Winterizing

[Vector - Lanham]

For the seals on the toilet, I"m going to use Magic Lube, which is a sealant commonly used in swimming pool O-Rings. I use it on my pool equipment and also on my filters for my house.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Aladdin-Magic-Teflon-Lubricant-Sealant/dp/B00373OTNQ

 

I"ll report back on how it works, though i have high confidence it will function correctly for this application.

 

Stay well, Oliver family.

 

Vector

 

 

 

 

[John E Davies]

For the seals on the toilet, I”m going to use Magic Lube, which is a sealant commonly used in swimming pool O-Rings. I use it on my pool equipment and also on my filters for my house. https://www.amazon.com/Aladdin-Magic-Teflon-Lubricant-Sealant/dp/B00373OTNQ I”ll report back on how it works, though i have high confidence it will function correctly for this application. Stay well, Oliver family. Vector

That looks interesting. There are a lot of silicone greases, some good, some not so much.

 

Here is the gold standard for use on everything mechanical - oil and fuel filter gaskets especially. DC4 is in every A&P mechanics toolbox for use any time something made of rubber or similar material needs to stay pliable and slippery. It is more pricey than the common stuff like Permatex that is at the auto parts store.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dow-Corning-Electrical-Insulating-Compound/dp/B0195UWAHG/ref=sr_1_13?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1479434643&sr=1-13&keywords=Silicone+dielectric+grease

 

It is HIGHLY effective on low voltage electrical and coax  connections for keeping corrosion at bay. Also under a rubber spark plug boot on your lawn mower so it is easy to remove years later. Or to condition your door seals. A big tube lasts a really long time....

 

It doesn't have teflon, so I suspect your pool lube will work a little better for sliding parts. Please post a follow up report.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[donthompson]

I used 4 jack stands to get the wheels off the ground until I leave in January for Palo Duro Canyon, Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains NP, etc. Here's a photo.

 

Don

[Raspy]

Don,

 

 

 

I like the idea of getting the weight off the tires, but I wonder if it might be a good idea to put the stands under the frame and take the weight off the springs too?

[ScottyGS]

Don, Thanks for the great pictures. This is exactly what I plan to do when I put the flying sea turtle up for storage in a couple of weeks.

 

In response to Raspy, and others who may be wondering .......  Here is what I learned from a recent Conversation with Tommy Staggs.

 

You want to put the stands underneath the sub frame which is made of steel.  The sub frame is what the axles and the suspension system attach to.  If you can't put the stands under the sub frame you should put them under the axles.  You Do NOT want to put stands under the aluminum frame because aluminum is too soft to take the weight of the trailer concentrated in one spot.

 

When I took a look under the trailer I saw that the suspension gets in the way of setting stands under the sub frame. So, imho.....  four stands under the axles is the way to go.

 

As I write this.... we are in the Flying Sea Turtle at Hilton Head Harbor RV park in South Carolina. It is early morning and we had a great nights sleep in comfy bunks.  This will be the last trip for us and the FST for 2016.

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

 

Scotty

 

 

[John E Davies]

You Do NOT want to put stands under the aluminum frame because aluminum is too soft to take the weight of the trailer concentrated in one spot.  

The aluminum is "soft" only compared to steel. It is a high quality tempered alloy with massive cross sectional area. There is no way in this universe that it can't tolerate 1500 lbs of static weight at each stand. Just use a pad, like a six inch scrap of 2x4 wood, to prevent gouging from the top of the stand. Also pad the top of your floor jack, if you use it under the frame.

 

I think some people confuse their hard alloy structural aluminum frame with other weak aluminum products that they are more familiar with. It really is a very tough frame, don't get unduly worried about it.

 

I don't own an Ollie yet, but I have owned a marine grade aluminum utility trailer for 13 years. I am much more concerned about corrosion from winter deicers than I am hurting an Ollie during storage....

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[donthompson]

I talked to Tommy Staggs before I bought the jack stands. He suggested that I place them underneath the steel axles.

[ScottyGS]

Don, I would second that.  When I spoke with Tommy he was clear that the choices for placing Jack stands were the sub frame and the axles, not the aluminum frame.   It may be strong enough..... but when you have the manufacturer advising against it.....probably best to avoid.   I like what you did with the four stands and will do the same.  Did the rear electric jack stands have any trouble lifting the trailer so you could place the stands?

 

'Thanks again for the pics.  Appreciate them very much.

