Thank you, that’s what we were going for. To be honest, we always get a bit scared when trying something new on the RV but after you figure it out most things are pretty simple. I like to tell people if we can do it anyone can. Safe travels! -Chris & Suzannah
Tip for blowing out your lines...you can use your water pressure regulator between the water inlet and the blowout plug, and you won't overpressurize the water lines if you have a high pressure compressor.
Make sure you have an in-line filter for the oil that comes out of the air compressor. You don’t want to contaminate you water system with air compressor oil.
We actually filmed this back in March before dropping it off for two weeks for warranty work. It was freezing so we decided to winterize. Hopefully it's not something we have to do again!
Thanks for the video. Have not winterized myself before but need to this year. Do you not have a hot water tank bypass? Last year I drained my tank and bypassed the hot water system and left the drain plug out for the winter.
This system had a hot water tank bypass built in. Some of them do and others don’t. Yes, we drained it and it then put it back together. We were only winterizing for about a month so we put the sacrificial rod back in. Another option is to put a bolt in there over the winter so you don’t use the rod.
We’d never used the shower and when I turned it on antifreeze came out. It was never dewinterized from the dealer. The black tank flush is a good catch. Thank you!
That's a very good video, you make it look so easy. My question is how would this work on a "Travel Trailer" that doesn't have your docking station capabilities ?
Thank you! We’d winterized a few times before making the video so had some experience. The docking system makes it much easier. There are a few different ways, the first is open up every line and then hook up an air compressor on a low setting and just blow everything out. Some folks do this and don’t use antifreeze. If your want to use antifreeze you have to get it in to your fresh tank and then pump it through. We haven’t done this on a unit without a docking system and don’t want to steer you wrong. There are some great videos out there on how to do it and we recommend you find one that is closer to the unit you have.
Not an expert but pretty sure you should have ran antifreeze through the bathtub shower head, all external water sources and drain out water low point drains. Ather than that great video.
We ran it through everything but wanted to keep the video short. The only one we didn’t do was the external shower but we’d never used it. Funny thing was that when we got the trailer back and test it there was still antifreeze it in from when we’d bought it. 😂
You mentioned not having the right compressor? I’m guessing you mean able to lower the pressure, but wondering if it matters, as long as all the faucets, drain valves, etc are open? Guess to be safe, dial it down to 50 psi or whatever is recommended? Thanks.
This is exactly the information I needed. Short, sweet, and to the point! Is there a way to communicate with you directly, outside of this comment section? I have additional questions, especially regarding Tandara. I have a 286-OK Tandara. You are the first I've seen that also has a Tandara.
Thank you for the video. I've only lived in CA, TX, and FL, so I'm not familiar with antifreeze for RVs. We have a geodome in the Sierras now. I have a genuine question: So do you take showers and baths in antifreeze throughout the winter? Is that sanitary? We have an outdoor bathtub for our geodome guests. I can't imagine them taking an outdoor bath in pink antifreeze. Is that normal in colder climates?
After you do everything in this video, can you open the low point drains again and drain all the pink antifreeze out so it's not sitting in there all winter?
Ok thanks just confirming though. As I seen you guys empty the water first and then went around to all the taps to show that they were all empty. Then after you put antifreeze in it you turned the taps on and water was coming out before the antifreeze. I assumed you turned the water back on correct? Just to get the water to flush out the antifreeze? Or did you do all that with the water off. I hope I didn’t ask the same question twice I just wanted to be clear. Thx
Yep. When you turn the faucets back on you may get a little water at first but then should have antifreeze coming out. You want to see that on both cold and hot taps. You’re running off the pump with a line in the antifreeze so it pulls from the jugs of antifreeze direct into the lines. Have one person inside turning things in and another person outside ready to switch to new jugs of antifreeze as the previous one empties. Don’t reconnect to any water until you’re ready to de-winterize. When you are ready for that just hook up to water and turn on the faucets. Let them run for awhile to ensure you get all anti-freeze out. Hope that helps.
Turn the refrigerator on and put the system in winterize put the suction hose in bottle of rv antifreeze turn the pump on when your ice is pink it's done. For the washer turn on valves till it turns pink put antifreeze in drain
For the hot water tank, make sure it’s been off for quite awhile and run it to get the hot water out before you attempt to dump it. The tank itself should have a drain on it that looks like a bolt. Thats actually the sacrificial rod and drain. You need to open that up and pull the rod out. Very important that you have gloves on for this just in case there’s still hot water on so you don’t get burnt. After you pull out the plug, find the pressure release valve that should be above it and flip it. Let that stay open for awhile to get as much water out as you can. Then you can put the plug back in or replace it with a plastic one for the winter.
