Please review my winterization procedure

[switters]

I have a 2025 Trade Wind 25FB. I'm creating a checklist for winterization, and I want to ensure I'm not missing anything. I also have a few questions. Note: I'm using the compressed air method with antifreeze only in the toilet, bathroom sink and shower drain, and kitchen sink drains.

Here's the procedure:

At the campsite
1. Dump and flush black and gray tanks
2. Open fresh water drain valve and LP valves (for water to drain while driving home)

At home
1. Level trailer
2. Drain the water heater
3. Open all faucets (including outside shower)
4. Turn on water pump to expel remaining water from storage tank
5. Open all low-point valves (including water heater valve)
6. Open/flush toilet valve. (Operate the shower head while holding it down inside the tub and drain all water from the flexible hose._
7. Turn off water pump (after all water has been removed from storage tank)
8. Disconnect outlet hose from water pump. (This water, about 1/2 cup, can be caught in a towel or rag.)
9. Reconnect water pump outlet hose
10. Raise and lower front jack until water ceases to drain
11. Blow out city water inlet. (Apply 50 lbs. of air pressure to the city water inlet until only air is coming out of the faucets. You may need to open and close faucets one at a time (including outside shower), to both hot and cold positions, and repeat this step several times to force out trapped water.)
12. Blow out black tank flush
13. Put one cup of non-toxic RV antifreeze in the toilet, shower, and sink drains.

Questions
1. How much pressure should I use with the compressor? The Trade Wind manual says 30 lbs, but I've seen 50 lbs recommended here.
2. Do you sanitize the fresh water tank before and after storage, or only after?
3. Am I missing anything?

[Bearstream01]

I dont like the idea of having those valves open while driving. I dont want any road ick jumping up into my fresh tank. Thats just me.

[Steamy1]

I use a small leaf blower to blow out the water in all of the drain P-traps so I don't have to pour RV antifreeze in the drain.

Also drive the tires on the curb side of the trailer on blocks to lift it to help drain the residual water from the tanks.

[aftermath]

Switters, your system sounds good to me but.....


1. I think you are spending too much time and worry about draining all the lines before you hook up to air. I use 50 to 60 pounds of pressure and have been doing so since 2009 without issues. Yes, drain your FW tank and your HW tank. Make sure you bypass the HW tank.


2. Hook up the air and do as you outlined. Make sure you run air through your toilet valve and the sink sprayer, if you have one.


3. I sanitize only in the spring. If you leave a little of water in your HW tank you will be fine as there is lots of room to expand if it freezes. If you leave a little water in any of your lines, that will be another story. I blow out my lines twice. If someone starts talking to me in the middle, I might even go through the process a third time.

[Fungus]

I leave faucets open after the big blow to allow for expansion of any water left in the PEX. Probably not necessary.

Also don't like to tow with the fresh water valve open.

Non-toxic antifreeze in the traps.

[farafield]

In addition to or instead of blowing out the lines, some people fill the water lines with pink antifreeze added at the pump so it doesn't go in your fresh water tank and with water heater in bypass so it doesn't go in your water heater. A bit more work at both ends, but perhaps worth it for peace of mind. Might also depend on how cold it gets where you are.

Another thing, I have heard that there should always be something open when adding air pressure or it's too much pressure on the system. Unclear on the truth of this but until I hear otherwise, I will do this.

[BikeCamper]

Originally Posted by switters

I have a 2025 Trade Wind 25FB. I'm creating a checklist for winterization, and I want to ensure I'm not missing anything. I also have a few questions. Note: I'm using the compressed air method with antifreeze only in the toilet, bathroom sink and shower drain, and kitchen sink drains.

Here's the procedure:

At the campsite
1. Dump and flush black and gray tanks
2. Open fresh water drain valve and LP valves (for water to drain while driving home)

At home
1. Level trailer
2. Drain the water heater
3. Open all faucets (including outside shower)
4. Turn on water pump to expel remaining water from storage tank
5. Open all low-point valves (including water heater valve)
6. Open/flush toilet valve. (Operate the shower head while holding it down inside the tub and drain all water from the flexible hose._
7. Turn off water pump (after all water has been removed from storage tank)
8. Disconnect outlet hose from water pump. (This water, about 1/2 cup, can be caught in a towel or rag.)
9. Reconnect water pump outlet hose
10. Raise and lower front jack until water ceases to drain
11. Blow out city water inlet. (Apply 50 lbs. of air pressure to the city water inlet until only air is coming out of the faucets. You may need to open and close faucets one at a time (including outside shower), to both hot and cold positions, and repeat this step several times to force out trapped water.)
12. Blow out black tank flush
13. Put one cup of non-toxic RV antifreeze in the toilet, shower, and sink drains.

Questions
1. How much pressure should I use with the compressor? The Trade Wind manual says 30 lbs, but I've seen 50 lbs recommended here.
2. Do you sanitize the fresh water tank before and after storage, or only after?
3. Am I missing anything?

