De-Winterizing Weather Question

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi All,

We are getting ready for our first camping trip later next week. My goal was to de-winterize the Casita this weekend. Last year, the previous owner of the Casita sold it to us winterized having blown air through the lines. So, this was my first year to winterize the Casita. I chose to use RV antifreeze in addition to blowing out the lines with air.

It was sunny and 75 yesterday. Unfortunately, we have a chance of an inch of snow Saturday night. It is going down to 29 tonight, 26 degrees Saturday night, 30 degrees Sunday night, 37 degrees Monday night, and 22 degrees Tuesday night. On Wednesday we plan to drive 350 miles south and escape the subfreezing temperatures for a few days.

Given four of the next five nights will be below freezing, I am not going to de-winterize this weekend. So here are my two options:

1. Dewinterize on Tuesday since we are leaving on Wednesday, but it is going down to 22 degrees Tuesday night. I could run the cube heater and keep cabinet doors open.

2. Wait to dewinterize until we get down to Montgomery, AL, but we only have an electric/water site (no sewer), thus we have limited grey water capacity for flushing the system, plus using the grey tank from Wednesday through Sunday. I don't have a Blue Boy disposal unit. I have thought about purchasing a sewer cap with a garden hose connection along with a 6' garden hose, and a small 5 gallon container so I could drain off 5 gallons of grey water and dispose of it as needed at the dump station.

I would prefer dewinterizing at home and heading south, but with the temperature getting down to 22, I am wondering if I would be better off to dewinterize after getting to the campground.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks,

Dean

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by DeanCHS1980

Hi All,

We are getting ready for our first camping trip later next week. My goal was to de-winterize the Casita this weekend. Last year, the previous owner of the Casita sold it to us de-winterized having blown air through the lines. So, this was my first year to winterize the Casita. I chose to use RV antifreeze in addition to blowing out the lines with air.

It was sunny and 75 yesterday. Unfortunately, we have a chance of an inch of snow Saturday night. It is going down to 29 tonight, 26 degrees Saturday night, 30 degrees Sunday night, 37 degrees Monday night, and 22 degrees Tuesday night. On Wednesday we plan to drive 350 miles south and escape the subfreezing temperatures for a few days.

Given four of the next five nights will be below freezing, I am not going to de-winterize this weekend. So here are my two options:

1. Dewinterize on Tuesday since we are leaving on Wednesday, but it is going down to 22 degrees Tuesday night. I could run the cube heater and keep cabinet doors open.

2. Wait to dewinterize until we get down to Montgomery, AL, but we only have an electric/water site (no sewer), thus we have limited grey water capacity for flushing the system, plus using the grey tank from Wednesday through Sunday. I don't have a Blue Boy disposal unit. I have thought about purchasing a sewer cap with a garden hose connection along with a 6' garden hose, and a small 5 gallon container so I could drain off 5 gallons of grey water and dispose of it as needed at the dump station.

I would prefer dewinterizing at home and heading south, but with the temperature getting down to 22, I am wondering if I would be better off to dewinterize after getting to the campground.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks,

Dean

One must remember all water will instantly at 32°F.

[steve dunham]

You could flush out the antifreeze , disinfect the water system and then blow out the lines with an oiless air compressor at home.
Then head South to the GE&H rally without worry
You should be able to get far enough South in one day to avoid freezing temperatures.
We encountered the same problem when we headed to GE&H from Northern Wisconsin . We dewinterized in Southern Illinois and then headed to Montgomery AL . We also camped in the Loop without sewer at GE&H.

[mary and bob]

Dean, we had the same issue, left home in upstate NY late November to head south. Did not hook up to water until we got to South Carolina. Since there is no way to tell how much water is in the gray tank, I bought a 11 gallon portable tank for use in campgrounds where there is no sewer hookup but there is a dump station. Our Casita has the sewer cap with the garden hose outlet, and the portable tank also has one, so I use that when emptying the gray tank. I have also done as you suggest, using a short hose or direct drain into a jug or bucket. I've been surprised at how much water we run into the gray tank just using the kitchen sink. Filled the portable tank twice one time after less than a weeks use. The portable tank was well worth the expense as this past winter for two months we were in campgrounds with no sewer hookup.

[mary and bob]

I've heard from one camper owner to winterize with cheap vodka, it doesn't freeze and you don't have to worry about flushing out antifreeze, so he says.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

I've heard from one camper owner to winterize with cheap vodka, it doesn't freeze and you don't have to worry about flushing out antifreeze, so he says.

Now here is an interesting idea, but the ethanol may damage the seals and pump diaphragms, just like the high methanol fuel damages the car systems not designed for it.

The water will freeze below 0C (32F), but not instantly, as Byron implied. For illustration, it actually takes as much heat removal to freeze water (change form liquid to solid) as raising its temperature by 80C (say, from room temperature to the boiling point). So, there is some buffer here, which depends on the temperature difference and other factors.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by DeanCHS1980

......So here are my two options:

1. Dewinterize on Tuesday since we are leaving on Wednesday, but it is going down to 22 degrees Tuesday night. I could run the cube heater and keep cabinet doors open.

2. Wait to dewinterize until we get down to Montgomery, AL, but we only have an electric/water site (no sewer), thus we have limited grey water capacity for flushing the system, plus using the grey tank from Wednesday through Sunday. I don't have a Blue Boy disposal unit. I have thought about purchasing a sewer cap with a garden hose connection along with a 6' garden hose, and a small 5 gallon container so I could drain off 5 gallons of grey water and dispose of it as needed at the dump station. ....

