Here's a link to the free downloadable process document. Click the link and look for the RV Winterization for Beginners Process document: johnmarucci.com/docs-downloads
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I just finished every one of those steps myself. (First time RV owner myself). I just have one question...I had antifreeze coming through the rear low point drain, but not the front. Should I be worried? Should I try again?
So if your water pump does not have a pigtail line for winterizing, where can I find out how I can source the same connector as my water supply line? Your siphon hose appears to have an identical fitting as your supply line. I’m presuming that you’ll need that in order to connect the siphon hose properly and not get a giant pink mess everywhere…no??
I'm 58, newly single and needing to learn how to function on my own. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don't. Thank you so very much for making videos like this. I really need and appreciate them. From Northern Minnesota 🙋🏼♀️🌽🐄💖
Two females who don't know anything was able to winterize the camper following your steps. Very easy to follow. Thank you for the downloadable documents. We needed this
I’m a new travel trailer owner, and I followed this video to a T yesterday - and it froze here in Wisconsin last night. We have a Coachmen Catalina Summit 184bhs. It wasn’t clear where anything was and after a few calls to the manufacturer, I was able to locate the bypass under the bottom bunk, and remove a drawer under the sink to access the water pump. I feel SO MUCH relief now that our camper is winterized. Thanks for the clear instructional video.
Thanks for this great video. We moved from California last year. Had no clue about winterizing. Our Winnebago trailer water heater blew up. That was a $1600.00 lesson to learn. We will winterize this year for sure. Thanks for the great advice.
Just a quick update on making sure even if you haven't used your water heater for a couple months, that you use the pressure relief valve before you remove the anode rod. John was nice enough to mention it in the video but my elevator doesn't always go to the top (on paying attention) and I got a face full of hot water tank water (it was cold water by now) mixed with all the white junk in it. It would make America's funniest videos if someone captured me doing it but it could also be dangerous when the anode rod bursts out. That's my bad, John mentions it but I didn't follow directions step by step. Thanks for the video, John!
1st time winterizer here. Great job on this video. Clear, concise, unintimidating. Have 100% confidence that this will be pretty simple, thanks to a video like this.
My husband and I have a 2006 Layton 5th Wheel. We don't use the pink antifreeze for our water lines. We live in the Northeast where we have at least 5 months or more of winter. My husband uses a small air compressor at PSI 25 to blow out all the water. You have to open all faucets when doing so and the outside hot water heater has to be drained too. Works awesome!
Yep, many people use the compressed air method to winterize. There is risk if you don’t understand what to do. Some newer folks can cause real damage in this regard. Thanks!
Hey John. I bought my 2021 Bullet Crossfire new in 2020. I've been using your video every year since. The dewintization one as well. Great work. You have saved me from having to remember each step every year since, including today. Thanks again.
I"m new to the RV life, just bought an older 17' travel trailer late this summer. I have to say that this is the most simplest video on how to winterize an RV that I could find! Most of the others seem to be manufacturer specific, but not this one. Thanks for making it so simple. Another Subscriber here!
@@JohnMarucci FYI. I winterized my RV. Including the time to hook up a brass T to the intake of my pump, I think it took less than half an hour! If I had a channel that had anything to do with R'V's, I wouldn't do my own video, I'd just link this one!
Just want to follow up. I did my TT this weekend using your guide. Worked like a charm. I threw a small bucket under my low point drain and captured the antifreeze to use in my sink drains. I had an extra outdoor kitchen sink. Used less than 2 gallons. Thanks again for making such a thorough how to.
Isn't it redundant to pour antifreeze down the drains since you already turned the faucets on to get the AF to flow through the lines? Seems a waste to add more when the traps are already full.
@@toddpratt7222 Sorry--I still don't understand--the water pump is sucking the antifreeze and distributing it to the faucets--the trap should be full when you turn the faucet off--no?
@@neilhudson6194 you are getting some in traps and toilet but I cut it off quick so not a lot. Rather than step 20 using clean in the jug antifreeze which seems a waste, I found the amount I caught in the bucket to be plenty for traps and toilet in addition to small amount from faucets. This was just my way to save the stuff in the jug.
@neilhudson6194 as cheap as that stuff is why not be super safe than sorry? I love where it gets negative degrees for long periods so 3 gallons is fine for me.
Outstanding and very detailed step by step video, this is my first time doing this and with your detailed instructions I could do this without hiring someone. Thank You
Thank you for purchasing the exact same trailer as I did and showing me how to maintain it in such a straight forward and easy manner. I very much appreciate it. :)
love the explanation john.. very informative.. what i usually been doing for years is: after draining all the water out of the rv and water heater tank, i put 3 jugs on antifreeze on my clear water tank, turn on the water pump and turn on all the faucets till antifreeze is running on those hot and cold lines. after that i turn off water pump and take the clear tank cap off and let the remaining antifreeze out of that tank straight to a bucket and later on dumped on p traps around the coach and toilet.
It certainly is a way to do the process without having to use a siphon hose. You may want to think about a final rinse of the fresh water tank so the antifreeze residue doesn't remain in the tank off season. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely love the way you explain every step of this process! I’ve been watching this every season ever since you have posted it and cannot thank you enough. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
New trailer owner- my second winter with it, but never had any idea to do all this. I had to replace toilet parts, kitchen sink parts and bathtub drain. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this video!! I don’t want to replace parts again come spring!!
Very good video! I do just about everything that you showed, however I don't go through the process of disconnecting the intake hose at the pump. It's hard to get to in my Coachmen Catalina 243RBS. After I blow the entire system out, I add about 2 gals of the pink antifreeze right to the fresh water tank. I then turn the pump on and open each faucet until I see pink. Then I'm through. In the Spring, I drain the fresh water tank and flush it a few times with some bleach and water. We don't use the fresh water tank to drink from...just showers and washing dishes. So far, so good. Haven't had any problems yet. My other RV that we had, I was able to easily get to the pump and add antifreeze the way you showed. I have a friend that only blows his system out with air and says he's never had a problem. Never uses antifreeze. Again, good video!!
