# How Many Gallons To Winterize



## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

I'm thinking it must take quite a bit of the stuff by the time you get enough in the tank for the pump to work and push it all through the pipes. I'm thinking the pump isn't even going to work without sputtering without 3-4 gallons in there.

Do you folks also generally dump a gallon or so in each holding tank? I'm thinking I'll never drain every last bit out of there and it's a good idea to put some in there and then actually let some drain so I'm sure the last thing to touch all the valves etc. was antifreeze.

Yes, no, maybe so?


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Using the pump adapter and the Hot water tank bypassed it takes less then two gallons.

With the tanks drained, any liquid left in them can not really hurt the tanks but a quart or so of anti freeze in each tank protects the drain pipes.

As you purge the piping a bit of the anti freeze will dump in each sink or tub and will protect the p traps.


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

What Andy said....

Plus...do yourself a big favor and spend less than $20 for the winterizing kit for the pump.

You'll only use the antifreeze that you need, plus you won't have the leftover flavor in your freshwater tank for the next year.

Don't forget to drain the hot water heater and low points....like I forgot









Steve


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

What does "winterize" mean?









Sorry - I do this every year


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## bill_pfaff (Mar 11, 2005)

Winterized my 25 RSS this past weekend

Opened the HW tank drain, blew out the lines with air, closed the bypass for the HW heater and pushed antifreeze through the lines.

Let about 2 oz come out of each of the valves (hot & cold) in the kitchen, bathtub, bath room sink, outside shower and faucet thingy next to the stove.

Poured some down each drain (2 kitchen, 2 bathroom).

Donâ€™t use my fresh water tank so that wasnâ€™t an issue. Never put anything in the black or gray water tanks of my old TTs and so did not put any in the OBâ€™s.

Had two gallons of antifreeze ready to go because this was the first year I winterized the OB but it only took less than 1 gallon. Didnâ€™t have much left over, only about a cup worth but it was less than a gallon and I wasnâ€™t cheep with it when I put it in.

And yes Iâ€™m depressed.

Bill


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## djd1023 (Sep 29, 2003)

Guess I overdo it. I normally use 3 - 4 gallons. The stuff is cheap and I'd rather use too much than too little


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## bill_pfaff (Mar 11, 2005)

You might be using more if you aren't blowing out the lines.

On my old TTs I didn't have a compressor to blow the lines out with and so I used to put more antifreeze through the lines to make sure I was getting enough in to push out all the water.

I got the compressor last year after I winterized our old TT for the last time and so this is the first year Iâ€™ve used the blow out method. I figure that all Iâ€™m doing is filling the lines that were empty so an inordinate amount wasnâ€™t needed. Just enough to get in where the blowing out might have missed.

If you arenâ€™t blowing out the lines you are probably better off doing it the way you are however; for what it is worth, I drained the lines first and then blew them out. While blowing them out I watched the drains pretty closely and noticed that I didnâ€™t get a whole lot more water out of it than what drained out. It was some but not as much as I expected.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Jim come on now you know you winterize, but you do it

*California Style*


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

LMAO

And here I thought that bottle was for the owner.


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

It only got up to 92 today so we won't winterize until it drops below 80 (that will be for the two weeks we cal winter) ...

our idea of winterizing is cleaning the A/C vents...


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Y-Guy said:


> Jim come on now you know you winterize, but you do it
> 
> *California Style*
> [snapback]59377[/snapback]​


LOL !







Party at my trailer !


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

CamperAndy said:


> Using the pump adapter


Ok, I'm clueless. What the heck is that? Do you have to get to the pump to use it? I have no idea where mine is.


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

BoaterDan said:


> CamperAndy said:
> 
> 
> > Using the pump adapter
> ...


The pump adapter ia actually an add on that you can by at a local dealer or over the internet. It pipes into the sytem at the pump so the pump does the work of sucking the anti-freeze out of the bottle instead of dumping it into the tank, or, some of you may remmeber, using a small pump attatched to a drill to pump the anti-freeze through the system.

I think I got mine at Cabela's for $12.

Steve


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## dougdogs (Jul 31, 2004)

for the benefit of those with 5th wheels. . .It just took me about 2 1/2 gallons to do my rig. I also remove my shower hoses (inside and outside) to save some fluid. (plus, last winter someone "needed" my outside shower hose more than I did














)


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## Swanie (Oct 25, 2004)

GET THE WINTERIZING KIT FOR $12. It makes it totally easy.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I bought the CW winterizing kit last year and none of the fittings matched up with my rig. Finally, just bought a 3' section of 1/2 inch hose, put over the inlet of the water pump and sucked the antifreeze thru the system. Worked great. Took a little less than 2 gallons this year.


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

I hope that is not the expensive import stuff.

So lets see... If you bring bottled water .... then you do not need your fresh tank. You can add 30 gal of the California Anitfreeze and if you do not use hot ...there is another 6 gal. That is just enough to cover a weekend camping trip
















Imagine the dog after it takes a drink from the "John" if the lid is left up by mistake









thor


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Could imagine how many drinks you could have








And the dog just to funny









Don


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

You have to actually get to the pump itself to use that kit, right? Do all these trailers have a way to access it from inside? I have no idea where on mine if so.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

One thing to consider is to call your dealer, many do a winterizing special. At this time they can also schedule warranty work and repack your wheel bearings too.


