Just bought a Travel Trailer.

[Gary H NC]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Mine says it has heated enclosed tanks but the owners manual does not say when they are heated.
I wonder if is as long as it hooked up to AC or do i need inside heat on?
Maybe a call to the dealer..

That would burn some propane doing that all winter..

 

[JRJ]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

The trailer should have low point drains somewhere. Red and blue plastic lines to drain the plumbing. There should be a drain plug on the water heater. Drain and flush it out through the drain hole with water pressure. I use a 3/8" plastic tube adapted to a water hose. Leave empty and replace the anode if needed and so equipped next spring. Drain fresh, gray, and black tanks completely. Pour the pink stuff down each drain, and some down the toilet. We put vegetable oil in the toilet bowl to keep the seals from drying out. If stored for long, I put the batteries in my garage, charge them up once a month, and add distilled water as needed.
Close up any access points for mice and set traps if needed.

I may have missed something, so read your owner's manual

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Great advice from all of you. Thank You, I will be using all of it.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Mine says it has heated enclosed tanks but the owners manual does not say when they are heated.
I wonder if is as long as it hooked up to AC or do i need inside heat on?
Maybe a call to the dealer..

That would burn some propane doing that all winter..

almost positive the heated tanks are elec only. they won't use propane at all.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

almost positive the heated tanks are elec only. they won't use propane at all.

That was my thinking too...I will still do the AF in all the water lines and drains.This will be my third winter with it.No problems so far.

Too bad they don't make an air fitting so you could just blow the water system out..
The Veggie oil in the toilet is a great idea.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Too bad they don't make an air fitting so you could just blow the water system out..

Now you have got me thinking on finding a way to do this !!!

 

[avenger79]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

That was my thinking too...I will still do the AF in all the water lines and drains.This will be my third winter with it.No problems so far.

Too bad they don't make an air fitting so you could just blow the water system out..
The Veggie oil in the toilet is a great idea.

that's exactly what most guys up here do. i chose to do the AF route because back then i didn't have a compressor. not sure if they have a perfect fitting or just use a conical shaped nozzle that could fit and seal by simply holding it in.

some people up here do both

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Yours should have a water heater bypass valve on the back side of the tank.

They make a winterizing kit that connects inline at the pump but i made my own out of clear plastic hose.
I unscrew the inlet hose at the pump,put the clear hose on the pump fitting and the hose in the AF jug.It sucks it right up.

Mmmm, Wonder if a rubber tire valve would fit inside the hose?
Got me thinking now Ken..

I still feel better with the pink stuff in it though..

I open all the faucets and low point drains,that get some of the water out but not all.My low point drain lines will fill with AF so you can see the pink color.
Then i check all the lines i can see under the sinks and behind the panel where the water heater is to verify everything is pink...

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Well Sunday is the day for us to winterize. I am off to Japan and China for a couple of weeks on Tuesday so who knows what the weather will do here while I am away. Put it into storage as soon as I am home.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Good luck Ken!
Have a safe trip too Bud!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Good luck Ken!
Have a safe trip too Bud!

Thank You. Bad start though, just got up to start by winterizing the boat first and it just started pouring with rain !!!! Now on hold for a bit.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

O.K. Rain stopped, pink stuff pouring out of all plumbing orifices, poured some down each drain and toilet, hot water tank drained and by-passed to start with. Question............ leave some pink stuff actually in the toilet bowl ??? or let it go and apply a little veggie oil as suggested ???? wondering if the pink stuff will stain the toilet bowl with it being plastic. Don't have this issue winterizing cottage with ceramic toilet bowl.
Thanks Guys,
Ken.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Just finished mine too Ken.
Last year a left a little in the toilet bowl but this year i think i will try the veggie oil trick.
I use 4 gallons of AF. I drain the hot water tank then let it pump in a little AF before turning the bypass valves.Just so i can see a little pink color come out of the water heater drain.

I go back with Windex and clean all the sinks,Tub and toilet bowl because that AF will stain the stainless steel sinks in the kitchen.

Be sure to unhook the shower head and drain.Mine cracked last year because i forgot.
It was an inexpensive fix (new shower head) but was not fun our first outing with water spraying everywhere.....lol!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Just did the veggie oil thing !!!
Shower head done !!!
Thanks for all the help and support.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Just an FYI.

We recently packed ours all up to go on vacation, its a 2008 and about 10 miles down the road and we had a flat on the trailer. The tires do not have more than 1,500 miles on them.

After my Mr. LF looked at the tires more closely they were 2001's or 2003's. Now you would think when you buy a brand new 2008 that the tires would also be 2008, they are not and its legal for them to put old unused tires on your trailer.

You'd think, so what no big deal, she had a flat. Let me tell you that flat cost nearly $3,000 NOT COUNTING NEW TIRES and we just got the trailer back two days ago after a month in the shop.

The flat tore up the brack lines, electrical, wrapped itself so tight around the axle I thought they would never get it over, tore the side panel off the trailer and ripped a whole in the floor underneath the kitchen sink area.

We have replace all the tires with U.S. made trailer tires. There is a difference the in side walls of them so always be sure to use trailer tires only. Good Year is what we chose because we heard bad things about other manufactured trailer tires.

Check you tires and your spare. If you get a flat on a major freeway it could really ruin your day.

Needless to say, we had to unpack everything from the trailer, shove it in the truck and return home which did NOT make me a happy camper.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

I think you're supposed to stop when you get a flat LF

By the way, I've heard nothing but bad about Goodyear trailer tires on here (as well as pretty much every other brand) so I think it's one of those "ya pays yo money and ya takes yo chances" kinda things. And to add insult to injury, I think I've read that their trailer tires are asian-made anyway.

 

[rbh]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Ladyfish, the old tires, were they recaps by chance??

They can be scary as the new cap/tread lets go and OH BOY can it do alot of damage.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Goodyears are currently Chinese made, there's rumour that they may start producing them in the US again but not as of yet.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

Sorry to hear that Ladyfish. Hope everything works out well with the new tires.
Will be checking our tires as soon as I get back from Japan and China.
Wish we could go on vacation again before spring with the trailer !!!!
Oh Well, we are off to the Dominican in November for Mrs Ken's birthday.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Just bought a Travel Trailer.

So funny, we heard Michilin blew apart on the road easily. Our tires were new and not recaps, just older than dirt.

Believe it or not trailer tires were very hard to find in these parts. You're scaring me on the good year info.