Winterizing your RV (Axis/Vegas 24.1 specific)

JamieGeek

Axis/Vegas Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 24, 2014
Messages
9,835
Location
Canton
Unfortunately, it is that time of year again (at least for me). Time to get the unit ready for winter. :(

Since there are a ton of new Axis/Vegas owners on here since the last thread of this type I figured I'd start a new one. (Most of this is specific to my 24.1 but will probably apply to the other Axis/Vegas floorplans and other RVs as well).

To start out with you'll want to relieve pressure off your water system and remove the water heater's drain plug (on mine its a plastic plug near the bottom left of the unit--a pain to unscrew because its behind a pipe). If you want the water to drain faster you can open the safety valve at top (I usually just remove the plug and leave it out until spring--so far no critters have decided to take up residence in the water heater for the 16 years I've been doing this).

Next you'll want to remove the panel under the passenger side rear bed--on ours its two square head screws and it comes out. Optionally you can remove the cold-air return grate as its easier to get to the water heater bypass valves from there.

After that I open the drain valve for the water tank and close the feed valve (so the water pump doesn't draw water from the tank). These valves are right next to each other right where the waterlines leave the tank. You can tell the feed valve because its hooked to the pipe going to the water pump, and the drain valve because its the one with the right-angle fitting that goes through the floor.

I'm going to steal FW28z's excellent diagram here: (You'll want to configure the valves for the winterized position)
winterize8.jpg

Here you can see my water heater valves on "winterize"--at least the bypass and hot water ones, the cold water valve is below the grey furnace vent pipe.
axiswinter4.jpg


Next you want to hook up some hose to the "antifreeze injection point": There is a tube sticking up that is capped. Get a fitting to screw in there and some hose--I use clear vinyl so I can see the antifreeze go through it:
axiswinter1.jpg

axiswinter2.jpg

It usually only takes about 1.5 gallons of pink stuff to winterize my Axis--I get extra just in case.

Now turn the pump on with the kitchen faucet open slightly (using kitchen because its right next to the pump switch). The idea here is to have a faucet open so the pump can suck up the antifreeze--try it with all the faucets closed you won't get very far LOL.
Once you see the clear line filled and hear the pump slow down because it has some antifreeze in it close the faucet. Now you're ready...
Go around the coach opening up one side (cold) and then the other (hot) until you see pink stuff coming out. Make sure you do every faucet including the outside shower, the shower head, and the toilet. It should be really pink coming out:
axiswinter3.jpg

You'll probably empty the first gallon during this process. When you hear the pump running with no antifreeze coming out just turn off the pump, replace the bottle with a full one, and repeat the priming like you did with the first bottle.
When all the sinks are done I also go and briefly open up both low point drains (right next to the water tank) and the two water heater bypass valves so that they all get antifreeze going through them.
Lastly I leave the system semi-pressurized (not fully), take the strainer out of the city water hookup, and lightly press on the check valve there to get some antifreeze to come out there. Don't do this with a fully pressurized system because you could damage the check valve. (There was some discussion about me doing this in another thread--some people recommended not to if I'm remembering correctly.)

When I'm all done I pour any remaining antifreeze into each sink, the shower, and the toilet to make sure that there is antifreeze in the traps and the waste tanks (even though there probably is from the winterizing process but, in this case, more is better). In addition this allows me to use up all the antifreeze and recycle the bottles (no real reason to have a 1/2 full bottle of RV antifreeze sitting around).
 
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Great document! Thanks for putting this all together, I was just going to ask if anyone had a clear winterization process. The manual does go thru some parts of this process but does not have photos of the valve locations and all.

Hope I can print this out and keep it for future reference

My next question: do you jack up your Axis/Vegas off the ground during the winter or do you place jacks under the frame and lift just enough to relive tire pressure a little. Do I have to place jacks under axles lift points and lift all four wheels off the ground. Manual not clear but suggests doing something with tire air.

Thanks


Angelo and Diane
 
Jamie's procedure is contained in the Owners' Manual we compiled from suggestions and tips on the forum.
 
AC unit cover

Hi guys,anyone know the size of cover for the AC unit on a Vegas? And who
Carries them.. Thanks a.j.
 
A.J. -- Don't have any of my manuals here at the condo (they are in the coach in the RV storage lot), but I thought the installation guide for the A/C showed how to install the cover. I'm assuming the cover came with the Aircel A/C -- but I could be wrong.
 
I use antifreeze in the drains only - I prefer to connect my air compressor and blow the lines clean of water. I know that antifreeze is supposed to be non toxic, but, I know air is!!!!
 
Bypass valve is the valve that connects the hot and cold water lines together. During normal operation that valve is closed (valves on hot & cold water lines are open). When you winterize that valve is opened (valves on hot & cold water lines are closed) so that you bypass the hot water heater tank when you are putting RV antifreeze in the lines. The drawings in the first post show this clearly.
 
Here is a picture of my setup. There is no clear connection, so I am guessing that it is the one in the middle, but not really sure. Is the middle one, the correct one? Also, there is no mention in the official manual, or Ed's manual about the over pressure valve. Does that need to be changed as well?
 

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No, you are looking in the wrong place.
That looks like an Axis/Vegas 24.1 setup if so, remove the cold air return vent and you'll find what you are looking for. (This picture looks like it was taken by removing the panel on the passenger side rear bed.)

From that point, if you look towards your water heater you should see this:
axiswinter4.jpg

The two valves are the hot water shutoff, and the cross over valve. Seen here ready for winterization (hot water is shut off and cross over valve is open). There is also a cold water shutoff below the vent pipe (I can reach it from here without having to remove the cold air return vent).

From left to right those valves are (in your picture):
  • Fresh water shutoff (for winterization)
  • Fresh water tank drain
  • Cold water low-point drain
  • Hot water low-point drain
 
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Yes, I took it from the passenger area. So all of these valves should be open except the fresh water tank drain, correct?
 
Sorry Sharon, but I did not see your picture when I replied earlier.

I attached a picture of what you should see when you remove the air vent near the floor in the "hallway" down near the converter. The valve just above the air duct is the bypass valve. Notice at the top of the valve the red (hot water) line is attached and the blue (cold water) line is attached to the bottom of the valve.

Also notice at the top right of the picture on the red line is another valve. That is the hot water supply line that would be coming out of the hot water heater. Also in the lower right corner you'll see another valve on the red line. That is the cold water supply line to the hot water heater.

When winterizing -- you would close the cold water supply line, close the hot water supply line, and OPEN the by-pass valve. This way when you put RV antifreeze in it will by-pass the hot water tank. If you didn't do that it would take an additional 6 gallons of antifreeze because that is what the hot water tank holds. Part of winterizing includes removing the plastic drain fitting on the bottom of the hot water tank (accessed through the door on the outside of the RV).

When getting ready to de-winterize and use the RV -- you need to open the cold and hot supply valves and close the by-pass valve. If you don't, water will by-pass the hot water heater (you'll have NO hot water0, and if the hot water tank is empty and you have the hot water heater set on electric, you run the risk of burning out the electrical coil in the water heater. (In the picture, the valves are set in the normal use configuration)

If you send me an email at bevedfelker@live.com, I'll forward you a copy of the Owners' Manual I compiled that will provide a reference and teaching tool for learning the ins and outs of the Axis/Vegas.
 

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The air vent is down below your refrigerator in the hallway, opposite the bathroom door.
 

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