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Ben Herman View Drop Down
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Joined: 26 Apr 2018
Location: Gr Junction, CO
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Posts: 355 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Winterizing 189
    Posted: 03 Nov 2018 at 9:10am
Originally posted by ZuBrew

I forgot to mention it but lifting the panel under the bed is the first step.  I'm in the process of creating a hinged panel. I just need to figure out how to lock it in the closed position without running screws in and out every time I want to get in there.  I'll post pictures after I finish.

I pulled out my plywood panel (model 179, but should be same difference) and just cut it into 4 pieces to make it easy to remove just the parts needed for access. Make sure the cut lines overlap with the support frame. I added another piece of 1x2 screwed to the back side of the support running across the width of the mattress, just to make sure it has enough surface to support it. The weight of the mattress alone is enough to keep the plywood in place, I didnt see any need to screw the plywood down or hinge it.
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JAKLEMO View Drop Down
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Posts: 17 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Nov 2018 at 12:32pm
Great idea! Thanks!
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Keith-N-Dar View Drop Down
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Posts: 1447 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Nov 2018 at 1:37pm
when doing the walk through on delivery the tech removed the screws on the plywood and gave me the choice whether I wanted them replaced or not.  I said leave them out.  To get to the valves I lift the plywood and mattress and insert a prop stick to keep it raised.  I reach in from the top and shift the valves.Takes a couple of minutes and is done.
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Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers)
2011 R-Pod 177
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Blue Highways View Drop Down
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Posts: 84 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 4:57pm
Heh, Stephen

Seeking your winterizing thoughts & perspective, (and please anybody else please add your wisdom, too). 

Would have preferred to carefully get confident in winterizing like most of you, but we are unable to keep the WanderPod on "home" shore power ever, (with electricity to power an air compressor; hose bibs for flushing, etc), due to our 1.5 car-width curved driveway under a canopy of trees without enough off-driveway level land for the WanderPod + Tundra TV, .....although our mountain valley house answers perfectly all of our other life needs.

Because of this lack of home RV parking, "no home R-Pod self-winterizing" of our '17 179 is possible, however we countered this by luckily and happily storing it in a safe, secure place just 25 minutes away, where at all times we can just hook up and go camping on a whim. 

Our winterization solution then for 2 years has been "experienced" campground manager-types doing the winterization, (for both us and the other camper storage folk who choose this) and we've had no lasting damage for two winters to wit:

Winter 16-17: the first guy that I paid didn't cause us any major problems, but he failed (and I didn't catch) disconnecting / draining the interior shower wand / spray nozzle. There was just enough remnant of H2O left to freeze-crack the plastic compression screw ring that goes on the shower spray wand. Surprisingly, the split super-glued back together tightly, as new.

Winter 17-18: The Pod's storage/retrieval campground is largely used by stationary campers who leave their rigs in place and come to their permanently positioned campers annually for the summer season; either long or short-term. The access gate is locked in the off-season, so another 5 of us who store our units safely at one end, can come & go when we want to hook up and go camping.

These CG owners live at their home within view across the lightly traveled paved country road. The owner winterized ours for $50 cash, + RV antifreeze, and last year, with him, we had no mechanical issues at thaw time.

Here's where I need your thoughts: Both years, after "the pink" was supposedly purged, (and the Pod was officially flushed and refilled with fresh again for the new camping season), we still had to use separate water jugs for food and tea/coffee needs for at least the first 2-3 camping trips of the season, taking at least 3 showers each, before we could no longer smell the sweet scent of antifreeze remnants in our hair. And, tho tank water into the sink was not pink, but you could smell/taste the slightly pink scent for it seemed like forever, my wife says.

The first summer the original guy did the DE-winterize & flushing, but the second time I tried using a professional well-reviewed independent RV shop do the DE-winterizing/removing of the antifreeze (along with other paid maintenance: bearings & brake adjust). The problem is that BOTH summers following, it's taken at least 2+ camping trips to have the sweet antifreeze finally not making a presence known in our bathroom shower or out our sink tap at Forest Service campgrounds.

Following Western NC winter storage, is it worth trying to find:

 1) professional compressed air only winterization so there is never a trace of antifreeze to "chase out of the system" following summer; just fresh clean water from the get-go. It this safe and is it offered?

OR 2) doing a more "diluted RV Pink solution" method: (as previously mentioned by one of our members)

 A) Draining  the hot water tank by removing the anode rod, then, reinsertion of it, (OR NOT) 
 B) switching the hot water tank valve to winter "bypass" 
 C) Lowering the fresh water tank to 1/4, and then funneling directly into it (thru fresh water port funnel) a weaker, "but effective enough for the lower South" ratio of antifreeze. 
 D) pressuring it all up with pump, and then opening the kitchen valves/bathroom valves to pump the weaker solution thru-out the lines.
 E) putting a dribble of 100% Pink into the drains / disconnecting shower wand etc. 

