Blow out or antifreeze

[Fweezal]

I bought the '06 WindSport already winterized with antifreeze. I'm wondering what the "preferred" method is for winterizing for the Louisville, KY area.

I know this could turn into a Pepsi vs Coke/Chevy vs Ford thread. K.I.S.S.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Fweezal

I bought the '06 WindSport already winterized with antifreeze. I'm wondering what the "preferred" method is for winterizing for the Louisville, KY area.

I know this could turn into a Pepsi vs Coke/Chevy vs Ford thread. K.I.S.S.

I think you meant "blow out or antifreeze"??

You have two distinct and separate areas which need protection from freezing: The SUPPLY LINES and associated pump, valves, etc. and the WASTE/DRAIN system with associated traps and drain valves.

For the supply lines, it depends on the trust you have in the method you use to blow out your water lines. If you get ALL the water out, no need for antifreeze.

The waste system is another story... you MUST leave fluid in the traps... unless you enjoy noxious odors in your MH. That fluid must be a non-expanding fluid (pink RV antifreeze - which freezes, but doesn't expand).

If your waste TANKS are completely drained, and the waste valves relatively dry, there's no issue with freezing with them. The last "drain/flush" of the season, I leave my waste valves open for a day or so to let the water drip out; then lube the waste valves well with PTFE and close them for the winter.

So... if you successfully blow ALL the water out of your "supply side", no antifreeze needed there. The ONLY place you would need antifreeze is the drain traps. Question is... "Do you feel lucky?"

[Fweezal]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

I think you meant "blow out or antifreeze"??

Yeah. "Blow". Thanks for your help.

[yukongrant]

I do both - blow the lines first and then the pink stuff. (I also leave the taps and low point drains open.) For the cost - less than $10.00 and time - less than an hour - it's good insurance if you live in a really cold climate. (We're expecting -30 next week.)
I guess I'll drink both Coke and Pepsi and drive whatever car is in my driveway.

[MJC62]

Do you get hard extended freezes for several days in your area?
If you do, then my suggestion would be to blow the lines AND add the RV/Marine antifreeze. The recommended method in our area, NW Indiana, is to drain the freshwater tank & hot water heater, (leave the plug out till spring) put the heater in by-pass, blow the lines, and pump the anti-freeze through the system. The final step is to pour pink stuff down the drains and the toilet. Total cost is maybe $10 for 2 gallons of the pink stuff and hour of your time. The RV dealers in our area get around $100 for the service.
If you have never winterized a coach, there are maybe a half a bazillion videos on YouTube to watch describing the process.

[dkoldman]

Your question: "I'm wondering what the "preferred" method?"

The answer Post #4.... go with what a Real man that lives in the Real Yukon says

I personally don't want RV antifreeze in my fresh water supply side PERIOD; so I just Blow and Go. However Thus far I have always added a cup or two in the P traps in the drains and in the toilets. However, I have done that only based on hearsay, never had odors etc. coming back through.

With that being said, I just winterized my RV in preparation for temperature to hit 22 degrees tomorrow night. I HAVE NOT added the RV Antifreeze in the P traps; so I will see if my coach gets filled with odors? I have a new siphon 360 venting system from this summer and would be surprised if it really does smell Besides, I drive my RV year around even when winterized, and it just came to me that I never pour RV antifreeze in the drains after each drive, nor have I ever noticed a smell from the tanks.

[yukongrant]

Another helpful tip....
Convince your wife that winterizing is a time consuming process - it could take 2 or 3 days.
Get a case of beer and put it in the fridge.
Do the winterizing.
An hour later, turn on the TV and crack a beer. You should be able to get at least 2 days of doing that.

[MJC62]

Another suggestion if you want to know the recommended method to winterize a coach in the Louisville area, ask at the service desk of a local RV dealer what a winterization entails.
They should tell you what you need to know and if you want it done at the dealer how much the cost is.
So far, all your responses are from people outside your area. I have worked in the Lexington area in the winter and as I recall it got pretty cold in January.

[HarryS]

I've been successful with using air to blow out the system, drain the water heater and put pink stuff in the drains. It gets down to 10F or so here, and I've not had anything get damaged.

