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04-16-2014, 05:41 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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Our first trip
We're taking our first trip this coming weekend to a local state park for a shake-out run. My thought is to do the de-winterization at my house and let all of the antifreeze go into the grey and black tanks until I get to the campground. This way, I can look for any leaks in the pipes and resolve them before we leave home. Is that generally what people do?
Also, how cold does it need to be get before I have to worry about re-winterizing. The weather here in CO can be pretty crazy. My thought was to drain the water heater after every trip, but do I need to go through a full winterization until we're well beyond the chance of any freezing temps?
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-16-2014, 07:14 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Fraser Valley BC Canada
Posts: 7,015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BirchyBoy
My thought is to do the de-winterization at my house and let all of the antifreeze go into the grey and black tanks until I get to the campground. This way, I can look for any leaks in the pipes and resolve them before we leave home. Is that generally what people do?
. My thought was to drain the water heater after every trip, but do I need to go through a full winterization until we're well beyond the chance of any freezing temps?
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When you de-winterize, one of the first steps is to open the low-point drains which allows the RV antifreeze which is in the lines, to drain out onto the ground. These low point drains are located, as the name implies, at the bottom of or underneath the RV. I'm not sure how you plan on "letting all of the antifreeze go into the grey and black tanks". Your unit may have some other method or configuration of allowing the antifreeze to drain directly into the tanks but I can't see how this would be accomplished.
I would think that, by this time of year, it wouldn't be necessary to drain the HW tank and winterize each time but the weather has been so unpredictable to say the least. You know the weather in your area the best so it's hard to say whether or not you need to do this.
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2008 Cougar 5th Wheel 27RKS
2005 2500 GMC Duramax
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04-16-2014, 07:44 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Lindsay Ontario
Posts: 156
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If you are going to use the trailer after you have dumped the antifreeze and feel the temps are going below freezing, you can always blow the lines with air. Just make an adaptor with a garden hose male end on one end and a male end in the garden hose for the compressor. Doesnt take long to blow the lines. No fear of water trapped in the lines.
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04-16-2014, 07:45 PM
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#4
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Colorado
Posts: 16
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We also live in CO and the spring weather can be unpredictable. I was going to de-winterize yesterday, but it was supposed to get into the mid 20's, so I thought I would wait until tomorrow.
We are headed out for the maiden voyage tomorrow. Hoping for warmer weather and NO wind!
Not planning on re-winterizing unless we expect a really cold snap.
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04-16-2014, 07:52 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Festus2
When you de-winterize, one of the first steps is to open the low-point drains which allows the RV antifreeze which is in the lines, to drain out onto the ground. These low point drains are located, as the name implies, at the bottom of or underneath the RV. I'm not sure how you plan on "letting all of the antifreeze go into the grey and black tanks". Your unit may have some other method or configuration of allowing the antifreeze to drain directly into the tanks but I can't see how this would be accomplished.
I would think that, by this time of year, it wouldn't be necessary to drain the HW tank and winterize each time but the weather has been so unpredictable to say the least. You know the weather in your area the best so it's hard to say whether or not you need to do this.
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I didn't think the anti-freeze should be drained onto the ground even though it is "potable". That's why I asked about pushing all the anti-freeze that's in the lines into the gray and black tanks and then dumping them once I'm at the campground.
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-16-2014, 07:52 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobnLee
If you are going to use the trailer after you have dumped the antifreeze and feel the temps are going below freezing, you can always blow the lines with air. Just make an adaptor with a garden hose male end on one end and a male end in the garden hose for the compressor. Doesnt take long to blow the lines. No fear of water trapped in the lines.
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Thanks for the tip.
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-16-2014, 07:53 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donkey teeth
We also live in CO and the spring weather can be unpredictable. I was going to de-winterize yesterday, but it was supposed to get into the mid 20's, so I thought I would wait until tomorrow.
We are headed out for the maiden voyage tomorrow. Hoping for warmer weather and NO wind!
Not planning on re-winterizing unless we expect a really cold snap.
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The weekend looks good in the Denver area. We're heading to Cherry Creek. You?
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-17-2014, 05:23 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Central San Joaguin Valley, CA
Posts: 2,117
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BirchyBoy
I didn't think the anti-freeze should be drained onto the ground even though it is "potable". That's why I asked about pushing all the anti-freeze that's in the lines into the gray and black tanks and then dumping them once I'm at the campground.
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I don't think that potable RV anti-freeze would be harmful to the environment.
