Winterizing a Camper - Geo Pro Camper 19FBS
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2024
- Winterizing a Camper. In this video I perform a complete winterization of my Geo Pro Camper 19FBS. This time around, I'm using air to remove water from the plumbing system. Of course, you might also choose to fill the plumbing system with antifreeze.
Unless you have the same model camper, your camper is probably a little different from mine and you may need to consult the owner's manual to understand how your's is configured.
You might learn what you need to do this yourself. Or if you don't feel comfortable with the tasks involved, it may be better to have your RV dealer do it for you. I'm not an RV dealer or expert; just sharing my own experience.
Chapters:
0:41 Low point drain
2:08 Fresh water tank
3:20 Water heater
8:23 Water filters
16:03 Water valves
17:53 Using air compressor to remove water from plumbing system
25:55 Put antifreeze in drain ptraps
28:54 Propane tanks
30:54 Check the batteries
33:38 Stove vent
34:28 Steps
35:47 Roof
A few products I mention in the video:
Vibrant Yard Company Winterize RV, Motorhome, Boat, Camper, and Travel Trailer: Air Compressor Quick-Connect Plug to Male Garden Hose Faucet Blow Out Adapter with Valve (Lead-Free Brass), 10.5" Long
www.amazon.com...
Suburban 232767 Water Heater Anode Rod
www.amazon.com...
Oatey Silicone Grease
www.lowes.com/...
RCS Wrench (Filter Wrench)
waterpur.com/c...
KW1 Cartridge (Large Water Filter)
waterpur.com/c...
RCS O-Ring
waterpur.com/c...
Hey there. Very thorough video 🙂. E-Pro 19FD owner here with some input for future reference and maybe some tips to make life easier.
Few things...
Those plastic low point drain caps can be replaced for PVC ball valves that are a buck a piece at any hardware store. Ball valves make life a lot easier when having to drain those low point lines. When removing the low point caps, you placed a lot of faith in those pex clamps by not using two wrenches...one wrench for the threaded pex adapter that's clamped to the hose and the other wrench for the cap...yet another reason to replace the caps with PVC ball valves while you have them off. They have a tendency to twist the threaded line insert out of the clamp or at the very least compromise the clamp and sealing ability. Much easier to turn a valve than fiddle on the ground with a pair of wrenches. I also open the low point drains one final time after blowing all the lines and fixtures out with air. There's usually a little water left in there even when I think I'm all done. It also releases any air pressure that may be left in the lines. I bypass the heater tank because you can be left with a pressurized heater tank in this process. You should crack the pop off valve in the access cover a final time to release any air pressure that may have built up in the heater tank since you didn't bypass it...which is totally fine.
Removing your batteries can be advantageous if you're going to cover your rig (in turn, covering the solar panel which would maintain the battery in the off season) and not leave it plugged in to maintain a float charge. You also wanna rotate your battery disconnect switch to the off position so the stereo, CO detector, and whatever other phantom power draws you may have don't drain and toast the batteries. If you're gonna cover the solar panel and not plug the rig in or connect the batteries to a trickle charger then you're gonna be awful disappointed in the spring if you don't pull the batteries. Phantom draw with no charging going on and cold temps will ruin those Interstates.
Your propane cover is on backwards if it opens towards the tongue. If those two little knobs for the access cover vibrate loose or you forget to tighten them down, you're gonna lose that access cover going down the road when it catches some air, that's why it should hinge open the opposite way that it currently does on your video. If those knobs are loose when in the correct position and it opens towards the front of the camper, that access door can not catch air and go flying off down the road. It happens A LOT. Some people prefer them to open in the direction you have it but they put a bungee over it for added peace of mind.
I toss the water filter at the end of the year and replace with a new one in the spring. It's suppose to be replaced every six months but I found annually is totally fine (live in mine 6-9months/year) and you know that it's been replaced with a fresh one at the start of each season. Lots of funky stuff can grow on the filter media in the off season unless you completely submerge that used filter in a container and place it in a refrigerator. It's also ruined if it freezes as the expanding water leftover in the used filter will destroy the filter membrane and its ability to filter to whatever micron rating originally advertised.