What should I do if I’m living full time in RV but will be away from the rig for a week? Should I winterize just to be safe or is there something else I can do to protect the rig while I’m gone? Temps will be below freezing at night but warmer during the day (Boston area).
At the very least you could disconnect the water and drain all the lines. Disconnect the water hose, make sure the pump is off, pull the fresh tank open, pull the low point drains open, and then go turn on all of your faucets. This will get a lot of your water out of the system. Personally I would winterize. We did this video before dropping our RV off for 2-weeks of maintenance in similar temps to what you’re talking about. Just didn’t want to risk it. It may coast $40-50 in antifreeze and hoses and really doesn’t take that long. Then when you get back just drain everything and run a lot of water through the system to flush it out. If you have an air compressor (set to no more than 30 psi) you could do all of the draining above and then blow out the lines. This is something that’s easily repeatable if you leave the rig for a few days or more in freezing temps. Many people skip antifreeze and just blow out the lines and it works for them. Some folks don’t have an air compressor.
Is this something has to be done or are there other methods? Asking because my wife and I are thinking about switching to full time RV living in the next year or so and we are stationed in Rhode Island
Winterizing needs to be done if you’re storing your RV over the winter anywhere where temps could reach freezing. If you’re full time living in it then no. We did this one because we were dropping it off for 3-weeks for service in freezing temps. Didn’t want to risk it. If you’re going through the winter in your RV there are a few things you can do to protect it. Heated water hose. If you’re going to be stationary for a long period in the winter then we recommend doing a skirt. Will help a lot with maintaining temps and protecting your water lines. If your RV doesn’t have heating pads on the fresh water, gray, and black tanks (most do now) then add them. If temps are going to be very cold you can detach from the water source and just run on your fresh water tank. Good luck and safe travels.
Hi, thanks again for your awesome videos! Really appreciate you two. So, after you have run the antifreeze do you just connect to the city water and use the rig as you normally would?
Winterizing is for storing the RV and not using. This protects your water lines from cracking. When it’s time to dewinterize, hook up and run a lot of water through everything. Fill up the fresh water tank and then switch over to pump and run off that until it’s clear and then dump all the tanks. If you’re wanting to RV in cold weather you don’t winterize. You should get a heated water hose so that doesn’t freeze. Make sure you keep your tank heaters on. If you’re stationary for a long period of time (like month plus) maybe think about skirting. Your furnace is your friend when it comes to the water lines inside your rig so make sure you use it. Some people use space heaters solely and they forget that those don’t heat their underbelly where the lines are at. Good luck and stay warm. Thank you for the kind words!
@@HintonTheTrail Oh I see now. Yes a friend of mine mentioned that hose. Any recommendations? I'm totally still be at this. Not sure if you remember my wife and I met you 2 at the Tampa Super RV show this year. So we are still in Florida and will be in Virginia some time in October of this year. Any wisdom you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
@@gallom325 We used at 50' Camco product for the last few years with no issues. We started with a 25' but found that it wasn't long enough at a few locations. Here's the link: bit.ly/3DRE3h5 We do remember and it's great to hear from you again. So one other thing to remember is that in cold weather your propane is going to go faster. It's more compressed in cold weather AND you're using more so it's something you want to stay on top of.
@@HintonTheTrail Oh wow! I didn't know that thanks. Yeah man. I try to stay on top of your vids and where you guys are. But, we'll life happens. Thank again. You are indeed a blessing to us in our journey. Have a blessed day and Happy & Safe Travels!!🚍🙏🏽
Please help,, I am staying in my camper this winter,, so I'll be using my tanks for all needs,, so using this antifreeze won't be an on going option,,?
No, it’s not an option. Winterizing is used to prepare the RV for storage. If you’re going to be living in it there are some things you can do. If you’re going to be stationary you can put a skirting around the outside of the trailer. This will help a lot. If you’re moving around a lot they do make ones they snap on and off but not something easily done and carried. Most RVs come with tank heaters so just have them turned on. If you don’t have tank heaters you may want to look into having some put on. Mobile RV techs can assist. Get a heated hose! Always keep some water in your fresh tank (as long as you have a tank heater) just in case, but a heated hose allows you to stay hooked up. Just have to make sure the water source is insulated and where the hose connects to your RV is also insulated. Get a space heater. This helps save a lot on propane, but make sure you still run the furnace. The ducts from the furnace also heat the underbelly which is where your pipes are so that helps ensure they don’t freeze up. Add insulation to the windows. A roll of reflectix is cheap and will help keep in the heat. We found that it’s cheaper at Home Depot than at RV stores. Get insulating vent cushions as well. One more thing you can do that will help save a lot on propane is to get propane tank warmers. The kind that wrap completely around the tank like a blanket. Propane compresses when it gets cold so you will go through it like crazy in the winter. There’s also the risk of freezing up. All of this depends on where you’re going to be and how cold it’s going to get. The colder the area the more you’ll need to do. Hope this helps. Good luck and stay warm.
