Hi,Here is a good story for those who are new to Class A. I did my normal winterizing on my first winter. The spring time came and went out on a quick test trip.When I hooked up the city water, there was a leak in my bathroom. With a little research, I determined it was a small line leading to my toilet. The winter froze the line (and the fitting the connects to toilet).Long story short, don't forget to read all your manuals to see what devices have to be winterized. No one told me to winterize the toilet. All the winterize post have talked about blowing pipes and adding antifreeze, etc.The toilet needs to be winterized manually to be sure the line is free from water and the toilet flushed to be sure no water in the fitting).

Anything with water needs it. All cold/hot water lines, outdoor showers, outdoor kitchens, toilet, etc. You should also pour antifreeze in your traps.

When reading these types of threads I often wonder if a maintenance upgrade that includes extra insulation would make a difference?Having dealt with frozen pipes in multi dwellings it seems like a proactive stance. Be better if RV manufacturers did this but it is what it is.

NYCgrrl wrote:When reading these types of threads I often wonder if a maintenance upgrade that includes extra insulation would make a difference?Having dealt with frozen pipes in multi dwellings it seems like a proactive stance. Be better if RV manufacturers did this but it is what it is.If the RV is unheated for the winter and it's consistently below freezing outside, no practical amount of insulation will keep the interior above freezing. Houses freeze if left unheated, even very well insulated houses.

Consider this your winterizing baptism. If there is any water in your rig....it must be removed for winter and replaced by air or antifreeze. This means sinks, shower, taps, toilets, toilet wash wands, outside shower, and fridges with water lines or ice makers. I will also add that you need to winterize the fresh water fill line by removing the metal filter basket/washer and pressing the black or white plunger to allow the water out. I wont let a dealer touch my rig to winterize as its robbery as far as im concerned...but mess up winterizing only once and you will wish you paid their price!!Daryll

FLY 4 FUN wrote:Consider this your winterizing baptism. If there is any water in your rig....it must be removed for winter and replaced by air or antifreeze. This means sinks, shower, taps, toilets, toilet wash wands, outside shower, and fridges with water lines or ice makers. I will also add that you need to winterize the fresh water fill line by removing the metal filter basket/washer and pressing the black or white plunger to allow the water out. I wont let a dealer touch my rig to winterize as its robbery as far as im concerned...but mess up winterizing only once and you will wish you paid their price!!Daryll Also would add washer dryer faucets if equipped.

Water leak Frozen Toilet Line | Good Sam Community

27 Replies

wbwood
Explorer
Nov 26, 2015
Funny thing is that I was reading in the Class C section about people talking about low point drains. Some were saying that besides the spigot I have on the side of my motorhome to drain the fresh water tank, that there should be other drain tubes. When the dealer winterized my RV, they only mentioned the spigot on the side which they said to leave open and what I had done. So this year when I did it on my own, I did the same thing. Well the talk about the other drains got me second guessing. So when I got home from work yesterday, I climbed under the motorhome to confirm that there weren't any other drains. And there weren't. lol
Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Nov 23, 2015
Rookie mistake. I did the same thing years ago.
wbwood
Explorer
Nov 23, 2015
Just winterized our MH this weekend. Last couple of years I had CW do it. Bought the winterizing kit on amazon. Went to put it on the pump and there was already a winterizing attachment on it. I had to go to lowes to buy a 1.2" dual threaded male piece to connect the hose in my winterizing kit to. Emptied the tanks first. After turning the bypass valves on the hot water heater, I pulled the plug on the water heater outside and let it drain out. pumped the antifreeze through the lines. Did all the faucets, shower, outside shower and toilet. Also removed the mesh screen on the city water inlet and pushed the button to let some of the antifreeze out of it. For all the lines, it took about a gallon. Used another gallon and went back through the p-traps and the rest into the black tank. Very simple to do. The worse part was locating the right size bit for the screws to the panels. lol
JaxDad
Explorer III
Nov 20, 2015
Bobbo wrote:
Blowing out the lines is easier to not do properly.

.......

If you blow out the lines till no more water is seen coming out of the outlets, it is still possible for enough water to remain to collect in a low spot to do damage.

That statement says it all right there.

The method is not the issue, using that method improperly is the problem.

BTW, from a technical point of view, the last sentence is an impossibility if the task is done correctly, using a sufficient pressure and volume of air, and blowing the lines LONG ENOUGH.

I constantly see and hear of people using a little $79 compressor and just giving a short blast of air then wondering we they've had freeze damage.
NMDriver
Explorer
Nov 20, 2015
I blow out the lines, add pink, pump it to all outlets, then blow out and recover the pink. I can recover all the pink minus what is in the P traps and it is not diluted with water, at least so little water as to not matter.
Bobbo
Explorer III
Nov 16, 2015
When done properly, both methods are effective. Blowing out the lines is easier to not do properly.

If you see pink stuff coming out of each and every water outlet, and you fill the traps, it is done properly.

If you blow out the lines till no more water is seen coming out of the outlets, it is still possible for enough water to remain to collect in a low spot to do damage.
wbwood
Explorer
Nov 16, 2015
Our local Camping World will only guarantee a winterizing if they run antifreeze through the lines.

My brother in law had a toyhauler and he would only blow out the lines. He lives south of Atlanta. One spring, he turned on the water and had a leak. He said he was sure he had gotten all the water out, but apparently didn't. He didn't use antifreeze. Mistakes happen. Going overboard is better than having made a mistake.
youngone
Explorer
Nov 12, 2015
Tacswa3 wrote:
youngone wrote:
Don't forget the Black tank flush line!

Whats the best way to do this?

I have a hand pump I got from Campingworld store and it attaches to the Blank tank flush hook up and the other end go's in the anti freeze bottle. I also have the wife keep toilet flapper open so it lets the air pressure leave. It pumps easier that way.
Tacswa3
Explorer
Nov 11, 2015
youngone wrote:
Don't forget the Black tank flush line!

Whats the best way to do this?
bsinmich
Explorer
Nov 10, 2015
paulcardoza wrote:
The line to the ice maker! :S

bsinmich wrote:
Why all the concern about winterizing the ice maker. You need to drain the lines to it but think about what an ice maker does.

Did you read where I said you have to drain the lines to it? Pink stuff in an icemaker will ruin the coating that helps to remove the cubes.

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Water leak Frozen Toilet Line

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