Thanks! This was a perfect step by step. You don’t know what you don’t know. I bought my rv last summer, barley used it and suddenly in Idaho the temperature changed. I knew I needed to winterize but didn’t know where to begin. This video was perfect and I hit each step one at a time and done. I learned a ton! Thanks John for making this video.
I also like to take my hand pump to put some antifreeze in the black tank flush line.i never use a air compressor I leave my low point drain valves open when we leave the campground on our last trip of the year&I drain the water heater and bypass the water heater when I got home had no water left in the lines
what a great video! Since we bought our tt, have always taken back to the selling dealer for winter and summer service. Its an hour and a half each way and $250, so this year i followed your video and saved $225 and 5 hours.
I live in northern Michigan been trailer camping 30 + years .. blow out with air compressor. Zero need for antifreeze. Keep all faucets in on position..
Yep, that's certainly a way to do it if you know what you are doing. Lot's of people don't know or are new and the risk is pretty high if you don't get all the water out. There's a comment below from a lady who works in an RV dealership and they see lots of broken water pumps in the spring from folks who leave water in the pump when winterizing. Thanks!
Thank you! This is our second Winter with the Trailer. Last year the dealership charged us 100.00 to winterize, this year they wanted 225.00 and I'm not willing to pay that. Your video and check list nailed everything I needed to know. Again, thank you.
4:47 Water Heater should have two bypass valves. The second valve should be at the top of the Blue vertical pipe, to prevent fluid from enter the water heater at the top. At least that’s how my heater is bypassed.
Please disregard my first comment about the flashing light on the video. I'm not sure why it happened, but when I went back to your video it was gone. Excellent video with step by step directions. So thankful to you for making this available to us on TH-cam! God bless.
This is an amazing video. It's detailed enough, but there is no unnecessary fluff either. Spectacular job, this really helped me remember how to do this so I didn't have to go to the dealer this year.
I wish the bypass valves on my GeoPro were so easy to reach! I have to access them by removing a drawer under the bed and crawling through the opening. On the plus side, everything related to the water system is right there together (filter, bypass valves, and water pump), and it has a dedicated antifreeze inlet next to the city water connection outside.
@@KevinDurette Hmm...never thought about doing that. Could work. Of course, I'd have to take the stuff out of the storage bay, so it might not really be any easier in the long run. Thanks for the idea, anyway
I want to send out a big thank you for your great video! I just happen to have a bullet premier so it was a huge help in my first winterizing process. Thanks again!
My water heater doesn't have an anode rod, but it does have a PVC drain/freeze plug that I remove each year. Also, my water pump doesn't have a quick-connect like yours, it's Pex with a crimped on fitting so it can't be hooked up to a syphon hose like yours. However I run the compressor longer and pressurize the entire system and drain each tap until only air comes out, then a final low point drain opening. Then all the taps are left in the open position over the winter. In other words I haven't anti-freezed my lines because there was no water left in them. No issues last winter with that method. I'm a relative noob though.
Plenty of people use the compressed air method to winterize and avoid using RV antifreeze. You may want to search TH-cam for “RV Winterization with Compressed Air” and find a few videos to double check your process. Thanks!
John, greetings. hope you had a great summer camping season! We did, we took your advice and visited Petoskey state park and Mackinaw Island. We really enjoyed our trip from Wisconsin to Michigan. Anyway question: when you winterize your camper and prepare your camper for storage do you empty your camper on the inside. What do you remove and what do you keep inside? How about storage garages do you leave things under in storage space? I really appreciate your instruction videos and refer to them often. Thanks again for sharing so much information!! Bruce
I fully clear out my trailer for off-season storage. I don't want anything inside for critters to have at. It also means you can easily inspect the trailer off-season to see if there have been intrusions. Hope this helps!
new to this and paid to have it done last year and found they didnt bypass the water heater - your video gives me the information on how to do it right snd save money
John, thank you so much for making such a clear instructional video! We just got our first travel trailer and winter is coming fast here in Utah. Everything is such a new learning curve so I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the effort you put into sharing this information.
Thank you, thank you for all your help. On the r-pod 2021 171, the water heater is under the bed boards but the water pump is under the seat board up front under the water pump control panel. I printed up the winterization document and that was very helpful. Otherwise, your many recommendations are spot on.
I just bought my first-ever RV. An East to West Silver lake 29K2S. Loaded with the info John presented here, I took notes, I'll ask the guys at the dealership to run through it with me as a noob. Thanks John, your presentation was tremendously helpful.
Thank you again John , now that we have sold our RPod , and moved up to a Cougar 22mls this was very helpful just like the RPod video was! I ended up installing a bypass kit on my water pump, it worked very nicely and made the job relatively easy. Thank you again my friend !
I have used this video guidance and process document for the last season and this year. Thank you very much. It is concise, well presented and executed. I have gained confidence to do this "chore" myself. Thank You!
I blow out all the lines and don't use any antifreeze in them. I blow out the lines at the water pump too since just blowing at the city water inlet won't do this. Also, my water heater still hold about a quart or more after draining. I siphon it out. Not all RV antifreeze is equal. I leave a jug outside when it gets below zero and sometimes it will freeze. I take it back frozen and still sealed.
Thanks for the comment. Lots of people use the compressed air method and don't use the RV antifreeze. I am always a bit concerned with the water pump that no water is accidentally left in there. I am bit risk averse and lean toward using the RV antifreeze, but to your point if the product is somehow inferior, and it gets below 0 degrees, then you could have a big problem. Thanks again!
Best winterizing video I have used to winterize my travel trailer (and I have used quite a few over the years). Easy to follow. Thorough. Well done and thank you!
