# Winterizing Help, Please....



## CrazyAboutOrchids (Aug 10, 2009)

Sadly, we are off for our last trip of the year. With hubby having to do alot of overseas travelling this fall and 3 kids in 4 sports requiring a minimum of 5 games per weekend, our times of sitting around the campfire outside the Outback are ending.

I have winterized a pop up for the past 7 years so I am not a complete noobie to the winterizing thing, but the Outback is new to me. I do have a 2003 26RS which has a hot water plug and a bypass on the hot water heater as well as the water pump under the fridge.

So, please check out what my plans are for when we are packing up on Sunday.

- drain and completely flush black water tank, add calgon and tank stuff. A bit of water is okay to keep the chemicals working right? Should I add some pink stuff as well?

- drain and try to flush grey water tank with clean water. Should any pink stuff go in here?

- pull hot water plug, by-pass hot water tank, then flip the switch for the bypass under the fridge. Add in a gallon or two of pink stuff.

- pour some pink stuff in each sink drain.

- pour some pink stuff in toilet.

I plan on removing sleeping bags, our bedding, pillows and we don't keep food or towels in the camper. Should toilet paper and paper towels be taken out as well?

In the storage lot, I plan on putting moth balls on coffee cans that have lids on them with holes drilled around the sides of the cans about an inch down from the top. I plan on placing these under the camper, not in, by the axles and stabilizer feet.

Should the tires be up on wood? I do have tire covers.

Thanks so much!


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## Bob in Virginia (Jul 15, 2010)

Your process is good, just a little more will give you some good insurance, since you are in CT and get some cold winters.

If you have access to an air compressor, you can get a blowout plug at most camping stores (or Campingworld.com http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/blow-out-plug/4410 ) that connects to where the external water hose connects to your camper, open all of your valves and put about 40 lbs of air pressure through, this will clear all of the existing water that is in the lines. Make sure your water heater bypass is on, don't need to put any pink into the water heater if it is dry. After that, put in approximately 2 gallons of pink into the fresh water tank, using your water pump, run some pink from your fresh water tank until it comes out of each faucet, including the toilet. Start at the faucet fartherest away from the tank. If you have an outside shower, don't forget about that. A bit more pink poured into each drain also covers any water in the pipes.

Tires up on wood is a good idea. It doesn't matter about the toilet paper, winter air is usually dry so humidity concerns for the paper shouldn't be a worry.

Good luck, let us know how it went.


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## CrazyAboutOrchids (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks for the reply.

Quick question and sorry, I am going on memory from our pick date a few months back. I have a bypass thing on the pump that is under our fridge. I have a note to flip the switch and add pink stuff. I thought by doing the pink stuff through the bypass thing that I didn't have to add it to the fresh water tank. Do I have to add to both areas?

Sorry for the dumb question. Thanks so much for the reply. We're heading out in a bit but I am bringing my sons laptop to check in here.


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## Bob in Virginia (Jul 15, 2010)

There is a bypass for the water heater, which may be located by the pump, some are located in different positions. I would always put pink in the freshwater tank, because even when you pump it down as far as you can, there is still water in the bottom. Pink is cheap, replacing a tank because it cracked is expensive. Add it everywhere there may be water, which is why I run it thru the pump and out through the lines. No such thing as a dumb question.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I drain the fresh water tank and avoid the pink in there as it's less to clean up. Make sure you tilt the trailer if the drain is at say the front or back just to make sure you get most of it out.

I do blow out the system first and then put in pink using the pump winterization kit that I beleive you are referring to. Don't forget exterior kitchen/shower as many members have made that mistake. Also make sure your shower runs for that hose. I flush and then completely drain both tanks. The extra pink from dumping in drains and running into the toilet pust some in each tank.

I also put dehumidifiers in the trailer for the winter (If you are leaving vents open there is no need to do this). Take your battery home with you. That's about all I can think of.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I don't leave any water in the tanks but put a little pink stuff in both the grey and black. I would hate for a little residual water to freeze and mess up the tank drain valves. I also leave the windows and vents cracked and never have had a moisture problem. If you do this, be sure to open all the cabinet doors, drawers and storage under dinettes or beds so they can breath and not trap moisture either.


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## rock hill (Apr 17, 2009)

I only put some pink in the drains and toilet, other than that I drain all the tanks and blow the water lines out with air, I keep pink out of fresh water tank and out of the plumbing. I take out the battery and put it in my garage hooked up to a tender. Crack the windows and keep open the vents with the maxxair installed.


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## bbwb (Apr 4, 2008)

Beyond what was said above, I wonder about the moth balls...won't the "stink" get absorbed into the cushions and mattress and continue smelling well into the following summer?







For me the smell of Napthaline/Canphor would be enough for me to sell the trailer.









bbwb


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## Just Add Dirt (May 5, 2009)

I heard putting bounce dryer sheets in the camper keeps the rodents out...
my $.02


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Just Add Dirt said:


> I heard putting bounce dryer sheets in the camper keeps the rodents out...
> my $.02


..not sure about that one - I heard from some that doing that did not work for them...also found this article...click here..

I've heard that putting steel wool in where the pipes and/or holes are helps.....


