Rick March, General Manager
Customer Relations Group

Well I don’t like writing about winterizing but unfortunately I live in Ohio. Each year in September our
production plant starts to winterize the new products leaving the factory and this reminds me that Fall is coming
soon. For those of you that live in the northern regions you will have to be thinking of winterizing your trailers
or motorhomes as well. I have touched on this in the past and will probably continue each October as we have
so many new owners joining each year. I will also include some tips for storage. For those of you with newer
Classic models you can follow the same instructions below even though you have an Alde water heater versus
the standard Atwood model in the other product lines. Your drain valve and bypass lines for the Alde are
located under the dinette booth housing the Alde furnace/water heater.

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Drain and flush your fresh water tank.
Drain and flush your grey water tank.
Drain and flush your black water tank.
Drain and flush hot water heater. Reinstall drain plug
If you have low point drain lines under your coach:
 Open the hot and cold faucets in your coach.
 Uncap the low point drain lines under the coach – let water drain completely.
 Recap the drain lines.
 Close the hot and cold faucets.
 Remove any water filter cartridge if applicable.

Note: The above items need to be completed before winterizing with compressed air or antifreeze.
6. Blowing out water the lines with air pressure:
 Screw on compressed air adaptor into the city water connection.
 Apply compressed air, keeping pressure to less than 60 psi.
 Open each faucet one at a time to force water out of lines.
 Depress toilet valve. Depress toilet hand spray if applicable.
 Depending on you unit you may have an ice maker, washing machine, etc. The lines to these
appliances will also need to be drained and blown out. (Consult Owners Manual).
 If you have an exterior shower be sure to blow compressed air through this.
 If you have a black tank flush be sure to blow compressed air in this fitting.

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Purge the water pump by turning it on and allowing air pressure to clear any water that may
be trapped in the pump itself.
Remove the compressed air adaptor from the city water connection.
Add one cup of antifreeze to all sink drains. Also add a cup of antifreeze to the toilet.

7. Winterizing using antifreeze:
 Use RV Non- Toxic Antifreeze Only. You will need approximately 2 gallons.
 Make sure the water pump is off and faucets are closed.
 Close the water heater bypass valve if applicable. (Note: if you do not have a water heater bypass
valve installed you may want to consider having this done. It will keep you from pumping
antifreeze into the water heater and will save you 6 gallons of antifreeze which is what it takes to
fill the water heater before it is dispersed out to faucets etc).
 Purchase an antifreeze T kit to install on the inlet side of the water pump connection. This will
allow you to pump the antifreeze from the jug into the water system.
 Switch on the water pump. It will start to pump the antifreeze through the water lines
 Open each hot and cold faucet lines one at a time until you see the noticeable red color of the
antifreeze flowing from each valve.
 Open the toilet valve and the shower valve until antifreeze flows through.
 Add one cup of antifreeze to all sink drains. Also add a cup of antifreeze to the toilet.
 Shut off the antifreeze T valve installed near the water pump.

8. You are finished!!

I am attaching a picture of the Pump Converter Winterizing Kit ( T- Kit) to winterize the lines with
antifreeze and a picture of the blow out plug needed for winterizing with compressed air.

Airstream Part Number 100363W

Airstream Part Number 90214W

Winter Storage Reminders

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Shut off the propane at the tank/tanks.
Make sure that your tires are properly inflated, clean and covered to protect from UV rays. Sun and air
pollutants can also cause deterioration of the rubber compound, causing dry-rot in your tires.
Apply dielectric grease to the 7 way cord connections to prevent corrosion while in storage.
Remove any water filters before winterizing and install a filter plug or by-pass line. You will not be able
to remove all of the water from the filter when using air to winterize and you do not want the filter full
of RV antifreeze if you are using that method to fill and protect your water lines.
If your water heater is gas and electric make sure the electric heating element is turned off. This will
protect the element if the unit is plugged in while being stored or before water is put back into the
system next spring.
Leave the fridge and freezer doors open. To help dry out the refrigerator and freezer compartments prior
to storage, crumple up newspaper and put in the freezer and lower refrigerator compartment for 24 to 48
hours to absorb moisture and then remove the papers.
Open boxes of baking soda may be placed into the compartments to help eliminate odors during storage.
Leave cabinet and closet doors open when storing for better circulation and humidity control.
Remove all food items, paper and cardboard from closets and cabinets. We don’t want to encourage
winter guests (rodents)!
Wash your Airstream before storing, especially the roof. Washing the roof will let you inspect for any
water leaks, loose or cracked sealants or any damage to AC covers or vents. If you see anything
damaged or looks questionable get it corrected before putting the unit in storage.
Lubricate all joints, pivot points and gears on your steps and stabilizer jacks.

Battery Storage for Winter

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Should I remove my batteries from my Airstream for the winter?
Batteries will last longer if kept charged, and having the battery stored in a garage or workshop makes
monitoring and charging the battery/batteries easier. Removing the battery also gives you the
opportunity to have your battery tested (load tested at a battery supplier) and inspected for any damage
to the battery case (leaking fluid or bulging sides).
You will also want to check fluid levels and fill as necessary with distilled water so the tops of the plates
are covered. Only on Lead Acid batteries
It is also a good time to inspect battery terminals and cable ends for corrosion. Clean them with a wire
brush and apply a protective coating to battery posts and cable ends.
You can leave the batteries in your Airstream when storing if you keep them charged, this will require
plugging the unit in or hooking up to a charger a least monthly. Batteries should be fully charged when
placed in storage and maintained to keep batteries from freezing.
Airstream does not recommend leaving your unit plugged in full time when in storage. If a battery were
to fail than the converter would try to charge it back up and boil down the liquid in both batteries.

Store Trailer on Gravel or Concrete
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Helps better protect the tires from moisture.
Keep tires fully inflated.
Parking in an area with tall grass or a wooded area can lead to unwanted visitors!
Never store where overhanging tree branches can fall.
Store in an area where you can keep an eye on your trailer.

I would love to hear from you and if you have a suggestion or topic you would like to see covered in a future
article, or have a question just drop me a line at rmarch@airstream.com .

Have a great month!

Rick March