Trouble finding alcohol free RV antifreeze this season?

[StarkNaked]

Is everybody having trouble finding alcohol free RV antifreeze this season?

Walmart has always had it in past seasons. This year, three different brands, but all alcohol based.

Checked on line, Home Depot had it at a store 15 miles away (plus at other stores even further). Drive all the way there, but they can't find it. Now when I check again on line, they have zeroed out all inventory within 100 miles of my zip code.

Drive to the local hardware chain (since they don't do on line inventory) and they have several brands as well, but all alcohol based.

Try Autozone, same thing. Two different brands, but all alcohol based.

Is everybody having this problem?

[cummins2014]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

cummins2014 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I had my last Mobile Suites in single digits in SD for three days. The plastic manifold did crack but the Pex lines were just fine.

Point is blowing the lines with a bit of residue left won’t hurt a darn thing.

Only issue I have using air is the rusty water ,and what have you that can accumulate in a compressor tank, unless it's filtered . I see some nasty stuff coming out of a compressor tank when drained off , certainly wouldn't want that **** in my water lines .

Blow out the tank first if concerned. I think you just want to say something different just for kicks.

I don’t blow the lines ,,antifreeze is good enough for me . Just pointing out what comes thru those air hoses , if I did use air , yes I’d most certainly drain the tank , and clear the hose.

[Cummins12V98]

cummins2014 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I had my last Mobile Suites in single digits in SD for three days. The plastic manifold did crack but the Pex lines were just fine.

Point is blowing the lines with a bit of residue left won’t hurt a darn thing.

Only issue I have using air is the rusty water ,and what have you that can accumulate in a compressor tank, unless it's filtered . I see some nasty stuff coming out of a compressor tank when drained off , certainly wouldn't want that **** in my water lines .

Blow out the tank first if concerned. I think you just want to say something different just for kicks.

[cummins2014]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I had my last Mobile Suites in single digits in SD for three days. The plastic manifold did crack but the Pex lines were just fine.

Point is blowing the lines with a bit of residue left won’t hurt a darn thing.

Only issue I have using air is the rusty water ,and what have you that can accumulate in a compressor tank, unless it's filtered . I see some nasty stuff coming out of a compressor tank when drained off , certainly wouldn't want that **** in my water lines .

[TurnThePage]

My 2004 trailer gets the pink stuff (either variety) through all the lines and drains every winter. My black and gray still don't leak.

I always keep a couple gallons on hand so I don't have to worry if it's in stock when I need it. Never understood why so many others (that winterize) don't do that.

[StirCrazy]

TechWriter wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:
I just looked up the chemical compatability of Propylene glycol and rubber, it is listed as satasfactory. I have no issues using it im units, and neither do thougsands of rv dealers and service departments, its actualy recomended in my owners manual.

Chances are that those rubber seals are actually made of Santoprene. Alcohol has little effect on it.

no its pure rubber that the compatability chart is for, and you have to remember Propylene glycol is a modified alcohol so the properties arn't the same as ethanol alcohol which everyone seems to use when looking up compataibilities. now if the seals are made out of somthing different then thats even better. like I said my camper has had rv antifreeze in it every year since 1991 and seals are all still good.

Steve

[blt2ski]

AF at least locally in puget sound has been a PITA this fall. There was a 14-21 day stretch from late October to mid November where I work was out of AF, now there is plenty!
seems to be par for the course for many supplies this year! Cant get AGM batteries from our supplier at the moment either. Hopefully in the next week or two they will get some to us via local distributor. Been going on for 12 months or so due to lack of peeps in factory due to covid rules.
We had up thru about two weeks ago, only 100 55 gal drums for one of our customers that usually buy 150-200 drums per season.......

Marty

[Cummins12V98]

I had my last Mobile Suites in single digits in SD for three days. The plastic manifold did crack but the Pex lines were just fine.

Point is blowing the lines with a bit of residue left won’t hurt a darn thing.

[dieseltruckdriv]

CavemanCharlie wrote:


I do the basically same thing. I drain, flush with antifreeze, and then blow the antifreeze out with air. I've been doing this for over 10 years on this Travel Trailer with no problems.

Yep. If the last thing in the lines was antifreeze, it doesn't matter if there is an elbow that is a low spot, the antifreeze will not hurt it.

-30f is too cold to hope that the water left behind by only using air didn't end up in a low elbow. There might be no water left behind, but for what it costs and the time it takes to use the pink stuff compared to replacing broken plumbing it is very well worth using it.

[CavemanCharlie]

dieseltruckdriver wrote:
Now that I went down a rabbit whole, back to the original post.

I have also had problems finding the non alcohol pink stuff. But since I drain my water, flush with pink, then drain that, I am not very worried about it. It just gets too cold here to trust only air. With draining the lines after the pink flush I have no problems with flushing in the spring, since there was almost no antifreeze left in the lines. The feel good thing I get from it is if there was an elbow that was a low point I don't have to worry about it cracking at -30 f.

I do the basically same thing. I drain, flush with antifreeze, and then blow the antifreeze out with air. I've been doing this for over 10 years on this Travel Trailer with no problems.

[TechWriter]

StirCrazy wrote:
I just looked up the chemical compatability of Propylene glycol and rubber, it is listed as satasfactory. I have no issues using it im units, and neither do thougsands of rv dealers and service departments, its actualy recomended in my owners manual.

Chances are that those rubber seals are actually made of Santoprene. Alcohol has little effect on it.

[Cummins12V98]

Air is free beside the electricity to run my air compressor. Buy "ONE" gallon for the "P" traps. I never have or will put that stuff in my lines.

[fj12ryder]

Got all I needed for $2.50/gallon. Bout same price as usual.

[pbeverly]

Tractor Supply here in Columbia, SC has it for $3.99 a gallon. Don't know if it is alcohol free or not.

[Beverley_Ken]

I use whatever is on sale or easily available. This year (Covid) has made a big difference here. Only place I found , within reasonable distance was $10 a gallon. Only used a quarter of jug, rest was blown out with air. Prices on almost everything are up. Windshield washer fluid for the car is over $5 a gallon jug.

Ken