[lwmcguire]

Anyone with an AquaHot or larger coach will use anti-freeze. Freezing up an Aquahot will cost 4-8k easily

I use peroxide to clear the left-over bittering agent that give the ice or water a bit of taste and is an excellent disinfectant or sterilization chemical

Air by itself is risky at best in cold climates but can work given less complex systems

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by MJC62

Another suggestion if you want to know the recommended method to winterize a coach in the Louisville area, ask at the service desk of a local RV dealer what a winterization entails.
They should tell you what you need to know and if you want it done at the dealer how much the cost is.
So far, all your responses are from people outside your area. I have worked in the Lexington area in the winter and as I recall it got pretty cold in January.

I would think the local / regional question if there was one; would have been whether to winterize or not in Louisville, KY? But if question was preferred method to winterize in Louisville, KY then it it is implied you are expecting sustained freezing temperatures to which geography does not come into play. I am willing to bet good money that in all cases 100% of the RV freeze damage during the hard freeze in Texas was due to #1 RV not being winterized or #2 RV winterized improperly for which ever method was chosen. In other words any method chosen if properly done will produced the desired outcome whether KY, TX, Florida, or the Yukon.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Below 32 degrees is freezing... doesn't matter if you're in Hawaii or Antarctica. Winterizing is like being pregnant... either she is or she isn't.

Just finished the monthly check and generator/engine exercise routine. All is well in Ohio...

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

Below 32 degrees is freezing... doesn't matter if you're in Hawaii or Antarctica. Winterizing is like being pregnant... either she is or she isn't.

Just finished the monthly check and generator/engine exercise routine. All is well in Ohio...

So what you saying man, my RV is Pregnant

I just winterized for the 2nd time this winter. Did not add the pink stuff to the drain / P Traps this time; so when it hits 75 or 80 again, I will check for odors.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

So what you saying man, my RV is Pregnant

I just winterized for the 2nd time this winter. Did not add the pink stuff to the drain P Traps; so when it hits 75 or 80 again, I will check for odors.

[Lt Keefer]

When I first moved to Texas, I didn't winterize the RV. I used it all year round. As my cold tolerance dropped I started to winterize and chose the blow out method as that was free. I drain the fresh tank, the water heater and the waste tanks then blow the lines with air. I leave all the drain valves and taps open. No problems and my coach survived our big freeze in February 2021.

[EA37TS]

While stored in SC it is blown out with air. The rig is going to Richmond for final warranty work and I will pump it full of antifreeze for that trip. It can dip below zero there so better safe tan sorry.

[BobPetit]

I have a 2018 Thor 35M and all I ever do is blow it out thoroughly every year. I live in Massachusetts so it's get below freezing very often through the winter. I hook up to the city water inlet with an air compressor and set it to 45 psi max pressure. Anything over that could blow the fittings on the lines. I know that because I caused one to leak after using 55 psi one year. I take time opening and closing every faucet and lower drain lines to make sure only light spatter comes out. Also don't forget to manually open the valve on the ice make so all the water gets out of that. Also drain your water heater first so you don't have to push all that water out. Once all the lower drains , water heater, ice maker, and faucets only leak air or very light spatter, you should be good to go. It's a lot nicer than tasting that antifreeze in the spring.
I only add a little antifreeze to the tub drain because I think it has an elbow in it. I remove all my elbows from the sinks so no water is trapped there after I complete the blow out.

[jr_nicholson]

I do both in Michigan

[blw2]

here in Florida some years I don't do either method.....just sayin'

Seriously though, it does freeze here in NE FL, so more often than not when we get a freeze warning I will drain the heater and suck a little antifreeze through the pump and lines....but I don't fuss much because usually it only freezes for a few hours at a time and I really don't need to do it at all....

A couple years ago I tee'd in two little ball valves on the suction side of the pump with a short length of tubing connected.
I'll open the low point drains for a bit
Turn off the tank side, open the hose side, and stick the hose in the jug
and turn the pump on
It's very fast and easy
When I'm done I plug the end of the hose to keep stuff out of it and close the valve, leaving it all in place till next year
I just have to do a better job of remembering to close the low point drains before pumping half my antifreeze to the ground

[Chateau_Nomad]

This morning in Ohio... glad I did BOTH