Preparing Your Coach for Cooler Weather

GUEST COLUMN This article originally printed in Country Coach, LLC’s Destination magazine. Still valuable information today, I am pleased to share it here.

Preparing Your Coach for Cooler Weather  by Brian Keys, CC Engineering Dept Employee

With summer behind us and winter fast approaching, it is time for many of us to winterize our coach. There are two winterizing processes commonly practiced. The simplest and perhaps the most preferable option is to clear out any water from your coach's plumbing system using low pressure compressed air. The second option is to replace the water in your coach's plumbing system with RV antifreeze. This process is a little more time consuming both during winterization, and de-winterization when the RV antifreeze must be flushed completely from the system to eliminate the somewhat unpleasant taste from your water supply. If making decisions is not one of your strengths, then you may be glad to know that many of the current Country Coach models with a Royal Flush toilet, or diesel fired water heater can only be winterized with RV antifreeze as the compressed air process will not clear the water from some areas of the plumbing system. This includes all-electric coaches where the water heater cannot be easily drained.

There are many variations to the winterization process, and some will use a combination or both air and RV antifreeze especially when the coach will be subjected to extreme cold during the winter months. Which process you choose to use is mostly a matter of personal preference, but be aware that a coach with the Royal Flush toilet and diesel or electric water heaters will have some unique requirements as detailed below.

Before we begin, let us share a few words of caution.

* The water you will be draining from your coach can be very hot and may cause scalding!

 

* If you have chosen to use the compressed air process, you should ensure that the air supply is filtered to remove both particulate matter, and oil/water emulsion. The air pressure should be regulated to no more than 50psi to prevent damage to the plumbing system.

* If you decide to go with the RV antifreeze process, then please be aware of the correct terminology as used throughout this article. You will need to purchase 'RV Antifreeze', not 'antifreeze' or 'coolant' which is for engine use. The RV antifreeze you choose should be specifically designed for winterizing RV plumbing systems, and it should be non-toxic for obvious reasons!

 

* One last word of caution; wear old clothes! There are many opportunities for messes to occur that will present themselves as you winterize your coach. The RV antifreeze for example is usually colored and can stain clothing, plastic or paint. Spills should be cleaned up promptly!

Winterization using the air pressure process:

1. Turn off both heat sources for the water heater - electric and propane (if not an all electric coach). The electric heat source is typically turned off at the appropriately labeled breaker in the distribution panel.

2. Empty the holding tanks at a suitable location, and drain the fresh water tank also. Use the leveling system to lean your coach to the driver's side to empty the tanks as much as possible.

3. Open all the low point drain valves which are usually located behind the water pump access panel in the water bay.

4. Locate the drain plug at the bottom of water heater and remove it to drain the contents of the water heater tank. Opening the PTR release valve that is usually located above the drain plug will help the water drain faster. Replace the drain plug and close the PTR release valve when the water heater is empty.

5. Adjust the regulator of a clean air source to a maximum of 50psi then connect it to the city water connection using a winterizing adaptor. The city water connection on your coach will exist either as a retractable hose, or a female hose fitting in the water bay. The winterizing adaptor is commonly available at most RV accessory retailers.

6. When water stops coming out of the drain valves, close them and continue by opening the hot and cold faucets throughout the coach until only air comes out, then close them also. Draping a wet wash cloth over the faucet will avoid any undesirable splashes as the air purges. Don't forget to open the shower fixture and the faucet in the water bay.

7. Flush the toilet until air comes out and cycle the washer/dryer on a warm setting to clear water from those lines.

8. Cycle the icemaker (following the manufacturer's instructions) until air purges from the supply line.

9. Set your coach back into a level position and activate the fresh water fill to clear water from this circuit into the fresh water tank. With this step complete, disconnect the air hose from your coach and connect it momentarily to the sewer flush to clear its lines of water.

10. Now cycle the water pump for about one minute until it is only pumping air. Remove the bowl from the water filter housing and drain the contents. The filter should be discarded and the bowl replaced securely. You will need to install a new filter after de-winterizing your coach in the spring.

11. Lastly, protect the P-traps throughout your coach by pouring RV Antifreeze minto all the basin drains including those in the galley, bathroom and shower. Pour about a half gallon of RV antifreeze into your washer/dryer and run it through a cycle to ensure its P-trap is protected also, then fill your toilet bowl with the remaining half gallon.

