Winnebago Motoraid

[Mile_High]

My hot water tank has the Winnebago Motoraid that uses the engine cooling system to heat the hot water tank going down the road. Works great, but I've always drained the HW tank on my prior units between vacations. Is there any issue running the coach with an empty hot water tank?

[Goldencrazy]

You'll only be stale if the shower is too short. Funny.

[Mile_High]

Goldencrazy wrote:
Take a shower and stale will be gone.

But then I'll be stale! 🙂

[Goldencrazy]

Take a shower and stale will be gone.

[Mile_High]

Thanks for all the responses. I understand it better now. I should have figured it would be able to run empty as someone said, thats how it rolled out of the factory.

As far as draining every use, just a habit I guess. I was always worried about stale water. I may have to get past it now, as the HW drain is up above my head now and between the motoraid and the use with electric/gas, I don't think there will be a time its not hot! 🙂

I noticed the fridge has a water tank for cooled water, so maybe stale water isn't as big a deal as I make it out to be.

[Goldencrazy]

U have had motor aid for a long time. Always start with empty tank in winter and fill when I get to warmer weather about 800 miles or so. Never a problem. Sure is a nice feature once I get motorhome dewinterized.

[10forty2]

Trackrig wrote:
.....To me, the larger question is why do you empty it if you're not winterizing it? ......

From my perspective, I drain my hot water tank after each trip because after leaving it in when I first started RV'ing, I found that it tends to become stinky between trips if I don't go every weekend and keep it flushed....that rotten egg smell. I've cleaned the anode rod, and it probably was the culprit, but opening the drain at the end of a trip isn't very hard and it takes little to no effort to reinstall the plug before heading out. It's on my mental checklist now, so I guess I'll stick with it.

[Gjac]

I think this system in a gas MH acts like a separate heat exchanger that not only heats your water but provides some additional engine cooling for hill climbing. I would use it especially in the summer out west.

[crasster]

You never want to turn on the tank empty. You can drive all day with it empty so long as it is not on. There are elements that burn up in them if they are empty.

[rr2254545]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
'Adam Ant'

Motoraid is just a U shaped tube welded to backside of WH Tank.

MHs leave factory w/o water

1000s of Snowbirds with MHs drive 1000s of miles


NO it will not hurt water heater
You've been doing it for 3 yrs :B

What he said - I have been doing it for 7 years

[afrescopXx]

Only time I drain ours is when I flush out the lime or other particles accumulating in the tank. Tank is aluminum and has no anode on the drain plug.

[J-Rooster]

I have motoraid on my Winnebago and I never drain it! No point in draining it to me!

[Old-Biscuit]

'Adam Ant'

Motoraid is just a U shaped tube welded to backside of WH Tank.

MHs leave factory w/o water

1000s of Snowbirds with MHs drive 1000s of miles


NO it will not hurt water heater
You've been doing it for 3 yrs :B

[Trackrig]

Yes, you can run down the road with the HW tank empty, just don't forget to fill it before you turn it on.

To me, the larger question is why do you empty it if you're not winterizing it? This last winter, due to winterizing, was the first time our HW tank has been empty since the last time we winterized it three years ago.

Actually the orange Nodwell pictured below in my signature has a 50 gal motoraid HW tank I made myself. Sometimes I run it full of water and other times I don't. Never any damage to it.

Bill