Winterizing Our Rigs

[MAW7228]

Thanks Brian. I always go through with probably more of the antifreeze than necessary. Better safe than sorry.

[Country Campers]

Getting ready to winterize our 337RLS and decided to read the Owners Manual for a refresher. For our previous travel trailer I would winterize without performing an air blowout and just pump antifreeze throughout the system after draining everything. Never had a freeze issue or problem with the piping (we are in PA). The GD manual for our new unit, under the Nautilus P1 section, describes blowing out the lines at 40 psi before proceeding with the antifreeze injection. For those much more experienced than I, is blowing out with air a necessity or will properly following the antifreeze procedure be sufficient? Appreciate your feedback.

You can do the air blow out if you want but I believe that it is not necessary. With water in the system it has been noted that this will help with priming the pump to draw antifreeze into the system (somebody mentioned this in another thread). As long as you get a good flow of antifreeze from all fixtures you should be good to go , as you found out with your previous unit. Remember to do the faucet at the Nautilus panel as well as the outside spray port attachment if you have one.

Brian

[MAW7228]

Getting ready to winterize our 337RLS and decided to read the Owners Manual for a refresher. For our previous travel trailer I would winterize without performing an air blowout and just pump antifreeze throughout the system after draining everything. Never had a freeze issue or problem with the piping (we are in PA). The GD manual for our new unit, under the Nautilus P1 section, describes blowing out the lines at 40 psi before proceeding with the antifreeze injection. For those much more experienced than I, is blowing out with air a necessity or will properly following the antifreeze procedure be sufficient? Appreciate your feedback.

[Sckarolek]

Grand Design does install a trap in the washing machine drain plumbing. Without a trap, gray tank gasses would permeate the coach. However it is NOT a p-trap. It is a hepVo trap and it is waterless. Since no water is contained in that drain pipe, no winterization is needed.

For the supply lines, you can connect a short piece of hose to the the threaded fitting and then run the other end into a container until you see anti-freeze flowing. Shut off the valve and discard the contents in the container.

Here is a photo of the hepVo valve in my trailer. It is the white device in the drain pipe.


Jim

Thanks Jim, appreciated. To winterize this year, we just put a rag towel under each open feed line in turn until anti-freeze flowed out. I thought about using a paint tray to catch it next year, but a short hose into a container makes more sense. I guess for de-winterizing, I could run a hose from each feed line into the drain pipe and flush...

Steve

[TucsonJim]

I went to the parts lookup for more information on the hepVo valve that GDRV uses. Here is the parts sheet for my 2017 297RSTS Reflection TT.

https://www.granddesignrv.com/owner-...ts/detail/1299

Jim

[TucsonJim]

So, back to my original question. Since Grand Design sells these rigs with the ability to install laundry machines. Can anyone from Grand Design explain how to appropriately winterize / de-winterize the laundry feed and drain pipes with and without the laundry machine installed?

Thanks, Steve

Grand Design does install a trap in the washing machine drain plumbing. Without a trap, gray tank gasses would permeate the coach. However it is NOT a p-trap. It is a hepVo trap and it is waterless. Since no water is contained in that drain pipe, no winterization is needed.

For the supply lines, you can connect a short piece of hose to the the threaded fitting and then run the other end into a container until you see anti-freeze flowing. Shut off the valve and discard the contents in the container.

Here is a photo of the hepVo valve in my trailer. It is the white device in the drain pipe.



Here is more information on a hepVo trap if anyone is interested:

https://hepvo.com/

Jim

[Sckarolek]

Sckarolek

For winterizing the eater in the discharged hose would have to be removed or treated well with RV antifreeze.

Brian

So, back to my original question. Since Grand Design sells these rigs with the ability to install laundry machines. Can anyone from Grand Design explain how to appropriately winterize / de-winterize the laundry feed and drain pipes with and without the laundry machine installed?

Thanks, Steve

[Country Campers]

Sckarolek

That is a great point and a great illustration. There probably is not a p-trap in the stand pipe , there is not one at our house for our washer. The rush of water being pumped out of the washer would push the p-trap over capacity and therefore back up the water into the washing machine closet. For winterizing the water in the discharged hose would have to be removed or treated well with RV antifreeze. If there is an odor coming from the stand pipe a loose towel or rag could be placed over the area where the discharge hose enters the stand pipe to help stop the odor.

Brian

[mpking]

I do not think I agree. Here is the image. The standpipe goes down to the grey tank. While there is a loop in the hose creating a P-trap in the hose, the hose is NOT sealed to the standpipe opening. Gasses from the grey tank can come right up the standpipe unless there is a P-trap somewhere in line in the standpipe.

I stand corrected

[Sckarolek]

I think the wastewater hose, by hanging low like that, is functioning as a P-trap.

I do not think I agree. Here is the image. The standpipe goes down to the grey tank. While there is a loop in the hose creating a P-trap in the hose, the hose is NOT sealed to the standpipe opening. Gasses from the grey tank can come right up the standpipe unless there is a P-trap somewhere in line in the standpipe.

[mpking]

That's interesting. It shows the washer wastewater hose just hanging in the standpipe. Near as I can tell, the standpipe goes to a greywater tank and I don't think I see any provision for a P trap in that path.

I think the wastewater hose, by hanging low like that, is functioning as a P-trap.

[Sckarolek]

For anyone with a washer in their trailer, clearing the drain of water may be of interest. The linked thread is specific to a Splendide but may apply to other models, too: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...f-smelly-water

That's interesting. It shows the washer wastewater hose just hanging in the standpipe. Near as I can tell, the standpipe goes to a greywater tank and I don't think I see any provision for a P trap in that path.

[Sckarolek]

I do not have a model that has laundry, I'm going to be reaching a bit. The following is based on educated guessing.

There should be a drain of some kind near the washer. If you had a washer installed, where would it drain? I'm continuing as if you don't actually have a drain.

There is a capped drain pipe next to the hot and cold water sources for the washer. When it is time to de-winterize, I will experiment with uncapping that pipe and using a short length of hose from the hot then cold feeds to flush down the pipe, then re-cap it.

[JBill9694]

After sterilizing we fill our fresh water tanks and then disconnect and drain the water supply hose. We have an auxiliary fresh water tank so that gives us a capacity of 100 gallons that will last about 3 days, then we refill the tanks. We also use the propane furnace instead of the electric fireplace when temperatures are below freezing; this keeps the basement and the waterlines running along side the furnace ductwork heated. We don't have an outdoor kitchen but there is very little heat in the garage and the half bath so a low wattage heater set at it's minimum is used to protect those lines. We also run our tank heaters.

The heated supply hose is not a bad idea, but we have stayed in places where we are told to turn the water source off in freezing temperatures. Going on the tanks works well in those situations.

[howson]

For anyone with a washer in their trailer, clearing the drain of water may be of interest. The linked thread is specific to a Splendide but may apply to other models, too: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...f-smelly-water