ALL FOR THE GOAL OF: solving our challenge of eliminating obvious traces of the Antifreeze chemical solution right off the bat, when the camping season starts up.....

Have any of you had trouble getting the smell of the pink stuff out of your water the following season? 

Did I not ever get a proper DE-winterization at the pro shop that I tried year #2 in your opinion?

Would appreciate any of your wisdom, (keeping in mind, I can't get the R-Pod to the house safely due to the hilly access and unlevelness of our mountain valley home footprint). I CAN do plan #2 without both shore water or electricity (compressor) at this campground where we store all year.

Thanks in advance!

Brad & Layli
"WonderPod" 179 HRE
Western NC
TV: '10 Tundra
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 6:34pm
De-winterizing involves of course adding water to the fresh water tank along with chlorine bleach (straight bleach, no additives) or equivalent source of chlorine.  Pump this through the lines until you smell chlorine at each faucet, then top off the tank and let it sit overnight or for 8 hours. This sanitizes the tank and water lines. After allowing time for the chlorine to sanitize the lines, open the drain and/or pump the chlorinated water from the fresh water tank and refill it. This time, add  baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the tank. Pump it through the lines and top off the tank. Let it sit for a while, then pump out the tank or open the drain and let it run out. Then refill the tank with fresh water. You should notice very little, if any, residual taste from the antifreeze. You could use that water to flush the system and drain it and then refill with fresh water if you notice any residual taste.
That is what I do in the spring when I think it is safe to dewinterize.
StephenH
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3219 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 7:14pm
The problem you describe is the exact problem I had when I sellf-inflicted this upon myself the first winter of 2011 when I used the pink rv antifreee to winterize.  It took 3 attempts of using a mixture of white vinegar and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) pumped through the lines and allowed to sit overnight in the fw tank to finally eliminate that nasty taste, at least according to my DW and my tastebuds.

Since then, beginning in 2012 we have used only compressed air to blow out our water lines.  Takes less than 2 minutes to blow each line out twice at a pressure that is regulated at 60 psi.  Before doing this I set the HW tanks 3 valves to the bypass mode and drain the HW tank.  Have done it this way for the 7th year now with no issues.  I do use some pink RV antifreeze however, in fact I measure out 16 oz. each year to put in both sink traps, one shower trap and a little bit on top of the toilet seal to keep moist during the winter.  So my 79 cents spent for a gallon of RV antifreeze will last 8 years, how is that for being cheap?
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Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
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DavMar View Drop Down
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Posts: 592 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 8:11pm
Jato, did you say 60 psi from your compressor?!! I'd think I'd crank it down some to 40 or below psi so you don't blow out a line. I had to fix stopped up cold water at the bathroom sink recently and undid the valve and shot 40 psi into the cold water supply line and it was like I had Mount Vesuvius blowing cold water out of the line and all over the bathroom! Cleared the line and valve but what a mess! Tongue
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
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Blue Highways View Drop Down
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Posts: 84 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 8:18pm
Stephen & Jato.....<..>

DOUBLE thanks for your thoughtful, procedural advice. Both I and my wife are so appreciative.
Creative & effective solutions.... (literally!)

From...Cry... to Big smile  in Western NC.
 This should work ! ! ! 

(We have the best travel trailer forum)



Brad & Layli
WanderPod (17 HRE 179)
'10 Tundra
24° Saturday Morning  Star (wuh???)
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3219 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Nov 2018 at 6:54am
DavMar,

When blowing out I always have at least one line open at a time, when opening a second, I close the first and so on so that the big whoosh of air doesn't come on all at once.  Maybe I will take your advice and lower it to 40 psi next time to avoid 'potential issues' in the future.  Timewise it shouldn't take any longer and will most likely be easier on the water lines.  Maybe I have been more than fortunate that nothing unfortunate has happened since doing it this way since 2012.  Thank you for your advice David.

Brad and Layli, come on up to northern Michigan, the banana belt, as we are sweltering in 30 degree weather but with 3" of fresh snow on the ground. 
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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Posts: 84 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Nov 2018 at 8:37am
Heh, Dav & Mar, you'll be 6° up on us, plus we like snow, cause we still XC ski when conditions allow. When it piles up closer to a foot+ of snow, we like to get out into the woods in our "his n hers snowshoes".... (the old timey wooden kind of course, brought down in our Alaska - purchased R-pod)

Up in Northern Michigan, I'm curious to see Torch Lake.... it's probably even more peaceful in fall/winter. 

To be honest, we'd MUCH rather travel up to N. Michigan before it's warm enough, then down to Florida before it's cool enough. Worse, you can't un-bundle yourself fully (legally) to cope with Florida heat.

(But one of our married-off kids found work down there and they delivered our 1st grandchild.)
 
So.... ¯\_(ツ)_/

-- B & L

Enjoy the holidays and keep it safe up there.....
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