connection where the hose screws onto. For some reason, that little check-valve spring loaded valve is just too strong to allow a suction when the source is below it. I've read where folks have removed it, and then it works fine from the ground. Me personally, I just lift the gallon of pink stuff higher than the hose connection level. I use a 4 foot step ladder and have someone hold the bottle. When it get's near empty, the weight of the hose will tip it over. So, have some hold the bottle while you go around and turn on and off faucets.

Another thing about winterizing ... I never blow the lines first, then do the pink stuff. Why? Because when you remove the water, you replace it with air. When you start pumping the pink, the system now has to re-pressurize. Re-pressurizing can be frustrating. I avoid blowing, since pink stuff is going in the lines anyway. But if I blow, I blow AFTER I pump the pink.

Next time I un-winterize, I don't pump from my fresh water tank, I'll go ahead and hook directly up to city water. The city water pressure will pressurize the water lines. After that, I run water in my camper ONLY from my fresh water tank.

So, the lack of having your lines NOT pressurized because of air, could also be another reason for the pump not sucking. But, I'd sooner believe ..... simply raise the gallon jug higher than the hose inlet.

[77shovelhead]

On my cougar the winterization port has a little valve in the center that has to be pushed in .I use hose screen filter that looks like a thimble put in the port to push in the valve then screw in small piece of hose with end in antifreeze bottle

[JAS]

When I winterize, I like you flush, drain, and blow out lines, one line that is often forgot is the toilet flush. (Son lost a toilet because of not flushing) as for RV antifreeze you only need a couple of tablespoons in each trap because with every line blown out you have left enough air for any residual water to expand so why put so much antifreeze in.

[MattE303]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

Yours may have the same problem that most Montana's have. If you are attempting to pump the pink with your pink stuff bottle on the ground, it won't suck up the hose. The bottle has to be raised higher than where the hose connects in the convenience panel. There is a work-around, and that is to remove that little valve inside the connection where the hose screws onto. For some reason, that little check-valve spring loaded valve is just too strong to allow a suction when the source is below it. I've read where folks have removed it, and then it works fine from the ground. Me personally, I just lift the gallon of pink stuff higher than the hose connection level. I use a 4 foot step ladder and have someone hold the bottle. When it get's near empty, the weight of the hose will tip it over. So, have some hold the bottle while you go around and turn on and off faucets.

I removed the screened washer, flipped it around and put it back in, so the convex side of the screen holds the spring-loaded check valve open. My winterization port wouldn't work at all until I did that. I also use a step ladder to get the bottle closer to the port, but in my case it's still a little below it... works fine with the check valve held open by the washer.