Today being a Saturday, we opted to not visit any touristy locations. Instead, we started to get the trailer ready for storage. I filled any openings I could find in the plastic underbelly and floor with steel wool and pest-resistant, expanding foam. The expanding foam was pretty hard to work with. On the larger openings, I also used some metal screen cut to fit around the drain pipes. The screen is held in place with Gorilla Tape. Most of this was in the basement storage are near the front of the RV. The original plastic used to cover the larger openings around the drain pipes was plastic that became brittle and was cracked and broken.
The next task isn't really storage related but needed to be done sometime. The rubber hoses for the propane pigtails are really hard from age. Almost to the point of feeling brittle. And the automatic transfer valve and regulator slightly leak propane when one of the tanks is removed. While we were at Camping World yesterday, I picked up a new valve assembly and two pigtails. When I was getting ready to install it, I couldn't find my yellow ptfe tape which is designed for use on chemical connections such as propane. The normal white ptfe tape will dissolve over time.
A storage-related item with the propane is that I changed out one of the door latches for a locking one. A year and a half ago I had ordered enough of these cylinder locks, all keyed alike, for all of the storage compartments including the propane compartment. I just keep the propane one in the tool bag and swap it in for when the RV is in storage. Normally, you don't want a keyed locking latch on the propane door in case you need to get into it quickly.
Right as if on cue, the A/C stopped producing cold air this afternoon. Which is surprising since it really isn't that warm. I think today's high was somewhere around 73°F with a gentle breeze. I think the old unit is just tired like many other things on this trailer.
They recommend winterizing the water lines and drains as it could get below freezing in December/January. Unusual but it has been known to happen, I needed to pick up another blow-out plug. This is a schraeder valve that screws into the city water line on the trailer. After bypassing the water heater, you use air pressure to push the water out of the system. Water would still be in the pump so you then pump RV antifreeze through the water lines further displacing any water. The same antifreeze is poured into all of the traps and the toilet so they don't freeze. And the water heater needs to be emptied after turning off the breaker. Otherwise, the 110 VAC heating element would overheat in minutes. As a reminder, there is a shutoff switch on the water heater with a circlip to lock it in the off position. I may do that on the night before. I do need to drain the fresh water tank. I'm thinking that the easiest way may be to just turn off the "city water" and use the pump to just empty the tank into the sink or shower.
And, just like the last couple of days, I finish off the day in the pool and jacuzzi. Perfect weather for it....
Right as if on cue, the A/C stopped producing cold air this afternoon. Which is surprising since it really isn't that warm. I think today's high was somewhere around 73°F with a gentle breeze. I think the old unit is just tired like many other things on this trailer.
They recommend winterizing the water lines and drains as it could get below freezing in December/January. Unusual but it has been known to happen, I needed to pick up another blow-out plug. This is a schraeder valve that screws into the city water line on the trailer. After bypassing the water heater, you use air pressure to push the water out of the system. Water would still be in the pump so you then pump RV antifreeze through the water lines further displacing any water. The same antifreeze is poured into all of the traps and the toilet so they don't freeze. And the water heater needs to be emptied after turning off the breaker. Otherwise, the 110 VAC heating element would overheat in minutes. As a reminder, there is a shutoff switch on the water heater with a circlip to lock it in the off position. I may do that on the night before. I do need to drain the fresh water tank. I'm thinking that the easiest way may be to just turn off the "city water" and use the pump to just empty the tank into the sink or shower.
And, just like the last couple of days, I finish off the day in the pool and jacuzzi. Perfect weather for it....
Chores...gotta do em! Jerry uses air to winterize our coach and it has worked great.
ReplyDeleteI use air to blow out the lines but have a kit installed to run RV antifreeze through the pump and the few lines associated with the pump. I don't have a valve to fill the fresh water tank from the city water connection. So the tie between the two systems is downstream from the pump.
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