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

bbwb said:


> Beyond what was said above, I wonder about the moth balls...won't the "stink" get absorbed into the cushions and mattress and continue smelling well into the following summer?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If you look at the original post, CAO said he would put the moth balls under the trailer, not in the trailer. I agree that putting them in the trailer would leave an odor that would hang around for a while. I'll always remember the smell of blankets at my Grandparents cottage.

Doug


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## deanintemp (Apr 3, 2007)

Bob in Virginia said:


> Your process is good, just a little more will give you some good insurance, since you are in CT and get some cold winters.
> 
> If you have access to an air compressor, you can get a blowout plug at most camping stores (or Campingworld.com http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/blow-out-plug/4410 ) that connects to where the external water hose connects to your camper, open all of your valves and put about 40 lbs of air pressure through, this will clear all of the existing water that is in the lines. Make sure your water heater bypass is on, don't need to put any pink into the water heater if it is dry. After that, put in approximately 2 gallons of pink into the fresh water tank, using your water pump, run some pink from your fresh water tank until it comes out of each faucet, including the toilet. Start at the faucet fartherest away from the tank. If you have an outside shower, don't forget about that. A bit more pink poured into each drain also covers any water in the pipes.
> 
> ...


Typically, if you are using the compressed air method you don't follow with the antifreeze method. I used the compressed air method for the first time last year and it worked perfectly - will do it again this year.

Dont forget to crack all the cabinet doors, open the fridge and freezer doors fully, and use some sort of desiccant like this to absorb excess moisture.


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## CrazyAboutOrchids (Aug 10, 2009)

duggy said:


> Beyond what was said above, I wonder about the moth balls...won't the "stink" get absorbed into the cushions and mattress and continue smelling well into the following summer?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If you look at the original post, CAO said he would put the moth balls under the trailer, not in the trailer. I agree that putting them in the trailer would leave an odor that would hang around for a while. I'll always remember the smell of blankets at my Grandparents cottage.

Doug
[/quote]

Yes, these moth balls go under the camper, not in. We never had issues with mice doing this with the pop up, so will continue it with the outback.

Thanks for all the help. I'll be doing this all tomorrow before we break camp.

Sandy


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## deanintemp (Apr 3, 2007)

PEOPLE...This is not good, it is only early September and I am not ready to talk about winterizing...NOOOOOOO...


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## Camping Fan (Dec 18, 2005)

deanintemp said:


> PEOPLE...This is not good, it is only early September and I am not ready to talk about winterizing...NOOOOOOO...


Definitely not ready for that yet, I have two more camping trips scheduled in the next month!


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## dirtengineer (Jun 6, 2010)

deanintemp said:


> PEOPLE...This is not good, it is only early September and I am not ready to talk about winterizing...NOOOOOOO...


Leaves are already falling off the trees at my house. Pink stuff is already in the pipes.


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## CrazyAboutOrchids (Aug 10, 2009)

Yes, earlier than we had wanted. But hubby is travelling overseas at least one week a month now with work, with jet lag and his travel times, it puts him out of commission for 2 weekends - the one he leaves on, the ones he returns on. We had hoped to be camping through October before travel hockey for the boys kicked into full speed and our daughters soccer and basketball on top of it makes things tight to do anything.

But, sadly, pink stuff is in the pipes, all foods and stuff that could freeze has been removed, tanks are flushed as clean as possible, bedding has been removed, I washed and waxed it this afternoon right after we got back and it is heading up to the storage unit in about an hour.

Oh, that by-pass that I was talking about, figured out how it works. Instead of using 2 - 3 gallons of pink stuff in the fresh waster tank and pumping it through, you flip a switch that is located inside the cabinet under the fridge, attach a hose near where the switch is and stick it in a bottle of pink stuff. It only took one gallon of pink stuff and took just a few minutes to run it through all the faucets. Thanks for the reminder about the outdoor faucet!

We did have an absolutely perfect weekend for camping. We convinced our neighbors to come to see us, then to stay with us. We fit 5 adults, 3 kids and our 2 doxes in the 26RS with plenty of room to spare!


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## my3chis (Sep 2, 2010)

We have always left Bounce (only the real stuff not generic) in our camper and steel wool in the any openings on the outside of our camper and never had a problem. In our cars we use a produce called "cab fresh".


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## booze123 (Jun 29, 2010)

I understand everything above with exception to one comment about the Frig. Is it understood that there's nothing to do to the frig other than prop doors open?
Also, if you blow the lines out with compressed air, does that also clear any water from the pump? Seems like you'd need to pump anti-freeze thru it to be sure.


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

deanintemp said:


> PEOPLE...This is not good, it is only early September and I am not ready to talk about winterizing...NOOOOOOO...


YEAH! NO PINK! NO PINK! NO PINK!

Okay this is where we get one of the token southern Outbackers to chime in with "What's winterizing mean!?"

Go on! Get it out of your system!

Eric


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

booze123 said:


> I understand everything above with exception to one comment about the Frig. Is it understood that there's nothing to do to the frig other than prop doors open?
> Also, if you blow the lines out with compressed air, does that also clear any water from the pump? Seems like you'd need to pump anti-freeze thru it to be sure.


We do both - compressed air (only 30psi!!) and the pink stuff - just to be sure....we prop our fridge open after every trip.....


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