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**jcanavera** · 09-17-2002, 10:11 AM

David,
Antifreeze in the traps should displace the water, but the question always in my mind was it enough. To play it safe I just blew out the traps. Had to wrap someting around the hose to seal it off in the shower and kitchen sink drains since their diameters are larger than my shop vac hose.

Jack

davidz71 · 09-17-2002, 01:12 PM

My thought exactly, did I get the right amount? I'd rather overdo than not.

niftypkg · 09-20-2002, 06:16 PM

Just did my first winterizing!! First, tilted the trailer to drain it. Second, pressurized the system with my 12v inflator [truck sized]. Not much additional water came out through the faucets or toilet. The inflator worked fine but I didn't allow it to exceed 30psi. Then added anti freeze using the pump and opened all faucets and drains one at a time. I will next blow out the drains and fill both holding tanks with anti freeze. { just kidding}Most info came from these threads. Question : although I blue out the lines, what about the line from the hose to the pressure reg. and from the reg. to the cold water line. That is from the HP city water connection. I opened that line and nothing came out-- blocked by the pressure reg. Be nice. Tom

davidz71 · 09-20-2002, 08:49 PM

I have a water hose on a reel next to my power cord reel. I blew this line out, poured antifreeze into the outstretched hose and pushed it through with more air pressure. I then filled the hose again, capped it off with a male plug with tiny holes drilled in it and let the reel roll the hose up. Yes, some of the antifreeze spilled out but that was OK.

James Schmidt · 09-21-2002, 04:01 AM

All these comments for blowing out the lines and traps are good. Just don't forget to pay attention to the holding tanks and drain fittings on the outlet side of these tanks. They will freeze and break if any water is left in them and they freeze. I know from first hand experience! I have found that a good way to take care of them is to pour some antifreeze down into both tanks. Use enough so that some of it will run out the drain valves when they are opened.

JW84345 · 09-21-2002, 07:46 AM

Quote:

I have a water hose on a reel next to my power cord reel

My motorhome had a hose on the reel. I put the air fitting on the end of the hose and blew the water out of everything. It took longer than my trailer and I was surprised how much water came out. I had to drive back over to the dump. I also agree, antifreeze down the drains and a little down the toilet. I also leave antifreeze in the toilet bowl. I read somewhere it keeps the seal from drying out.

Quote:

what about the line from the hose to the pressure reg. and from the reg. to the cold water line. That is from the HP city water connection

The antifreeze I run through the pump to protects the inlet hose from the tank through the pump, accumulator tank and the check valve. I put the air fitting on the city water hook-up, so all fresh water lines are cleared. I used a tire inflator one year and it took for ever, I could get the pressure out of it, but not the volume (CFM). Since then I use a 2 horse power compressor. I think I set the max pressure at 40psi (thoughts anyone: too high for copper tubing?). Last year was great, I did everything on both rigs at the storage yard using the generator on the motorhome to power the compressor. With the coach sold, I'll drag the trailer home, but the good news is I'll only have to winterize one rig.

Jim

davidz71 · 09-23-2002, 05:11 PM

I also have the hose reel on my Excella 500 and this was the first and only fitting location I had to replace after towing it from AZ to TN first week in May '01. The white waterhose connects to a fitting on the reel and water goes to a center hub and out through a fitting at the top on the outside of the reel facing the front of the trailer. The PEX tubing with 90 degree fitting heads down at around a 30 degree angle then takes a 90 degree turn toward the rear of the trailer. Since this fitting is at the lowest point, water was trapped here and it split the fitting. The PEX hose then goes 12" approximately, makes another 90 degree turn toward the outside skin then a 90 degree toward the back of the trailer toward the water heater. After replacing the fitting with a Quest fitting, I eliminated the next 90 degree fitting by gradually bending the new white tubing. It worked fine.

All of these fittings were under the wardrobe closet on the road side so I had to drill out a bunch of rivets. The plastic wheelwell had been cut before so this was not the first time it was done. It is not something I want to do again so I added insulation to this water line.

davidz71 · 09-23-2002, 05:22 PM

83Excella (John),
I don't know how I missed your post last month but I have 2 city water connections. One on the hose reel and one toward the end of the trailer. Yes, the electrical reel is right next to the waterhose reel and it is a standard 30 amp cord that is appx. 25' in length. It sure is handy in that I do not have to fold it up and put it in the back bumper. All I do is pull it out a little further and let the reel pull it back in.