Once you drain everything and the hot water tank and get the antifreeze in you run the pump. That pushes antifreeze into the lines and gets any remaining water out. You could also blow them out with an air compressor but don’t go over 30 psi
Yes. You turn the pump on and then go to each faucet and turn them on until antifreeze comes out. Then shut it off and move to the next one. That ensures you have antifreeze in all the lines.
Do you have to specifically by -pass the water heater with a different switch or is the combination of the 4 levers that you used on the Tandera account for the water heater by pass? Also did you open up the low point lines to make sure AntiFreeze came out? To use an air compressor to blow out the lines would you use the same 4 lever configuration? Thanks for you Help... Tandera 32 RLOK
The four levers account for the bypass for the antifreeze. Not sure when it comes to using an air compressor. We didn’t open up the lines but probably should have. We were doing a quick winterize for a two week drop off at a dealership.
Here’s a link to the Nautilus P4 system we have on our Tandara. We drained everything from the tanks. www.bandbmolders.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Nautilus-P4-User.pdf The suburban water heater instructions say to remove the anode rod and replace it with a 3/4” drain plug. We were replacing our rod after the fact anyway. Anti-freeze can be corrosive to the anode rod and leave sediment in the tank.
You can but it’s better/easier to dewinterize if you don’t. By draining the tank completely and the bypassing it you really don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to water freezing in there. Just make sure you’ve got all the water out. If you decide to put antifreeze in the hot water tank it’s best to remove the anode rod and replace it with a plug or bolt. Antifreeze can be very corrosive to the anode rod. Also, when it’s time to dewinterize you really need to do a good job of flushing all of the antifreeze out.
so this is funny but not really, I have a 2021 Tandara 321-ok just followed the owners manual for winterizing with antifreeze... put the P4 controls in the correct position and started the process, after 5 gals and the pump not turning off started to look for leaks with none found, added 6 more gallons for a total of 11 with no leaks and still the pump not turning off, checked my tanks and it seems that my Galley 2 tank is now 3/4 full. it seems that either there is some sort of pluming mix up or the P4 valve configuration is wrong. anyone have anything like this happen
Wow! Yes, it sounds like there is something plumbed incorrectly. That is the strangest thing. Not even sure how that would be possible. What happens when you fill the fresh tank?
We never had those in our RVs since not 100% sure. The dryer should be good just unplugged. I would recommend doing a search how to winterize a washer dryer combo in an RV.
This was caught by a few others as well. We’d actually never dewinterized it from the dealer, or used it. After the video we realized we didn’t do it and went and checked. There was still antifreeze in the lines.
Doesn’t this suck anti freeze into your potable water tank? You’d have to run clean water though it next spring but won’t there still be trace amounts or are you somehow bypassing the water tank?
Robert, that’s a good question. We don’t have experience with those but saw that there are a few other videos out there about the process. We do have a question for you though. How do you like your tankless water heater? Is it worth switching over? -Chris & Suzannah
Good eye. It’s important for everyone to look at their manufacturer’s instructions on this. Some models require physically bypassing the hot water heater, others don’t. It can be a challenge because they don’t come with a whole lot of instructions and there are a lot of different panels for the water system.
Oaf - the water heater was bypassed when they turned the 'red' knob sideways. If they left the red switch vertical, antifreeze would have gone to the water heater tank. We have the same Nautilus system.
I would NEVER use that rv antifreeze on my travel trailer water lines. I don’t want that crap in my water lines. I only put it in my drains. Any reasonable new trailer has pex water lines which will expand up to 3 times their size before breaking. I blow my lines out with an air compressor and my trailer has done just fine down to -2 degrees F the last 4 years.
Air or anti-freeze, whatever gets the job done so you protect your RV. For most people if you take it in to a service center they blow it out, and then put in the anti-freeze. If you have an air compressor at home that you can do it with then go for it. If you don't, then just doing anti-freeze is a great option.
