Cold Snap, Still Have Water In The Lines and Water Heater

[Steven@147]

I like your idea of making a door out of the side panel on the docking station, that would make things a lot easier.

My method of winterizing was pretty much exactly how you did yours.

Yeah , the docking station in our Imagine was kind of a PITA. When I pulled the side panel screws out to take the panel off the whole docking station got flimsy. The top of the docking station does not tie into the top frame, its all open. They did a really bad job of securing it. The small pine wood strips on the panels are really cheap flimsy pieces. I installed better wood stripes and "L" brackets on the back and front panels of the station and tied them to the top frame. This really made the docking station box more sturdy.

It's a mess of crap inside the box. You can see the white intake hose shoved in there. One of these days I'm gonna sort it out and clean it up in there.

[TyeeMan]

Thanks for the pics Steve! I like the magnetic catch. Looks like that's what I'll be doing next season.

Still surprises me that they made that docking station that poorly. Oh well.

[Cate&Rob]

Rob, in my case its old school habit based on our really old RVs, I'm talking way back when holding tanks were metal and the water lines were copper. There were no demand pumps - you had to add air pressure to the fresh water holding tank to get water to flow out of the faucets. The fresh water holding tank had an air pressure gauge on it. Even when we had our first RV with a demand pump and plastic lines, seemed like you could never get all the RV AFreeze out of the system come spring. I used to put a little AF in the H2O heater just in case but it seemed like you could never get it all out come spring. you would always get a little pinkish tinge to the water and AFreeze suds as well as the smell. Seemed like you could never get rid of it entirely. The fresh water always had a funny taste so I stopped putting any in the heater, just drained it.

That is when we lived in Northern Indiana and you had to winterize the heck out of things. Now I just avoid getting any AF into the heater. Call it old school thinking. I like how you flush your H2O heater though and I'll add that to my winterize how to list.

Of course back in the day winterizing RVs was a little more involved than today's RVs. I don't remember the old systems having bypass valves or AFreeze intake lines already plumbed into the system. Could be the AF permeated the metal tanks and interacted with the copper lines to never fully get it all out come spring.

Hi Steve - Good discussion! . . . I do remember the antifreeze smell lingering a lot longer after un-winterizing in the old days. Part of easier flushing might be better antifreeze formulations today. Also, we never drink our RV or boat system water so a trace of antifreeze in the spring is not really a problem.

I have never heard of a pressurized fresh water tank. I kind of like that idea! A quality air pump would be a lot quieter and easier to maintain than the water pump. I do have an accumulator on my water system to reduce the number of pump cycles. Of course . . . this would require a sealed pressure capable fresh water tank . . . that would take some thought.

Best plan for winterizing is still to get "south of cold" before we have to winterize the RV .

Rob

[boyscout]

When I un-winterize, I flush the system as Steve describes in post 17, then open the water heater bypass with the water heater drain plug still out. This flushes any antifreeze (and often some sediment) out of the water heater. When it runs clear, I put in the plug and open the upper pressure relief until that runs clear water too. Rob

I'd have guessed that opening the pressure relief while filling the tank would reduce headspace in the tank, and increase the chance that as the water heated it would increase pressure in the system. But I know nothing!

[Steven@147]

Hi Steve - Good discussion! . . .

I have never heard of a pressurized fresh water tank. I kind of like that idea! A quality air pump would be a lot quieter and easier to maintain than the water pump. I do have an accumulator on my water system to reduce the number of pump cycles. Of course . . . this would require a sealed pressure capable fresh water tank . . . that would take some thought.

Best plan for winterizing is still to get "south of cold" before we have to winterize the RV . YUP!!

Rob

The air pressurized water system on our really old RV worked ok for boon docking but it was kind of a pain. IIRC that old coach was called a Trophy, can remember the model number. It had big ugly trophy looking things on the back end surrounding the tail lights. Single huge axle trailer 20 foot. Don't remember what it weighed. It was made back in the mid to late 70s.
The fresh water tank was all thick metal 20-30 gallon and was under the front fold out bed cushion with copper lines running everywhere. think of a large oxy cylinder tank turned on its side. You could run the coach on normal park water system or It had an air pressure schrader valve on the outside water inlet and a screwed on dial indicator pressure cap for boon docking. IIRC you put 30 psi to the tank to get water flow out. Every time water pressure would get low you had to run out and put more air pressure in the tank. I had one of those old bicycle 12V air pumps, that took forever to get pressure in the water tank, so my dad and I made a portable air tank out of an old 20 pound propane cylinder (well ventilated of course) to carry around with us. I could put the 12V pump on the portable tank and charge it up, took forever.

You always made sure the water tank had enough air pressure before you took a shower!! Of course no gauges to tell you levels. Eventually you had to put more water in the tank and add air pressure. We carried around one of those old WW2 green 5 gal jerry cans to add water my dad stole from the US Army.

Oh the really old days of camping. Heck the old gas fridge and water heater you had to turn the knob, hold in on it and light the pilot with a match. Thus may accidents.

[TyeeMan]

My in-laws had early 70's BIG pick-up camper that had the pressurized fresh water tank. Never gave it two seconds thought until I was reading the last few posts here. They never used it as I think it didn't work. But apparently after you would fill the freshwater tank you would screw this cap on which had a schrader valve and gage combination.

[Cate&Rob]

I'd have guessed that opening the pressure relief while filling the tank would reduce headspace in the tank, and increase the chance that as the water heated it would increase pressure in the system. But I know nothing!

Mark - You are absolutely right . I forgot that part. I use the pressure relief because it makes for a fast fill on the water heater, but once it gets close to full, I close the pressure relief and open the outside shower hot water tap to purge the last of the air and establish the air cushion in the water heater . . . as you reminded me The pressure build in a closed system due to water heating can be very significant . . . particularly if there is no air space cushion in the water heater. It has become much less of an issue after I installed the accumulator tank.

Rob

[WhittleBurner]

Best plan for winterizing is still to get "south of cold" before we have to winterize the RV .

Rob

We agree 100% ,, now if the freezing weather holds out just 3 more weeks we'll have it made

[Bamaman]

I'm in the Mid South, and can winterize my Reflection fifth wheel in just a few minutes. I can also dewinterize it quickly in a few minutes if I decide to use my trailer in the winter.

But we're not in the far north. You must be very careful to get your unit completely winterized. I would make a day time trip up there to do the job.