Great Video .. I did by from camping world the Winterize Kit that made connection to my water pump a snap! ... 1st time I did this and your Video was VERY helpful.
My 2017 Keystone Bullet 248RKS that I bought used in August of this year is somewhat different in terms of location of the water heater bypass valve, as it’s not easily found behind a panel. Rather, it’s behind the panel for the main electric line cord and then through a hole in the space behind that panel. Your video was helpful to try to make a good guess where I might find it, but there was some educated guesswork needed to find it based on the location of the hot water heater. I know there are many differences even in similar models from the same manufacturer, and so, maybe this additional information may be useful to someone. Also, when siphoning the antifreeze to the water pump, with the low point hot and cold drains open, I was not able to get the antifreeze to come through the hot low point drain without closing off the cold low point drain. This was the case with all faucets and spigots closed, and I don’t know why this was happening. It was a guess to close off the cold low point drain, but it worked. Most all of the video recommendations and examples worked well and were very helpful, as I was able to drain the water tank, hot water heater and low point drains, and blow put the city water and black water input lines. Also, the antifreeze siphon to the water pump worked very well and was exactly the same as the video example. Anyway, thanks to John M for this and all his other informative and helpful videos. I would not have been able to this first winterization with it.
The same thing happened to me with both low point drains open and no antifreeze coming out of the hot line. I did as David suggested and closed my cold line and that worked! Antifreeze out my hot line now. My trailer is a keystone passport 3220bh.
Hi John, awesome simple, straight-forward instructions (we just got a Grand Designs)! We're supposed to get into the teens next week but will be taking the trailer out the following (great timing lol) -- live in Austin where we'll get a couple snaps but nothing like living in the midwest or New England. Advice on what's best for a couple days of freeze snap before heading out? TIA!
Great video, happy to find this as I sit here in Maryland on December 13, it’s 24 degrees and dropping, and I just realized what I forgot to do this season as very cold weather snuck up on us. I think I got it done in the nick of time. I’ve done this for years, but your video showed me how to do a more complete job, so thanks.
Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! Quick question. Is there a reason why clearing the water pump line (step 3) is done after the waste water tanks are emptied (step 1). It seems like step 3 just puts some water back in the tanks. Why not just clear the water pump line first? Also, an idea to share. I found the end of my siphon hose curled up inside the antifreeze jug and poked above the surface of the antifreeze. I solved this problem by zip-tying the hose to a stiff plastic rod to keep the end of the siphon hose are the bottom of the jug.
The pump shouldn't recycle water back to the freshwater tank. Your idea is good on the hose but I'm not sure others would have a stiff plastic rod. Is this something you had already or is it an item you purchased somewhere?
@@JohnMarucci John, thanks for your quick reply. TO clarify my comment, it wasn't that the pump would put water into the freshwater tank. Rather, it was that by running the pump to empty water from the water lines and toilet, it would be putting some new water into the gray water and black water tanks (which we just emptied in a previous step). As for the still plastic rod, I didn't buy anything special. It was actually a part from a broken mini-blind we had in our house.
You can pass if you never plan to use the fresh water tank, however, make sure you still sanitize the rest of the plumbing system before using the first time on the season. Thanks!
Thank you so much for the clear instructions! Since I have a nearly identical model, I was able to easily follow all of your steps and it wasn't intimidating at all, even the first time.
Good question! I think I picked it up years ago from a water softener installation. You should be able to pick up a similar hose from any home improvement store.
Couldn’t you just close the low point drains then turn on the water pump then go back and open them? I’m doing my camper tomorrow and don’t want to waste any antifreeze. Thanks, great video!
I can’t remember if I put a comment on here in the fall. Wanted to say thank you for this video, first year winterizing and we used your video to guide us. Thank you!!
Excellent video!! It couldn't have been done any better. This week will be my first time trying this alone. I always forget a year later and have to ask for help every year. LOL
Today will be my very first time taking the camper out for a 3 month nursing assignment. This is done when not using the camper correct? I’m wondering how the heck to winterize when we are living in it 🤦🏻♀️
It is for before storing the RV off season. If you are living in the RV through the winter months in colder climates, there are many other considerations. You may want to search TH-cam for living in an RV in winter.
So I did the steps, I connected the siphon line to the water pump and turned the water pump on, but nothing is getting sucked out of the anti freeze container
Maybe double check that you are connected to the right side of the pump. If so, try putting your hand over the siphon line to see if it has suction. If you do feel suction, try priming the pump by pouring some RV antifreeze into the siphon line,m.
I loved this video thanks!! Do you have a dewinterize video? Also I wish you would have said to remove or unhook the battery. Lol. Just bought a new battery. Lol
I do have a Dewinterization video. Sorry about your battery. I never leave mine hooked up when I am not using the trailer. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/pt6tnzv8zTs/w-d-xo.html
By far the best and most useful video for this procedure. Thank you. I have a 2017 coachmen freedom express set up completely different from your setup. I was able to follow along almost exactly based on your step by step instruction. Made it way easier to follow. Thanks again.
This is a great video and byfar the best ive come across. Do you leave the hot water tank bypass on and switch back in the spring? And do you need to do the low points if you only use city water?
I leave the hot water tank bypassed until spring. You do need to remove all water from the lines whether you only use city water or your fresh water tank. The city water line only really bypasses the fresh water tank and the water pump. The low point drain allows water to drain from the lines. Hope this helps.
Nice video however engaging the pressure relief valve to my Atwood water heater did not evacuate water to low point drains. I believe the drain plug must be removed regardless if an anode exists behind the plug or not.
To me, I would think just getting the water out of the lines and the tanks and putting a little antifreeze in the p-traps would be sufficient, especially in my area. I'm not sure why you need the antifreeze in all the lines? I'm not in the Midwest, I'm in the west where the lows are around 30.
