It is way early in the season (even up here in the NorthEast), but I'm trying to head off a disaster later on...We (DW and myself) are planning on taking a late November trip down south (Florida? Georgia?). It'll be after the seasonal campground we're staying at completed their "winterization services" for those who choose to participate. Which means that when we come home, I'm going to have to get ready for The Big Freeze which comes later in the season.I've read that there are two ways to prep for winter. First is to replace water with anti-freeze. Call this the "wet" method. You get a gizmo to allow the water pump to suck anti-freeze from the jugs, etc etc etc... There's also a gizmo out there to connect "city water" to an air compressor. So basically, one by one, you open each water faucet and blow the water out under air pressure. And no need to dump in anti-freeze with this method (from what I have read).So, what's the collective wisdom? Get the gizmo for wet prep, or get the gizmo for the dry prep?Thanks in advance for the guidance!j

J,No "wisdom", just what I do. As I frequently camp (and then return home) in sub-freezing temps though out the winter, I use the "dry method".Drain everything, blow air through the lines, and dump a little anti-freeze in the sink and tub traps.No "fancy" fitting, just a device that allows my air hose to connect to the pressurized water inlet which I suspect you can get it at RV stores.Takes about a hour which includes dumping the tanks (as long as the dump valves aren't frozen....)I suspect you will find many others who prefer the "wet method". Safe travels,Steve

I do both. Drain water heater, holding tanks, and open low point drains. Then cap the low point drains fire up the compressor and blow out the lines and then pump the pink stuff through the lines and add some to the drains. Don't forget to flush the toilet until it runs bright pink. Two gallons of the pink stuff is all that is needed.

Since I winterize on the road if temp is below 10 degrees I just blow out lines. I can also de-winterize any place any where quickly. I may winterize & de-wnterize several times in a season so only use the pink stuff in drains. It is just a matter of choice. Both work & owners manual includes both methods. That pink stuff does freeze into a yukky jelly. Getting it all out of the lines in colder wx can be a problem.

Blowing out the lines (dry method) works well as LONG as you're very meticulous in the job you do. Any remaining water left at a critical place CAN cause you some repairs (water left in the water pump, check valves or faucet valves in particular). The "wet method" is much more fool proof and doesn't take much skill to do it right. It is also a faster method but the cost is a little higher (the cost of the antifreeze).Good luck / Skip

I vote antifreeze. Once antifreeze has been run into all of the lines you are guaranteed safe. Blowing out the lines MAY get out almost all of the water, but if enough remains and collects in one spot, you still may get damage. The way I see it is guaranteed safe or probably safe. Your rig, your choice.

Winterization: wet or dry? | Good Sam Community

robbins1
Explorer
Jun 20, 2013
For $50.00 I get the RV place to do it all. One hour, guaranteed results, and I read the newspaper.
Dakzuki
Explorer
Jun 20, 2013
Wishbone51 wrote:
NanciL wrote:
I am not sure how a person does the traps with the compressor method, but with the wet method they automatically get done, and it also puts some in the black and gray tanks

Even with the 'dry' method, a splash of anti-freeze is still required in the traps.

Correct. The anti freeze also helps keep them from drying out so you don's get tank stink in the RV.
Dakzuki
Explorer
Jun 20, 2013
SteveAE wrote:
J,

No "wisdom", just what I do.
As I frequently camp (and then return home) in sub-freezing temps though out the winter, I use the "dry method".
Drain everything, blow air through the lines, and dump a little anti-freeze in the sink and tub traps.
No "fancy" fitting, just a device that allows my air hose to connect to the pressurized water inlet which I suspect you can get it at RV stores.
Takes about a hour which includes dumping the tanks (as long as the dump valves aren't frozen....)

I suspect you will find many others who prefer the "wet method".

Safe travels,
Steve

Me too. We use the RV in the winter so if we break it out for use it's way easier to just load water rather than flushing a bunch of anti freeze out of the system.
wbwood
Explorer
Jun 20, 2013
Bobbo wrote:
mowermech wrote:
For my first motorhome many years ago, I dumped 6 gallons of anti-freeze into the fresh water tank, then ran it through the system. I learned to NEVER do that again!

That is why they make the kit to have the pump suck the pink stuff out of the original bottles. You don't have to put it into the fresh water tank.

Works ok if your pump is easily accessable...our TT wasn't. Did it that way the first year and then I read the manual that said to dump it in the FW tank and go that way. Way easier for us.

But even that way, if you are worried about pink stuff in the lines, it will be there. You can drain it out of the FW tank.
Bobbo
Explorer II
Jun 19, 2013
mowermech wrote:
For my first motorhome many years ago, I dumped 6 gallons of anti-freeze into the fresh water tank, then ran it through the system. I learned to NEVER do that again!

That is why they make the kit to have the pump suck the pink stuff out of the original bottles. You don't have to put it into the fresh water tank.
Shot-N-Az
Explorer
Jun 19, 2013

To those who think that pink juice is best in the fresh water lines, I tell them to take a cup full of it and place it in their freezer at home and watch what happens over the next few days.

Better yet, take two glass bottles, fill one with pink and the other with water. Cap them off, and then set them both in the freezer overnight. See what you have in the morning.
wbwood
Explorer
Jun 19, 2013
mlts22 wrote:
Dumping antifreeze in the FW tank means it remains there virtually forever, as it takes a ton of flushes to get that stuff out.

We've done it that for several years with no residuals at all. We flush it a couple of times and its gone.
Mocoondo
Explorer II
Jun 19, 2013
WyoTraveler wrote:

There are Rvers still out there that don't think that pink stuff freezes. It just doesn't freeze hard enough to damage lines. Unless it gets diluted in the lines. Plus winterizing and de-winterizing 5 or 6 times a year and getting the pink stuff out at 30 or 35 degrees is almost impossible.

Oh, I know only too well.

To those who think that pink juice is best in the fresh water lines, I tell them to take a cup full of it and place it in their freezer at home and watch what happens over the next few days. Household freezers typically don't get as cold as it can outside in the dead of winter, yet you can still turn a glass of pink juice into ice. No thanks. Not for my water lines.

On the other hand, there is anti-freeze that boaters commonly use which has protection down to -150. Even though I wouldn't personally put that in my water lines, that would be a much better option than the el cheapo -50 stuff they sell as RV anti-freeze. If the -50 stuff gets even slightly diluted with latent water remaining in the lines, it's level of protection is drastically reduced.
mlts22
Explorer
Jun 19, 2013
Dumping antifreeze in the FW tank means it remains there virtually forever, as it takes a ton of flushes to get that stuff out.
wbwood
Explorer
Jun 19, 2013
mowermech wrote:
I learned to NEVER do that again!

Why?

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