 

Scotty

[donthompson]

Sorry for my delay in responding--we've been traveling! The electric jacks easily lift the Ollie to allow the placement of the floor jacks.

 

Don

[dharmardr]

Could someone help me with the reverse "Winterizing" process? A few months ago I "Winterized" our Oliver using both methods, the compressed air method and the RV antifreeze method. I now want to get ready for our Exodus, for warmer temps, in January. I want to be sure that i don't get antifreeze in either the water heater or the fresh tank.

 

Do I draw fresh water into the petcock at the right rear of the Ollie that I used to draw in the RV antifreeze?

 

If so is this done before I change the valving back to normal configuration?

 

When is the water heater filled?

 

How will all the lines get purged of the antifreeze?

 

Sorry for these amateur questions, these things that happen once a year ( and this being the first time) leave me questioning the process. I appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks

 

Grayson

[Try2Relax]

Grayson,

 

Yes, you'll want to draw water through the rear port, so it will be clean of anti freeze the next time you have to use it.

 

I'm cautious and my wife swears she tastes it,  so I will do all freshening sections at least three times.

 

Do not undo the heater bypass until ALL has been freshened, so until the next step is to actually use it.

 

Try to fill fresh tank at least 1/4 - 1/2 so that you can draw enough water out to rinse all lines (for at least 1 minute each)  nose up helps to get more water out past the tube lip in the tank.

 

Then switch configuration to city water and do it again, with city water I'll let each valve run for a few minutes and be sure to run kitchen sink half warm and cold so it mixes

 

Then I fill fresh water tank from side port and do it again at each valve for a minute, around and around,  until I'm out of water.

 

Depending upon how long storage was, I might bleach the system and refresh the same way too, to start the season.

 

According to my wife, you can't rinse it out to many times....

 

One you've finished rinsing and think you're all set to go for a trip, unbypass the heater and let it fill with fresh.

 

Good luck

[ScottyGS]

Randy,  Thanks for the reply on this.  We are not lucky to be headed south to the warmer climes like Grayson and Ann. :-)  But.... I am thinking ahead to Summertime.  I have attached a procedure for "Summarizing" our Oliver to get the Antifreeze out.  It comes from your post and a kind of reverse engineering of the winterizing process in the Oliver manual.

 

Would you please give it a once over and point out any errors or improvables?

 

Thanks,

Scotty

 

Flying Sea Turtle Hull # 145

Procedures-for-Summarizing-Oliver-LE2-84RV.docx

[Try2Relax]

Scotty, sorry about the delay, I'm usually only on here on my phone and that is pretty difficult at times, never mind attachments... Your checklist looks good, I marked a few questions/comments

Procedures-for-Summarizing-Oliver-LE2-84RV.docx.docx

[rideandfly]

Appreciate the information shared in this thread.

 

Winterized the Ollie about a month ago with RV antifreeze as per the owners manual. After reading this thread wanted to blow everything out with 35PSI of compressed air, too. We camp every month of the year, so will leave the Ollie winterized until spring.

 

While blowing compressed air through the rear inlet with valves in winterizing positions and faucets open, the red RV antifreeze already in the 12V pump intake bowl, blew out making a mess. Turns out the pump filter/bowl was loose allowing the antifreeze to blow around the loose threads. This bowl is to be hand tightened, probably why I would occasionally hear air in a faucet when operating the 12V water pump drawing in a little air at the bowl. Could not find any damage to the pump or bowl.

 

Should  35PSI of pressure be placed on the 12V pump inlet bowl?

 

Winterize valve positions:

 

12V pump intake bowl:

 

Fittings purchased from Lowes today to connect to quick disconnect fitting on air hose.

 

Had to use an extra garden hose gasket to make the fitting air tight while connecting to the Ollie's connections:

[ScubaRx]

Bill, very nicely done...Well documented and explained.

[Try2Relax]

Bill,

 

Thanks for the parts pictures, I used the generic air fitting for doing it but can see that your creation will work much better.

 

That strainer is also the only place I noticed any water leaking, although using a VIAIR portable, my pressures where a little higher than recommended and even that barely leaked at all.

 

With yours leaking at 35, what kind of water pressure did you have in your shower running off the pump last summer?

[ScottyGS]

Randy,

 

Thanks for taking a look at the Summerization procedure.  Appreciate the correction and comments.   Your question on that document was:  Does the draw / pump fill the plumbing or the main tank, can you select either?  I am no expert < That's Buzzys Job! - high five to the Buzz man :-)  > but I took that part of the Summerization process from the Winterization process in the Oliver Manual.  And, double checked it with the Valve configuration picture supplied by Oliver.  So..... With the valves in the winterization configuration, the rear port will use the pump to draw water through "all lines and faucets".