I can see why some people would be confused and quickly try to point out a mistake. When some folks think of a vise grip they’re probably thinking about the traditional silver tool that can lock into place and the appropriate name is "locking plier". In this case, I’m using an Irwin Visegrip Quick Adjusting GrooveLock. You can utilize the link below to see the product and verify the name. Now, if I were to refer to them as just channellocks that would be misleading because Channellock is the name of a company that produces hundreds of different products. In the case of this video, I held up the product and referred to it by its name. The patented name. There’s a whole world of tool history out there and it’s interesting to learn about. We do appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. amzn.to/3xfaKRC
Yep. You need to have a nautilus water system but much of the basics and the principles are the same. You have to get all the water out of your system and get antifreeze in it or use an air compressor.
Totally disagree? You can’t even agree a little bit? I’m thinking you could easily disagree about 80% and agree around 20%. I mean is that asking too much?
Great video! You keep it simple. So many other videos scare people off by making this seem overly complicated.
Thank you, that’s what we were going for. To be honest, we always get a bit scared when trying something new on the RV but after you figure it out most things are pretty simple. I like to tell people if we can do it anyone can. Safe travels! -Chris & Suzannah
Can i just put antifreeze into the fresh water tank and run the pump?
I have never seen anyone winterize an RV. Short, sweet, and to the point. Thank you for sharing. Peace and Safe Travels.
So you can pay someone $100 or more to winterize your RV and we realized it’s a waste. It’s a very simple process. Thanks again for the support!!
Thank God for this video because the others were so much more complicated
You’re welcome. We’re so glad we could help.
Easiest one I've seen yet for a first timer or a single female having to do all this stuff!!!!
That’s great to hear. It’s not easy for anyone the first time. You’ll get it down fast and become a pro though. Good luck and Merry Christmas!
I was intimidated by all the other videos (I have a Keystone Bullet 243BHS) but this makes me so much more comfortable!!! Thank you both! #RVLife
Glad we could help!
Highly recommend disconnecting the water filter if you have one. I learned the hard way, they crack lol great video though thank you!
Thank you for the info!
Wow. Plain, simple and to the point. Best winterizing video out there.
New subscriber.
Thank you!!
That was awesome. Simple and straight to the point.
Thank you!
Tip for blowing out your lines...you can use your water pressure regulator between the water inlet and the blowout plug, and you won't overpressurize the water lines if you have a high pressure compressor.
That is a really good tip. Thank you!!
Make sure you have an in-line filter for the oil that comes out of the air compressor. You don’t want to contaminate you water system with air compressor oil.
@@chaddelong6485 oops
We are so happy we don’t have to winterize our RV! Great how to video! Chasing RV Sunshine ☀️ Joel, Deb & 🐕 Maya
We actually filmed this back in March before dropping it off for two weeks for warranty work. It was freezing so we decided to winterize. Hopefully it's not something we have to do again!
@@HintonTheTrail haha 😂 we were wondering about that and confused as we know your future travel plans 😂
Good job on the video. Simple to follow instructions.
Thank you!
Good video, I just got a travel trailer and was wondering how to winterize it. Thanks!
Thank you, glad we could help.
Thank YOU both so much! The first video I watched on this, scared me to nausea. Yours is way easier to follow, thanks again.
Ha ha. I think we’ve all been there. Glad we could help and thank you for the comment!
Super easy video! Thank you thank you thank you!! 😊
Thank you, glad it helped.
I just saved myself 150 bucks thanks
You’re welcome!
What a great video! Informative, and so easy to follow, I think I may actually understand what I need to do. Thanks.
That’s good to hear Robert. Thank you and good luck!
Meeee tooo
Great follow along video. Helped me a lot.
Thank you. We’re glad it helped.
Have the same valve system in our Sierra 391flrb. Thanks for the heads up on the valve system bypassing the water heater.
No worries. Safe travels and have a Merry Christmas!
Awesome. Very simple. Thank you for keeping this simple task.... Simple
Thank you, you’re welcome!
Nice job TEAM!
Thank you!
Simple and to the point
Thank you
Thank you!
Great info.
Glad it helped. Thank you!
Thanks for the video. Have not winterized myself before but need to this year.
Do you not have a hot water tank bypass?
Last year I drained my tank and bypassed the hot water system and left the drain plug out for the winter.
The system we had on that RV basically had an auto bypass. We drained the tank for the winter as well.
Thanks, it looks eazy.did you put the hot water heater together. Before adding anti freeze.
This system had a hot water tank bypass built in. Some of them do and others don’t. Yes, we drained it and it then put it back together. We were only winterizing for about a month so we put the sacrificial rod back in. Another option is to put a bolt in there over the winter so you don’t use the rod.