Your videos are so helpful! We have a 2021 Rockwood 2513S that we haven’t used yet. We are located on the Texas Gulf Coast and are expecting two nights below freezing late next week. Should we go through the entire winterization process? Or are there other things we can do to keep from damaging our camper?
Glad the videos are helpful! As far as winterizing, I think it depends on how cold and long the freeze will last and if you have the trailer nearby where you can keep it heated or if it is remote where you cannot. One thing you can do at the very least is drain all the water from the unit. However, there is no guarantee that you'll get everything out from the water pump or valves. If you have small air compressor you can blow out all the lines, which many people do vs. using the RV antifreeze. If you go this route, there are videos of YT showing the process. Hope this helps!
@@JohnMarucci, thanks for the prompt response! Our camper is in our driveway so it’s easy to keep the power & water hooked up. As of right now they’re predicting one night on the low to mid 20’s and one night around 30. Then we’ll be back up to our usual seasonal temps, highs in the 60’s, lows in the 40’s. We’ve only had the camper a month or so and have filled the city water about half full. I’ll drain it to be on the safe side. Thanks again for you videos and your prompt response to my question. Have a very Merry Christmas!
As long as you have emptied the gray and black tanks, you should be fine. The is plenty of expansion space and some antifreeze will be in there from the toilet and from pushing antifreeze through lines and drains.
Great video. One thought, why blow out the water AND use antifreeze? If you use antifreeze why do you need to blow out? It seems a little like wearing belts and suspenders.
Greg, in the process shown in the video, the only forced air needed is on the city water inlet. Antifreeze won’t back into that section of line, so it needs to be blown out - if you used it (connected to city water). If you never used the city water inlet, there should be no water in that line. Hope this helps. Please let me know if I answered your question. Thanks!
Thanks for making this! I not new to RV life, but felt I needed a refresher course before helping my grandfather winterize his huge, brand new class A! I didn't want to forget something, and be the reason something bad happened over the winter months. Got the job done just in time for a winter storm, that brought single digit temperatures ❄️🥶! I subscribed, can tell you put a lot of effort into your content. 🙏
Here's a link to the free downloadable process document. Click the link and look for the RV Winterization for Beginners Process document: johnmarucci.com/docs-downloads
Do you also blow out your black tank flush?
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I just finished every one of those steps myself. (First time RV owner myself). I just have one question...I had antifreeze coming through the rear low point drain, but not the front. Should I be worried? Should I try again?
So if your water pump does not have a pigtail line for winterizing, where can I find out how I can source the same connector as my water supply line? Your siphon hose appears to have an identical fitting as your supply line. I’m presuming that you’ll need that in order to connect the siphon hose properly and not get a giant pink mess everywhere…no??
I'm 58, newly single and needing to learn how to function on my own. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don't. Thank you so very much for making videos like this. I really need and appreciate them. From Northern Minnesota 🙋🏼♀️🌽🐄💖
Glad the video is helpful! All the best!
Two females who don't know anything was able to winterize the camper following your steps. Very easy to follow. Thank you for the downloadable documents. We needed this
Great to hear! All the best!
Great step by step, no babbling on about nonsense, straight forward easy to follow. Bravo well done
Great to hear. Glad it was helpful!
John is so good - I use his video every year since I bought my camper 2 years ago -
I use it every year as well. All the best!
Thanks John! This was a great Video and your printable list was excellent. We have a new to us 2018 Keystone Bullet Bunk House, so this was perfect. 😀
Many thanks!! All the best!
I’m a new travel trailer owner, and I followed this video to a T yesterday - and it froze here in Wisconsin last night. We have a Coachmen Catalina Summit 184bhs.
It wasn’t clear where anything was and after a few calls to the manufacturer, I was able to locate the bypass under the bottom bunk, and remove a drawer under the sink to access the water pump. I feel SO MUCH relief now that our camper is winterized. Thanks for the clear instructional video.
Glad to hear it, thanks for the comment!
Thanks for excellent videos! They are most helpful! I reference the winterization video every year!
That is wonderful to hear. Thank you for the nice gift! All the best!
Thanks for this great video. We moved from California last year. Had no clue about winterizing. Our Winnebago trailer water heater blew up. That was a $1600.00 lesson to learn. We will winterize this year for sure. Thanks for the great advice.
Glad it was helpful!
Just a quick update on making sure even if you haven't used your water heater for a couple months, that you use the pressure relief valve before you remove the anode rod. John was nice enough to mention it in the video but my elevator doesn't always go to the top (on paying attention) and I got a face full of hot water tank water (it was cold water by now) mixed with all the white junk in it. It would make America's funniest videos if someone captured me doing it but it could also be dangerous when the anode rod bursts out. That's my bad, John mentions it but I didn't follow directions step by step. Thanks for the video, John!
1st time winterizer here. Great job on this video. Clear, concise, unintimidating. Have 100% confidence that this will be pretty simple, thanks to a video like this.
Glad the video was helpful!
My husband and I have a 2006 Layton 5th Wheel. We don't use the pink antifreeze for our water lines. We live in the Northeast where we have at least 5 months or more of winter. My husband uses a small air compressor at PSI 25 to blow out all the water. You have to open all faucets when doing so and the outside hot water heater has to be drained too. Works awesome!
Yep, many people use the compressed air method to winterize. There is risk if you don’t understand what to do. Some newer folks can cause real damage in this regard. Thanks!
Hey John. I bought my 2021 Bullet Crossfire new in 2020. I've been using your video every year since. The dewintization one as well. Great work. You have saved me from having to remember each step every year since, including today. Thanks again.
I use them every year as well. No easy way to remember all the steps. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the video, but also for having a printable checklist. Best RV channel imo.
Glad the video and checklist have been helpful!
I"m new to the RV life, just bought an older 17' travel trailer late this summer. I have to say that this is the most simplest video on how to winterize an RV that I could find! Most of the others seem to be manufacturer specific, but not this one. Thanks for making it so simple. Another Subscriber here!
