A few months ago, I wrote Stan Kennedy at Four Wheel Campers about winterizing. I have a 2009 Hawk with a hot water heater and an outside shower.
After reading Stan's reply to my email, here's what I'm going to do this winter instead of using antifreeze.
1. Drain the main tank.
2. Connect the shower hose and open the valves and shower sprayer (there's a check valve on the connection to the sprayer).
3. Open the sink faucets.
4. Now that system pressure is released, remove the outside drain plug on the hot water heater to drain it.
5. Run the water pump to blow out at much remaining water as possible.
6. Replace the drain plug; remove the shower sprayer; Leave the sink faucets open.
7. Maybe open the valve to the clear hose inside the water pump access door and drain whatever water is in there.
I also note that there's a valve on my water system that shuts off water to the hot water tank. This would be useful for short trips in the winter where I want to use water but don't want to mess with draining the hot water tank.
Here's the email exchange I had with Stan:
<< My Hawk has a door to access the water pump. Right inside the door is a
coiled-up clear hose a couple of feet long. One end is connected to the
water line. The other end is open. I have no idea what this hose is for. >>
For the most part you will not need to ever deal with that hose. It is just
a low water drain hose in case you want to drain your water system and
really winterize the camper for freezing temps. You can open the valve and
stick the hose in a coffee cup to sake out a little more water from the
water lines in the cabinets.
<< Winterizing the Water System. My Hawk has the new hot water tank that, as
far as I can tell, has no anode rod. >>
No, if you have the newer hot water heater, the tank is aluminum, so it does
not have the anode rod, but it should still have a drain plan so you can
drain the tank for winterizing.
<< The winterizing instructions for the system with the water heater and
outside shower say it is recommended that as much water as possible be
drained from the system, OR you can add a mixture of water and non-toxic
antifreeze to the campers water system. On the other hand, the instructions
for the "Standard" system say it is recommended that as much water as
possible be drained from the system, AND that a mixture of water and
non-toxic antifreeze be added. It's not explained why the antifreeze in an
option in the deluxe system but mandatory in the standard system. >>
The antifreeze is just one option. But I don't think many people use it.
Most people drain their fresh water tank, drain the hot water heater, run
the water pump for a few seconds to get any excess water out, then leave all
of the water faucets "OPEN" so any trapped water in the lines can move
freely if they do freeze up. This seems to do the truck.
I will do some "poking" here to see if I can get someone to better update
the owners manual. Like you said, it is over due for big over haul.
We have been & are still so buried we are having a hard time getting to the
small projects we would like to work on, like this.
Just let me know if you have any other questions.
I would be glad to help.
Have a great weekend !
Stan Kennedy
Four Wheel Pop-up Campers / Six-Pac Campers
www.FourWheelCampers.com
www.Six-Pac.com
1460 Churchill Downs Ave.
Woodland, CA 95776
1-530-666-1442 - phone
1-800-242-1442 - toll free
1-530-666-1486 - fax
Never gets cold enough here to bother.
