Skipping fresh water sanitizing

A question for those who DO NOT put anti-freeze in your lines when winterizing...

Have you ever skipped cleaning/sanitizing your fresh water tank and lines when preparing for spring camping season? If so, did you regret it or would you keep skipping the process?

TC

TC,

I didn't winterize my Cat this winter, first time in 5 years. The first cold snap caught me totally off guard and I waited to late to winterize. Unfortunately, I am paying (literally) for my negligence. So far I had to replace the filter house that shattered due to water freezing, repair my upgraded kitchen faucet (faucet head flew off when water was turned on, luckily it missed my head by inches).

I also bleach the fresh water tank and run it through all lines and let the solution sit for a couple of days. Flush and ready to go.

I know I didn't answer any of your questions. I'm just curious how you managed to make it through winter without winterizing your camper?

Thanks...

I drain all the tanks, unscrew the water filter housing, open all the faucets and blow out the lines. I also open up the low point drain and take out the anode rod. The only anti-freeze I use is in the p traps, and I'm not sure I really need to do that since there's room for expansion in both directions. I absolutely HATE the taste of anti-freeze and it takes several uses to totally get rid of it. I also hate the hassle of sanitizing the fresh water system each spring and am looking to find out just how lazy I can be without side-effects.

TC

I just add some freshener I got from Camping World. I used a 1/4 cup of bleach and the taste never went away on my old trailer. Never again!

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/drinking-water-freshener/18550

I do like exactly like TC does. Have the past three years. I use to go through the whole anti freeze and refreshing the lines deal. I blow the lines out for a good while. Anti freeze the P traps. Pull out the anode rod. Nothing has frozen. Yet .... At the beginning of the new season I'll just put in a new filter cartridge and run some fresh water through for a bit. We usually take drinking water because we have no idea where the water is coming from at most campsites. Seems to work good for me. We never use our fresh tank .

I always just blow out the lines. I Sanitize with bleach in the spring and in the middle of the season all tanks. Fresh water filter is installed in spring, and again in the middle of the summer when I sanitize again. We go out 1 time per month from March to October if all goes well for 4 to 6 days at a time.

I don't care if I drink out of the tank or use bottled water (frankly, I trust my EPA regulated water from the tank then the bottled stuff) so this is a bare minimum. Sometimes I'll sanitize 3 times per year depending on usage.

Joel

TC, This past fall i forgot to pour anti freeze in the P traps,the galley and the bathroom sink traps both split at the seam.
Easy to fix, but still easier to pour a cup or 2 of antifreeze in.

I have added a drain to my water filter plastic housing. Drilled and tapped it. Went down to NAPA and both a brass radiator drain valve. Use a short piece of plastic gutter so I never have to remove the plastic housing.

Portagie,

If you have the time, we'd really like to see pictures. It sounds intriguing!

TC

Using anti-freeze has nothing to do with the fresh water tank. The fresh water tank is simply drained. The antifreeze is pumped through the plumbing via a bypass; it is not put in the fresh water tank.

Sometimes I sanitize my tank, sometimes I don't. When I do, just put a little bleach in it, fill it with water, let it sit overnight and flush it out a few times. I have never had a problem with the bleach taste; just don't use too much.

As for the water filter; I installed a bypass. In the fall, I bypass it, remove the old filter and housing. In the spring I put a new filter in when I install the housing.

TC

As I get time this week I will see what I can do. I will get back to you with what I did. Getting ready to leave Monday. New at this so adding pictures maybe fun.

I stopped using antifreeze in my pipes after a very strange thing happened to us one year. In the spring, I went to drain it out and the filter housing (and I suspect everything else) had a layer of clear slime in it. It was something like geletin and had no smell to it. Got to be one of the strangest things I've ever seen.
I bleached and rinsed the sytem many times before I was comfortable with it. So now, I only put AF in the traps and blow everything else out. I will bleach it before our first trip.

