Blowing Your Lines

[Bethers]

Deonne, if it's going to be sitting and you won't be getting much above 30 - you might want to blow out the lines and/or use the pink stuff. That's where it can be dangerous - if there's water in the lines inside and it freezes. When I was in a friends driveway and stayed in the house for a couple weeks in really cold weather, I plugged the rv into electric and turned the heat on low. Wasn't worried about water in the water tank - and drained the others, but didn't winterize. Others will say I should have, but I don't when traveling - and then I do have water in the lines. With heat on in the rv, I open all the cabinet doors - because that's where the lines are - and so far, no problem.

By disconnecting, yes, I meant the hose to the rv.

The real question is how cold it'll be for how long - and will you have any heat on in the rig which can keep things from freezing?

[Deonne]

Ah, okay. So two questions:

1. Can I buy something to blow out the lines? If it's relatively easy to do that at home, that seems like the best solution.

2. Or should I run the heater on low (it starts at 50 degrees) on the overnights when it's well below freezing? My heater is propane (with an electric fan, I assume). Or would that be silly - would I burn through the propane too quickly?

[Bethers]

I was plugged into electric and used a little electric heater. But have also used the propane heater. As to the cost effectiveness - would depend on how long you're doing it and how cold it's getting. The electric heater didn't make a dent in the electric bill.

I have never blown out my lines, have used the pink stuff twice. So hopefully someone who does blow out the lines, will chime in now.

[Deonne]

About plugging a little heater in there, I have a really dumb question - I assume I can buy an adapter so I can plug Sadie's power into an extension cord running to my house power?

(And thank you for taking time out of your Saturday to answer all my questions!)

[WickedLady]

It doesn't get extremely cold here in Shelton and seldom under 20*. I don't blow out the lines; just open the low point drains to get rid of any water in lines, close the drains and then put the pink stuff in all the goose necks, the gray and black tanks and a bit in the toilet to keep the seal from drying out. I also run an extension cord into the trailer and hook up a small lamp with a 100W light bulb which keeps the interior of the trailer warm enough to prevent any problems (works great in my 16' trailer).
Marda

[Bethers]

Yes, you need one of those adapters. I use it frequently when visiting friends, etc - to plug in. I've stayed at parks that didn't have 30 amp and needed it, too. And stayed at one park where the 30 amp went bad, was able to plug into the 20 until they could fix it the next day.

[Deonne]

Marda - Good to know! I think I'll rely on a little heater while I'm scamping this winter, then when I'm parked for a longer time (probably late January/February) I'll winterize with antifreeze.

Beth - Excellent. So I'm guessing this is what I need:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... ndle/48856

[Bethers]

That'll work - Walmart will have them in stock - I got something without the "handle" - therefore I can bring the extension cord into the rv cord box to hookup and not have the connection out in the elements. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Valterra-A10-0014 ... 636&sr=1-6

[Deonne]

Beth - Okay, now I'm embarrassed. What you just showed me CAME WITH THE SCAMP. I'm an idiot, and didn't know what it was for/forgot about it. So, problem solved, but I'm sorry to have wasted your time with this question! Enjoy your weekend.

[Bethers]

NP - see - if I hadn't show that - you wouldn't have realized you had it. No waste of time at all. We all have to learn.

[Deonne]

Beth, you're a peach!

[BirdbyBird]

I bought a small hand pump that has one tube that connects to the city water intake and it has a second tube that get placed down in the jug of pink stuff. The suction of the pump, sucks the pink stuff up and pushes it into the lines. It helps to have a second person inside the rig to open one faucet at a time until the PS comes through. Just make sure you use your by-pass to the hot water if you have it.....saves you lots of PStuff. (But then you do have to be sure the hot water tank is drained. ) When I travel in the winter I often just carry drinking water and washing up water with me if I know that I am traveling through the cold....but then I have to make it out of and back into Ohio ...so there you go. I don't shower in my rig and have heated the water in the microwave as necessary for dishes....and I love wet wipes Whatever I have, it is more than tent camping so I am happy. Last week when I winterized it was easy enough that I might actually connect up and use the water this year in FL.... I use the PStuff in both gray and black tanks enough to ensure that nothing freezes....

[Deonne]

Tina - thanks for sharing your take on this! I appreciate all the input, and will check out the pump you mentioned.

[Birdie]

Ladies,
On my Casita, when the temps were forecast for anything below 25 for more than 12 hours and less than 72 hours I did a preventive winterizing. I only had to do this twice during the 18 months that I had my Casita. The Casita was in storage and didn't have access to electric and I wouldn't run the furnace without being around.

I winterized my rig by doing this in this order:

1. Emptied the commode by not having the water pump on and flushing until there was no water running and left it in the black holding tank if there was more than just that water. In other words, I wanted enough material in the tank that it would be difficult for it to freeze and crack the tank. (more material as opposed to less material)

2. Opened the hot and cold water faucets until the water no longer ran out. Leave the faucets open. Again, I wanted enough material in the grey tank that it would be difficult for it to freeze and crack the tank.

3. Turned the shut off valve to the hot water tank closing that off from being emptied. That holds 6 gallons and normally won't freeze in 3 days as it is semi protected by being located in the cabin area of the TT.

4. Took my little air compressor that I had for my TT tires connected it to the 'blow out plug' that I had put on the 'City Water' connector. Turned the air compressor on and that blew the water in the lines out of my pipes.

5. I had the extra fresh water tank in my rig and if there was a little water I added more with the idea that bulk freezing was less likely. I tried to leave room for it to expand upward if it was going to freeze - in other words I didn't overfill it, just added a couple gallons of water. Don't know if my reasoning was right or wrong, but it worked for me.

6. To keep the "U" or "J" joints of the drain pipes from freezing, I had a choice of the pink stuff or some rot gut whiskey (I used Bourbon) - not good whiskey stuff but truly rot got and I poured that in the kitchen sink, the lavatory and the shower drains.

That should get the water out of the lines and leave water in the hot water tank. It puts water in the black and grey holding tanks and the fresh water tank if you have one. It puts material (alcohol) into the drains that normally does not freeze.

Took me about 45 minutes to do that. About 30 of the minutes were spent trying to get the blamed hot water valve turned to the shut position. I mean it was under the driver side dinette seat and you had to pull the little door up and figure out how to get a light in position so you could find the thing. I put a clothes pin on it when I turned it back to the open position so I could find it if or rather when I needed again. The biggest concern on those guys it that you have very little insulation in those rigs and the water pipes are all on the outside edge of the rig.

When I finished that I went home and drank the good whiskey (Wild Turkey bourbon) and prayed the Casita (Birdie's Egg) would be okay.

[Deonne]

Nancy - Brilliant. I especially love that you rewarded yourself at the end with the good stuff. Thank you for sharing!