As the polar vortex terrorizes most of the country some of us are playing outside and others have retired indoors. Before you settle in with your latest home improvement project, did you tuck in the Little Guy? Here is how to prepare your Little Guy for hibernation.
Drain the Water
Locate the petcock located below the water tank under the floor and let all the water drain out. Next, look under the teardrop and unscrew the ¾ inch camp, allowing the water to drain completely from the lines and hot water tank.
Camping Tip: Prop up the front of the camper, turn on all the faucets and open the pressure valve on the hot water heater to assist in draining.
Take out the anode rod from the water heater and replace it with a ¾ inch plug. Take off the 1 ½ inch drain cap and remove the gray water.
Antifreeze
When all the water is drained, refill the lines with non-toxic RV antifreeze, which you can buy in our online Teardrop Shop.
Camping Tip: You can use compressed air to blow out the lines as an alternative to the antifreeze.
Pour about two gallons of RV antifreeze into the water pump to distribute the antifreeze throughout the system. Protect the traps by pouring a cup of antifreeze down all the drains.
Last, but not least, drain the remaining antifreeze from the tank a double check to make sure the water heater is drained and left open.
Flush it Out
When the snow melts in the spring make sure to drain the antifreeze and sanitize the entire system. Fill the tank to the top with water and run pump to flush fresh water through the system including the hot water heater. When all the antifreeze is cleared from the system, sanitize the system with household bleach.
Camping Tip: All water systems that are considered suitable for drinking should be sanitized before and after storage. You should also sanitize your system if it’s new or if it has been contaminated.
For a four hour treatment multiply the water tank gallon capacity by .13, for a one hour treatment multiply the water tank by .26. This will provide the measurement in ounces of household bleach required to flush the cleanse the system. Mix the proper amount of bleach into a container of water, pour the solution into the water tank and then add drinkable water. Turn on the electric pump and open ALL the faucets, don’t forget the shower! When you start to smell chlorine, turn off the faucets.
Set a timer with the proper treatment time before draining the system and refilling it with drinking water.
Voila! Your Little Guy is now ready to settle in for the winter. For more information on how to winterize your Little Guy, check out the owners manual on our website.