terryb149
Port Saint Lucie, Fl USA
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Joined: 01/23/2005
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We are moving into the Greenville, SC area and will be storing our 40' RV for the winter months. I'm not sure how cold it gets here and was thinking about just draining my tanks, water, heater, etc and not adding antifreeze.
Is it necessary to have to add the antifreeze to protect the pipes? If I drain all the water out of the sytem, how can the cold weather hurt it? Sorry to seem dumb, but we are from Florida and don't normally have to worry about cold weather.
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Bikeboy57
Texas
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Joined: 08/09/2006
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I used to live there, and it gets cold enough on occasion to do some real damage.In addition to draining the tanks, blow out the lines with air, and add the pink stuff to the drains in all sinks and showers.
Richard, Rhonda, Ty, and Alex
1995 Newell with 470HP Detroit Diesel
Pulling 2002 Honda CRV with Alexis Towbar
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flhtci-rider
Montreal, Canada
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Joined: 12/25/2005
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Let me put it this way on the complete outside 15 gal of pink stuff at say $4.00 each plus 2 hours of your time. OR anywhere from $00.00 to $1000.00 if you bust a pipe in the wall or a tank. And the real pain in the butt. Up to you
 2006 Scepter
2008 24' Haulmark EDGE
2008 Grand Vitara
My best friend DW
1 fur ball Max (AKA - PITA)
And enough solar power so I never have to start the Gen Set
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DutchmenSport
Indiana
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Joined: 10/10/2006
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My daughter and son-in-law lived near Charleston SC for a time. Said the winters there very seldom get below 30.
DutchmenSport
2005 Chevy Silverado 3500 Dually Duramax 6.6L V8 Turbo
Century Truck Cap Commercial /Toolboxes
Northeast Outfitters Canoe
2006 Keystone Springdale Model 263DBL
Weight 4985, Carrying Capacity 2575, Hitch 560, Length 30'
Width 8', Height 10' 6"
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Big dog 04
Eastern Iowa
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Joined: 09/18/2004
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It should not take more than 4 gal. of the pink antifreeze to winterize and why would you want to take the chance of damage which could cost you alot more. You only have to drain all your tanks including the water heater and close bypass for water heater and put in the pink stuff. Owners manual should tell you how.
Big Dog
2004 Winnebago Adventurer 37B
2007 Jeep wrangler Rubicon - Toad
Spoiled Black Lab
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mpfireman
Cook County Il
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Joined: 12/26/2003
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Just winterized our fiver this past Sunday. As we might not use it this year again, but again we could? it took us less than 1/2 hr to do, and used less than 2 and 1/2 gallons of the pink stuff. So we are set. When Menard's had this pink stuff on sale some 4 years ago, for only 99 cents a gallon, We bought 15 gallons, so we have enough until 2012, as we already had a few extra gallons on hand. Now if the trailer will last this long?
1998.5 Dodge Ram Quad Cab Cummins
1998 Sunnybrook 27RKFS Fiver
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david_w28
Michigan
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Joined: 08/18/2006
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The cost of the pink stuff simply outweighs the cost of any repairs. This is something you don't want to be cheap on.
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Buck62
Charleston, South Carolina
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Joined: 04/28/2005
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Greenville,S.C. will get freezing temps during the months of Jan and Feb so I would drain all the tanks, blow out the lines and add pink stuff to the toilets and drains. I live in Charleston and we get close or just below freezing during the night for the months of Jan and Feb. I winterize just in case for those two months. It is not a prolonged freeze because the next day it will be in the mid 50's to mid 60's. I use around two gallons of the pink stuff over the two cold months and we use our MH all year long so at the return of each trip during Jan and Feb. I blow out the lines and pour a cup of the pink stuff in the drains again. Better to safe than sorry. My dealer said I should not have any problems with just draining the tanks and opening and draining the low point drains but, I go the extra step of using pink stuff.
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kenhig
Back home in Alabama
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Joined: 03/28/2008
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I guess it gets colder here in central Alabama. I used to drain the tanks and blow the lines dry with air. I failed to get the water cleared out of the Icemaker valve in the back of the refrigerater a few years ago. It broke the valve housing when it froze. On my MH the refrigerator has to be pulled out of the cabinet to get to that icemaker valve. It is heavy!
I now winterize by pumping pink stuff through the fresh water system after draining the tanks and hotwater tank. It takes about one and a half gal of RV antifreeze. I let a little pink stuff run out of each faucet into the drain traps. I also let the icemaker cycle until the ice bin contains just pink slush. I flush the comode until it runs pink as well. The most time consuming part is removing the inline filter on the cold water side in the kitchen so it doesn't stop the pink stuff.
I pump from the antifreeze jug with the RV's built in fresh water pump. I have a clear tube I attach to the input side of the pump. The whole process takes nearly and hour.
It is important to drain all the water lines, including the icemaker.
Ken and Carol
Rig has too few miles
Ken has too many
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terryb149
Port Saint Lucie, Fl USA
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Joined: 01/23/2005
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Thanks everyone for your input. I'm on my way to buy some of the pink stuff.
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