Craig · 09-23-2002, 07:54 PM

Craig,
Unless I've missed it, I don't have two city water connections on my 78 Excella 500. Just the hose reel connection.
Craig

Rickk48 · 09-24-2002, 10:10 AM

May be a dumb question, but I'd sure appreciate hearing from anyone from southern California regarding winterizing. My TT is parked in Corona, where freezing temps are rare, and when temp drops blow freezing it is only for a brief time (maybe a few hours). Also, we will be using the Bambi throughout the winter for beach and desert trips, probably twice per month. So, my question is, here in southern California, do I need to winterize?

gwsullivan · 09-24-2002, 11:12 AM

I live in Thousand Oaks, CA where we get sub-freezing temperatures a couple of times a year. I have never 'winterized' my trailer but I do drain the fresh water tank and run the pump until air comes out the faucets. I have not had any problems to date.

Chuck · 10-14-2002, 05:15 PM

So we have another "frost warning" tonight. Just to be safe, I thought I'd drain the plumbing. I opened all the valves per instructions in the owner's manual, jacked the trailer up, then down. When I went to check the hot water tank, nothing came out. I'm assuming that it just emptied through the supply lines, when I opened the drain valves. just want to make sure. Other question: is it ok to leave these valves open, or should they be closed...or should they only stay closed if the pipes are filled w/ anti-freeze? I'm planning on picking up a fitting so I can attach my compressor and thoroughly blow out the lines, probably next weekend.

also, it took forever to get all the water out of the fresh-water tank. I didn't think there was much in there....we used it when we were "sans-hookups" for a few days in August, but not long before we left, the level indicators told me that it was nearly empty. So I just left it, figuring there wasn't much in there. Well, it took nearly an hour for it to drain. (?). I'm wondering how the level indicator works...I suppose its not a float like a car gas tank. I thought I saw a diagram on some website that illustrated 4 "conductors" at different levels in the tank that correspond to the "0/0, 1/4 1/2, 4/4" readings on the panel. I'm thinking that if a couple of them were not working, it would show "0/0". It did show "full" when I filled it during that dry-camping adventure.

john hd · 10-14-2002, 05:24 PM

you'll be ok unless it gets around 20 deg. out. i don't winterize mine until november. still might get one more nice weekend up north yet. (deer hunting)

john

paul k · 10-14-2002, 06:06 PM

dont mean to insult you, but when you opened your valves did you turn on your pump it drains much faster that way

cactushead · 10-14-2002, 07:12 PM

My unit is less than a year old, and I have aready given up on my level indicators for reliable information. No offense to older-era Airstreamers, but how accurate can you expect them to be? I just about consider checking the readings to be the punchline of a joke after I empty (or fill) my tanks.

Am I the only one?

john hd · 10-14-2002, 09:06 PM

no you're no the only one! my gauges are not even close sometimes, other times after the unit has been moved (liquid in the tanks sloshed around) they seem o.k.

i have seen tank sensor cleaning solutions for sale at camper places, i have never tried them. don't know if it would make any differance.

john

Chuck · 10-15-2002, 05:31 AM

I'd have run the pump if I knew there was that much in there. I just figured every time I checked it that "it must be just about empty now"....

Is it ok to use that cleaning stuff in the fresh-water tank?

The indicators on my black-water tank seem to work just fine. go figure....

that's why I just sort of assumed that since the indicators for the fresh water on the panel lit up, they were working properly, too. no big deal...just a little tough to get a feel for how full it is, unless I was collecting the gray water in an external tank. (which I wasn't on this particular trip). At least with the black-water, you can just look down the toilet and see.

Stougard · 10-15-2002, 12:54 PM

Chuck,

Did you ever figure out what the two switches control just forward of your door? I know there is a light above the door and a light forward of the door but with another switch next to the door, where does the third circuit go to?

Larry
73, 23ft. Safari

Chuck · 10-15-2002, 01:25 PM

Yes, Larry. One of the switches next to the door is for the ouside light that is right on top of the door; the other powers the fixture over the sink. it isn't quite a "3-way" switch, though. If the switch by the door is in the "on" position, you can then turn the light over the sink on and off with its switch. If the door-switch is in the "off" position, the sink light will stay off no matter which way you position its switch.

I just keep mine set to turn on and off by the door switch; that way, I can reach in and flip the light on without having to feel around in the dark for one of the overhead lights.

davidz71 · 10-15-2002, 06:26 PM

Chuck and Stougard,
I have the same switches in my '77 Excella 500 and I operate the sink light just as Chuck does, by the door upon entry.

Chuck, I think I remember reading on the bottle of one of the tank probe cleaners that they were not for use in fresh water tanks. Also, my owners manual says: "The needle position of the gauges may be slightly off due to varying voltage in the Univolt system. With a partially discharged trailer battery, the needle would be to the left of the dot. A higher voltage would move the needle to the right of the dot. Under these conditions the correct tank level is indicated by the closest dot." With fully charged batteries, I filled my tanks to the max and aligned the needles of each gauge to the last dot by F with a small blade screwdriver inserted in the hole provided under each gauge. Everything seems to work fine.