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sac89's avatar
sac89
Explorer
Aug 24, 2017

Winterizing with Air this time

As the summer is winding down and students are going back to school in a few weeks, I am thinking about trying a new process for winterizing my trailer. I have been using the Antifreeze in the pipes technique the past several years, however, we get warm snaps in the fall after the camper is buckled up.

This year I would like to try blowing out the lines with compressed air, so I can pull the trailer out on the occasional warm weekend. I do not know how to do this, so any advice as far as what kind of air compressor and instructions would be great.

Thanks!

24 Replies

  • I dislike the smell and taste of the pink stuff so have been using air for better than 20 years. I use the same method as the previous poster, but also use air to blow the traps out. I use my shop vac to blow my traps and leave the tank drain valves open all winter. I have quick connects on my 12V water pump and disconnect the discharge side, put a towel under it and run the pump for about a minute to get any residual water out of the pump. It doesn't hurt the pump to run dry for a short period of time. I rehook everything up so it's good to go in the spring. Haven't bought pink stuff in many many years.

    PS:
    Remember to do your black tank flush and outside shower if you have one. I leave all faucets cracked open all winter and leave my low point drains open.
  • I have done this for years. You will need a compressor that can be set to 45 psi or less and an adapter for hooking it up to the park water connection. Drain hot water tank. I start with opening all low point drains and all faucets. Be sure to cycle toilet valve. Next close all valves and apply air. Now cycle all valves one at a time till you get only air from each one. It takes about 30 min to go through them several times. Disconnect air and open all valves. Put pink stuff in all drains and a genarous amount in black tank.
  • I agree, too early to winterize. I don't do it until late Oct. or even in Nov. even if it got down to 30 its not a hard enough freeze to do any damage.

    Use the pink stuff when you are all done.
  • sac89 wrote:
    ... however, we get warm snaps in the fall after the camper is buckled up.

    This year I would like to try blowing out the lines with compressed air, so I can pull the trailer out on the occasional warm weekend.


    Why bother - until you're experiencing temps well below freezing that consistently remain at that level there's little point in winterizing at all. I'm much further north than you are, in S Ontario, and I never winterize before Nov - lots of camping between now & then! :B