Winterizing On The Road

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by JCWDCW

Mystic Cove AS park charge $1.00 Per day to store. You do need to be a member of WBCCI
BTW you can use the 12V compressor; you just need to let it build pressure against closed taps and then blow them at one at a time staring at the farthest from the pressure tap..usually the city water inlet. I have done this successfully several times. A bit longer to do it than with a proper compressor with a storage tank of air. IMHO much better than using antifreeze and having to purge the taste in the water lines.
JCW

Must be able to regulate the air pressure generated by the compressor, however, in my opinion, as earlier comments suggest. They often get >100 PSI, which can blow up a tire and burst plumbing lines, if not regulated with an inline regulator.

[dhroberts]

A logical idea to leave the AS in warmer climes versus taking it back home to the frigid north. I fully understand - and somewhat appreciate - a wife's objection. That said, and although I live in warmer Houston, I think I would miss the winter weekend opportunities to go to the storage garage and tinker with the AS.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Must be able to regulate the air pressure generated by the compressor, however, in my opinion, as earlier comments suggest. They often get >100 PSI, which can blow up a tire and burst plumbing lines, if not regulated with an inline regulator.

Most recent Airstream models include a built in pressure regulator in the city water line. However, if you are concerned about the pressure use a supplemental inline regulator to ensure low enough line pressure to avoid bursting a pipe. Camco makes a good, inexpensive regulator. I use one like this between the campground water spigot and the trailer to prevent over pressurizing the water hose.

[Ted S.]

Open the low point drains and drive for a while that will get most of the water out. Then blow air through the system, I use my portable compressor so I can do it completely from the road. I will not use antifreeze anymore it's too tough to get out of the system it seems to find small reservoirs to hide in like the water heater and it is nasty.

[pmclemore]

When we were returning home from Florida to Virginia in February a year or two ago, I wanted to winterize first. But just try to find RV antifreeze in Florida!

Pat

[OTRA15]

Cheap generic vodka works! See Post #9.

[weber.roger]

Save yourself the trouble. Store the rig in Fla, and you won't need to winterize.
Saves mileage also

[weber.roger]

in once sentence you say to put pink antifreeze in the toilet and in another one you say not to as it warps seals? Which is it?

[Len n Jeanne]

If you don't travel with an air compressor and feel comfortable about blowing out your pipes, any RV service center can winterize your AS for you for a small fee. So can a mobile RV mechanic.

We've left our AS in winter storage at an RV park in St. George, UT, and had a mobile mechanic come out and do the job on site. Previously, we've just made arrangements for winterizing at a nearby RV service center where ever we happened to be.

To us, the risk of freezing the pipes just isn't worth it. If your daytime temperatures go for several days without getting above freezing, it is a risk.

You can still camp in a winterized RV. Just put a week anti-freeze down the toilet and sink with your waste water, such as windshield washer fluid. You have to use bottled water, and manually flush the toilet. Then showers are strictly in the RV park facility. It's inconvenient, but not a huge hassle.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by weber.roger

in once sentence you say to put pink antifreeze in the toilet and in another one you say not to as it warps seals? Which is it?

OK in the black tank, don't leave it in the bowl on top of the flap with the rubber seal. I flush the toilet until the pink stuff flows out of the water outlet, which puts it in the black tank, then I turn off the water pump, flush the last of the pink stuff with a little water, then add the cooking / olive oil.

[OTRA15]

Any vegetable oil incl. olive can become very sticky as it ages in air, and might gum up the works IMO. Not sure what to use, but I would avoid this route.

[Cispook]

We are going to leave the AS on Kings Bay military base in their RV storage. Will arrange for a local RV dealer to blow the lines out since I only travel with a small compressor.
This will alleviate my worries of trying to get out of Ohio in mid February.
Thanks everyone for the advise ... especially Roger 😎


2017 27FB FC

[Adventure.AS]

If you choose to use some RV anti-freeze be sure and get the type that has no alcohol. The ethanol alcohol can evaporate and lower your freeze protection and the alcohol can damage rubber and plastic - like the seal on the toilet. The propylene glycol antifreeze is a bit more expensive but used extensively in winterizing boats as it protects the rubber and plastic.

[Cispook]

Just for discussion thoughts and comments -
Those who have winterized in the road, what type of air compressor did you use.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Cispook

Just for discussion thoughts and comments -
Those who have winterized in the road, what type of air compressor did you use.

I use the VIAIR 450P automatic which is more than adequate for the winterizing task, but I bought it specifically for airing up my Jeep tires after airing down to go off road.

An 'automatic' compressor is ideal for winterization as it builds up pressure in the line and then shuts off. When you open the valve on the tire chuck the unit will blow the water out of the line when you open a tap, etc. You may have to repeat this cycle a couple of times to remove the water at each tap.