I’m unclear what opening the “LP valves” at the campsite has to do with winterizing?

In your “At Home” section you list “2. Drain the water heater” and then “4. Turn on water pump to expel remaining water from storage tank”. However if you don’t by-pass the hot water heater between #2&4, the pump will send water to the hot water heater.

[switters]

Originally Posted by BikeCamper

I’m unclear what opening the “LP valves” at the campsite has to do with winterizing?

In your “At Home” section you list “2. Drain the water heater” and then “4. Turn on water pump to expel remaining water from storage tank”. However if you don’t by-pass the hot water heater between #2&4, the pump will send water to the hot water heater.

Sorry, LP valves = low-point drains. I realize that was confusing.

Re: water heater. I used "Drain the water heater" as shorthand to describe several steps related to the water heater (described in the Trade Wind manual):
1) Turn off water pump on monitor panel
2) Disconnect power to water heater
3) Shut off LP gas supply
4) Open both hot and cold water faucets
5) Remove hot water access panel, held in place by screws. Rotate the exterior valve knob clockwise one-quarter turn counterclockwise. The handle should align with the water line.

Step 5 is bypassing the hot water heater, correct? (I'm not sure how to disconnect power to the water heater specifically. Should I just put the trailer into storage mode?)

If I follow this procedure for the water heater, I suppose step 3 "Open all faucets" may be redundant, since I've already opened them to drain/bypass the water heater.

[aftermath]

My trailer is older, a lot older than yours so I can't help with what you have to do to bypass the water heater, but you do need to do it, heh, heh. I have a switch on the wall of the bathroom to turn on my water heater. It is usually off anyway so when it comes time to winterize, it is off for sure. I don't fret about pulling fuses or turning off the propane, I just make sure the switch is off. I am a KISS kind of guy.


Some owners have or have installed a bypass on the tank side of their water pump so they can suck the pink stuff through a hose and get it into all the water pipes. This is probably the best way to winterize but you have to make sure your HW is bypassed and that none gets into your freshwater tank. Because the location of my pump makes it a challenge to install one of these bypass options I use air only. When you connect the air to the water inlet on the side of your trailer is DOES NOT send air through the pump. After I blow all the lines I will run the pump dry to expel any water in the pump. I will then blow the lines again to get rid of any water from the pump that makes it into the main lines. You do have to be careful but I haven't had any disasters since I started doing this. Just be careful and thorough. I am thorough, some call me anal, but I prefer thorough.

[Boale]

Switters, I will be very interested in how you drain and bypass the WH. I'm picking up a 23' Tradewind in late November and have started looking at the winterize procedure. I found the winterize kit behind the Circuit panel attached to the water pump and plan to blow out the system first followed by using the winterize kit to run some pink stuff through the lines. The WH does baffle me since the valve behind the front panel of the heater and the exterior valve knob doesn't seem to be a drain? There are also a couple valves on the in and out lines outside the heater that would appear to isolate it.

[LNBright]

Drain the tanks (gray and black appropriately, then fresh and hot); I use the air compressor to blow out the lines, then bypass the water heater and use the aforementioned tube at the water pump to pull antifreeze from the jug through until it's coming out the sinks and showers. Then I remove and drain the shower lines/ hand wands. Note: per my post elsewhere, last week I took mine up to the factory for a repair: long story short: when I winterized mine last, I didn't get the shower's faucet handle over far enough to blow out all of the hot water side, and assumed I'd gotten enough antifreeze in to dilute/ account for any potential water that I hadn't gotten out... they had to disassemble my shower to get to the back of it, to repair the busted water valve where the hot-water side had cracked. Not a cheap repair (but, it has been fixed right).
So, yes, I encourage you to be as thorough as you can on your winterizing checklist.

[switters]

Originally Posted by Boale

Switters, I will be very interested in how you drain and bypass the WH. I'm picking up a 23' Tradewind in late November and have started looking at the winterize procedure. I found the winterize kit behind the Circuit panel attached to the water pump and plan to blow out the system first followed by using the winterize kit to run some pink stuff through the lines. The WH does baffle me since the valve behind the front panel of the heater and the exterior valve knob doesn't seem to be a drain? There are also a couple valves on the in and out lines outside the heater that would appear to isolate it.

I have the same question about the WH. On my 2018 Flying Cloud, it was obvious how to drain the WH—you pulled a plug, and the water drained out in front of your eyes.

This WH works differently, probably because it's a recirculating model. I'm no expert (far from it), but it seems to me that the valve behind the panel is the bypass, and the knob in front is the drain. When I turned the knob as instructed, I did hear water moving inside the unit. Where does it drain? I'm not sure—possibly into the grey tank?

I saw those valves on the in/out lines when I accessed the low-point drain valve via the exterior curbside compartment. But the manual doesn't say anything about opening/closing those valves during the winterization/de-winterization process, so I'm planning to leave them alone.

