ok northerners help with this question water reservoir

[Brumeiser]

This is our first experience taking the RV out on the road in cold weather. We are leaving northwest Ohio November 24th and going to Florida. We have winterized the camper with the anti freeze because of nightime lows in the upper 20's. Could we use the toilet by pouring some water from a jug to fill up the toilet to flush, then refill the toilet with water and then pour a little anti freeze back in the toilet until we get to warmer climates? Any response from those who have camped would be appreciated. The Brumieser's wife. Thanks

 

[mnsprk]

What brand/type unit do you have?

You shouldn't hit any weather that will cause you any concern unless we have a surprise extended cold snap. You should be in Tenn. the first night if not further South.
We're in Cincy and I haven't drained anything yet as we are actually going Northwest for Thanksgiving. When you leave home you could, in all probablility, de winterize, put some water in the tank and hit the road, using the facilities as you go South.

We're usually in the mid 30's for the lows and 50's for the highs at that time of year and by the time you get to Chatanooga you have lows in the 40's and highs in the 60's.

 

[k4dcf]

Lots of folks use a jug of water to flush with while on the way to warmer places. Just be sure to cover the valve with enough water and maybe a splash of pink stuff to prevent odors after flushing.

 

[IslandHtsCampers]

I've made many trips to the fort from NJ during Jan and Feb. I've put a splash of environmentally safe antifreeze in the black tank and flushed with water from gallon jugs I store in the shower. I've never have had a problem and my 5er is a 3 season Jayco jayflight. Do yourself a favor and pour a splash of RV antifreeze in your fresh water tank if it is exposed. Its never the tank that breaks- it's one of those impossible to reach little valves that breaks due the tiniest buyildup of ice.

 

[BradyBz12]

We've come home from the Fort to snow the past 2 Decembers. DH drains all the holding tanks and then we hit a car wash to use their mega vacuums to suck the last few drops out.

We put RV antifreeze in the black tank and use water from a jug to flush on the way home and have never had a problem so far (knock wood).

 

[Brumeiser]

We have a Coachman Freedom class c motorhome. I know we flushed the antifreeze in both holding tanks down below so I know those are covered. I will get some in this week in the water holding tank if that is done or not. This just confirms our plan to use water in jugs to use to flush the toilet that we are not doing anything to hurt the lines.

 

[LarryJ]

This is our first experience taking the RV out on the road in cold weather. We are leaving northwest Ohio November 24th and going to Florida. We have winterized the camper with the anti freeze because of nightime lows in the upper 20's. Could we use the toilet by pouring some water from a jug to fill up the toilet to flush, then refill the toilet with water and then pour a little anti freeze back in the toilet until we get to warmer climates? Any response from those who have camped would be appreciated. The Brumieser's wife. Thanks

You will probably be in non freezing weather the first night on the road and I would check to see where you plan to stop and if above freezing I would go ahead and even put say 10 gal in your FW tank if you think you will be in non freezing weather within about 4 hours just before you leave and leave the WH bypassed and just flush you toilet the first time or two with jug water w/o adding any antifreeze and then when you get out of freezing weather
start using the onboard pump and flush out any lines you use.

When you get to a FHU site put another 10 gal in your FW tank then flush all lines and fill the WH and operate everything normally from then on.

Larry

 

[RocklandRVers]

Whats wrong with rinsing the pottie with RV antifreeze rather than water? That way the water won't freeze and the antifreeze mixed with the waste will have higher freeze point.

We usually winterize early November unless we have a trip planned and leave it that way even on a drive down to Disney. I recall heading down one year for Christmas a few years ago when it was below freezing well down the eastern seaboard. In fact we stopped over in Columbia, SC and it was below freezing. We didn't dewinterize until we got to the Fort. In fact didn't fully dewinterize at all (just the toilet for night time) Then right before we left we dumped the black tank and pumped more antifreeze through to make sure the lines were protected.

 

[PACAMPER]

How do you hook the vacum to remove the water.

 

[thecplusplusguy]

I was told never to put antifreeze (even nontoxic) into your fresh water tank. Its hard to get the taste out. Besides in my class C the water tank is under the bed INSIDE the motorhome. Keep the heat on and the water will be fine. I use the antifreeze route to flush the toilet. We use the RV atleast once a month all winter and haven't had a problem doing that. I would be nervous (I'm always nervous) about using water.

Dan

 

[team bradfield]

I was told never to put antifreeze (even nontoxic) into your fresh water tank. Its hard to get the taste out. Besides in my class C the water tank is under the bed INSIDE the motorhome. Keep the heat on and the water will be fine. I use the antifreeze route to flush the toilet. We use the RV atleast once a month all winter and haven't had a problem doing that. I would be nervous (I'm always nervous) about using water.

Dan

I guess everyone has thier own system, our RV dealer told me to put the antifreeze in the fresh water tank and open all the faucets and run the pump to make sure it is all winterized. Then in the spring I drain the tank and fill with water and 1/2 cup of bleach to sanitize and run out.

This was a pain in the ** so I started just blowing it out with my compressor, camping world has a fitting that connects to your city water connection, hook up and open the faucets. use less than 30psi and turn on the air to blow out. Still put antifreeze in waste tanks to keep valves from freezing.

I made up a fitting with a regulator for travel, this way I can "flush" the system at a truck stop or filling station if the weather turns cold.

P.S. I don't drink my RV water, we use bottled water or gallon water from home. Most campgrounds have pretty crappy water...

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

A winterizing kit will have a T- hose to put inline with your pump, after installing it you only need to open the drain on your fresh water tank and drain it, then turn the valve and use the siphon tube to draw the anti-freeze straight from the jug. This avoids the problem of contaminating your water tank with the RV anti-freeze. They are simple to install and often standard equipment on some RV's.

 

[LarryJ]

Whats wrong with rinsing the pottie with RV antifreeze rather than water? That way the water won't freeze and the antifreeze mixed with the waste will have higher freeze point.

We usually winterize early November unless we have a trip planned and leave it that way even on a drive down to Disney. I recall heading down one year for Christmas a few years ago when it was below freezing well down the eastern seaboard. In fact we stopped over in Columbia, SC and it was below freezing. We didn't dewinterize until we got to the Fort. In fact didn't fully dewinterize at all (just the toilet for night time) Then right before we left we dumped the black tank and pumped more antifreeze through to make sure the lines were protected.

Nothing wrong with that, but if you look at my post I also said you need to watch the temps where you would be traveling and this OP is leaving at the end of Nov and not nearer X-mas like you did. Coming back from FW over X-mas in Jan I drain everything at my last CG that has above freezing temps and leave everything open until I get home and then pump in the antifreeze. However here in NoVa it hardly ever gets down and stays into the low 20s or much less the teens during the winter except maybe in Feb some years.

Larry

 

[LarryJ]

A winterizing kit will have a T- hose to put inline with your pump, after installing it you only need to open the drain on your fresh water tank and drain it, then turn the valve and use the siphon tube to draw the anti-freeze straight from the jug. This avoids the problem of contaminating your water tank with the RV anti-freeze. They are simple to install and often standard equipment on some RV's.

Yep mine came with both the HW bypass (3 valves) and the pump winterizing system (two valves ... one to open the suction line for the antifreeze and another to shut off the suction line from the onboard tank) There are one valve systems that are basically 3 way valves where three lines go to the valve and the inlet to the valve goes to one of the two other ports ... either the onboard FW tank or to the winterizing line that you stick into the jug of antifreeze.

Larry