[Ohiobrits]

"If you will be back to Ohio by the end of November, you will miss the worst of the hard frosts"

I agree with this post. I camp through Nov and then a few days in Dec, Jan and Feb if not too cold. Last winter this was doable, the year before not so much. I winterized last year mid Dec when the daytime temps were not getting much above freezing. Keep your propane full and run the furnace at 40F if you need to on the way back and if necessary until you winterize. Take a look at average temps for the winter for your Ohio zip. Looks like average high of 50F and average low of 29F for Nov for my zip. Very manageable to stay wet with some furnace use. I think you will be fine if you wait and winterize once in OH.

[kdickinson]

Had to do this on the way home from AlumaFiesta in Tucson a couple years ago. I stopped at a truck stop in Springer NM and did a quick winterize. Fortunately I had 3 gallons of RV antifreeze with me because I thought I would be forced to winterize before I got home since I would be getting home at night and also the temps were going below freezing after Raton pass. I had made sure the black tank was empty (no grey tank on my 1969) before I left the campground, emptied the water heater and left it open, and then pumped the pink stuff from the front where the water pump is to the back where I could visually see it coming out the bath sink. then I opened the shower / tub fixture and then opened the flush on the toilet and ensured the spray wand had pink coming out. Then I opened the kitchen sink. I also made sure of course the fresh water tank was empty. Then I opened the master valves in the back and ran the pump until most of the pink stuff was out of the lines, left all faucets open and drove on home.

I was paying $125 to have my trailer winterized and finally paid the guy $50 to show me how to do it. Once I realized all winterization is is the displacement of water with air (ideal) or the pink stuff it was easy. I used my compressor to finalize everything a few days later when we got back above freezing. Took all of 10 minutes at the truck stop -

[explore more]

Here you go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm2hTs3Nmoc

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

I use the VIAIR 450P automatic which is more than adequate for the winterizing task, but I bought it specifically for airing up my Jeep tires after airing down to go off road.

An 'automatic' compressor is ideal for winterization as it builds up pressure in the line and then shuts off. When you open the valve on the tire chuck the unit will blow the water out of the line when you open a tap, etc. You may have to repeat this cycle a couple of times to remove the water at each tap.

Does this unit let you regulate the air pressure down to 40 PSI or so? I can't tell from the online description. thanks

PS -- In the User Manual, the Note on p. 4/8 seems to indicate that the unit's pressure switch is designed for the range of 120 to 140 PSI, which is way too high for an Airstream's pipes. I don't see any discussion of how to regulate the air pressure below 40 PSI, as is commonly available in many stationary compressed air setups, both at home and in the shop. Maybe I have missed something? Thanks

http://www.viaircorp.com/images/manu...043_Manual.pdf

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Does this unit let you regulate the air pressure down to 40 PSI or so? I can't tell from the online description. thanks

http://www.viaircorp.com/images/manu...043_Manual.pdf

You have to realize that when winterizing with air from a compressor like the VIAR 450P you aren't trying to pressurize the water system, but just pushing the water out of an open tap. Think of it as if you were blowing water out of a straw with a puff of your breath.

Close the low point drains and bypass the hot water heater after it has been drained. The compressor is attached to the city water inlet with a Shraeder valve adapter and turned on. The pressure builds up in the compressor hose, not the water system because the air chuck trigger is off. When the compressor line is pressurized the compressor shuts off.

You can winterize alone, going in and out of the trailer to operate the taps, but it is easier if two people are doing the job. The inside person can open each tap in the trailer, one at a time, and then the air is released from the compressor into the system by the outside person using the trigger on the air chuck. This puff of air will push the water out the open tap.


Photo shows the air chuck with trigger from VIAR 450P Automatic

Once all of the water is out of the line I let the compressor continue to run with the tap open until only a few fine drops of water mist are coming out. With the tap open there is no way the pressure in the water line is going to get anywhere close to 40 PSI. (One tap that is often overlooked when winterizing is the outside shower.)

It is not necessary, but it would be more convenient if you had a compressor regulated to 40 PSI and then you could do the job quickly by yourself by letting the system pressurize and opening one tap at a time without having to go back and forth outside. However, with the 450P automatic it is an easy and fast job and only takes about 5 minutes to blow out the lines even if working alone.

The only things I want to run a bit of RV polypropylene antifreeze through is drain traps and the 12V water pump because the compressor at the city water inlet will not blow air through the pump. I have a winterizing PEX line, with a valve, plumbed into the line between the pump inlet hose and the fresh water tank. I add about a half cup of antifreeze as the pump is running with a hot water tap open. I avoid putting any antifreeze in the fresh water tank as it is hard to flush it all out in the spring.

Let me know if you have any other questions.