 

That rear port is what we use to put the RV Antifreeze in... so it should be what we use to take it out.  IMHO.

 

That's all I have for now.  I am attaching the Summerization procedure for any others that wish to review.

 

Have a great Holiday and Safe Travels,

 

Scotty

 

Flying Sea Turtle - Hull # 145

 

 

Procedures-for-Summarizing-Oliver-LE2-84RV-1.docx

[rideandfly]

Randy,

 

Used my shop AC and set the line pressure at 35PSI.  The garden hose brass fitting thread would not thread completely into any of the Ollie fittings, but using an extra garden hose gasket, tightened the connections completely. Even filed burrs off of some brass threads, but only way I could get an airtight connection was with the gasket.

 

Here's the 12V pump information and close up of the inlet strainer on the 12V pump. Guessing it would draw a little air in at the loose suction strainer, since I would occasionally hear a little air in a faucet when running water system with the 12V pump earlier this year.

 

Fittings to connect to quick disconnect fitting on air hose.

 

Like always I take too many photos including a thermometer shot in the Ollie this morning. We're in the Charlotte NC area.

 

 

[John E Davies]

Used my shop AC and set the line pressure at 35PSI. SNIP  Guessing it would draw a little air in at the loose suction strainer, since I would occasionally hear a little air in a faucet when running water system with the 12V pump earlier this year. 

You can pressurize your system and blow it out, then close all the taps. Leave the air turned on and spray soapy water on all the connections. Bubbles clearly show minor leaks that may not be obvious when looking for seeping water. Major leaks can often be found by the hissing sound of air leakage. This is a great way to leak test the system after performing any repair that requires disassembly. (This is the same technique used by car mechanics when they pressure test your cooling system using a small pump attached to the radiator cap.)

 

Another trick, if you suspect that a fitting might be leaking, is to place a folded up blue paper shop towel under the area. Any leakage will show up as an easy to see dark blue spot on the paper. This does not work very well with regular white towels.

 

Nice pics, thanks for posting.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[rideandfly]

Also, please realize the importance of starting a siphon prior to attaching the hose to the EZ winterizing fitting. Once the siphon was started, I used the boondocking setting not the winterizing setting on the water pump valves. 

 

Buzzy, Thanks!

 

Will use the boondocking settings next time when using compressed air through the rear Ollie winterizing fitting. Believe David did the same.

[Try2Relax]

 Since I do not have a detailed knowledge of my water lines and where leaks could occur, I see checking the weep holes for any drainage in the spring. Oh, boy what fun! Buzzy

 

Buzzy, this is exactly how I found that there was a leak when I first got mine from the PO, I happened to notice a drip on the ground under the winterization port (never used it) felt the channel above the weep and found it wet, finally traced it all the way across the back wall to the other rear corner where the inline regulator connection was leaking, I LOVE not having a plywood subfloor. I would definitely recommend, every now and then, a little nose up attitude just to help the weep holes work to double check leaks.

 

 

[GrayGhost]

I live in the Florida panhandle during winter, so fortunately have not had to deal with winterization yet. (Although came close with the recent cold blast)

I've been trying to visualize the plumbing system in my head while reading about this process. It has caused me to wonder if,with the valve to the water heater closed when pulling anti freeze through the pipes, does the "hot side" of the system fill with antifreeze, or just the cold side?

[ScottyGS]

Our trailer is in storage now but operating on memory.....     If you close the bypass valve, it should bypass the HW heater completely.  So I believe the answer is neither.

 

Scotty

 

Flying Sea Turtle - Hull # 145

[rideandfly]

These photos help me understand the hot water tank valve operating positions. Color coded hoses,  red (hot), blue (cold), and white bypass hose. Looks like a brass check valve installed in the top of the tank with an arrow pointing water flow direction.

 

Here's the hot water tank valve in the standard operating position, cold water flowing into the bottom inlet of the hot water tank and hot water coming out of the top outlet through the check valve to the red hose:

 

Here's the hot water tank valve in bypass position with flow bypassing hot water tank inlet through the white hose to the top outlet with check valve preventing back flow into the tank with flow back to the red hose:

[GrayGhost]

Thanks! The white hose on the bypass junction answers my question.... Great photo.