Good explanation.
Thank you!
Need to run antifreeze through the outside shower and pump some with a manual pump through the black tank flush.
We’d never used the shower and when I turned it on antifreeze came out. It was never dewinterized from the dealer. The black tank flush is a good catch. Thank you!
That's a very good video, you make it look so easy. My question is how would this work on a "Travel Trailer" that doesn't have your docking station capabilities ?
Thank you! We’d winterized a few times before making the video so had some experience. The docking system makes it much easier.
There are a few different ways, the first is open up every line and then hook up an air compressor on a low setting and just blow everything out. Some folks do this and don’t use antifreeze.
If your want to use antifreeze you have to get it in to your fresh tank and then pump it through. We haven’t done this on a unit without a docking system and don’t want to steer you wrong. There are some great videos out there on how to do it and we recommend you find one that is closer to the unit you have.
@@HintonTheTrail Thanks for the tip . Be safe and Happy Camping. 👍🏾
Great video thank you
Thank you!
Take pressure valve first before the nut on hot water
Thank you!
Cool and simple
One of those things that seems hard until you do it.
@@HintonTheTrail I have a maintenance background so simple for me.
Verry clear thank.
Thank you!
Not an expert but pretty sure you should have ran antifreeze through the bathtub shower head, all external water sources and drain out water low point drains. Ather than that great video.
We ran it through everything but wanted to keep the video short. The only one we didn’t do was the external shower but we’d never used it. Funny thing was that when we got the trailer back and test it there was still antifreeze it in from when we’d bought it. 😂
You mentioned not having the right compressor? I’m guessing you mean able to lower the pressure, but wondering if it matters, as long as all the faucets, drain valves, etc are open? Guess to be safe, dial it down to 50 psi or whatever is recommended? Thanks.
This is exactly the information I needed. Short, sweet, and to the point!
Is there a way to communicate with you directly, outside of this comment section? I have additional questions, especially regarding Tandara. I have a 286-OK Tandara. You are the first I've seen that also has a Tandara.
We’re glad we could help. You can email us at hintonthetrail@gmail.com.
Hi, About to go out to do mine in a few hours. You said here that you also put antifreeze in your fresh tank. How did you do that?
When we turned the pump on could send it to the fresh tank. The nautilus system we had gave us the option to do that.
Thank you for the video. I've only lived in CA, TX, and FL, so I'm not familiar with antifreeze for RVs. We have a geodome in the Sierras now. I have a genuine question: So do you take showers and baths in antifreeze throughout the winter? Is that sanitary? We have an outdoor bathtub for our geodome guests. I can't imagine them taking an outdoor bath in pink antifreeze. Is that normal in colder climates?
Hello. This process is for winterizing to store your RV. You can’t use the water system with antifreeze in the lines.
Got it. Thanks for clarifying@@HintonTheTrail
Nice vid
Thank you
Great info
Thank you!
After you do everything in this video, can you open the low point drains again and drain all the pink antifreeze out so it's not sitting in there all winter?
You want the antifreeze sitting in all the lines. When it’s time to use your unit again you can run everything and flush the system out.
Ok thanks just confirming though. As I seen you guys empty the water first and then went around to all the taps to show that they were all empty. Then after you put antifreeze in it you turned the taps on and water was coming out before the antifreeze. I assumed you turned the water back on correct? Just to get the water to flush out the antifreeze? Or did you do all that with the water off. I hope I didn’t ask the same question twice I just wanted to be clear. Thx
Yep. When you turn the faucets back on you may get a little water at first but then should have antifreeze coming out. You want to see that on both cold and hot taps.
You’re running off the pump with a line in the antifreeze so it pulls from the jugs of antifreeze direct into the lines. Have one person inside turning things in and another person outside ready to switch to new jugs of antifreeze as the previous one empties.
Don’t reconnect to any water until you’re ready to de-winterize. When you are ready for that just hook up to water and turn on the faucets. Let them run for awhile to ensure you get all anti-freeze out. Hope that helps.
This is all you have to do . The other people on TH-cam are nuts .
Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave a comment.
We also have to do our ice maker and washmachine lines
How do you do those? Are you able to put the antifreeze in them or do you have to blow them out?
Turn the refrigerator on and put the system in winterize put the suction hose in bottle of rv antifreeze turn the pump on when your ice is pink it's done. For the washer turn on valves till it turns pink put antifreeze in drain
@@briancalloway5487 great info, thank you for sharing! Safe travels. -Chris & Suzannah
One thing missed. If you have a washing machine be sure to run the antifreeze into it. Otherwise your valves will freeze and bust.
