Winterizing

[mpeters1229]

I have a 2013 keystone springdale 282bhssr and I pull it with an 2009 F-150 Crew cab. My question is it difficult to winterize my travel trailer. I'm trying to avoid to he 140 bucks at the dealer. Where is the water pump..etc . Is there instructions i could print off? Any help would be appreciated.

Moderator's Note:
This post was moved from the New Member Check In since its focus is on winterization.

[buzzcop63]

keystonerv.com, Manual can be down loaded, gives directions, below are mine, needed parts can be purchased at Camping World or other RV dealer.

RV Anti-Freeze method, Winterize

1. Use about 3 gallons of RV approved, non-toxic, anti-freeze

2. Pump antifreeze into the Black tank flush system inlet with hand pump, buy at RV store.

3. Drain all tanks, fresh water and sewage, gray tanks.

4. Drain water heater. Check anode for condition. Open relief valve to let water flow faster.

5. Close the drains after all water has run out.

6. Turn water heater by-pass valve to the by-pass position. The by-pass valve is located behind the water heater, remove wood panel under kitchen sink and turn the valve to vertical position.

7. Install by-pass hose on the suction side of the water pump, toward kitchen, and pump directly from the anti-freeze container. Let run until pink comes out.

8. Turn on pump switch and open each one of the cold water faucet fixtures, including shower inside and out, same as above.

9. Do the same for the hot side of each faucet fixture, including shower inside and out.

10. Flush toilet until anti-freeze begins to flow into the bowl. And then pour one quart of anti-freeze down the toilet to winterize the Black tank. Leave a small amount of antifreeze in the toilet to cover the seals.

11. Pour about one quart of anti-freeze down each shower, lavatory sink drain, and kitchen sink to fill p-traps.

12. Remove and take home both batteries, keep charged.

13. Take out any batteries running in trailer, fire, clocks, lantern, etc.

14. Unplug TV

15. Unplug Micro range

[Festus2]

In addition to the steps outlined by buzzcop, I would also do the following:

1) Using the hand pump, put some pink stuff into the city water connection. This will allow antifreeze to get to the check valve.

2) Open low point drains to drain lines.

3) Water heater - be sure to turn off 110v electric switch. If you don't and the tank is empty, you can fry it if you inadvertently connect to shore power and forget to turn the HW electric switch off.

4) While your HW tank is drained, take a few minutes to flush it out. You can buy a special adapter to stick a wand-like fitting in there, make one yourself, or shoot some water in there under high pressure.

5) Toilet - spray some silicone on the sliding valve and open and close it a few times before you add some pink stuff to cover the valve.

6) If you have outside shower faucets, don't forget about opening those and let the pink stuff flow out of them.

If you Google "winterizing an RV" you will find loads of information about how to do this. You can also use the "air" method to winterize instead of using RV antifreeze or use a combination of both. Blow your lines out with air, then follow the steps in buzzcop's post.

Winterizing is not a difficult process and when you do it once successfully, it becomes easier each year.

[Randy_K]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZsh...eature=mh_lolz

Make sure you use your hand pump to pump some antifreeze into the black tank flush as it is not connected to the rest of your water system.

< edit > I just saw that was mentioned already , easy thing to forget.

[mpeters1229]

Thank you so much for the replies the only part i dont get is when u say black tank inlet....cant i just flush the toilet till pink comes out and dump more into the tank...thanks again for all the feedback..

[buzzcop63]

Black tank Flush inlet must pump in pink stuff, has a check valve to prevent anything from Black tank coming out. If you have Flush system it will be marked on side of trailer.

[TheSweetLife]

Originally Posted by mpeters1229

Where is the water pump..etc . Is there instructions i could print off? Any help would be appreciated.

Moderator's Note:
This post was moved from the New Member Check In since its focus is on winterization.

I have the same trailer. Water pump is located under the step in the master bedroom on the left side of the bed. There is a screw that can be removed on the second step which will open the access to your water pump.

[Gbarnes]

Let me throw out a related question. I frequently use my 282BHSSR in the winter so I don't want to go the full winterize/antifreeze route. In the past, (with an older model camper), I simply drained the camper from the low point drain underneath and opened up the hot water heater to drain as well. I never had any problems despite some temperatures in the teens. Does anyone have any thought as to whether or not that might be sufficient?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Gbarnes

Let me throw out a related question. I frequently use my 282BHSSR in the winter so I don't want to go the full winterize/antifreeze route. In the past, (with an older model camper), I simply drained the camper from the low point drain underneath and opened up the hot water heater to drain as well. I never had any problems despite some temperatures in the teens. Does anyone have any thought as to whether or not that might be sufficient?