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

Y-Guy said:


> One thing to consider is to call your dealer


Don't go there dude!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Bought my kit for $9.95...and the bought 4 gallons (cause I hate going back!)

Used about 3.25 gallons, most of which I'm sure I wasted as I watched the pretty pink fluid coming out and trying to make sure it was all antifreeze. Yes..didn't blow out the lines.

Installing the kit tool all of 5 mins. VERY easy!!


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

Ok, but I'm still trying to find out if I need to look around the inside of the trailer for a way to access the pump. I'm assuming that if you could install it in 5 minutes that means you don't have to go from outside and drop the underbelly cover.

I just have no idea where my pump is... is it pretty close to the holding tank? If so I guess it would probably be under my front bed.


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

Not so sure according to your model, but my pump is only about a foot from the outside hookup, so I would start there.......

My pump is just to the side of the queen walk around, and under a carpeted cover.

Steve


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

You will not get to it from the outside. In every trailer I have owned including this one the pump was in the same inside compartment as the back of your hot water heater. You will also find the bypass shutoff there.

John


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

I think it looks like it's in the bottom of the entertainment center.

On this model the freshwater tank and pump are near the front and the hot water heater is near the back, some 15-20 feet apart.


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## hiker128 (Sep 1, 2005)

huntr70 said:


> Not so sure according to your model, but my pump is only about a foot from the outside hookup, so I would start there.......
> 
> My pump is just to the side of the queen walk around, and under a carpeted cover.
> 
> ...


Steve, Ihave a 28BHS also. Is the carpeted cover fastened down or do you simply pry it up?

Tom


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

hiker128 said:


> huntr70 said:
> 
> 
> > Not so sure according to your model, but my pump is only about a foot from the outside hookup, so I would start there.......
> ...


Tom,

You just have to lift the queen mattress up







and then the carpet covered flap will pry up. Its not fastened at all...at least not on mine. Easiest to work there if you take the mattress off altogether and slide it back towards the table. Just leave yourself room to get by to the water heater, sinks, toilet, etc.

Steve


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Just winterized mine yesterday and only took 2 gallons
My pump is under the fridge and was really surprised first time using it.
And I could barely hear it.
Glad I wanted to do mine because I had alot of cold air coming uo through the hole
where the plumbing goes through the floor.
So I took some foam board and fill in the hole.
Alot better now.

Don


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## campingwiththe6pac (Sep 22, 2004)

Drain the water heater, and all low points. Close them back up once they are done. Flip the by pass on the water heater.

then

I use a hunk of an old water hose I had. Go to the pump and remove the pickup hose from the fresh water tank. Slide the section of old Hose ( about 2/1/2' is all you need) on to the water pump. Put the other end in the bottle. Turn on the pump and then run all water outputs( sinks, inside/outside showers both hot and cold, and do not forget to run the toliet. Once all it pink just pull the hose off and leave it in the pump compartment for the next year.

Make sure the bottle does not go dry. That will put air in the lines.

Now go get er done, unless you already have snow like us, then trade it in before spring.


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

campingwiththe6pac said:


> Make sure the bottle does not go dry. That will put air in the lines.
> 
> [snapback]66272[/snapback]​


I really don't think it will hurt to have some air in the lines from the bottle running out.....if you blow out the lines, there is air in ALL the lines and air doesn't freeze.









Steve


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## campingwiththe6pac (Sep 22, 2004)

I prefer no air in the lins. Then in the spring I flush the system before opening the the HWH bypass. No of few aie bubles will mean less chance of splash of the pink stuff and less to clean. Also remember in the spring after you flush the system to open the low points and allow the pink stuff collected in them out. Just running the water does not drain these.


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## campingwiththe6pac (Sep 22, 2004)

I saw a few drops of blue snow outside the drain cap of the OB last weekend. I opend the cap and had some ice in there. I did pour some pink stuff down the tank last fall. Went inside and saw the pink stuff I left in the toliet to keep the slide lubed was frozen. Not good! I thought pink stuff was not supposed to freeze. When I get a chance I want to check other lines and see if it is possible to see if the line have froze also. This could get ugly!


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

The pink stuff should not freeze. I had 10 gallons sitting outside the other week when it was 10 degrees at night and it was fine. Is it possible it got a little diluted with water ?

John


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

If it was blue snow and not pink snow doesn't that kind of answer John's question?

But what was in the toilet maybe is another matter.


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## campingwiththe6pac (Sep 22, 2004)

The tank was flushed real well last fall and a Blue bottle added after. The amount of pink added to the tank does not appear to have been enough to dilute the blue. I am questioning the quality of the pink poured in to the bowl. I thought it to be the ISO brand. The stuff in the bowel was full strength. This weekend I will go check. It has been quite warm for this time of year so It will be interesting to see what I find.


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