Murphy and I are Winterizing the Argosy. Need Pump Motor.
I am winterizing my Argosy. I have decided to fill the entire system including water heater with antifreeze. I blew out the water lines by introducing air from the city water inlet. Then I disconnected the pump inlet hose and replaced with a longer section of hose and started sucking the antifreeze from the gallon bottles. The water heater holds six gallons and I have about that in the system now but the old pump motor has given out. I only got antifreeze out of the kitchen faucet, cold water side before the pump failed. Does anyone have advice on how to finish this job without a working pump? Also does anyone have a good used pump/motor for sale. This is problably the original 1975 model pump. Jabsco PAR. I can provide pictures and model number if anyone thinks they may have a useable motor. I rebuilt the pump itself earlier this year. Thanks, Roger
Get a small submersible pump, like a pump used for pumping down swimming pool covers and put it in a bucket. Connect pump to city inlet and pour antifreeze into the bucket - pump away. I have a Camping World catalogue in front of me and they sell a kit for $13.49 that hand pumps thru a faucet.
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WBCCI 24291
New England Unit
Metropolitan NY Unit
You can also use the small pumps you put on the end of a drill , try a large hardware store . The motors for the warer pumps are still available thru airstream , about 90 bucks.
What a waste of time and money. That pink stuff isn't necessary when you do a good job of blowing the system with a $2.00 adapter fitted on the city water inlet! Open the water heater, blow it out, the water lines one at a time, run the punp and then open the water tank drains and blow it and all gets done quickly. No mess, no fuss and no draining in the spring! That pink stuff will stay with you a long time as residue in the spring. You'll be glad you didn't use that stuff! Used the pink only once in 93 with a Motorhome and learned my lesson quickly.
You don't want to use auto antifreeze. I use an air compressor and am still amazed at water spitting out at odd times after I thought I had the system purged. John hd's thread shows how to avoid filling the hot water heater but what I recall from my Argo is that those bypass valves aren't there ... . Pink stuff is cheap insurance, especially for how fragile copper pipes can be.
Definitely don't get pink stuff in the main water tank. Make sure to pour enough into the shower & sink traps to push all water out. A bit of water/pink stuff mix in a black or grey tank will not hurt; ie, if you aren't going back to a dump station I don't think it'd be necessary to drain. Those tanks are a pretty tough and a thin amount of liquid isn't going to put much pressure in them.
William, I did blow out the entire system first using one of the $2.OO adapters you referred to. This is all that the previous owner did last winter with a shot of pink down the traps and it seemed to work fine. However, this summer as I refurbished this trailer, I found that there is not much that is fixed or even accesssed easily on this rig so I figured that a little overkill couldn't hurt - plus I would have the piece of mind this winter that the water system would be ok come spring. That piece of mind is worth the price of the pink stuff.
Ticki2, Thanks for the info on the pump. I'll contact them if I can't get this one going.
Canoe stream, I am using RV antifreeze and you're right, there is no water heater by-pass. I'd fill the heater every winter to keep from plumbing in a by-pass. Cost of the antifreeze is minor compared to repairs and just a fraction of the upkeep expense anyway. I disconnected the inlet to the pump to keep from putting antifreeze in the water tank but I doubt if I'd drink water from a 31 year old tank anyway. Roger
A water heater bypass is easy and inexpensive to install (if you have access to the cold water line that feeds the water heater, and the hot water line coming from the water heater).
Why not replace the dead water pump with a new one? They are not too expensive, and you will need it for next season. About $50-$90 at Camping World.
Both blowing out the lines and using pink anti-freeze is a good idea. All it takes is a low spot in the lines where some water settles and freezes to cause a big problem.
Roger -- Belington, WV? So you must be familiar with the 'evil' US-50 in the northeast corner of your state! I've been looking for somebody else to affirm my opinion that this is the devil's test track for TV towing packages, tranny coolers, and all things mechanical. That road grinds up and down in continuous slow switchbacks that will never let you get out of the lower gears. Ya think?
I did pull my Argosy on that road when bringing it back from Delaware almost three years ago. It was a snowy, blowing night worthy of Minnesota. So yes, winterizing is worthwhile!
Bob, I guess the lines off the heater are easy enough to get to, but I figure if all the plumbing is intact maybe it's better left alone. After replacing the diaphragms and valves in this pump, I was hoping it would live a little longer. We expect temps in the 20s this week. That is why I was looking for a way to finish what I had started without a pump. Then I'll have all winter to fiddle with this one or replace it. Belington is on Route 92 about 30 miles south of where route 50 crosses 92. 92 Runs North-South. That is about the end of the twisty part when traveling west. 50 is the route one takes by mistake. I suppose that use to be the only East-West trail unless you went way North or South to find a different route. 68 is the way to go now. 50 will definetly test your equipment.
What a waste of time and money. That pink stuff isn't necessary when you do a good job of blowing the system with a $2.00 adapter fitted on the city water inlet! .
I can't agree more. Since we use our MH all winter I will routinely blow out the lines, empty the water heater and we usually drain the main tank while driving home. Next I pour a little AF into the traps and we are ready for our next trip. Just out of curiosity what are you planning on doing with all of that used anti-freeze come spring? I hope you are not going to dump it down a storm drain.
Chaplain Kent, I could be that I'll drain the water heater in the spring and save the antifreeze and reuse. I own a microscopic Chrysler-Dodge dealership and we collect our used antifreeze and have it picked up by a recycler. So, I'll be able to dispose of it properly.
I realize that there is more than one school of thought when it comes to winterizing. When there is a doubt I will go the cautious route. There is a difference between you true RV'ers and those of us who merely own trailers. We do not have the luxury of continuously monitoring our systems. We have to prep them in such a way that we will be confident there will be no surprises in the spring. Hardly a waste of my time or my money if I don't have to worry about it this winter.
I am winterizing my Argosy. I have decided to fill the entire system including water heater with antifreeze. I blew out the water lines by introducing air from the city water inlet. Then I disconnected the pump inlet hose and replaced with a longer section of hose and started sucking the antifreeze from the gallon bottles. The water heater holds six gallons. Roger
I have heard comments against filling the hot water heater with antifreeze, but don't recall the reason why. Is it just because it takes so much antifreeze or are there other reasons?
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. Pink stuff is cheap insurance, especially for how fragile copper pipes can be. 
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