"The Pink Stuff" anti-freeze - Fiberglass RV
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Old 10-21-2010, 01:02 AM   #1
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Smile "The Pink Stuff" anti-freeze

I still have pink antifreeze in my water tank from last year. I never used the tank. We just take a couple gallon jugs of tap water in sturdy apple juice containers for drinking and use shore water for washing dishes.

So to my questions:

1. How long will the pink stuff stay good. I know auto type anti-freeze goes bad after a couple years but that is subjected to much more 'dynamic' conditions.

2. How do you drain the stuff? Just let it run into the gravel? Collect it and flush it down the toilet? Since it is not toxic, I would think that it would be basically environmentally friendly.

3. I am considering just disconnecting the whole on board water business and do as we have been doing, (see the first paragraph.) Comments?
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Old 10-21-2010, 05:53 AM   #2
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We used the trailer non toxic and bio degradable stuff in our drains from the trailer supply store that can not be used in a car. The car type is not bio degradable and very toxic. We have 3 dogs.
Which did you use?
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Old 10-21-2010, 06:39 AM   #3
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He said it was "pink"! Pink = RV antifreeze

Roger, I assume there is a minimal amount of "pink" stuff in your tanks/system. It really doesn't hurt to just leave it there or you could feel ok by opening the fresh water drain and emptying that tank. I'd also turn on the pump and purge the water lines as best as you can. Either way, it's not a big deal, drain it or keep it. Good luck, Ron
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Old 10-21-2010, 06:46 AM   #4
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I think the pink stuff is good indeffinately. I would just continue as you have been, which is how I also camp. Why disconnect the on board water bussiness as it would devalue the trailer and may make it harded to sell?
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Old 10-21-2010, 09:22 AM   #5
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OTOH, if you are not planning to sell any time soon (and I imagine you aren't), why live your life for re-sale? Especially when it's not a big deal to disconnect and re-connect the water system (in the grand scheme of things). And then you would not have to be hauling around useless (to you) fluids that have weight and free surface area effects (depending on how much fluid you have; likely not an issue, but just saying).

As long as you can be sure there is no liquid in your system (blowing it out or etc.), then you don't need anti-freeze in it, whether or not it is hooked up. Normally one puts in anti-freeze to keep the existing liquid from freezing and damaging things (or any possible residual liquid after things have been drained), but it should be possible to make absolutely sure everything is dry (including inside pumps), and then you have nothing to freeze.

By the way, automotive-type anti-freeze does come in pink now, although I'm sure you have the "RV" stuff. But I'm just saying that the automotive stuff is no longer only green.

"Automotive" = Ethylene Glycol = toxic
"RV" = Propylene Glycol = non-toxic

In climates that do not get too cold, Vodka is often used in boats for winterizing the water systems (not the engine, but "house" systems). It is not as annoying to get rid of as the pink stuff, which can foam and leave a bit of an aftertaste (not permanently, but takes a lot more flushing to get rid of, especially from a water heater). I'm not sure the exact freeze point of Vodka, but I can tell you that it is NOT used in places that get down to -20F, and is used in places that get down to about 10F.

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Old 10-21-2010, 01:07 PM   #6
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40 onces of Vodka and sure my Boler would be happy .........ok I'm going out
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Old 10-21-2010, 01:59 PM   #7
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Just have to make sure you have some left over.
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Old 10-21-2010, 08:56 PM   #8
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Talking Using vodka

If one would use vodka, there would be no problem disposing of it. Just throw a party with plenty of orange and tomato juice!

How about beer? Instead of water, one would have a tap!!
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Old 10-22-2010, 04:11 AM   #9
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Hello All,

We are picking up our "New to Us" 2007 casita Freedom Dlx 17ft. on Saturday!!!! I have been looking for and saving for one of these fiberglass campers for years.

But seriously, in NJ here it is getting a bit cold and I know my season before I have to winterize is getting smaller.

Can one really Use Vodka instead of the Pink RV antifreeze? I would like that better when it comes to disposal... But this sounds unusually happy.

As I winterize, where do I find a fitting for my air compressor to blow the air out of the system? and what PSI should I set my compressor to?

Thanks everyone and I look forward to many happy travels
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Old 10-22-2010, 09:11 AM   #10
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Hi Don,

Yes, vodka is used to winterize potable water systems in boats, but only in mild(ish) winter climates. For example, in Minnesota, we did not use it.

So, I just went to look up the facts on when vodka freezes. Online sources tell me that 80 proof freezes at -16F and 100 proof at -40F. This is pretty good but it also explains to me why we did not use it in Minnesota. -40F would not have been low enough for comfort. That's because it does get quite cold, but also because we would always "overdo it" on cold ratings because although you "know" you have displaced all the water from your system, you can't be 100% positive that a little bit of water did not dilute things (or that's how we do it anyway). So, there, we would use -50F rated "non-tox" for potable water systems and -100F rated anti-freeze for engines (different types of anti-freeze, mind you).

This was in addition to blowing out the lines -- the non-tox was to fill in in any low spots and to winterize things we could not blow out or drain.

On the boats where we use vodka we still use "non-tox" for many parts of the systems, but use the vodka for the potable water tank, the water heater, and those things attached to the "drinking water" system. We use "non-tox" for other parts of the water system (heads [bathrooms], showers, air-conditioning, etc.).

I don't know your climate in New Jersey so I figured I would give you numbers instead of "do this" type of advice.

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