Dewinterization

[bchecker]

Finally got around to my first dewinterization. Went ahead and sanitized the fresh water system and let it sit overnight. Is it wrong to leave the bleach water in the fresh water system until next camping trip? I did drain and flush the hot water tank separately. I keep my trailer in a barn and I was surprised of how much recaulking I had to do on the roof, glad I took the time to climb up there.

[Dragonfly]

bchecker wrote:
Side note: How do you remove the darn chrome lug nut covers? I have tried every tool I own. Can you just torque over the top to check specs? When I pull rim for new tires and bearing repack I will get a set of solid lugs.

After being assured by the dealer that my Airstream lug nuts didn't have a cap, I found a socket that fit "perfectly" and proceeded to rip off the "permanently" attached cap, revealing the nut underneath. Apparently, the "perfect" fitting socket didn't make it all the way to the base of the nut in the deep aluminum wheels. I went looking for a "thin walled" socket with no luck. Before I ordered one on line, I did find a 19 mm that fit but only the 12 sided socket. The 6 was too fat to bottom out. I found a fit by trail and error. One other tip is to visit custom wheel shops and get a socket designed for deep seated lug nuts. I know they exist but didn't run across one, even in the "serious" auto parts stores.

PS: The nut with the cap ripped off was 1mm smaller than the 19mm socket. The auto shop loaned me an 18mm to get it off then, I replaced it with a new lug nut.

[Majja13]

I usually leave mine overnight and flush. For flushing I usually hook up to the city water input and my tap at home. I open my outside drain valve to drain he fresh water tank. I rinse the tank a couple of times so there is no bleach smell. Has a side note don't forget to drain the grey tank. I forgot this year and was wondering why it filled in one day.

[lanerd]

I think most "experts" recommend only leaving the bleach solution in the tank (and lines) for 4 hours. I don't think I would leave it overnight and definitely not for days.

After draining the solution and running one load of fresh water through the system, I will make up a gallon of water and a small box of baking soda and pour into the tank and run through the system. It removes all chlorine tastes and smell.

Then I install all new filters (water inlet and refrigerator).

Ron

[mikeflys]

We are water snobs I guess. I do sanitize my system occasionally. But we never drink the water straight from our tap. To many places we travel have just plain nasty tasting water. We either take a good filter or just buy bottled water to drink. We got in this habbit years ago when on a trip to the in laws they had a boil order for the towns drinking water.

[bchecker]

Sounds good, I let it sit overnight and I will flush and drain this morning. Have to get ready our first pull is to Texas! I know wrong way this time of year but we are moving there this June. Need to get out of these WI winters and 6 month camping season. Summer and fall are amazing and great State Park system but season is just too short!

[Roman_Duck]

The best way to sanitize the fresh water tank is; Drain tank off, refill to 1/3 full. Add approx. 1/4 cup of bleach to 100 gallon capacity tank. Fill tank to 3/4 full. Turn on water pump and all faucets. Pump until empty, refill tank to 1/2 full and repeat pumping through faucets until there is no trace odor in water coming out of faucets(you might need to refill again and re-pump). Refill tank to 1/2 full add water freshener and fill to full. The water will be good to use until replenishment time.
We do this each spring and never drain the tank. Although we average over 60 days a season, the water never stays in the tank very long.

[Community Alumni]

bchecker wrote:
Side note: How do you remove the darn chrome lug nut covers? I have tried every tool I own. Can you just torque over the top to check specs? When I pull rim for new tires and bearing repack I will get a set of solid lugs.

Are you sure they are covers or caps? Mine are an integrated part of the lug nuts themselves. On my previous trailer the caps were just rubber covers that I pulled off with pliers.

On the sanitizing, I would dump the fresh system including the tank if you sanitized it then fill and flush everything with fresh water. I would not leave bleach in the tank or plumbing.

[donandmax]

gbopp wrote:
I wouldn't leave the bleach in the system until the next trip.

Rinse it out and sanitize again before your next trip if you feel it is necessary.

Similar Post

We have never "sanitized" a tank in 25 yrs of rving and we never got sick or died from not doing so. We flush and go..

[gbopp]

I wouldn't leave the bleach in the system until the next trip.

Rinse it out and sanitize again before your next trip if you feel it is necessary.

Similar Post

[bchecker]

Side note: How do you remove the darn chrome lug nut covers? I have tried every tool I own. Can you just torque over the top to check specs? When I pull rim for new tires and bearing repack I will get a set of solid lugs.