However, if you don't want to drain the low point drains onto the ground, just catch the antifreeze in a bucket. If you drain the anti-freeze into the CG sewer, it will still end up in the ground via the waste water discharge from whatever waste plant to which the CG is connected (or septic system). Just sayin'
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Jack & Marty
2018 Laredo 298 SRL
2011 F-250 SB Crew Cab 4x4 6.7L
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04-17-2014, 07:09 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Southwest Wyoming
Posts: 497
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Last year when we still owned our Rpod, we went on a camping trip at this time of year. We "lightly" re-winterized when we returned. When we went out the next time, we had a geyser in the bathroom. Toilet valve still had water in it and froze. Weather in our neck of the woods is too unpredictable at this time of the year. Just when you think it's spring, it's winter!
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2017 Jayco Melbourne 24k-Jeep Wrangler
2013 Bullet Premier 19FBPR-Dodge Durango V8 Hemi
2013 Rpod 177HRE-Jeep Liberty
2011 Aliner Sport-Jeep Cherokee
2008 Little Guy 5^Wide-Toyota Avalon
1980 Shasta 21-GMC Suburban
1981 Coleman Tent Camper-1981 Dodge Ramcharger
1978 VW Westfalia
Lots of tents
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04-17-2014, 07:14 AM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,846
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The low point drains are not a "closed loop system" back to a holding tank. Look at t them as another faucet in the hot and cold water lines. If there's no sink under them, nothing will flow into the holding tanks. RV antifreeze is not toxic and won't hurt the environment. The majority of the lines can be cleared of antifreeze through the faucets in the trailer and into the holding tanks. but the low point drains don't have a sink under them. If you're really concerned about dumping that small amount on the ground, then put a 5 gallon pail under the drains, then pour that into the holding tank. As jsmith948 said, when you dump your holding tanks at Cherry Creek on the way out, that waste water will eventually be leached out onto the ground to dry/evaporate and the antifreeze will be dispersed onto the ground through the waste water system.
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John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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04-17-2014, 07:32 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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I think I see what I was missing before. If I don't flush the AF out through the low point drains, it's going to stay in there because it won't have anywhere to go unlike the other lines.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-20-2014, 06:20 PM
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#12
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Colorado
Posts: 16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BirchyBoy
The weekend looks good in the Denver area. We're heading to Cherry Creek. You?
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We are in the SW corner! We just got back from our maiden voyage! Ended up going just over the New Mexico border. Great weather...a little wind, rain and lots of sunshine!!
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04-20-2014, 08:33 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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We had a great weekend in Cherry Creek state park. I thought we'd see a few other campers there; it was sold out!
Everything went great for our maiden voyage. Learned a few things about our camper and made a list of things we need to buy, with the first item being a better memory foam topper for the bed.
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-21-2014, 11:07 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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One of the routine items that got annoying was trying to stow the dinette table when it was removed from its spot. I held it up to a few spots, such as against the dinette bench by the entry door, in an attempt to see where I could add some tether straps to secure it. Before I do any drilling, I'm hoping I may have missed an obvious solution.
Is there a place it is supposed to go that isn't obvious? I put it on one of the lower bunks that isn't really ideal.
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-21-2014, 01:25 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Central San Joaguin Valley, CA
Posts: 2,117
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Our table has the two pedestal legs and we just leave in up position when traveling.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
__________________
Jack & Marty
2018 Laredo 298 SRL
2011 F-250 SB Crew Cab 4x4 6.7L
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04-21-2014, 01:30 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsmith948
Our table has the two pedestal legs and we just leave in up position when traveling.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
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Thanks. Ours has a single folding leg and attaches to the wall. I'm trying to find a good place to stow while we're camping and don't need it.
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-21-2014, 05:53 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,077
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Ours also has the 2 pedestal legs, we slide the table & legs under the couch. Will yours fit there?
Sent from my iPad
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Kristi & Jeff
2014 Cougar 313 rli
2013 F350 king ranch
2014 passport 2650bh (sold)
2009 GMC 2500HD 6.6L 4X4 (sold)
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04-21-2014, 08:26 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kristi
Ours also has the 2 pedestal legs, we slide the table & legs under the couch. Will yours fit there?
Sent from my iPad
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No couch
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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04-22-2014, 05:55 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,077
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BirchyBoy
No couch
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Sorry, I just looked at your floorplan, what about under the bed? or outside under the awning?
__________________
Kristi & Jeff
2014 Cougar 313 rli
2013 F350 king ranch
2014 passport 2650bh (sold)
2009 GMC 2500HD 6.6L 4X4 (sold)
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04-22-2014, 06:03 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kristi
Sorry, I just looked at your floorplan, what about under the bed? or outside under the awning?
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Outside would work but not under the bed. Thanks for the suggestions!
I was hopeful that Keystone had a built-in spot for it to be stowed and that someone else with the same unit would know where that was. I'll find a place for it to live soon.
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
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