TC - Now lets see if we can get this done as promised. The water filter is made especially for Forest River. Never found a filter at Camping World. Was only able to buy the filter at a Forest River dealer. So we use an external filter now. We drain the bowl for winter maintenance only. Talked to the company, that makes this filter, in 2007 and they felt there was no reason for a drain. So I did my think being a good old farm boy.

Need to remove the bowl of course. Drill a 11/32 hole and tap, very carefully, with a 1/8-27 pipe tap. By a brass drain cock to fit at any Auto Store. Use liberal amount of lube when drilling and taping. Use plumers grease when you install drain cock. Mine cracked a little but 3 years later no leaks. We bought two 10ft plastic gutters at Orchard. Cut each on in half and glued two halfs together. We used Black Silicon Ahesive. Can explain how if needed. We use these to support our sewer hose and one to drain the filter before winter. We also cary six 4X4 blocks, eight inches for the sewer hose. I can take a picture on vaction and explain it that way.

TC - As U can see we have a well stocked trailer. LMBO

ScottandGrace - Got a question. What are wet bolts and F-Fans?

Portagie1968 wrote:TC - As U can see we have a well stocked trailer. LMBO

Wow, someone else besides me has the built in Onan generator.

Yes. I do not need it offten but I luv it. I usually only use it one time a year but it works great. Glad I got it.

jetskier - how did you 4 battaries in your Cat. I barley have room for 2.

schrowang - Thank you. The part numbers would be helpful. I am retired I got time. I have the same entertainment center. Should be easy. Never cut Fiber Glass before. Always a first time.

Dan

I'll post a pic in the other battery thread.

Dan, that's a neat idea. Saves you from having to unscrew your filter housing to drain.

TC

Portagie1968 wrote:Never found a filter at Camping World. Was only able to buy the filter at a Forest River dealer.

I buy the filters at WalMart; fit perfectly.

scottz - U got a make and model number? Would be appreciated.

Thank you TC.

Portagie1968 wrote:ScottandGrace - Got a question. What are wet bolts and F-Fans?

They do sound rather odd dont they?
Wet bolts are hollow bolts with grease fittings that replace all the common bolts holding your leaf spring suspension together. Because they allow these normally dry joints to be greased, they greatly lessen the wear these parts see.
F-Fan is short for Fantastic Fans, which is a brand of vent that replaces the overhead crank-style vents in your RV with a unit that has a high power electric fan built into it. They work.. well... fanatstic!

Scotty

The filters our WC's use are a really common size. I've bought mine at HomeDepot, WalMart and ACE hardware.

ScottandGrace - Can you get me part numbers on the wet bolts. One of my projects to be done before July. Thank you for the info. F-Fans are great. Got mine with the trailer and best thing since sliced butter. Because my WC was made on Saturday be hung over college students from Oregon State we had many problems. My frame needed a little TLC. So has a good will jester they added shocks for me. Will not have a trailer without them. Wonder if the shocks are right. They seem a litle short but I got them. Thank you again for the info.

Portagie1968 wrote:scottz - U got a make and model number? Would be appreciated.

The WalMart brand is "Omni Filter", model "T01-DS series C". Just take your tape measere with you to WalMart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc and buy a filter that is 9 3/4" long and 2 1/2" in diameter.

I think this Omnifilter is the one I purchased at WalMart. The web site price sounds high, I can't remember what I paid, but it was not that much. I think they came in a two or three pack.

I'm pretty sure any of the filters for their OB1 or OB2 housing would fit, but take your tape measure to be sure. There is a wide selection depending on what you need the filter to do.

When I hook up to external water (not very often), I also use this filter.

These are available at Camping World. The don't give measurements, so take a tape measure.

Thank you kind sir. We will add a filter and see how the water pressure is. The external one has a lot of volumne and pressure. So we will compare. Again thank you.

I found the part number. Omnifilter T01-DS series c.