Dean, I am facing a similar challenge, we are leaving next Tue. or Wed. for Fort Pickens (Pensacola), but from VT. We are watching the weather channel closely. I am leaving the antifreeze in the system until we are in the warmer climate. Fist stop is Mount Jackson, VA, on I81 and it is expected to be freezing overnight. Second stop Harrison Bay State Park, maybe not freezing. We bring along one or two five-gallon water bags and keep them in the truck, but one will be taken inside the Scamp for cooking and overnight use.

Usually the overnight low temperatures do not happen until before dawn and one possibility is to pack up and be ready to pull away very, very early, after leaving the heat on low in the camper.

Good luck.

[mary and bob]

Paul; watch the weather, looks like snow coming across the northeast Tuesday and Wednesday. We just got home from wintering in the southeast. EDIT; heading both south in Nov. and back north last weekend we overnighted at Natural Bridge VA KOA, just off 81

[DeanCHS1980]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

You could flush out the antifreeze , disinfect the water system and then blow out the lines with an oiless air compressor at home.
Then head South to the GE&H rally without worry
You should be able to get far enough South in one day to avoid freezing temperatures.
We encountered the same problem when we headed to GE&H from Northern Wisconsin . We dewinterized in Southern Illinois and then headed to Montgomery AL . We also camped in the Loop without sewer at GE&H.

Steve,

Interesting option. I used an air compressor to blow out my lines before adding the pink stuff. So, I could flush the pink stuff from the lines, disinfect, then blow out the lines, before hitting the road. Then just add water when I get there. That is a possibility.

Thanks!

Dean

[DeanCHS1980]

Howdy All,

Thanks for the thoughts, feedback, and ideas.

I don't currently own a portable waste disposal unit. Given this is just our 2nd season camping, I want to figure out our needs before buying a 12 gallon or 40 gallon (or something in between) portable waste disposal unit.

However, since we struggled a bit this past year with our grey water tank filling up too fast, I decided to blow $22 today and buy a sewer cap with garden hose connection ($6), a 6' garden hose ($6), and a 16 quart drain container ($10). I will use this for grey water only. This will allow me to drain off 4 gallons of grey water when needed and dispose of it at the dump station. This gives me the capacity to drain a little grey water to buy me an extra day or two. Laura and I typically camp for long weekends from a Wednesday or Thursday to a Sunday or Monday.

Now, I have the option to take the Casita to Montgomery winterized. I can flush and sanitize once I get there. This will use up grey water capacity, but the drain container will allow me to drain off some grey water as needed. I am sure we will hit our capacity while we are there since I will be flushing the pink stuff into the grey tank.

I will keep ya posted.

Thanks,

Dean

[DeanCHS1980]

Here is a picture of my make shift portable grey water disposal unit.

[floyd]

When you arrive, simply dewinterize before you disconnect the trailer, then make a trip to the dump station, clear out your tanks,charge your blackwater tank, then go back to your site and set up.

[DeanCHS1980]

Originally Posted by floyd

When you arrive, simply dewinterize before you disconnect the trailer, then make a trip to the dump station, clear out your tanks,charge your blackwater tank, then go back to your site and set up.

Floyd,

That is a damn skippy good idea!!! My "newbieness" is still showing after one season of camping. Assuming our arrival is not too late, that is a solid idea.

Thanks,

Dean

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by DeanCHS1980

Here is a picture of my make shift portable grey water disposal unit.

Mine is a five gallon sheetrock mud (joint compound) bucket. I use the lid to cover the bad stuff, as necessary, and keep it clean between uses. No picture available.

Originally Posted by floyd

When you arrive, simply dewinterize before you disconnect the trailer, then make a trip to the dump station, clear out your tanks,charge your blackwater tank, then go back to your site and set up.

I was thinking of this, but you beat me to it. Great minds...

[mary and bob]

Some campgrounds charge a fee if you dump when you first arrive, but going to the site first should get around that. We spent two weeks at a time at some campgrounds this past winter, so the 11 gallon blue tank worked out well. Most of the time we used the campground bathrooms as they were nice and kept clean so mainly I was dumping the gray tank. I bought the tow hitch adapter for the tank but never used it, either pulled it by hand or picked it up and set it in the truck bed.

[Uplander]

The best and safest way to handle the freezing temperatures is to head south with your unit still winterized....then stop at a campground with sewer connections once you get below the freeze line...flush your system at the southern campground and disinfect your water system there. This extra campground expense will buy you peace of mind and allow you to do the job right.
Never waste Vodka on RV winterizing....Vodka should be reserved to mix adult beverages never to winterize your RV !!!

Happy Camping ��

[ZachO]

It never hurts to be cautious, but I will say that I've camped when the overnight lows got into the teens, not run the heat, and not had my water freeze.

If you can flush the lines with compressed air like someone mentioned, that would work great.

Remember that there are people out there (and on here) whose winterization process is simply to blow out the lines with compressed air. No anti-freeze.

Cube heater and open cabinets would also work great.

Waiting till you got down there would also work great.



But it takes more than a quick drop to 32 to make your water lines freeze.

[Paul O.]

Even if I could use compressed air to blow out the lines, I know I would have to use some antifreeze for the sink, shower and shower sink traps and the two water pumps that my Scamp has. One is for the fresh water and the other for the shower sump to gray tank transfer.

[ZachO]

I should ask my friend about this. I know he just blows out with compressed air, in Montana, where we had a two month stretch were temps rarely got above 10F this winter.

But maybe he pours a little anti-freeze in the sink drain. I didn't think so but I could be wrong.

[DeanCHS1980]

Originally Posted by Paul O.

Mine is a five gallon sheetrock mud (joint compound) bucket. I use the lid to cover the bad stuff, as necessary, and keep it clean between uses. No picture available.


I was thinking of this, but you beat me to it. Great minds...

Hi Paul,

Keeping it simple, NICE! No picture necessary.

Take care,

Dean