Great to hear that the video was helpful. Thanks for subscribing!
@@JohnMarucci FYI. I winterized my RV. Including the time to hook up a brass T to the intake of my pump, I think it took less than half an hour! If I had a channel that had anything to do with R'V's, I wouldn't do my own video, I'd just link this one!
Just want to follow up. I did my TT this weekend using your guide. Worked like a charm. I threw a small bucket under my low point drain and captured the antifreeze to use in my sink drains. I had an extra outdoor kitchen sink. Used less than 2 gallons. Thanks again for making such a thorough how to.
Great tip on the bucket to catch the antifreeze under the low-point drains and reuse. Glad it all worked out for you!
Isn't it redundant to pour antifreeze down the drains since you already turned the faucets on to get the AF to flow through the lines? Seems a waste to add more when the traps are already full.
@@toddpratt7222 Sorry--I still don't understand--the water pump is sucking the antifreeze and distributing it to the faucets--the trap should be full when you turn the faucet off--no?
@@neilhudson6194 you are getting some in traps and toilet but I cut it off quick so not a lot. Rather than step 20 using clean in the jug antifreeze which seems a waste, I found the amount I caught in the bucket to be plenty for traps and toilet in addition to small amount from faucets. This was just my way to save the stuff in the jug.
@neilhudson6194 as cheap as that stuff is why not be super safe than sorry? I love where it gets negative degrees for long periods so 3 gallons is fine for me.
Thank you @JohnMarucci. I am anxious to try it with my first travel trailer!
Outstanding and very detailed step by step video, this is my first time doing this and with your detailed instructions I could do this without hiring someone. Thank You
Great to hear you found the video helpful!
Great to hear you found the video helpful!
Thank you for purchasing the exact same trailer as I did and showing me how to maintain it in such a straight forward and easy manner. I very much appreciate it. :)
Great to hear! Glad the videos are helpful!
Very good information. Thanks for keeping this straight to the point. Thumbs up for you my friend.
love the explanation john.. very informative.. what i usually been doing for years is: after draining all the water out of the rv and water heater tank, i put 3 jugs on antifreeze on my clear water tank, turn on the water pump and turn on all the faucets till antifreeze is running on those hot and cold lines. after that i turn off water pump and take the clear tank cap off and let the remaining antifreeze out of that tank straight to a bucket and later on dumped on p traps around the coach and toilet.
It certainly is a way to do the process without having to use a siphon hose. You may want to think about a final rinse of the fresh water tank so the antifreeze residue doesn't remain in the tank off season. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks John. Being new to camper ownership and winterizing, your video has been a lifesaver!!!!!
Great to hear!
Thanks very much John for the good advice. I just did it. i can't wait for spring for your other vidéo "dewinterization" :))
Glad the video was helpful!
Absolutely love the way you explain every step of this process! I’ve been watching this every season ever since you have posted it and cannot thank you enough. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
That is really great to hear. Thank you for the kind words!
New trailer owner- my second winter with it, but never had any idea to do all this. I had to replace toilet parts, kitchen sink parts and bathtub drain. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this video!! I don’t want to replace parts again come spring!!
George, glad to hear that the video is helpful!
Very good video! I do just about everything that you showed, however I don't go through the process of disconnecting the intake hose at the pump. It's hard to get to in my Coachmen Catalina 243RBS. After I blow the entire system out, I add about 2 gals of the pink antifreeze right to the fresh water tank. I then turn the pump on and open each faucet until I see pink. Then I'm through. In the Spring, I drain the fresh water tank and flush it a few times with some bleach and water. We don't use the fresh water tank to drink from...just showers and washing dishes. So far, so good. Haven't had any problems yet. My other RV that we had, I was able to easily get to the pump and add antifreeze the way you showed. I have a friend that only blows his system out with air and says he's never had a problem. Never uses antifreeze. Again, good video!!
Gary, thanks for sharing your process!
Thanks!
This was a perfect step by step. You don’t know what you don’t know. I bought my rv last summer, barley used it and suddenly in Idaho the temperature changed. I knew I needed to winterize but didn’t know where to begin.
This video was perfect and I hit each step one at a time and done. I learned a ton! Thanks John for making this video.
Great to hear. Congrats! Also, thank you for the support with the Super Thanks gift!
Great video! I come back every year to make sure I don’t forget anything.
Glad to hear the video is helpful!
I also like to take my hand pump to put some antifreeze in the black tank flush line.i never use a air compressor I leave my low point drain valves open when we leave the campground on our last trip of the year&I drain the water heater and bypass the water heater when I got home had no water left in the lines
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Most thorough and detailed video on winterization. Thanks for helping out this camping newbie!
Many thanks!
what a great video! Since we bought our tt, have always taken back to the selling dealer for winter and summer service. Its an hour and a half each way and $250, so this year i followed your video and saved $225 and 5 hours.
That's awesome! I'm glad the video helped you save some money and time.
I live in northern Michigan been trailer camping 30 + years .. blow out with air compressor. Zero need for antifreeze. Keep all faucets in on position..
Yep, that's certainly a way to do it if you know what you are doing. Lot's of people don't know or are new and the risk is pretty high if you don't get all the water out. There's a comment below from a lady who works in an RV dealership and they see lots of broken water pumps in the spring from folks who leave water in the pump when winterizing. Thanks!
Thank you! This is our second Winter with the Trailer. Last year the dealership charged us 100.00 to winterize, this year they wanted 225.00 and I'm not willing to pay that. Your video and check list nailed everything I needed to know. Again, thank you.
Glad the video was helpful!
4:47 Water Heater should have two bypass valves. The second valve should be at the top of the Blue vertical pipe, to prevent fluid from enter the water heater at the top. At least that’s how my heater is bypassed.
Many only have one valve. My R-Pod had dual valves like you are explaining.
