I need to winterize my new micro Minnie Help please, thank you

[MaggieD]

I bought a 2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 2108TB without thinking it thru. I was the salesperson dream.
I am a complete novice to anything camping.

I need to leave it in S.C. for the winter on a relatives property and don’t know what to do to protect it while it’s stored outside. I have had it jacked up so tires are off the ground. I’ve purchased a cover and tire covers for it.

I’m aware I have to drain the tanks but cannot find any step by step directions on utube or elsewhere,, any information would be greatly appreciated.

[creativepart]

Generally, you don't want to store it with the tires off the ground. If they are on concrete it would be good to put some wood down and put the trailer tires on the wood boards.

Winterising is thoroughly covered on YouTube. Better yet any mobile RV Tech you could hire would also know how to do it. Heck, hire one to do everything to get it ready for storage.

Not sure why you can't find a YouTube video. Perhaps your looking for your exact Travel Tailer. Don't worry about that.

Here's one on a 5th Wheel. Much of it relates to all trailers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdLs8kTd26I

[MaggieD]

Your correct I was looking for my specific trailer. I’ll keep looking Thanks for the heads up.

[tinglett]

I have a 2108DS which should be very close to what you have. If you skim recent topics there has been discussion on this, as well as the videos already pointed out. But here are a few specifics for you. Do this when disconnected from city water, of course. I'll write down most everything here even though some is obvious. Also, I'm showing how to winterize the water with anti-freeze. Some people blow out with air.

1. Empty your water heater. This is the fairly big door on the passenger side near the rear. A little tab is sticking out at the top that you pull and rotate to release the door. There's a nylon plug with a hex head toward the left-bottom of all the stuff you see there. You'll need to use a small adjustable wrench, or similar, to screw it out. Remember it's nylon (white plastic on mine). A bunch of water will dump out. You can put the plug back in and tighten when it's mostly done dripping. A little left inside won't hurt (according to the manual). I put it back and tighten so I don't forget about it in the next year when you first using the rig.
   
2. The bottom panel under your bathroom sink has a screw in each corner. Take them out and pull out the panel (grab onto the heat vent to give it a pull). This gives you access to the three water heater bypass valves. In this photo I have them turned the way you want, to bypass the water heater. You don't need (or want) to fill your water heater with 6 gallons of anti-freeze. Next season just turn these back to the original positions. The handles on these ball valves are all set so the handle is parallel with the water pipe when the valve is open, and they cross the water pipe when closed. So I have the hot (red) and cold (blue) valves to the water tank shut in this photo, and the bypass valve is open so cold water can run over to the hot water line.
   
3. Now empty out under your kitchen sink and unscrew the access panel. There are screws on both sides, the front, and back. Here you find two valves. In the photo I show the valves for normal operation. You are going to pump from gallon jugs of pink RV anti-freeze. So you flip these valves. The one that is ON in the photo allows the pump to suck water up from your freshwater tank. Close that one. The one that is OFF in the photo is connected to a spare water hose that loops around to an open end (see the arrow). You can open that valve and dunk this hose into a jug of anti freeze.
   
4. With the hose in the jug of anti-freeze (you may need a helper to hold it...that hose is too short!), go turn on the water pump via your control panel. It'll run and suck up anti-freeze from the jug until the system is pressurized. Now you want to run each water fixture, both cold and hot, until you clearly see pink coming out.
   • Do the kitchen sink
   • Do the bathroom sink
   • Do the shower
   • Go outside and do the outside shower
   • Bonus: pull the screen from the water hose inlet (where you connect city water) and push on the white check valve (see the following photo). Watch out...it'll squirt at you! This screen is very hard to get out and I don't think there is much water behind it. I didn't do this last year and my TT is still ok.
     
   It takes me about 2.5 gallons to do this. It won't hurt to use up a whole 3 gallons.
5. Turn your water pump off and you can switch the valves back under the kitchen sink. Don't change the water heater bypass until the next season, otherwise it'll let the pipes drain into the heater. That probably won't hurt it. Leave the bathroom panel open so you don't forget it.
6. Prop open your refrigerator doors with the little cards they provided.
   
7. Turn your battery disconnect switch off in the storage bay. Make sure the jack light is off. You may want to actually remove your battery and bring it inside for storage. Make sure the propane is off.

I'm sure others will have suggestions for more things you might do. For example, some DampRid to keep moisture down, something for dealing with rodents, etc. But the main thing is water.

[MaggieD]

I can’t thank you enough for your through and detailed instructions.
Along with The pictures, I think this will get me thru the whole process and eliminate much of my anxiety. You have been so very helpful! ����

[tinglett]

No problem at all...glad to help. Also, if you see things that are different in your model/year, please post for others.

I probably also should have stated other obvious things, like make sure your water heater has been off and cold for some time so you don't scald yourself when you drain it, etc. You also don't ever want to run your water heater while it's empty and bypassed. Maybe a post-it note reminder over the switches in the control panel would be a good idea. I'd watch the video creativepart posted after you've looked over things and I bet you'll find it all makes perfect sense. He goes through all these steps and his equipment isn't that much different. Honestly, finding these access panels for the first time is the hard part.

The un-winterization procedure is pretty much the reverse, though you'll want to sanitize your plumbing with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. The same guy has great videos on that process, too.