That’s great info. Thank you for sharing
Do you have a residential refrigerator with an ice maker? If so, how did you address that for winterization?
No we didn’t have a residential refrigerator. Sorry we can’t help with that one.
Step 1. You should already have the tanks drained. Maybe tell us how to do that?
Make sure your gray/black tank hose is attached and at a dump station dump those tanks. Also open up your fresh water tank and empty that.
For the hot water tank, make sure it’s been off for quite awhile and run it to get the hot water out before you attempt to dump it. The tank itself should have a drain on it that looks like a bolt. Thats actually the sacrificial rod and drain. You need to open that up and pull the rod out. Very important that you have gloves on for this just in case there’s still hot water on so you don’t get burnt. After you pull out the plug, find the pressure release valve that should be above it and flip it. Let that stay open for awhile to get as much water out as you can.
Then you can put the plug back in or replace it with a plastic one for the winter.
All of this is shown in the video but obviously your RV may have different locations for things.
What should I do if I’m living full time in RV but will be away from the rig for a week? Should I winterize just to be safe or is there something else I can do to protect the rig while I’m gone? Temps will be below freezing at night but warmer during the day (Boston area).
At the very least you could disconnect the water and drain all the lines. Disconnect the water hose, make sure the pump is off, pull the fresh tank open, pull the low point drains open, and then go turn on all of your faucets. This will get a lot of your water out of the system.
Personally I would winterize. We did this video before dropping our RV off for 2-weeks of maintenance in similar temps to what you’re talking about. Just didn’t want to risk it. It may coast $40-50 in antifreeze and hoses and really doesn’t take that long.
Then when you get back just drain everything and run a lot of water through the system to flush it out.
If you have an air compressor (set to no more than 30 psi) you could do all of the draining above and then blow out the lines. This is something that’s easily repeatable if you leave the rig for a few days or more in freezing temps. Many people skip antifreeze and just blow out the lines and it works for them. Some folks don’t have an air compressor.
Is this something has to be done or are there other methods? Asking because my wife and I are thinking about switching to full time RV living in the next year or so and we are stationed in Rhode Island
Winterizing needs to be done if you’re storing your RV over the winter anywhere where temps could reach freezing.
If you’re full time living in it then no. We did this one because we were dropping it off for 3-weeks for service in freezing temps. Didn’t want to risk it.
If you’re going through the winter in your RV there are a few things you can do to protect it.
Heated water hose. If you’re going to be stationary for a long period in the winter then we recommend doing a skirt. Will help a lot with maintaining temps and protecting your water lines. If your RV doesn’t have heating pads on the fresh water, gray, and black tanks (most do now) then add them.
If temps are going to be very cold you can detach from the water source and just run on your fresh water tank.
Good luck and safe travels.
Did you switch the cold water valve and tge bypass valve by the hot water tank so antifreeze didn’t enter it?
This system doesn’t require that.
Don't you have to bypass the water heater before you add the antifreeze?
This system has the bypass. There are different one where you have to physically bypass it but this nautilus doesn’t require it.
Once tanks are drained, do you close the low point drains and the fresh water holding tank drain?
Yes, close them after everything is drained, and before you start putting the anti-freeze in.
So question it may be silly anyway if your black and grey tank is empty after doing this do I empty that tank again
Not a silly question. You don’t need to empty the tank again. Any anti-freeze that’s in the tank is fine there thru the winter.
Hi, thanks again for your awesome videos! Really appreciate you two. So, after you have run the antifreeze do you just connect to the city water and use the rig as you normally would?
Winterizing is for storing the RV and not using. This protects your water lines from cracking. When it’s time to dewinterize, hook up and run a lot of water through everything. Fill up the fresh water tank and then switch over to pump and run off that until it’s clear and then dump all the tanks.
If you’re wanting to RV in cold weather you don’t winterize. You should get a heated water hose so that doesn’t freeze. Make sure you keep your tank heaters on. If you’re stationary for a long period of time (like month plus) maybe think about skirting.
Your furnace is your friend when it comes to the water lines inside your rig so make sure you use it. Some people use space heaters solely and they forget that those don’t heat their underbelly where the lines are at.
Good luck and stay warm.
Thank you for the kind words!