Great video. P traps were already filled with antifreeze, so you can save even more by skipping that step.
Please disregard my first comment about the flashing light on the video. I'm not sure why it happened, but when I went back to your video it was gone. Excellent video with step by step directions. So thankful to you for making this available to us on TH-cam! God bless.
Glad you found it helpful!
This is an amazing video. It's detailed enough, but there is no unnecessary fluff either. Spectacular job, this really helped me remember how to do this so I didn't have to go to the dealer this year.
Great to hear!
Thank you John! You made this process super easy!
Glad it helped!
Just bought my first camper this year and was worried the winterization process would be troublesome. This video made it SUPER easy. Thank you!!
Glad you found it helpful!
One of the most comprehensive and complete video I’ve seen. Great job and thank you for the information!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent video. The format is exactly what I was looking.
I'm glad you found it helpful!
2nd year using this video as my guide. Thanks again!!
Great to hear!
Thanks John for an another good video. I watched your RPod video every year with my 2018 179. Now I have a Lance 1995. This helps.
Great to hear you're finding the videos helpful!
Dude, these were THE BEST newbie instructions EVER!! THANK YOU!
Great to hear, thanks!
I wish the bypass valves on my GeoPro were so easy to reach! I have to access them by removing a drawer under the bed and crawling through the opening. On the plus side, everything related to the water system is right there together (filter, bypass valves, and water pump), and it has a dedicated antifreeze inlet next to the city water connection outside.
Jeffrey, sounds like a real chore to get to your utilities but nice they put everything in one place. Thanks for sharing!
On our GeoPro, I've found I can also remove a panel from inside the storage bay to get to the water system from the other side, if that helps.
@@KevinDurette Hmm...never thought about doing that. Could work. Of course, I'd have to take the stuff out of the storage bay, so it might not really be any easier in the long run. Thanks for the idea, anyway
I want to send out a big thank you for your great video! I just happen to have a bullet premier so it was a huge help in my first winterizing process. Thanks again!
Glad the video was helpful.
Thank you .. very informative and easy to follow … put a tray under the down spouts and reuse it!
Yep, good idea to capture the RV antifreeze from the low-point drains. Thanks!
My water heater doesn't have an anode rod, but it does have a PVC drain/freeze plug that I remove each year. Also, my water pump doesn't have a quick-connect like yours, it's Pex with a crimped on fitting so it can't be hooked up to a syphon hose like yours. However I run the compressor longer and pressurize the entire system and drain each tap until only air comes out, then a final low point drain opening. Then all the taps are left in the open position over the winter. In other words I haven't anti-freezed my lines because there was no water left in them. No issues last winter with that method. I'm a relative noob though.
Plenty of people use the compressed air method to winterize and avoid using RV antifreeze. You may want to search TH-cam for “RV Winterization with Compressed Air” and find a few videos to double check your process. Thanks!
Feel a little funny after drinking that pink stuff. Thanks!
Yeah, don’t drink the RV antifreeze!
John, greetings. hope you had a great summer camping season! We did, we took your advice and visited Petoskey state park and Mackinaw Island. We really enjoyed our trip from Wisconsin to Michigan. Anyway question: when you winterize your camper and prepare your camper for storage do you empty your camper on the inside. What do you remove and what do you keep inside? How about storage garages do you leave things under in storage space?
I really appreciate your instruction videos and refer to them often. Thanks again for sharing so much information!! Bruce
I fully clear out my trailer for off-season storage. I don't want anything inside for critters to have at. It also means you can easily inspect the trailer off-season to see if there have been intrusions. Hope this helps!
Very well explained. I understood completely and I am a novice RV'er. This was my first winterization. Thanks.
Glad the video was helpful. I think if you take your time doing it, it should go well. All the best.
new to this and paid to have it done last year and found they didnt bypass the water heater - your video gives me the information on how to do it right snd save money
Glad to help. It isn’t too difficult a job to tackle. All the best!
John, thank you so much for making such a clear instructional video! We just got our first travel trailer and winter is coming fast here in Utah. Everything is such a new learning curve so I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the effort you put into sharing this information.
Glad it was helpful!
You just made my whole life better. So very much appreciated. Thanks!
I am so glad it was helpful!
Thank you, thank you for all your help. On the r-pod 2021 171, the water heater is under the bed boards but the water pump is under the seat board up front under the water pump control panel. I printed up the winterization document and that was very helpful.
Otherwise, your many recommendations are spot on.
Glad the video and printable instructions were helpful. All the best!
This was probably the most helpful and informative video I've ever viewed. Thank you for being both thorough and concise all at the same time.
Thanks for the very encouraging comment. Glad the video was helpful!
I just bought my first-ever RV. An East to West Silver lake 29K2S. Loaded with the info John presented here, I took notes, I'll ask the guys at the dealership to run through it with me as a noob. Thanks John, your presentation was tremendously helpful.
Dan, congrats! You should video the dealer walkthrough if possible do you can refer back to it. All the best!
I fabricated the systems the manufacturer uses to make that model. I always wondered where all those went.
@@2inHeartattack Wow, I know I bought 8 of them. They seem to fit as expected. Thanks!
Excellent information. I am never quite sure about the order of the steps for winterizing. Thank you so much.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.................This will be the first time we winterize our RV.
I’ve used the video every year for a while. Just take your time. All the best!
@@JohnMarucci Thanks.
Thanks!
Thank you very much for the support! All the best!
Thank you again John , now that we have sold our RPod , and moved up to a Cougar 22mls this was very helpful just like the RPod video was!
I ended up installing a bypass kit on my water pump, it worked very nicely and made the job relatively easy. Thank you again my friend !
Randy, glad the Winterization video was helpful. All the best with the new trailer!
Just followed this video step by step. Thank you so much for such a simple tutorial!
