Hey,
So, it's my first time winterizing an RV and I'm the only Scamp guy I know, which means I'm relying heavily on you fine folks to help me with the dumb questions.
I trust this will be an easy process... next year, but for now, on with the questions!
1) At first I could figure out how to drain the hot water heater tank. Finally, I figured it out. Everything says it should be a 7/8, plastic plug, but mine was a metal 1-1/8" plug. Is that normal or did someone change something before I owned it? It's a 2022 Scamp 16.
2) Next, it says I need to ensure I don't send water into the heater by turning all valves vertical. Looking under the sink (where my tank is), I only see one valve, on the cold line.
My best educated guess is that if I close that, water won't be pumped into the heater, and therefore, there is no valve on the hot line. Am I correct or am I just not finding the valve for the hot line?
3) In one of the many videos I watched, it says only use the cold faucet with antifreeze, but don't I also need it in the hot lines (just not the heater tank itself?)
Thanks for any info you can provide. It's getting cold here and I'm hoping to have this done this week, so I appreciate any and all help provided with my newbie questions!
1. If you have the big metal plug most likely you have a Suburban Steel tank WH. The metal plug contains an anode which will need to be replaced next spring.
2. Shut off the cold water valve to the WH. Highly recommend you install an antifreeze pick up T valve on your pump input so you don't put antifreeze in your fresh water tank.
3.Pump antifreeze through your cold faucets and close. Then open your cold and hot water shower valves and close the valve on the shower head. That will let AF go to the hot water faucets, Next remove the wh drain plug and drain the water from the WH, open the kitchen HW faucet for a vent. Then close the kitchen hw faucet and pump AF into you WH tank until AF comes out the anode plug hole. Then turn off pump and replace the plug for the winter hand tight.
4. IF you get a city water air adapter and blown down your water system first you can winterize with about 1 Gal of AF. Also use the air adapter to flush the AF out first when de winterizing.
You should also mouse-proof all the vents. The manual doesn't cue you to do this. It cost me $200 to fix a wire the mice chewed through last winter, making a nest on top of the fridge. It seems that the mice climbed up the cloth cover and easily got in through the refrigerator vent. You can buy screens made to fit the Dometic vents in the side of the camper. Scamp told me the roof vent is also accessible by critters, and that I should stop up the heater vent. I got Xcluder stainless steel wool online to tuck in around the roof vent for the fridge (2 layers and fingers crossed), and gently jammed small pieces in the heater vent, held in place with electrical tape. The hot water vent is also open to intrusions. I tucked a double layer of ss wool top and bottom, held in place with electrical tape. I recommended to Scamp that they include a warning about mouse-proofing in future manuals!
Thanks for the replies. I ended up figuring most of it through different forums and videos. I don't feel great about it, but I suppose we'll see come spring.
I went in it today to do some final cleaning and organizing before covering it and there was a leak from my fan above the rear dinette. I am hoping it's just a simple caulk job. I will probably make another post about that now. Once that's done, it's time to put the jack stands beneath the frame, pull the battery, and cover her up for a few months. s
Hey all!
Spring has sprung here in CT! (For this week!) which means it's time to dewinterize!
I've filled my fresh water tank and drained it. There was some antifreeze in it. I will continue to drain it a few more times before the season really kicks off.
I ran the cold water faucet until it ran clear. My concern is that the water (both cold and hot) seem to be rather foamy. I have a short video I can upload if it'll help, but was wondering if anyone else experiences this. I'm just not sure if it's something in the system or just caused by air, but it's definitely more foamy than any house sink.
I'm currently sitting in my trailer now letting the hot water heater catch up. It's been about 15 minutes, and I'm going to check everything at 20 minutes. My concern with the warm water (I used it once already, but am thinking I didn't let it get hot enough.) is that it was coming out pink. I was pretty confident by closing the above mentioned valve that anti-freeze wouldn't get into the WH. In any case, I'm just going to keep running water through it. At this point, my eyes could just deceive me.
Beyond those two things, I did the toilet until water was clear, cold shower until water was clear, and hit the city water valve... I got wet. My shower head also sprung a leak. :(
My last question(s) for now... and this is something I think I probably learned last year and simply forgot... but... for the hot water:
- fresh water full
- Turn on pump
- Turn on hot faucet
- water will be pumped into WH, then turn on heater. (I have the switch).
(in real time, at 20mins, the heater/propane just turned off. I'm going to check water now) (It did get hot and any pink I thought I saw has subsided)
My question now is, the hot water tank is only 6gal (I think), when it reached full hot and the heater turns off, is it best to flip the heater switch back off or, if I'm in the shower, for example, do I keep it on and the pump will automatically fill the heater and heater will automatically heat...
Sorry for all the newbie questions! I've read the manuals and watched the videos, but direct questions and answers is how I learn best.
Thanks!