@@HintonTheTrail Oh I see now. Yes a friend of mine mentioned that hose. Any recommendations? I'm totally still be at this. Not sure if you remember my wife and I met you 2 at the Tampa Super RV show this year. So we are still in Florida and will be in Virginia some time in October of this year. Any wisdom you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
@@gallom325 We used at 50' Camco product for the last few years with no issues. We started with a 25' but found that it wasn't long enough at a few locations. Here's the link: bit.ly/3DRE3h5
We do remember and it's great to hear from you again.
So one other thing to remember is that in cold weather your propane is going to go faster. It's more compressed in cold weather AND you're using more so it's something you want to stay on top of.
@@HintonTheTrail Oh wow! I didn't know that thanks. Yeah man. I try to stay on top of your vids and where you guys are. But, we'll life happens. Thank again. You are indeed a blessing to us in our journey. Have a blessed day and Happy & Safe Travels!!🚍🙏🏽
Please help,, I am staying in my camper this winter,, so I'll be using my tanks for all needs,, so using this antifreeze won't be an on going option,,?
No, it’s not an option. Winterizing is used to prepare the RV for storage.
If you’re going to be living in it there are some things you can do.
If you’re going to be stationary you can put a skirting around the outside of the trailer. This will help a lot. If you’re moving around a lot they do make ones they snap on and off but not something easily done and carried.
Most RVs come with tank heaters so just have them turned on. If you don’t have tank heaters you may want to look into having some put on. Mobile RV techs can assist.
Get a heated hose! Always keep some water in your fresh tank (as long as you have a tank heater) just in case, but a heated hose allows you to stay hooked up. Just have to make sure the water source is insulated and where the hose connects to your RV is also insulated.
Get a space heater. This helps save a lot on propane, but make sure you still run the furnace. The ducts from the furnace also heat the underbelly which is where your pipes are so that helps ensure they don’t freeze up.
Add insulation to the windows. A roll of reflectix is cheap and will help keep in the heat. We found that it’s cheaper at Home Depot than at RV stores.
Get insulating vent cushions as well.
One more thing you can do that will help save a lot on propane is to get propane tank warmers. The kind that wrap completely around the tank like a blanket. Propane compresses when it gets cold so you will go through it like crazy in the winter. There’s also the risk of freezing up.
All of this depends on where you’re going to be and how cold it’s going to get. The colder the area the more you’ll need to do.
Hope this helps. Good luck and stay warm.
What about filters. My MH has a huge filter in it. Should I remove it?
Where are the filters? If it’s for a water system I would remove them but recommend you ask your dealer/manufacturer of the system.
Is the water heater automatically bypassed in winterization mode?
You definitely need to look at your model and see. The system we had did a bypass, but there are others out there that don’t.
How can there be water after you put your antifreeze. You just drained all your tanks before?
Once you drain everything and the hot water tank and get the antifreeze in you run the pump. That pushes antifreeze into the lines and gets any remaining water out. You could also blow them out with an air compressor but don’t go over 30 psi
Did you have to turn the water back on to run the antifreeze through it
Yes. You turn the pump on and then go to each faucet and turn them on until antifreeze comes out. Then shut it off and move to the next one. That ensures you have antifreeze in all the lines.
Where do older RV’s put there anti freeze?
Every model is different so I recommend you do a search for what you have.
Did you bypass the water heater?
That nautilus water system has a bypass built. Some systems don’t and you’ll have to do a bypass.
Do you have to specifically by -pass the water heater with a different switch or is the combination of the 4 levers that you used on the Tandera account for the water heater by pass?
Also did you open up the low point lines to make sure AntiFreeze came out?
To use an air compressor to blow out the lines would you use the same 4 lever configuration?
Thanks for you Help... Tandera 32 RLOK
The four levers account for the bypass for the antifreeze. Not sure when it comes to using an air compressor.
We didn’t open up the lines but probably should have. We were doing a quick winterize for a two week drop off at a dealership.
Here’s a link to the Nautilus P4 system we have on our Tandara. We drained everything from the tanks.
www.bandbmolders.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Nautilus-P4-User.pdf
The suburban water heater instructions say to remove the anode rod and replace it with a 3/4” drain plug. We were replacing our rod after the fact anyway.
Anti-freeze can be corrosive to the anode rod and leave sediment in the tank.
@@HintonTheTrail this was super helpful especially the set up to blow out the lines...thanks again
Ok so before putting the antifreeze in the line don’t you this better if you close all the drains stop b a bellezza
Yes, you close the lines before putting in the antifreeze.
Is it ok to run antifreeze to hot water heater tank?
You can but it’s better/easier to dewinterize if you don’t.
By draining the tank completely and the bypassing it you really don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to water freezing in there. Just make sure you’ve got all the water out.