Glad it helped! FYI, I just used the video myself. Hard to remember all the steps!
I have used this video guidance and process document for the last season and this year. Thank you very much. It is concise, well presented and executed. I have gained confidence to do this "chore" myself. Thank You!
Glad it helped! I also use this video every year!
I blow out all the lines and don't use any antifreeze in them. I blow out the lines at the water pump too since just blowing at the city water inlet won't do this.
Also, my water heater still hold about a quart or more after draining. I siphon it out.
Not all RV antifreeze is equal. I leave a jug outside when it gets below zero and sometimes it will freeze. I take it back frozen and still sealed.
Thanks for the comment. Lots of people use the compressed air method and don't use the RV antifreeze. I am always a bit concerned with the water pump that no water is accidentally left in there. I am bit risk averse and lean toward using the RV antifreeze, but to your point if the product is somehow inferior, and it gets below 0 degrees, then you could have a big problem. Thanks again!
Best winterizing video I have used to winterize my travel trailer (and I have used quite a few over the years). Easy to follow. Thorough. Well done and thank you!
Great to hear. Glad the video was helpful!
Have you done a de-winterizing video for spring?
Yes, the dewinterization video is on TH-cam: th-cam.com/video/pt6tnzv8zTs/w-d-xo.html
20 steps not bad , thanks kind sir 2022 GrandRiver 25bh owner first time this helped alot
It isn't too difficult. Glad the video was helpful!
Great Video .. I did by from camping world the Winterize Kit that made connection to my water pump a snap! ... 1st time I did this and your Video was VERY helpful.
My 2017 Keystone Bullet 248RKS that I bought used in August of this year is somewhat different in terms of location of the water heater bypass valve, as it’s not easily found behind a panel. Rather, it’s behind the panel for the main electric line cord and then through a hole in the space behind that panel. Your video was helpful to try to make a good guess where I might find it, but there was some educated guesswork needed to find it based on the location of the hot water heater. I know there are many differences even in similar models from the same manufacturer, and so, maybe this additional information may be useful to someone. Also, when siphoning the antifreeze to the water pump, with the low point hot and cold drains open, I was not able to get the antifreeze to come through the hot low point drain without closing off the cold low point drain. This was the case with all faucets and spigots closed, and I don’t know why this was happening. It was a guess to close off the cold low point drain, but it worked. Most all of the video recommendations and examples worked well and were very helpful, as I was able to drain the water tank, hot water heater and low point drains, and blow put the city water and black water input lines. Also, the antifreeze siphon to the water pump worked very well and was exactly the same as the video example. Anyway, thanks to John M for this and all his other informative and helpful videos. I would not have been able to this first winterization with it.
David, I am glad the video was helpful and that you were able to adapt it to your specific trailer. All the best!
The same thing happened to me with both low point drains open and no antifreeze coming out of the hot line. I did as David suggested and closed my cold line and that worked! Antifreeze out my hot line now. My trailer is a keystone passport 3220bh.
Hi John, awesome simple, straight-forward instructions (we just got a Grand Designs)! We're supposed to get into the teens next week but will be taking the trailer out the following (great timing lol) -- live in Austin where we'll get a couple snaps but nothing like living in the midwest or New England. Advice on what's best for a couple days of freeze snap before heading out? TIA!
I think your current state is that you are not winterized, correct?
Thanks, this is just what I needed to know. Thank you for taking the time to create this video.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, happy to find this as I sit here in Maryland on December 13, it’s 24 degrees and dropping, and I just realized what I forgot to do this season as very cold weather snuck up on us. I think I got it done in the nick of time. I’ve done this for years, but your video showed me how to do a more complete job, so thanks.
Great to hear that the video was helpful!
Thanks so much for the detailed video. Just winterized my Jayco for the first time.
Glad it helped!
Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
Quick question. Is there a reason why clearing the water pump line (step 3) is done after the waste water tanks are emptied (step 1). It seems like step 3 just puts some water back in the tanks. Why not just clear the water pump line first?
Also, an idea to share. I found the end of my siphon hose curled up inside the antifreeze jug and poked above the surface of the antifreeze. I solved this problem by zip-tying the hose to a stiff plastic rod to keep the end of the siphon hose are the bottom of the jug.
The pump shouldn't recycle water back to the freshwater tank. Your idea is good on the hose but I'm not sure others would have a stiff plastic rod. Is this something you had already or is it an item you purchased somewhere?
@@JohnMarucci John, thanks for your quick reply. TO clarify my comment, it wasn't that the pump would put water into the freshwater tank. Rather, it was that by running the pump to empty water from the water lines and toilet, it would be putting some new water into the gray water and black water tanks (which we just emptied in a previous step).
As for the still plastic rod, I didn't buy anything special. It was actually a part from a broken mini-blind we had in our house.
Great video, John. If I plan to use a city water hookup only, do I need to sanitize my fresh water tanks?
You can pass if you never plan to use the fresh water tank, however, make sure you still sanitize the rest of the plumbing system before using the first time on the season. Thanks!
Thank you so much for the clear instructions! Since I have a nearly identical model, I was able to easily follow all of your steps and it wasn't intimidating at all, even the first time.
Glad the video was helpful!
John, thank you for posting this! Where did you get the siphon hose that you show in the video?
Good question! I think I picked it up years ago from a water softener installation. You should be able to pick up a similar hose from any home improvement store.
First time winterizing my camper. This video made it easy to do. Very clear and concise. Thank you!
Great to hear. All the best!
Couldn’t you just close the low point drains then turn on the water pump then go back and open them? I’m doing my camper tomorrow and don’t want to waste any antifreeze. Thanks, great video!
If you are doing it solo, you could use a bucket to catch the antifreeze at the low point drain outlets and use it later for the P-traps.
I can’t remember if I put a comment on here in the fall. Wanted to say thank you for this video, first year winterizing and we used your video to guide us. Thank you!!
