Visit our Popular Forums

Gene · 10-27-2008, 09:37 AM

Jim, go back to post 63 for a way to blow out the water lines. That rubber part comes with some compressors. The white plastic one is a PVC plumbing part.

Gene

rustyrivet · 10-29-2008, 10:03 PM

Thanks, Gene;
For some reason I thought there was a brass fitting that clipped on to the adaptor so you wouldn't have to hold it. I have the plastic adaptor as well as one made of brass but haven't found the right aircompressor fitting except the one used to pump up tires. I haven't tried that one yet. Jim

john hd · 10-30-2008, 04:55 AM

just get a quick connect as i did. then it is hands free.

john

B4WEDI · 10-30-2008, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john hd

After the entire system has been filled with rv antifreeze i add a couple of gallons to all the drain traps.

Thanx for the walk through John ! Nothing like pictures.

Probably just a typo, but adding "a couple gallons to all the traps" seems excessive, depending on how many traps you have of course.....

I would figure a cup in each trap would be sufficient to fill 'em, without overfilling them, unless your objective is to get a couple gallons into the gray tank ?

Attached is a pic of another one man, ready made blow out solution from Camping World that I picked up this year for about $10 bux. Saved lot's of steps in and out of the trailer.

Stay Warm !

HankO · 11-03-2008, 01:17 PM

Hi all,

To Winterize my 97 Excella I first blew out the lines the best I could with a portable air tank (since I do not have electricity where its at in storage), it took two tanks of air to do this job to my satisfaction

After closing the by pass valves on my water heater I put 4 gallons of anti-freeze into the Fresh Water tank and pumped the system until all the faucets showed the pink color of anti-freeze coming out. I recaptured about 2 gallons after making sure I was satisfied that all the water had been pushed out. After doing this I opened the outside drain valve on the water heater and the pink anti-freeze came out. Should this had happened, after all do not the closed valves prevent this from happening? I also was wondering what the valve on the floor (that was closed when I first noticed it) went to, it sits just below the Hot water tank. Also can I not reuse most of the anti-freeze that I push out at a later date? Why do I have to leave 4 gallons of anti-freeze in the fresh water tank?

Henry

Brian Hobin · 10-03-2009, 08:00 PM

Thanks for being there John. I keep copying this periodically for others and if the truth be know, for myself as well.
Regards
Brian

mstratton · 10-08-2009, 01:01 PM

Hi John,

I have a 1966 Caravel and I have winterized it in the past by putting the pump hose into the antifreeze and turning on the pump. Sometimes I still have problems and I have brand new black and fresh water tanks AND a new hot water heater so I'm feeling worried. I have a small air compressor but where do you attach it to blow out the liquid in the pipes? I'm not very handy but I'd like to do this myself.

Many thanks,

Margaret

PS If I drink Bud Lite will it still work?

CanoeStream · 10-08-2009, 01:26 PM

Hello Margaret. Do a standard dump station empty on your black tank. Open the stopcocks and drain the freshwater tank. Residual water in these will not be enough to hurt the tanks.

How old is your HW heater? Does it have a set of 3 bypass valves like John shows in post 6? From the outside access door, do you see a nylon drain plug you can unscrew? It would be nice to winterize without having to run the large volume of antifreeze the HW heater would require.

You blow out through the city water intake. Google on: rv blow-out plug .... and click images in the upper left corner to see a variety of types. I use the Camco plastic one and need an assistant. But the metal ones are similar to what John made up. You've helped me find a better solution!

CanoeStream · 10-08-2009, 01:28 PM

BTW - always have an interior spigot open when you put air into the city water intake.

hookedonclassic · 10-08-2009, 02:17 PM

John HD: Good thread to reread as we Wisconsinites see the seasons change. I winterized yesterday and had trouble with the 3 way value adopter pulling up the antifreeze from the container (same problem last year so I used my old method - hand pump). I raised the container and finally got it to go but couldn't see it coming out of any faucets. I looked outside and antifreeze was coming out of my fresh water tank drain. Long story short, I had the 3 way valve pointed in the wrong direction. Switched 3 way valve around and it worked like a charm. Cracked the plastic fitting on the in-line screen/filter by overtightening so will need to replace that.

mstratton · 10-12-2009, 06:49 PM

Hi Guys,

I called my Airstream fix it guy at Airstream Spokane and he said he did not install an extra line in my BRAND NEW hot water heater to shut off for antifreeze. He told me to just blow everything out really well and then pour some antifreeze into each drain, leave all drains open and no need for antifreeze. So that's what I did. I spent several hours with the compressor going using a custom made attachment from the local boys at Areo Rental. Built up presssure in each line and then let it spew repeatedly. It's only a 17 ft trailer so not a lot of pipe. Do you think I'm OK? He tells me Spokane gets as cold as Iowa but you know that can't be.

