RV Antifreeze
I just came from an RV repair place and the owner warned me not to use RV antifreeze containing alcohol because it deteriorates the rubber seals. He then went into a sales pitch for his own rv antifr...
Forum Discussion
mobeewan wrote:
My two cents worth here. Regardless of what the label says the alcohol-based is toxic. Look up wood alcohol and Gilly juice causing blindness. That said, the amount that is in the antifreeze is small and you will be flushing the system out anyway so it doesn't really matter about the toxicity unless you drink it.
The alcohol used in RV antifreeze is ethanol (grain alcohol), not methanol (wood alcohol). Ethanol is what Vodka is made out of; it indeed is toxic in sufficient quantities, as deaths from drinking excessively prove, but in moderate quantities it's pretty safe, certainly so in whatever residual amount would be left after dewinterizing. Of course drinking the RV antifreeze straight up is not a good idea for many reasons.
Methanol is used as an antifreeze agent in other products, such as winter blend windshield washer fluid, and is indeed pretty toxic stuff if it gets into your body; it doesn't take a whole lot to do significant harm.