One of my biggest remaining questions is what will happen if I blow out the lines without bypassing or draining the WH. Does anyone know? I'm not clear on how these systems are connected.

[Boale]

I don't think that is a bypass valve behind the panel. I believe that is to drain the recirculating tank where I read it's approximately a one gallon tank, so not entirely tankless.

[switters]

Originally Posted by Boale

I don't think that is a bypass valve behind the panel. I believe that is to drain the recirculating tank where I read it's approximately a one gallon tank, so not entirely tankless.

Interesting. Then what does the knob in front of the panel do?

And is there a bypass valve? If so, where? I searched the entire manual (command-F) for bypass, and the only mention of it is in the context of the LP tanks—not the WH.

I'd call my dealer to ask, but I think I know more about the Trade Wind than they do. Maybe it's worth writing Airstream support about this. I'll give that a shot.

[switters]

Well, somehow I missed this box at the bottom of page 8-13 (despite the large orange "warning" icon, haha). I will check the water heater manual when I'm at the trailer tomorrow.

I also submitted a question to Airstream support about this. I'll let you know if I hear back.

[Boale]

I pulled this off the Suburban website. The Suburban control panel has an On/Off switch you can use to turn power off.
(IW60RL MODELS) Locate the water heater unit inside the coach. Remove the service panel to access the drain valve. The drain valve is a red knob located on the rear of the water heater where plumbing enters the water heater. Turn the drain valve clockwise one quarter turn and leave in this position. Behind the drain valve, locate the black drain handle. Turn the drain handle one quarter turn counterclockwise, which will allow the full system to begin draining. Once the full system draining is complete, turn the black drain handle one quarter turn clockwise, returning it to the closed position. Turn the red drain valve knob one quarter turn counterclockwise, returning it to the closed position. Finally, replace the service panel.

https://library.suburbanrv.com/wp-co...03-01-2023.pdf

[switters]

Originally Posted by Boale

I pulled this off the Suburban website. The Suburban control panel has an On/Off switch you can use to turn power off.
(IW60RL MODELS) Locate the water heater unit inside the coach. Remove the service panel to access the drain valve. The drain valve is a red knob located on the rear of the water heater where plumbing enters the water heater. Turn the drain valve clockwise one quarter turn and leave in this position. Behind the drain valve, locate the black drain handle. Turn the drain handle one quarter turn counterclockwise, which will allow the full system to begin draining. Once the full system draining is complete, turn the black drain handle one quarter turn clockwise, returning it to the closed position. Turn the red drain valve knob one quarter turn counterclockwise, returning it to the closed position. Finally, replace the service panel.

https://library.suburbanrv.com/wp-co...03-01-2023.pdf

Interesting. Nearly identical to the Trade Wind manual instructions except for the last part where these instructions suggest returning the knob and valve to the closed positions.

I'll check the WH manual at the trailer tomorrow and report back.

[Boale]

So how I read this is to use this procedure to drain the tankless WH .5gal tank then close the valves. When you blow out the system you should be blowing out the tankless recirculation plumbing as well. Then when you add the antifreeze through the winterizing kit the water pump will push the pink stuff through the recirc pipes and .5gal tank also I think! lol
that is really the question to ask IMO.

[switters]

Originally Posted by Boale

So how I read this is to use this procedure to drain the tankless WH .5gal tank then close the valves. When you blow out the system you should be blowing out the tankless recirculation plumbing as well. Then when you add the antifreeze through the winterizing kit the water pump will push the pink stuff through the recirc pipes and .5gal tank also I think! lol
that is really the question to ask IMO.

I'm not planning to put antifreeze in the lines—I just use it in the toilet valve and the drains.

So, the question for me was more about whether I need to drain the WH every time before I blow out the lines. In another thread I posted about winterizing in a fluctuating climate, I mentioned I will need to winterize/de-winterize a few times a year because the temps often drop below freezing overnight for short periods during the camping season, and I store my trailer outdoors without access to shore power.

On that thread, someone mentioned "degrees" of winterizing depending on how cold it gets for how long:
1) blow out lines
2) empty hot water tank
3) empty fresh water tank
4) empty grey and black tanks
5) pump antifreeze

i.e. if it's only going to drop a few degrees below freezing for a couple of hours just before sunrise (which is what typically happens during spring/fall cold snaps where I live), then he would only blow out the lines. If it's going to be a bit colder/stay colder for longer, then he'd proceed to emptying the hot water tank.

If I follow this approach, there may be times I'd blow out the lines before draining the hot water tank. I'm just trying to figure out if that's safe/a good idea with the Trade Wind, since it has a different type of WH.

[Boale]

I would think that to empty the WH tank is pretty simple so why not do it before blowing out the lines. I also wonder if the red knob outside the WH you need to turn is to allow air to enter the system and break the vacuum so the small tank can drain.