Thanks,

Margaret in Iowa

JimmyT · 10-18-2009, 11:14 AM

Excellent help, John. Did your AS come with the heater bypass or did you install that? It looks "factory". I bought the bypass kit just in case. Ours is a 2008 International CCD 23D.

easyride · 10-18-2009, 12:55 PM

We had a cold front come in,so we can finally go camping without running the AC,many years ago I decided to change latitude instead of winterizing.Dave

1cericks1 · 10-18-2009, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyT

Excellent help, John. Did your AS come with the heater bypass or did you install that? It looks "factory". I bought the bypass kit just in case. Ours is a 2008 International CCD 23D.

Jimmy, assuming you have a rear bed, lift up the matress, and you'll see a 4 inch hole. You should see and be able to reach the bypass valves in there. If you have you manual handy take a look at page F-11, or click this link to change them. Then you can test it. Drain the hot water tank, and leave the plug out. Turn the pump back on and if no water comes out the hot water drain but does out of the faucets, you did it correctly.
http://www.airstream.com/docs/2008_International_OM.pdf

I'm curious about putting antifreze in the tank and pumping it through. I've read you should take out the filter but that seems pretty difficult. Anyone with a 23'ccd done that?

JimmyT · 10-19-2009, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1cericks1

Jimmy, assuming you have a rear bed, lift up the matress, and you'll see a 4 inch hole. You should see and be able to reach the bypass valves in there. If you have you manual handy take a look at page F-11, or click this link to change them. Then you can test it. Drain the hot water tank, and leave the plug out. Turn the pump back on and if no water comes out the hot water drain but does out of the faucets, you did it correctly.
http://www.airstream.com/docs/2008_International_OM.pdf

I'm curious about putting antifreze in the tank and pumping it through. I've read you should take out the filter but that seems pretty difficult. Anyone with a 23'ccd done that?

Well, it wasn't as hard as we thought. Yes, we eventually thought to look at the manual (Doh!! I work with computers so we don't read manuals as everybody knows) and found the holes under the bed and bypassed the HWH just fine.

Then I looked at the winterizing kit we bought; no way it was going to fit between the SHUREflow water pump (AquaKing Premier) and the wheel well. So I zipped off to Home Depot and picked up another 90-degree connection to connect to the intake port. Added some tubing and we were pumping antifreeze through the lines in no time. So now we've drained everything, pumped pink liquid all through, poured some down into the traps, and our "baby" is ready for winter. Oh, yeah, I do need to pull the batteries and store them in the house....

Thanks for all the great help here.

CanoeStream · 10-19-2009, 11:06 PM

Rigid intake connections are one of the contributors to the pump being a bit more noisy than it's already freeway-rush-hour racket.

A good buddy has a 2008 23'. I looked at that from the perspective of rigid connections only. Now I know we could have moved the pump in that tiny, tiny space if we'd though to use a flexible intake hose.

Gene · 10-20-2009, 08:51 AM

Did you remember the outside shower?—the way it's set up means the 2 water lines to it have to be lower than the faucet. Mine hasn't frozen, but I worry that the hot water lines especially doesn't get antifreeze.

Gene

CanoeStream · 10-20-2009, 11:57 AM

Gene, I'm troubled that Airstream didn't make the outside shower lines accessible. There are times where I'd like to blow out the outside shower and have shutoff valves so that no water will get to the outside shower again. This is an issue if I'm in reasonable subfreezing travel weather (maybe running a little furnace inside), but my outside shower would freeze.

I've unscrewed the platform at the back of my closet and looked along the wall with a mirror and trouble light. You've given me an idea... There is a red & white PEX line headed under the shower near my water pump. Might fix this yet!

Gene · 10-20-2009, 10:15 PM

Bob, I've thought of finding the lines and doing the same thing, but then I think, "what if I want to use the damn thing?"

Gene

JimmyT · 10-22-2009, 05:56 PM

Same question we've had but this was such an easy process thanks to the helpful pics that we figure just repeat the process (and cost of antifreeze of course). One difference here: we use Fat Tire amber ale.
Happy Air!