Winterizing with RV Antifreeze:

If you chose this option, it is probably because you have an all-electric coach, or your coach has a Royal Flush toilet or diesel fired water heater. This process will require about ten gallons of RV antifreeze, which must be pumped into your coach's plumbing system using one of the three methods below.

* Pour the RV antifreeze into the fresh water tank after it has been emptied, then pump it into the plumbing system using your coach's onboard water pump. This method should be avoided because the water that cannot be completely drained from your fresh tank will dilute the RV antifreeze, thus reducing its effectiveness. It is also difficult to remove all the RV antifreeze from the fresh water tank and any that remains will make your water taste somewhat unpleasant.

* Pump the RV antifreeze into your coach's plumbing system through the city water connection using an external water pump hooked up to 12-volts. This method is preferred but it does require that you purchase a second water pump. This second pump can be retained as a spare, however, should the onboard water pump fail for any reason.

* Disconnect your coach's onboard pump from the fresh water tank and use it to pump the RV antifreeze into the plumbing system. This method may seem like the ideal solution, but disconnecting your pump from the fresh water tank requires a lot of patience and manual dexterity. There is also a risk of damage to fittings which can be difficult to repair. I would caution against this approach.

Now let's continue with the process itself!

1. Complete steps 1 and 2 of the above air pressure process.

2. Open all the low point drain valves, which are usually located behind the water pump access panel in the water bay. Now open all the faucets throughout the coach to help the water drain faster. Don't forget to open the water bay faucet and shower fixture, and flush the toilet repeatedly until water stops flowing.

3. Once the water stops flowing from the low point drains, the next step is to set your coach back into a level position then cycle the water pump for about one minute until it is only pumping air. Next, close all the faucets and remove the water filter bowl to dump the contents. Replace the water filter bowl securely to prevent leaks.

4.

With the low point drains still open, pump RV antifreeze into

plumbing system using one of the three methods above until it begins to flow from the low point drains. These drains can now be closed.

5. While still pumping RV antifreeze into the coach, now open the cold water side of the faucets throughout the coach until the RV antifreeze begins to flow then turn them off. Repeat this process for the hot water side of the faucets and be aware that this step will take significantly longer because the RV antifreeze must fill the water heater also.

6. Short cycle the washer/dryer on a warm setting to fill these lines and Ptrap with RV antifreeze. Next, cycle the toilet until RV Antifreeze fills the bowl.

7. Cycle the icemaker (following the manufacturer's instructions) until the ice tray fills with RV antifreeze.

8. If you chose to use an external pump to drive RV antifreeze into the plumbing system, it can now be disconnected and hooked up to the sewer flush to clear these lines using about 1/8th gallon of solution.

9. Last, repeat step 2 above to drain most of the RV antifreeze from the plumbing system. This last step provides some room for expansion should the system freeze in severe weather conditions. This is especially important for the water heaters in all-electric coaches which cannot be completely drained, and will not receive the same protection as the rest of the system because the RV antifreeze will have been diluted by the water that remained in the water heater's tank. This water that remains after draining will not cause any damage to the heater in the unlikely event that it should freeze. The same is also true of the holding tanks which also cannot be completely drained.

If you were able to winterize your coach in a timely manner while managing to stay clean and dry, then you are clearly proficient in the process and might consider winterizing your friends coach also; for a nominal fee of course! The following list of items should also be considered before storing your coach for the winter months.

Additional Steps:

1. Remove perishable items from your refrigerator and also remove any canned or bottled goods from your coach that may freeze and burst.

2. Replace the fluid in your windshield washer reservoir with a wash solution that has freeze protection.

3. Check the coolant in your engine and generator for adequate freeze protection. Also replace the oil and filters to eliminate the contaminants that can settle to the bottom of the oil pan, and acids that can cause accelerated wear to various components of your engine while stationary for long periods.

4. Fill your diesel tank to reduce condensation and add a fuel stabilizer to prevent the fuel from breaking down.

5. Make sure your batteries are fully charged to prevent them from freezing, and consider using solar panels to keep them charged if you cannot provide power to your coach during storage.

6. Increase your tire pressure to maximum rated pressure then park your coach in a location that is away from trees to avoid risk of falling limbs, and to minimize the buildup of difficult to clean tree sap on your coach's exterior.

7. Always remember to protect against undesirable visitors such as ants or mice that may find refuge in your coach while you are absent.
 
Taking the time to winterize your coach thoroughly will avoid any unpleasant surprises when it comes to de-winterizing in the spring.