# 250Trs Winterization



## jlord7040 (Aug 20, 2015)

Hello everyone,

we just purchased a new 250TRS, to winterize our old trailer I would remove the inlet side hose from the water pump and place in a bucket of antifreeze.

With the new trailer the pump is under the couch and up against the outside wall. I would need to remove the couch just to get to it.

There has got to be a better way to do this.

Looking for options before it gets cold in Michigan.

thanks

Jeff


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## Stumpy75 (Feb 26, 2014)

On my trailer, there was a small cutout in the covering under the couch. It was about worthless... I made it quite a bit bigger, and now I can access the hot water tank shutoff and the inlet line, as I explained below.

I cut the line from the fresh water tank going to the inlet side of the pump and installed a T and a couple of valves. I now use this T and the valving to attach a hose to the antifreeze bucket so I can pull the antifreeze through the pump and the lines.

I blow out my lines 1st, then run RV antifreeze through them using the pump. Last thing is to fill the traps with antifreeze.


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## jlord7040 (Aug 20, 2015)

Stumpy75 said:


> On my trailer, there was a small cutout in the covering under the couch. It was about worthless... I made it quite a bit bigger, and now I can access the hot water tank shutoff and the inlet line, as I explained below.
> 
> I cut the line from the fresh water tank going to the inlet side of the pump and installed a T and a couple of valves. I now use this T and the valving to attach a hose to the antifreeze bucket so I can pull the antifreeze through the pump and the lines.
> 
> I blow out my lines 1st, then run RV antifreeze through them using the pump. Last thing is to fill the traps with antifreeze.


Stumpy75, that is perfect that is exactly what I was thinking, I just did not want to over look an obvious easy answer.

thanks again


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I may be way off here, but don't the new Outbacks come with an Anderson valve to fill water? The one on my Bighorn allows me to select "Winterize" (along with Fill Tank...City Water...Pull from Tank) which allows me to winterize with ease. However, I only blow out the lines, as Oregon has mild winters.


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## Stumpy75 (Feb 26, 2014)

Oregon_Camper said:


> I may be way off here, but don't the new Outbacks come with an Anderson valve to fill water? The one on my Bighorn allows me to select "Winterize" (along with Fill Tank...City Water...Pull from Tank) which allows me to winterize with ease. However, I only blow out the lines, as Oregon has mild winters.


Mine does not have this type of valve. It just has a hose inlet outside for city water. No other valves.

And if I take off the front of the couch, lay flat on my stomach with my face against the step, I can reach under the couch and just barely touch the pump. And I mean just barely. Forget about trying to remove a line from it. Even with enlarging the cutout, I can just barely touch the pump, as it is behind a bunch of pipes, resting within 1/2 inch of the wall.

I'd LOVE to have some Keystone engineer have to winterize it a dozen or so times... My guess is that it would probably be changed then.
















This is one of the things I really dislike on my trailer. What were they thinking???

Ok, rant mode off. Time for some adult beverages!


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I have a 2013 250RS and had the same problem. I ended up doing what cdawrld did in the post linked below except I didn't add the expansion tank. It was pretty easy. Remove the (4) screws that hold the sofa down. Slide out the top panel of the box under the sofa. Cut the panel in half. I just scored it several times with a utility knife and eventually it cut through. While the sofa is loose, slide it a couple feet to the right and install a winterization valve on the water pump. I added a 2x4 across the top of the box so that both edges of the top panel pieces had something to sit on. I screwed the right hand panel piece to it. The furnace is under it so there is no need to have easy access to that side. Reattach the sofa with the right hand portion of the top panel and leave the left hand side of the top panel loose. It can't go anywhere because the sofa and the right hand top panel keep it in place.

I added an extra section of hose to the winterization valve so that I can set a bottle of antifreeze on the floor in front of the bed step and insert the hose into it. It still isn't an easy reach to use the winterization valve but it is a whole lot easier getting to it without having to put your arm through the hole in top panel. Just slide the panel out of the way and reach the back of the compartment. I stow the winterization hose to another line under the sofa with a piece of Velcro strap when not using it so that any residual antifreeze doesn't run back out of it.

230Rs Under Sofa Storage Access water pump and storage area. Install pressurized water tank.