If you decide to put antifreeze in the hot water tank it’s best to remove the anode rod and replace it with a plug or bolt. Antifreeze can be very corrosive to the anode rod.
Also, when it’s time to dewinterize you really need to do a good job of flushing all of the antifreeze out.
so leave the lines under pressure?
Yes. If you’re winterizing with antifreeze you want it in the lines. The other option is to blow everything out with a compressor at a lower psi.
so this is funny but not really, I have a 2021 Tandara 321-ok just followed the owners manual for winterizing with antifreeze... put the P4 controls in the correct position and started the process, after 5 gals and the pump not turning off started to look for leaks with none found, added 6 more gallons for a total of 11 with no leaks and still the pump not turning off, checked my tanks and it seems that my Galley 2 tank is now 3/4 full. it seems that either there is some sort of pluming mix up or the P4 valve configuration is wrong. anyone have anything like this happen
Wow! Yes, it sounds like there is something plumbed incorrectly. That is the strangest thing. Not even sure how that would be possible. What happens when you fill the fresh tank?
what if you have a washer and dryer?
We never had those in our RVs since not 100% sure. The dryer should be good just unplugged. I would recommend doing a search how to winterize a washer dryer combo in an RV.
Is there antifreeze in the water pump itself ?
Yes. The antifreeze is drawn in to the system by the pump and passes through it.
I don’t have such a fancy system.
Do you use an air compressor?
Only problem I saw which most people forget it. Your outside shower. You forgot to do it.
This was caught by a few others as well. We’d actually never dewinterized it from the dealer, or used it. After the video we realized we didn’t do it and went and checked. There was still antifreeze in the lines.
Doesn’t this suck anti freeze into your potable water tank? You’d have to run clean water though it next spring but won’t there still be trace amounts or are you somehow bypassing the water tank?
It does but that’s ok. Having that anti-freeze in the tanks helps protect them too. Then you do a heavy flush in the spring to get it all cleaned out.
what about tankless water heaters
Robert, that’s a good question. We don’t have experience with those but saw that there are a few other videos out there about the process. We do have a question for you though. How do you like your tankless water heater? Is it worth switching over? -Chris & Suzannah
Forgot to bypass the water heater
And run the outside shower.
Good eye. It’s important for everyone to look at their manufacturer’s instructions on this. Some models require physically bypassing the hot water heater, others don’t. It can be a challenge because they don’t come with a whole lot of instructions and there are a lot of different panels for the water system.
We should have commented on that. We actually never used the shower and when we attached it during filming it had antifreeze in the lines still.
Oaf - the water heater was bypassed when they turned the 'red' knob sideways. If they left the red switch vertical, antifreeze would have gone to the water heater tank. We have the same Nautilus system.
I would NEVER use that rv antifreeze on my travel trailer water lines. I don’t want that crap in my water lines. I only put it in my drains. Any reasonable new trailer has pex water lines which will expand up to 3 times their size before breaking. I blow my lines out with an air compressor and my trailer has done just fine down to -2 degrees F the last 4 years.
Air or anti-freeze, whatever gets the job done so you protect your RV. For most people if you take it in to a service center they blow it out, and then put in the anti-freeze. If you have an air compressor at home that you can do it with then go for it. If you don't, then just doing anti-freeze is a great option.
You lost me after you called your channellock a vice grip. How can i believe anything you say if you don't know what a vice grip is?
I can see why some people would be confused and quickly try to point out a mistake. When some folks think of a vise grip they’re probably thinking about the traditional silver tool that can lock into place and the appropriate name is "locking plier".
In this case, I’m using an Irwin Visegrip Quick Adjusting GrooveLock. You can utilize the link below to see the product and verify the name.
Now, if I were to refer to them as just channellocks that would be misleading because Channellock is the name of a company that produces hundreds of different products.
In the case of this video, I held up the product and referred to it by its name. The patented name. There’s a whole world of tool history out there and it’s interesting to learn about.
We do appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment.
amzn.to/3xfaKRC
Perfect video if you have your RV. Not applicable to everyone else
Yep. You need to have a nautilus water system but much of the basics and the principles are the same. You have to get all the water out of your system and get antifreeze in it or use an air compressor.
Totally disagree. I have a totally different RV but learned a lot in this video on what to do with mine. I found it very applicable regarding any RV.
Totally disagree? You can’t even agree a little bit? I’m thinking you could easily disagree about 80% and agree around 20%. I mean is that asking too much?
Great video very simple and to the point.
Thank you so much!