Winterizing Newbie question - Event Date: 22 Sep 2013 - 30 Sep 2013

Originally posted by furpod Turn off the pump. Go to the city water inlet, pull the screen out carefully, jiggle the little buttony thing until it reseats. continue.

No worries, its all a learning experience.  Next year you'll use less than a gallon and do it in 15 minutes.   

excellent thought on the pin on the city water inlet.  I've never done that on all the travel trailers I've owned for the past 35 years.  I'll start with the R-pod this fall.  The real worry is the fiver I just winterized 200 miles farther north in Door County, WI.  Is it that serious an issue that I have to drive back up there and attend to it?

The real reason I'm checking back in is this.  I just winterized (except for this pin deal) the pod and after draining all the leftover water out of the fresh water tank and while on my knee pads noticed the tremendous bulge of this tank.  A bulge downward.  Probably from having water in it and it takes on a "set" to the knew shape.  The bulge hung/projected downward at least a good inch and a half below the drain point in the near corner.  This bulge obviously means/meant that there is going to still be more water that is below the drain point.  I took a plastic bucket, slid it as close to the center of the tank and using a 2 x 6 raised the bulge up to the level of the drain outlet.  I got probably an additional two plus gallons of water out of the tank.  When I poured in two gallons of potable antifreeze it wasn't enough to even pump with.  Rather than dump more in I re-setup the 2x6 arrangement and raised up on the tank again ( my smallest toolbox was able to hold the tank bottom to the level needed.  Back inside I turned on the water pump again and was able to flush all the water valves with a good amount of pink.

I think Forest River could put stiffening bar down the centerline of this tank.  I wonder how many out there poured in the 4 to 5 gallons to fill above the bulge to where the pump pickup is hanging.  This is a bit of extra income for the RV antifreeze industry for everybody that doesn't catch this bulge feature.

In order for frozen water to damage a container.. say a holding tank, there has to be enough water in the tank that there is no room for the expanding water to fill.. a couple gallons in a 30 gallon tank is no worry.


ontheroadagain2: The tanks come with a bit of a bulge at the bottom, was there water left over after you drained the tank with the FW drain on the bottom of the tank?

Also, why were you pouring antifreeze into the FW tank? So far, we have found every pod has a winterization hose at the water pump, making it tons easier to pump in the antifreeze. There does appear to be at least 3 different types of hose/hook up combos.

wow furpod, didn't realize you posted and answered my questions before i posted!!!!!!!!!!!!thanks