Winterization

Did my first ever winterizing today. Only problem I had was valves to the fresh water tank were way in the far side of compartment. Once I got them in the right position it was no problem. Used just a tad under 2 gallons. Poured leftover in shower drain, reset all valves, pulled plug on WH to make sure its empty, opened fresh water drain, put everything back together, took out battery, then went home. Took me about 1 hour by myself.

As the responder said. We don't have a home to do it at so our winterizing is done at a CG. Last thing is a trip to the dump, empty both tanks, then open the low point for the freshwater tank & let that drain as we drive to the storage site.

bartiee wrote:
I take my Cedar Creek 36re to the dealer. For $68.00 they winterize my rig. PEACE of MIND

vs my $6 or $8 if it is not on sale give me peace of mind and I don't have to yank it to a dealer. There is nothing to it and it takes me about 30 minutes because I am older than dirt and slow.

bartiee wrote:
I take my Cedar Creek 36re to the dealer. For $68.00 they winterize my rig. PEACE of MIND

I can do mine (start to finish) in the yard, in a lot less time than it takes me to hitch up, and get it half way to the closest dealer. Total cost about $10. Which is about $290 less than the total cost of fuel both ways, (four ways really, because you need to leave it) and dealer labor charge to do the job. And when I do it, I know it is done right. Not depending on some unknown dealer tech. That is MY peace of mind. And I save a bundle in the mean time. And with the time saved, there are plenty of other things I can be doing, instead of driving back and forth to the dealer.

I just switch the heater to bypass, then I switch the valve right before the pump to bypass and install the clear hose that came with the RV to the bypass valve at the pump. I put the hose into the pink stuff and flip the switch on in the camper. The pump will bring the water pressuer up and then the pump will cut off. I go to the sink the at the other end of the camper and open the cold water valve until it turns pink. Then I do the hot water vavle until it turns pink( it is not going thru the water heater). Then I go to the bath room and do the sink both hot and cold untill pink, then the tub/shower, and then the toliet. Takes just about 1 and 1/2 gallons and all of the pee traps are also treated. After I have finshed this Iturn the pump off and disconnect the clear hose at the pump, turn the valve back to flow and go under the camper and remove the drain plugs from all of the hoses. Then I remove the drain plug from the water heater. Takes about 15 mins to do. Cost about 4 bucks and done. No dealer can do any better than that!!!

We find it much easier to just take our rig to someplace warm, then stay with it so it doesn't get lonely. I know, a tough job, but somebodies got to do it.

pinkdogwood wrote:
Great advice but we can't find the pump. We can hear it, but it is certainly not easily accessible.

Follow the noise. Can't be that hard. Follow pipe from water tank.

I take my Cedar Creek 36re to the dealer. For $68.00 they winterize my rig. PEACE of MIND

schlep1967 wrote:

pinkdogwood wrote:
We are winterizing fifth wheel for the first time by ourselves. According to what we have researched, we blew out all the water with air compressor, emptied water heater, turned on the bypass valve to the water heater. We put six gallons of RV antifreeze in the fresh water tank and turned on the water pump. There is still no antifreeze coming out of the faucets. Any advice?

First make sure you closed the low point drains. If not you pumped all the antifreeze out on the ground. Next check the water heater. Just to make sure the antifreeze didn't go in there. You said you turned the bypass valve but it is possible there is more than one valve or if it is a single valve system that the check valve is bad. Next would be to check for other valves. I have one that allows a circular flow back to the tank. The pump will run all day just pumping water from the tank through the lines and back to the tank. And as many have said, find your pump and install a winterizing kit. It will make the process easier and you will use a lot less antifreeze.

Been there done that, just did it again for the third time, always forget something on each fifth wheel I have owned.:S

pinkdogwood wrote:
We are winterizing fifth wheel for the first time by ourselves. According to what we have researched, we blew out all the water with air compressor, emptied water heater, turned on the bypass valve to the water heater. We put six gallons of RV antifreeze in the fresh water tank and turned on the water pump. There is still no antifreeze coming out of the faucets. Any advice?

First make sure you closed the low point drains. If not you pumped all the antifreeze out on the ground. Next check the water heater. Just to make sure the antifreeze didn't go in there. You said you turned the bypass valve but it is possible there is more than one valve or if it is a single valve system that the check valve is bad. Next would be to check for other valves. I have one that allows a circular flow back to the tank. The pump will run all day just pumping water from the tank through the lines and back to the tank. And as many have said, find your pump and install a winterizing kit. It will make the process easier and you will use a lot less antifreeze.