Avoiding winterizing

[hedgehopper]

Last year (our first with our "new" camper) we winterized. That put a damper on our winter camping. So I would like to avoid winterizing this year. Any ideas on how to do that? How have YOU avoided winterizing?

[DWeikert]

hedgehopper wrote:

If I first drain the fresh water tank, given that this fitting attaches to my city water connection, will the compressed air blow out all my fresh water lines? Should I open all my fresh water outlets at once or one at a time?

I'll be honest and confess I don't trust this to blow out all the water. I can drain the FW tank and use this to blow the lines, but I'm still concerned about any water in the pump, the accumulator tank and the line between the accumulator and the first faucet, which it seems to me this would not blow out, so I always add a little antifreeze to the FW tank and run it through the pump, accumulator and first faucet, then dump some AF in each of the traps. I generally start with the valve closest to where I hookup the air, in my case the outside shower, then go inside and open the other valves, but I leave them open as I go so it probably doesn't matter. Keep blowing (at low pressure) until you're blowing air out of all faucets.

[DWeikert]

Theutzigs wrote:

DWeikert wrote:

realter wrote:
Someway to use air at the gas station?

This should work
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-36153-Brass-Blow-Plug/dp/B0006IX68O/ref=pd_sim_263_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41JjZ9...

The only issues with this one is that it does not have a quick connect for the air hose, so you need 2 people to winterize the trailer.

I needed mine in a hurry, so pieced it together at Home Depot, I made it with a quick connect so I could do it by myself.

As someone already posted the Camco Quick Connect one would be a lot easier..

Yeah, I posted a link to that one first. But realter asked of there was some way to do this at a gas station. Don't recall many air pumps at gas stations using a quick connect fitting on the air line.

Why would this require 2 people? Just open the faucets before applying air. But now that I think of it, you would need another person to verify the water has stopped flowing, so... never miind.

[pcoplin]

I just drained my system. I have a winterizing valve, and low drain points for the hot and cold. I didn;t pump antifreeze into it though like the manual says.

I can't stand the smell of RV antofreeze, anyone just leave the water in the P traps? If they freeze, they should just expand up the pipe yeah?

I may pour some salt water into it I guess...

[hedgehopper]

DWeikert wrote:

realter wrote:
Is there some special gadget to use air to blow out the lines?

Something like this-
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-36143-Brass-Quick-Connect/dp/B002XL2IEA

If I first drain the fresh water tank, given that this fitting attaches to my city water connection, will the compressed air blow out all my fresh water lines? Should I open all my fresh water outlets at once or one at a time?

[Theutzigs]

DWeikert wrote:

realter wrote:
Someway to use air at the gas station?

This should work
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-36153-Brass-Blow-Plug/dp/B0006IX68O/ref=pd_sim_263_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41JjZ9...

The only issues with this one is that it does not have a quick connect for the air hose, so you need 2 people to winterize the trailer.

I needed mine in a hurry, so pieced it together at Home Depot, I made it with a quick connect so I could do it by myself.

As someone already posted the Camco Quick Connect one would be a lot easier..

[JimBollman]

This will be our first Winter in our new location and the Winters have enough breaks we may take a Winter camping trip further South. Our slide in has a lot less to Winterize but my plans is use water jugs and a porta pottie and leave it Winterized accept for drain and grey water tank and that will be easy to re-winterize in minutes as needed.

[Paradox123]

I drain the hot water heater, blow out the water lines with compressed air, and I'm done. I go out several times in the winter. Also, I put RV antifreeze in the sink traps. I usually have to run a hair dryer to thaw out the pump in mid-winter and I put hot water in the fresh tank until water is flowing throughout the system. Winter is a great time to go out in the camper. Sometimes I'm the only camper in the state park I like.

[brholt]

Not normally as cold as Denver here in Seattle but we can have sub freezing periods. Like you we wanted to be able to just go and use all of the systems. We can plug into a 15 amp circuit so we use an oil filled heater running on medium (800 watts) and installed a digital thermostat that has a manual fan switch that lets us manually run the basement fan to keep the tanks warm. Has worked well.

[DWeikert]

realter wrote:
Someway to use air at the gas station?

This should work
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-36153-Brass-Blow-Plug/dp/B0006IX68O/ref=pd_sim_263_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41JjZ9...

[DWeikert]

realter wrote:
Is there some special gadget to use air to blow out the lines?

Something like this-
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-36143-Brass-Quick-Connect/dp/B002XL2IEA

Mine actually has about 6" of tubing between the hose fitting and air line quick connect, but I don't remember where I got it.

PS: I use this to blow the water out of my garden hose reel to winterize it also.

[Bedlam]

Realtor -

Camco and others make a fresh water to air valve adapter. Any compressor is sufficient to blow out lines, even the cheap battery operated ones. Keep the PSI bellow 50 so you do not damage a line or fitting when blowing out the system. I used a larger compressor at home with a regulator to avoid damage.

[kjenckes]

I just read on the TC Mag interview with Lance that you can use rock salt and not worry about winter camping. Anyone here try that?

[realter]

Someway to use air at the gas station?

[realter]

Is there some special gadget to use air to blow out the lines?