When you set the propane selector to the middle position, it will pull from either tank that is open and has propane in it. It doesn't close both inlets, quite the opposite. It's so you can open both propane tanks and it'll automatically switch tanks if one goes empty while drawing propane. If you're that worried about it, just disconnect the line from each tank. Setting the selector to the middle, left, or right position does nothing if both tanks are closed.
Lastly, I place a healthy amount of diatomaceous earth in a ring around any point contacting the ground (tires, tongue jack, stabilizers). It'll kill anything with an exoskeleton...aka ants and other bugs. Dryer sheets stuffed all over the rig before I close it up for extended periods have done me well to deter mice as well.
Thanks for your videos and I hope I've been able to help you or someone else reading this. Safe travels 😊
Thanks so much for sharing your valuable experience, suggestions and clarifications!
I like your idea of putting valves on the low point drains and will do that. It's kind of surprising the manufacturer doesn't do that instead of caps.
Regarding air pressure left in the lines: I may not have mentioned it in the video, but I usually leave all the faucets open until after I've shut off the air compressor. But I guess as you say there could still be some small amount of pressure in there somewhere, so not a bad idea to release the low point drain and hot water pressure relief valve one last time.
The propane cover was oriented that way from the RV dealer. Maybe the guy who works there prefers it to be oriented this way - unsure. It does have a bungee cord underneath already. But I can see how that top lid might come loose due to road shaking. I'll switch the orientation on mine.
It seems like a good idea to replace the water filter each season. You seem to have done your research on water filters (not in use) and what can happen to them. I hadn't heard anyone mention those things, but it makes sense.
I looked up the diatomaceous earth and noticed the wiki indicates only the [food grade] product is safe around pets and small children. I looked that up because we have a dog that is sometimes loose outside in our yard. But this is a great suggestions I plan to follow also!
@@lessonslearnt5966 Glad you took the time to read and reply to my comment.
I agree, the ball valves should come from the factory instead of caps. There are several things I noticed and replaced on this trailer that kinda baffled me. Would've increased the cost by maybe $5 and same labor time to install the parts. Oh well, maybe someone will pick up on some of these little details and improve newer models for future customers.
My 19FD also came new from the dealer with the propane cover backwards. It seems to be common with any new travel trailer, not necessarily a Rockwood or Flagstaff thing. More likely a dealership's oversight because I don't believe they're shipped with propane or batteries much less their covers.
Yes, food grade DE is indeed important to get. My apologies for not clarifying. I'm a beekeeper in my spare time and it works great to keep ant invaders from robbing honey or setting up shop in my hives so I figured it'd work well with the camper...and it did!
Again, thanks for sharing the video and taking the time to make it. Sharing knowledge benefits everyone. Maybe one day I'll work up the nerve to make videos to give back to the community I've learned so much from 🙂
It’d be great if these simple but valuable improvements came with future models!
After putting antifreeze in toilet and flushing it into black tank, you later drained to black tank, draining hall that antifreeze.
Wouldn’t you need to put some more in tank after you closed it?
Also, can/should you leave some antifreeze in toilet bowl as well?
The antifreeze is for the p-trap. The toilet itself only needs plumbers grease applied to the seal.
So using this method I don't need to use anti-freeze? Is it overkill to use this method and also use anti-freeze?
If you're going to put antifreeze in the water lines, there'd be no reason to clear the water lines out with air first. When you pump in the antifreeze, just make sure all your faucets/fixtures are putting out pure antifreeze. That way you'll know all the water has been replaced with antifreeze. The antifreeze is pink or another color, so it should be easy to tell.
But if you decide to use this method (air), then you wouldn’t need to use antifreeze in the water lines. But of course you would still pour some antifreeze in each drain to protect the ptraps.
@@lessonslearnt5966 I appreciate it!!!
Good info but annoying background music