Winterizing your Interstate

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Bikerbill

Except air is more compressible than water. Water under pressure becomes "hydraulic pressure" and will act differently. Air has more or a "cushion" than liquid. That's why gas station "lifts" are usually air over oil. Means that compressed air is pressing down on a hydraulic oil resoviour and this is how it list, via air over oil.

True. I should have said "static pressure." Your plumbing will withstand at least 45psi of static pressure, which is the kind of pressure you have with no faucets or valves open.

[andybree]

After reading the manual and all these posts about winterizing, we feel ready to follow instructions for storing our new 2014 Interstate (named Walter) this winter when we get home from North Carolina the first of November. However, we have just realized that we probably need to consider how to handle the freezing temperatures while we are parked for a week visiting family up there. We'll have 20-amp shore power, and have tank heaters, but think that may not be enough to protect the lines from freezing. Should we plan to drain/blowout/winterize w/RV antifreeze for the week our AI will be mostly parked in the driveway near Asheville, NC?

[73shark]

I use a small 1500 watt heater in those conditions and I've never had a problem keeping the interior warm enough to prevent freezing. The heater has a fan associated with it to help circulate the air.

[Lily&Me]

We have been in temperatures in the teens in our Interstate, and never had anything freeze inside.

If you are not going to be staying in it, a space heater or your furnace running at 60 degrees or so would be sufficient.

If it's gong to get really cold, I would open under cabinets where tanks and pipes are, to allow better circulation of heat.

The general rule of thumb: if it's warm enough for you, it's warm enough to keep interior pipes from freezing.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

I am doing the winterization for the first time this year.

I have drained the hot water heater and left it open, also turned the hot water by-pass valves under the rear bench.

I was told to "find the low point valves and open them", to drain all water from the fresh water tank. Where are these???

I don't think Doug ever did this, and he also ran a bit of fresh water into the tank to mix with the antifreeze solution, he said because that was what you are supposed to do. The antifreeze solution I bought says not to dilute it.

I can see no more than a couple of gallons of water in the bottom of the fresh water tank. I have 3 gallons of antifreeze. If I can't find the low point valves and pour that into the remaining water, and run it thru everything as directed, will it be sufficient to keep things from freezing??

Thanks in advance.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I was told to "find the low point valves and open them", to drain all water from the fresh water tank. Where are these???

Not sure where they are on yours; the layout is a lot different. Does the owner's manual say where they are?

I can see no more than a couple of gallons of water in the bottom of the fresh water tank. I have 3 gallons of antifreeze. If I can't find the low point valves and pour that into the remaining water, and run it thru everything as directed, will it be sufficient to keep things from freezing??

There should also be a drain plug on the bottom of the freshwater tank, that you can open to drain out the remaining fresh water. For the sake of convenience, you might want to run the pump, and pump out the fresh tank until the pump starts sucking air, and THEN drain the remaining couple of quarts out of the fresh tank. But then you'd have to drain the gray tank again, too because all of that fresh water you pumped out has to go somewhere.

[Lily&Me]

I thought about running it thru and out the grey system, but would have to get the blasted hot water tank cap back on to run the pump, then off again. Grrrrrr.

Would the plug for the fresh tank be underneath, like yours?? There is no way I could get myself underneath the motorhome.....and then back out again. There is no room to manuever....likely to get myself stuck or dislocate something, and the rescue squad would have to come after me and pull me out.

I haven't pulled the owners manual out. I thought someone here would know and jump in.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Okay, lazy me has pulled the owners manual and am going to try to locate the drains.



Msggie

[Lily&Me]

I did find the hot and cold water low point drains and emptied them....maybe 1/2 cup of water came out of each.

There is supposed to be a drain for the fresh water tank by the water pump, but I find nothing in that area that would drain that tank.



Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Of course an 06 would be different than any of the newfangled contraptions everyone has these days. What was I thinking.

Minus enlightened guidance from someone here, I'm going to empty thru the grey system in the am, put my antifreeze in, and run it thru everything.

What little bit of water there may still be in there shouldn't dilute enough to matter.....I hope.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

There is supposed to be a drain for the fresh water tank by the water pump, but I find nothing in that area that would drain that tank.

The drain plug on mine looks like a plastic hexagonal bolt head on the bottom of the tank that you have to unscrew with a crescent wrench. It's not a valve or anything convenient like that. But you should be able to reach under without having to crawl under; you should just have to lay on your back alongside and stick one arm under.

[Lily&Me]

Hmmmmm.

My fresh water tank rests on the floor under the galley. Nothing could fit underneath. Oops, you mean outside and underneath. I have laid down on the ground on both sides, with a flashlight, and can't see anything.

Not sure what I am looking for, tho, and afraid to just start twisting on things....if my hand were strong enough to get something loose that has never been loosened to my knowledge.

In the am I will look on the other end of the tank, on the inside, the opposite end from where the pump is.

Thanks, Protag.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

My fresh water tank rests on the floor under the galley. Nothing could fit underneath. Oops, you mean outside and underneath. I have laid down on the ground on both sides, with a flashlight, and can't see anything.

If the tank is above floor level, then there must be a floor penetration (a hole) where the drain comes through. If you can find the hole in the metal floor, the drain will be there as well.

The only other thing I can think of is, if the tank is against a side wall of the van, the drain might be on the side rather than underneath.

[Lily&Me]

I'll look more thoroughly in the morning....when my brain, that sees no logical order, rhyme nor reason, to anything mechanical, is rested. It has had enough for one day.

I am pretty certain Doug didn't do anything like opening a plug on the fresh tank, and he winterized at least once a year...sometimes twice...since 2007. We never had any burst pipes.

However, I really don't know exactly what he did do. I just helped with the dewinterizing, flushing out and sanitizing part. That, I can do.


Maggie

[Sebtown]

I have an identical AI as Maggie. There are two drains located at the front of the left rear wheel well on mine. Simply twist the knobs and drain.

[Lily&Me]

Yikes! That's the kind of information I need! Thank you!

Are these the low point drains? Do you have a rear bath?

I have a mid bath, and the low point drains are directly in front of the tank dumping paraphernalia. I did find those, after searching in the owner's manual , and drained them.

It's the fresh water tank drain that I haven't located. Where's yours?


Maggie

[73shark]

BTW, you don't have to put the plug back in the HW heater as long as you leave the bypass valve in the bypass position.

Also you will need to run some RV antifreeze thru the macerator pump to avoid having it freeze up. Also best to open the low point drains w/ the RV relatively level. That's the last thing I do after running some RV antifreeze thru the fresh water tank into the black and gray and out the macerator. That way the dump valves will be relatively clear of water.

Does yours have the black tank flush system?

[Lily&Me]

I have an 06.....none of those bells and whistles. No macerator pump, no black tank flush system.

Okay, so run the remaining water in the fresh tank out, then the antifreeze in and thru everything. Open those low point drains last thing?

Doesn't sound like finding the external drain for the fresh water tank is critical. ??

And thank you!


Maggie

[73shark]

Do you have the outside shower fitting?

[Lily&Me]

I do, and know to run the winterization fluid thru it, as well.


Maggie