winterizing

[dragonflyspit]

I'd been living in my rig, but I got a place, and I've had to leave my RV parked on a friend's property many miles away. I've never winterized before because I lived in it.
I don't have electricity out there, or air pumps, or anything to blow water out of lines, and I don't have access to special equipment, tools, etc. It's just me, a disabled person, by myself, trying to leave my RV in a state in which it'll survive the winter. It's only western Oregon, so it isn't terribly cold, but it can be. Last year we had a couple nights in the teens, and almost two weeks during which it never rose above freezing, but normally it wouldn't drop lower than mid-20s.

I'm going to run RV antifreeze through everything, but I have no way to get ALL the water out of the fresh water tank, hot water tank, or even out of the black and grey water tanks. I can't move it, and there's always a bit of liquid left in the storage tanks. I've read that you have to get every bit of water out of the system, then replace it with antifreeze, but that makes no sense to me. If you get all the water out, you wouldn't NEED antifreeze, so what do I really need to do? How much should I pour into the fresh tank, holding tanks, etc., and how can I be sure I get enough in into the hot water tank? I'm on a fixed income, but Walmart carries an antifreeze for potable water that's only about $3.50/ gallon.

[dragonflyspit]

Thank you, O-B! You're a life-saver! I couldn't have hope for clearer instructions or more help. I'll find a kit, and a valve or two, and I'll get down there in the next couple of days and get that old Beast winterized. Thanks so much for your help!

[Old-Biscuit]

Fresh water tank.......open drain valve and leave it open over winter. The few gallons will freeze but have room to expand inside tank

Black waste tank....can't dump....has some liquids in it....dump gallon of cheap anti-freeze down toilet. It will be diluted and probably will turn to slush over winter but it has room to expand inside tank.

Winterizing plumbing system.....
Don't want anti-freeze in fresh water tank cause it takes lots of flushing to get rid of it.
Don't want anti-freeze in water heater tank either

So 'winterizing kits' are available (install in suction line to fresh water pump, 3 way valve with a hose) turn valve 1/4 turn and it stops anything going down suction line into fresh water tank/opens valve to added hose......stick hose in bottle of anti-freeze. Turn on water pump to pump anti-freeze thru plumbing system--cold/hot water lines thru faucets/showers, toilet & low point drains.

Water heater bypass kits are also available so that water heater tank can be isolated and drained.
Cold inlet valve to WH tank closed.......Bypass valve Open (connects cold/hot lines on WH tank) and hot outlet closed (if you have a valve...otherwise the check valve in hot outlet is suppose to stop any backflow thru hot line into WH tank)


Winterizing kit.....





WH Tank Bypass.....
This is a 3 valve system


This is a 2 valve system ( Two 3 way valves....cold/bypass & hot/bypass)


This is a 2 valve system (cold inlet & Bypass---check valve in hot out)


This is 1 valve system (3 way cold/bypass with check valve in hot out)

[dragonflyspit]

Thanks O-B. I dumped the grey water on the ground, but I can't dump the black tank, and there's just a small amount in it - maybe a few gallons of very old water. Can I just dump some antifreeze in it? Should I use different antifreeze since it isn't potable water?

How do you get the antifreeze into the water lines? The fresh water tank is set so that it retains several gallons of water no matter what you do. The drain plug on it is an inch or more above the bottom of the tank (idiotic design). Do you pour X-number of gallons into the remaining fresh water, then pump it through? Do I have to disconnect the line from the fresh tank? It used to have a leak where it connected at the tank, and I believe the repairman glued it in order to stop it. Finally, I've been in that water compartment hundreds of times, and fixed leaks on the back of the water tank, but I've never seen a valve for the water heater. There's a valve to bypass the water pump, but none for the heater as far as I can tell. Is there another way to deal with it? If it's any help, it's a 1987 Fleetwood Bounded.

Thanks for your help.

[Old-Biscuit]

Waste tanks.....are you set up where you can dump them? If so dump/rinse then add some anti-freeze (mainly for dump line/valve protection)

Fresh water tank.......open drain and leave it open. No anti-freeze needed

Water heater......just remove drain plug and leave it out. No anti-freeze needed
(if you have electric element open AC circuit breaker until next time you refill)
Isolate & bypass water heater (valves on backside of water heater) no need to put anti-freeze in it when pumping thru cold/hot water lines.

Run anti-freeze thru toilet supply valve, faucets/showers (hot/cold) and low point drains.