If the low point drains do, in fact, drain all the water out of your RV then yes, that should be sufficient for the water lines. You still would have some water trapped past the shut off valves in the faucets, leave them open, don't forget the outside shower, and the toilet. If there is a "sag" in the water lines, the low point drain may not empty the entire fresh water system. Also, the black tank flush system, if you have one, is not connected to the water supply system and needs to be drained/purged to remove all water that may freeze in the lines. The antisiphon valve in the black tank flush is extremely subject to freeze damage.

With the one way valves on hot water heaters, you may not drain the HWH by simply opening a hot water faucet and the low point drain.

Don't forget the P traps and the toilet flush valve.

Any temperature below 32* for a sustained time has the potential to freeze (and damage) plumbing should water freeze in the line.

[Gbarnes]

Ah...I would have forgotten about the outside shower...thanks for that reminder. My previous camper had two low point drains...one hot, one cold. This one just has one. I'm hoping it is plumbed in such a way that the one drain will in fact drain both hot and cold.

[JRTJH]

I haven't seen any RV with only one low point drain. Is it possible that you actually have found the fresh water tank drain and mistaken it for a low point drain?

On most Keystone RV's, there's three drains under the RV. The fresh water tank drain is usually installed "through" the coroplast. The two low point drains are usually located just outside the frame rail and are tucked up really close to the RV subfloor. They are not usually installed through the coroplast and are often very difficult to see unless you get on your back under the RV and look up between the skirting and the frame rail.

You may want to double check and make sure you've actually found the low point drains, it sounds like you've maybe missed them ???

[Gbarnes]

Yes, it is very possible I just found the fresh water drain. That is why I was concerned when I only saw one drain. I definitely need to look closer. Are the two low point drains on a Keystone typically toward the rear?

[JRTJH]

The location depends on the floorplan as much as the "whim" of the installer. At least that's the way it seems. On our Springdale, they were at the front corner on the curb side, on our Cougar, they are on the rear corner curbside. On another Cougar we were looking at, they were midway, just forward of the wheelwells. So, on yours, anything's a "best guess" LOL

They are almost always outside the frame rails and do not extend through the coroplast, but that is also subject to change...

I'd look on the curb side, outside the frame rail for two tubes with caps to be protruding through a "hunk" of sprayed on foam.

[Laredo60]

On my Laredo 303tg the low point drains do stick threw the coroplast and are midway on the trailer.keystone has really made it easy to winterized now with the one valve to turn on the HW heater, and the tube all set up on the 12 volt pump to do the antifreeze. Do most of you on here leave your plug off the hot water heater after you have drained it? Hope to do one more dry camping trip over thanksgiving

[rschad]

I have never added antifreeze to the black tank flush and have not had a problem, and it gets to -40 or more here.

Maybe I have been lucky but what can I say.

[Buzzlink]

Fetus2 mentioned that the low point drains should be left opened when winterizing. I pumped the pink stuff thru the lines. Wouldn't opening the low points drain all that anti- freeze out? Would like a little clarification on this. Thanks.

[JRTJH]

Buzz, I leave the low point drains closed and use a compressor to blow out the lines, then I open the low points, blow the lines again and then close them to add antifreeze. If you leave them open, yes, the antifreeze will flow out the low points as you turn faucets off and on.

I do, however, leave the fresh water tank drain open all winter. I put a sandwich baggie on it with a zip tie, but leave it open so any water that might happen to still be in the tank can drain out rather than get trapped in the shut off valve and freeze/damage it.

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by Buzzlink

Fetus2 mentioned that the low point drains should be left opened when winterizing. I pumped the pink stuff thru the lines. Wouldn't opening the low points drain all that anti- freeze out? Would like a little clarification on this. Thanks.

Yes, Festus2 (as opposed to Fetus2 ) did say to open the low point drains. I did mean to say open them when draining the water from your lines but forgot to mention to close them again before pumping the pink stuff through the system.

Yes, if you don't close them, all of the pink stuff will drain back out. Mmmmmm, I think I may have forgotten this step before....... Sorry for the omission.

[Buzzlink]

...for the clarifications and additional suggestions. And sorry, Festus2, about the typo. Kinda made ya younger again

[macattack]

Keystone has an on-line video showing how to winterize your RV here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkiToSzzuII