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Old 06-04-2014, 05:26 AM   #1
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Newbie Fiver here

My wife and jumped in last fall. First time trailer users stepped up to a Zinger Fifth wheel and 2500 GMC. We got in 2 short trips last fall before the winter from hell. Had it winterized and are now taking it out on its first trip this year after the spring from hell...sense a theme!
Looking for tips on dewinterizing....we are taking it a short ways to a ful service campground but it still has the pink juice in it. Any help would be appreciated.
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Old 06-04-2014, 07:10 AM   #2
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First thing is to leave your water heater bypass in the bypass position. Hook up to city water on your RV. Open hot and cold faucet at each location, one at a time, including outside shower and low point drains, until all pink is gone. Now put your water heater drain plug in, and switch out of bypass, and run hot water at any location to make sure the water heater is full of water and all air is purged out. I hope I did not miss anything. Good luck.

I also would like to say I do NOT use anti-freeze. I use an air compressor and blow out all water with compressed air. Adjust compressor to 45 lbs pressure.
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Old 06-04-2014, 07:13 AM   #3
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Big winterizing/dewinterizing thread on here if you do a search. Open all faucets then low point drains. Collect if you wish to reuse. Hook up to city connection and flush well. Turn hot water bypass off. Make sure water heater is full before turning it on. Flush all lines. Don't forget shower, and outside shower if equipped. Sanitize fresh water tank with bleach and rinse well. Enjoy.
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Old 06-04-2014, 07:21 AM   #4
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First off, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your barely broken in 5er. If your trailer was winterized properly and bypassed the water heater, make sure you don't take the water heater out of bypass until all of the pink stuff is cleaned out - that is the last step.

Start with a pail or jug and drain the pink stuff from your low point drains - open the taps in the bathroom and kitchen before opening the drains. Drain as much as you can out of the system this way first - collected antifreeze can be used again if it is clean and you have a jug to store it in. 2nd, if antifreeze was deposited into your fresh water tank, drain it as well (hopefully this wasn't done and the tank was just drained). Once you have confirmed fresh water tank is empty, fill it about 1/4 to 1/3 full with fresh water. If it had pink stuff in it you will want to fill about 10 gallons and dump it to rinse the tank - may need to do twice. This is going to create some water so hopefully you have a place to catch it or dump it that isn't going to just run down your driveway (this is only if antifreeze was in the fresh water tank and we are hoping this didn't happen).

Moving on, make sure low point drains are closed and once the fresh water tank has enough water in it, turn on the water pump in your trailer. Now turn on the taps again (if shut off from first step) and let the fresh water from the tank run through all of your lines and the pump until it runs clear - can't put too much water through at this point in order to flush the lines. flush the toilet as well. All this antifreeze and water will just run into your grey and black tanks and you can dump it at the campground.

Another thing before taking the hot water heater out of bypass after doing all the above, I will hook up the hose to the water inlet and also run water through this in case any pink stuff ended up in that line after turning off the water pump. Afte this, then go back and open your low point drains again - there may still be some pink stuff in the lines at the end by the drains as these are low point terminations and draining them again will get the last of it out. Can also open these while water is hooked up to the trailer if you don't mind getting sprayed from some pressure.

If you are convinced that you have all the pink stuff out of your lines, check that your hot water heater has the drain plug firmly installed and take it out of bypass (usually two valves to turn on the water coming into tank - I'll try to grab a diagram off here for you). Now turn on the pump again and fill the hot water tank. Be sure to burp it with the pressure release once it fills (air pockets) or turn on the hot water tap in the bathroom or kitchen and burp the air out that way. You want to confirm the hot water tank is completely full of water so you don't burn out your electric element the first time you turn it on.

Run all your taps again (hot and cold) to remove air and same with toilet.

It sounds like a lot but it doesn't take that long and once you get used to doing it yourself it will become very straightforward. Before my heated storage when we use to winterize, I always liked to get the antifreeze well cleaned out of the system before using the trailer.

If you have an inline filtration system (most do not nowadays) make sure the filter is out before any of the above is done. Also remember to dump the filter casing of antifreeze at least twice in the process above as it is a collection point for this stuff. Lastly, dump the filter casing again at the end and then you can install your filter. I find most trailers now you are required to add in your water filter on the outside of the trailer so this shouldn't be an issue.

Now that I've over explained everything and probably covered most of what you already know - go out and dewinterize and enjoy your trip this weekend!!
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Old 06-04-2014, 07:22 AM   #5
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I guess I should have researched that and put in a link - two replies before I could complete typing my essay!!!

Oh well, enjoy!! I'm just maintaining my "highest average number of words per post" record!!
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Old 06-04-2014, 07:36 AM   #6
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Scott
My fingers anre hurting just looking at your post...
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Old 06-04-2014, 07:53 AM   #7
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I think Tommy and I were typing at the same time, but you certainly did the most thorough description!
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Old 06-04-2014, 08:16 AM   #8
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Thanks

The information provided was great. Wish I did this query a few week back.
Hope some day I will be in a position to help a newbie.
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Old 06-04-2014, 08:21 AM   #9
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Tim D, Sleepy T, WWW...you guys are great!! That's what I love about this forum. Hope you all get in just as much time helping out these folks as enjoying your own campers.
have a great camping season!
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Old 06-04-2014, 12:52 PM   #10
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Don't forget your washer hookup! It needs to be flushed out as well. We learned the hard way- couldn't figure out where a sulfur smell was coming from after being parked here for a couple of months. It was only when we first turned the water on anywhere in the RV. We tried so many things to get rid of it and finally realized we hadn't flushed the washer lines. We don't use the line, so we didn't think about it. The line is part of the pressurized system. After flushing the pink antifreeze entirely out, no more smell! Lesson learned for sure! (Winterizing in WI always includes RV antifreeze, not just using air.)
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Old 06-04-2014, 01:35 PM   #11
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welcome and enjoy new unit
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Old 06-04-2014, 01:47 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RJHewitt View Post
Don't forget your washer hookup! It needs to be flushed out as well. We learned the hard way- couldn't figure out where a sulfur smell was coming from after being parked here for a couple of months. It was only when we first turned the water on anywhere in the RV. We tried so many things to get rid of it and finally realized we hadn't flushed the washer lines. We don't use the line, so we didn't think about it. The line is part of the pressurized system. After flushing the pink antifreeze entirely out, no more smell! Lesson learned for sure! (Winterizing in WI always includes RV antifreeze, not just using air.)
Good point. Yours and mine have washer/dryer prep but I was sure the OPs Zinger didn't come with that option but I should still have mentioned it in my dissertation!!
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Old 06-06-2014, 05:36 AM   #13
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Thanks very much for the help. Completed the dewinterizing at camp last evening. Seemed to go as planned.
I have another problem. My hot water is not working. I seem to have gas... It turns on and if I hit the overflow valve I get hot steaming water
When I turn on the hot water I get a quick shot of warm water and then it goes cold and stays that way while I let it run. Any ideas
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Old 06-06-2014, 06:05 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trcgolf View Post
Thanks very much for the help. Completed the dewinterizing at camp last evening. Seemed to go as planned.
I have another problem. My hot water is not working. I seem to have gas... It turns on and if I hit the overflow valve I get hot steaming water
When I turn on the hot water I get a quick shot of warm water and then it goes cold and stays that way while I let it run. Any ideas
Hot water bypass valve is still on. Locate the valve, it will be between the hot and cold line. Red on one side, blue on the other. Turn it so the valve is "crossed" the line.
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Old 06-06-2014, 06:24 AM   #15
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Smile

Thanks. That worked
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Old 06-06-2014, 06:01 PM   #16
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Welcome!
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