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## jlord7040 (Aug 20, 2015)

thefulminator said:


> I have a 2013 250RS and had the same problem. I ended up doing what cdawrld did in the post linked below except I didn't add the expansion tank. It was pretty easy. Remove the (4) screws that hold the sofa down. Slide out the top panel of the box under the sofa. Cut the panel in half. I just scored it several times with a utility knife and eventually it cut through. While the sofa is loose, slide it a couple feet to the right and install a winterization valve on the water pump. I added a 2x4 across the top of the box so that both edges of the top panel pieces had something to sit on. I screwed the right hand panel piece to it. The furnace is under it so there is no need to have easy access to that side. Reattach the sofa with the right hand portion of the top panel and leave the left hand side of the top panel loose. It can't go anywhere because the sofa and the right hand top panel keep it in place.
> 
> I added an extra section of hose to the winterization valve so that I can set a bottle of antifreeze on the floor in front of the bed step and insert the hose into it. It still isn't an easy reach to use the winterization valve but it is a whole lot easier getting to it without having to put your arm through the hole in top panel. Just slide the panel out of the way and reach the back of the compartment. I stow the winterization hose to another line under the sofa with a piece of Velcro strap when not using it so that any residual antifreeze doesn't run back out of it.
> 
> 230Rs Under Sofa Storage Access water pump and storage area. Install pressurized water tank.


Thanks for everyone's ideas, I will be adding a tee in to the inlet side with some valves, if I feel crazy I might add the expansion tank.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

We have a 2009 250RS. I have the same issue with getting to the pump underneath the couch. I removed the thin board that sits underneath the couch and created two hinged compartments. I don't remove the couch - when I lift the couch (as if I was going to fold it down) and wedge a 2 x 4 at the end towards the dinette. I then open the modified board under the couch and hold the one half up with a bungee cord.

I installed a "T" at the pump which makes it much more convenient when winterizing. This T came as part of a winterizing package that I purchased awhile back. The hose that came with the kit was to short - I replaced the hose with a longer one that reaches outside the couch near the step.

This has made life much easier for me when I go to winterize.


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## Canadian_250TRS (Sep 22, 2015)

jlord7040 said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> we just purchased a new 250TRS, to winterize our old trailer I would remove the inlet side hose from the water pump and place in a bucket of antifreeze.
> 
> ...


I went thru this exact thing with our 250TRS a couple weeks ago. Had a friend who's been trailering come over to help.

We had to remove the front panel from the couch and cut the line that comes from the fresh tank to the pump inlet. Installed a T valve there with about 5ft of clear hose. So, now can switch valve so pump draws from the anti-freeze bottle directly.

For next year, I'll be able to reach down the small access hole under the couch to get at both the water heater bypass and the water inlet T valve/clear hose to be able to winterize.

They should really design the trailers better for winterizing as a lot of us have to winterize.

I guess you could always poor anti-freeze straight into the fresh water tank and draw it from there? Just makes it harder to flush out the anti-freeze in the spring?


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## KamperKen (Jun 3, 2015)

Canadian_250TRS said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> we just purchased a new 250TRS, to winterize our old trailer I would remove the inlet side hose from the water pump and place in a bucket of antifreeze.
> 
> ...


I have yet to winterize our 2015 Outback Terrain 245TBH... I have not checked to see if I can access the pump easily. I could on our old camper but all I did with it was dump 2 or 3 gallons of RV antifreeze into the freshwater tank and run pump until all taps ran pink. In spring filled with water and flushed it out good. Then filled tank with water and bleach to sanitize and away we went! I did find the hotwater by pass access the other day... next week after we use the camper to go to a one day festival... I plan to winterize the water system.

I went thru this exact thing with our 250TRS a couple weeks ago. Had a friend who's been trailering come over to help.

We had to remove the front panel from the couch and cut the line that comes from the fresh tank to the pump inlet. Installed a T valve there with about 5ft of clear hose. So, now can switch valve so pump draws from the anti-freeze bottle directly.

For next year, I'll be able to reach down the small access hole under the couch to get at both the water heater bypass and the water inlet T valve/clear hose to be able to winterize.

They should really design the trailers better for winterizing as a lot of us have to winterize.

I guess you could always poor anti-freeze straight into the fresh water tank and draw it from there? Just makes it harder to flush out the anti-freeze in the spring?
[/quote]


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## spidey (Aug 8, 2012)

I added a bypass just for winterizing. I have a 250RS and the hole they have is useless under the jackknife sofa. Took it off, made the hole bigger so a person can at least reach in without scraping off all your outer skin. Added the bypass with a long hose that I keep wound up, so then I just reach back and then turn the bypass on and put the hose in a jug. Even so, its a long reach all the way back there, but doable. Compared to how it was setup, which it wasn't.

A bypass should be installed from factory. how else can you get antifreeze through the lines then?


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## Triple R (Jun 24, 2015)

Hello Jeff. My wife and I bought a 2015 keystone outback 260trs. We also have the same issue with winterization-the pump and heater is underneath the Jack knife sofa with a hole big enough to access the bypass valve. Is there any shut off valves for the blue and red lines? What did you end up doing to make the pump more accessible to allow for a antifreeze administration?

Thanks!


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