[tinglett]

The latest post in another thread reminded me of a couple more items I forgot!

Flush the toilet until you see pink! In fact, I tend to do this one last and run the rest of the pink stuff into the black water tank. You want the pink anti-freeze in the gray tank, too, and that'll happen when you run the sink faucets and shower. I just like to think that whatever puddle is left in those tanks has enough anti-freeze to keep it from trouble. The space is so big and tanks so empty (they are, right? -- another thing I didn't mention) that this shouldn't matter much. I figure if anti-freeze puddles into the drain valves it's "a good thing".

Also, you should open your freshwater drain valve. If you crouch down to the left of your entrance steps in front of the trailer tires you'll see this hard-to-reach white plastic valve.





For the life of me, I never remember which way to turn this valve. You'd think the "with the pipe it is open and across the pipe it is closed" rule would apply, but it's really fully closed one way and fully open the other. It may be open enough if you point it down (inline with the pipe). I tend to always leave it open unless I'm filling the freshwater tank. And when you are doing that, it's easy to tell which way it goes as the pouring water gives it away!

If you try turning both ways and get no water, then I'd stop worrying about it. Your tank is plenty dry and you can figure it out in the spring when you first try the freshwater tank. I don't bother trying to pour any antifreeze into this tank.

Again, watch that video anyway and he'll mention stuff like this.

[efmnvt]

I'm puzzled about one item I don't think you mentioned. The hot and cold water Petcocks. Are they the low water points in the system which should be "pulled" to cause them to drain? I don't see on my 2108DS where they drain too. The bottom is fully enclosed in that area? Do they drain to the gray water tank?
Many thanks for the really detailed winterization procedure!

[tinglett]

Originally Posted by efmnvt

I'm puzzled about one item I don't think you mentioned. The hot and cold water Petcocks.

Perhaps it's too early and I haven't had enough coffee. Wondering which petcocks you are referring to. Under the trailer, or in a cabinet? Maybe I haven't noticed them before

[efmnvt]

Inside the lower cabinet in the back of the trailer there is a hot and cold line laying on the floor. There is a pull valve (peacock) which supposedly is the low point for the hot and cold lines.
Since the underbody is sealed I can't see where those valves exit to.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Ed

[tinglett]

Ed,
Wow, those are new to me! Here's photos of what we are talking about. In the back bathroom cabinet at the floor there is an access panel, and here is what is under that panel:




Under the trailer at the very back street-side stabilizer you'll see where they come out:




I turned mine but nothing appears to have dripped out. Perhaps I'm not opening them correctly, or the anti-freeze has drained out somewhere else. It's a puzzler.

Note that my first photo shows how the valves were before I touched them. You'd think one of them might be open, but considering I've never noticed water pouring out I assume they were shut.

[MaggieD]

I found the fresh water valve and I turned it opposite the way the pipe goes. It’s been draining about 5 minutes and continues. I checked to be sure water hose is turned off. Do I let it keep draining.

[MaggieD]

It stopped draining. Whew. I need more patience for all this new stuff! Thanks so much

[tinglett]

I'd leave the freshwater valve open over the winter. I suppose some would prefer to close it, but unless you get dust storms of some kind or insect infestations, I doubt anything would get into it.

Then, of course, what is bound to happen is that when you start filling the tank next year you'll eventually realize you are creating a puddle under the trailer! That happens to me every time, but I just crouch down and close it. Problem solved Anyway, that's how I've been doing it so far.

[efmnvt]

Looks like the part I'm missing is the drain point. My camper is completely sealed in that area. I guess I'll check with the dealer and see what they have to say.
Thanks again!

[MaggieD]

I found mine way Under the back of TT past the water heater. It’s 2 black lumps. I was just able to see the blue one. The red one was covered so I work at it to give it some room to drain. When I turned the valves on inside the bath cabinet no water came out so I’m guessing there isn’t any left.

[tinglett]

I have no idea if this worked, but I decided to copy/paste/edit and make this list into a little document for my own future reference. I added a little to include optional air blowing out instructions, etc, that could use a little proofing and comments for public consumption. I thought I'd try to share, but haven't done this before.

I uploaded the file and think it'll show up in the Files section when it's approved. I'll post a link here when/if that happens. I went with PDF but will e-mail to anyone who may want to update it in the future. The original is too big for the forum to upload with all the photos, I suppose.

[MaggieD]

What a gift that will be. I’ve been trying to write down things as I go along but I’m sure I’ve missed a few. Thanks, and can’t wait to see the finished paper. ��

[Old Navy]

Originally Posted by tinglett

I turned mine but nothing appears to have dripped out. Perhaps I'm not opening them correctly, or the anti-freeze has drained out somewhere else. It's a puzzler.

The low point drain valves are opened by pulling straight up. To get to mine, I have to remove the kitchen drawers, then they are all the way back. Really limited space and hard to reach. The water heater bypass is there too, but close to the front. Of course, here in San Diego there's not much need to winterize.

[tinglett]

Originally Posted by Old Navy

The low point drain valves are opened by pulling straight up.

Thanks for the info! I'll include in the list and will try them out when it thaws out again (yes, it is 24F here right now). It's supposed to be "warm" (50s) next weekend so I'm hoping for one last outing this year. Then I get to winterize again .