Thanks for sharing. It’s great to hear that the video was helpful.
Followed your video again this year, thank you again!!
3 years in a row, great reference!! Thank you!
Back again for year 4 to follow as we go!
Thank you for this video! You broke it down so this lady could understand! Im confident I can do this in a couple weeks.
Glad it was helpful! All the best!
Excellent video!! It couldn't have been done any better. This week will be my first time trying this alone. I always forget a year later and have to ask for help every year. LOL
Joseph, I’m glad the video was helpful. I also have to look at the video to remember all the steps required. All the best!
Your instructions are very thorough. Easy to follow. Excellent video. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Today will be my very first time taking the camper out for a 3 month nursing assignment. This is done when not using the camper correct? I’m wondering how the heck to winterize when we are living in it 🤦🏻♀️
It is for before storing the RV off season. If you are living in the RV through the winter months in colder climates, there are many other considerations. You may want to search TH-cam for living in an RV in winter.
Just winterized my RV for the first time ever with this video. Thanks so much. 🤙🏻
Glad it helped!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Very good video. It was super helpful. Now on to winterizing 12 units.
Glad the video helped. All the best in your winterizing efforts!
So I did the steps, I connected the siphon line to the water pump and turned the water pump on, but nothing is getting sucked out of the anti freeze container
Maybe double check that you are connected to the right side of the pump. If so, try putting your hand over the siphon line to see if it has suction. If you do feel suction, try priming the pump by pouring some RV antifreeze into the siphon line,m.
I loved this video thanks!! Do you have a dewinterize video? Also I wish you would have said to remove or unhook the battery. Lol. Just bought a new battery. Lol
I do have a Dewinterization video. Sorry about your battery. I never leave mine hooked up when I am not using the trailer. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/pt6tnzv8zTs/w-d-xo.html
By far the best and most useful video for this procedure. Thank you. I have a 2017 coachmen freedom express set up completely different from your setup. I was able to follow along almost exactly based on your step by step instruction. Made it way easier to follow. Thanks again.
Great to hear. Glad the video was helpful. All the best!
The "siphon line" you use at 6:00... do you have a link to purchase this on Amazon? I tried buying another one and it didn't fit in the Keystone pump.
Here is the link to the connector: amzn.to/39Umy0z - if you need the hose itself, search for 1/2" hose, or you can get it at most big-box stores.
Perfect, thank you so much!
This is a great video and byfar the best ive come across.
Do you leave the hot water tank bypass on and switch back in the spring? And do you need to do the low points if you only use city water?
I leave the hot water tank bypassed until spring. You do need to remove all water from the lines whether you only use city water or your fresh water tank. The city water line only really bypasses the fresh water tank and the water pump. The low point drain allows water to drain from the lines. Hope this helps.
Nice video however engaging the pressure relief valve to my Atwood water heater did not evacuate water to low point drains. I believe the drain plug must be removed regardless if an anode exists behind the plug or not.
Yep, Atwood will be different from other models. Likely there is a drain plug to remove that should do the trick.
To me, I would think just getting the water out of the lines and the tanks and putting a little antifreeze in the p-traps would be sufficient, especially in my area. I'm not sure why you need the antifreeze in all the lines? I'm not in the Midwest, I'm in the west where the lows are around 30.
You are probably fine. I would search for videos on winterizing using forced air.
Your videos are so helpful! We have a 2021 Rockwood 2513S that we haven’t used yet. We are located on the Texas Gulf Coast and are expecting two nights below freezing late next week. Should we go through the entire winterization process? Or are there other things we can do to keep from damaging our camper?
Glad the videos are helpful! As far as winterizing, I think it depends on how cold and long the freeze will last and if you have the trailer nearby where you can keep it heated or if it is remote where you cannot. One thing you can do at the very least is drain all the water from the unit. However, there is no guarantee that you'll get everything out from the water pump or valves. If you have small air compressor you can blow out all the lines, which many people do vs. using the RV antifreeze. If you go this route, there are videos of YT showing the process. Hope this helps!
@@JohnMarucci, thanks for the prompt response! Our camper is in our driveway so it’s easy to keep the power & water hooked up. As of right now they’re predicting one night on the low to mid 20’s and one night around 30. Then we’ll be back up to our usual seasonal temps, highs in the 60’s, lows in the 40’s. We’ve only had the camper a month or so and have filled the city water about half full. I’ll drain it to be on the safe side. Thanks again for you videos and your prompt response to my question. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Feel free to let me know how it goes. All the best!
Love your channel. Question once you turn the hot water tank to bypass after done do you turn it back to non by pass position?
I leave it bypassed off-season. I unbypass it when dewinterizing in the spring.
Thank you SO much for posting this! I have a question about the fresh water tank and the grey/black water tanks… do they need antifreeze?
As long as you have emptied the gray and black tanks, you should be fine. The is plenty of expansion space and some antifreeze will be in there from the toilet and from pushing antifreeze through lines and drains.
Great video. One thought, why blow out the water AND use antifreeze? If you use antifreeze why do you need to blow out? It seems a little like wearing belts and suspenders.
Greg, in the process shown in the video, the only forced air needed is on the city water inlet. Antifreeze won’t back into that section of line, so it needs to be blown out - if you used it (connected to city water). If you never used the city water inlet, there should be no water in that line. Hope this helps. Please let me know if I answered your question. Thanks!
Thanks for making this! I not new to RV life, but felt I needed a refresher course before helping my grandfather winterize his huge, brand new class A! I didn't want to forget something, and be the reason something bad happened over the winter months. Got the job done just in time for a winter storm, that brought single digit temperatures ❄️🥶! I subscribed, can tell you put a lot of effort into your content. 🙏
T.J. That’s great to hear that the video was helpful. Sounds like you did the job just in time. All the best!
Great video! Thank you so much for the clear and thorough presentation.
Glad it was helpful!