Winterization of 2010 M-21

bigsky2

Member
Where is the access to the water heater? And does it have a bypass for it? Can one be added? If not, how would you advise adding anti freeze to system and not into water heater? Is there a bypass for water pump to take up antifreeze, or do you add it to fresh water tank and run pump of unit? ( Also, is the compression coupling on the gas line behind the right rear tires an auxilliary hook up for a grill/heater etc?) Thanks alot! Steve
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Bigsky2, look on the outside to find where your water heater is, then go inside and find the approximate spot. You should find an access panel. Might be under a seat or refer or behind a panel under a cabinet. Seek and yee shall find. There should be a bypass valve or valves. Do not add antifreeze to the freshwater tank. And yes, if you need to add a bypass one can be added.
Just curious, you have a newer unit, didn't your dealer go through this with you?

Peace
Dave
 

dgoy

Member
I am not familiar with the M-21, but on the M-18, you can access the water pump bypass through the storage area on the driver's side of the trailer. (yours maybe the same) There should be a panel in which you have to remove 4 screws. After removing this panel you will see the pump and the valves for the heater. If this is the same arrangement as mine, you will also have a loose hose connected on the suction side of the pump with a shut off valve. If you want to fill your water system with anti freeze, open the bypass valve for the heater and close the isolating valves to the heater. Then close the valve from your potable water tank to the pump. Then open the valve from the loose hose. Then dip the hose into the antifreeze bottle. Start the pump and open sink faucets until the anti freeze appears. Close these and flush the toilet. Shut off the pump. Be sure to remove the drain plug from the hot water heater. Prop open the relieve valve on the heater. This will drain any water left in the heater. You can then unprop the relief valve but leave the drain plug off until next spring. The drain on the potable water storage tank should be left open during storage. When you want to take the trailer out of storage, simply put the valves back to normal and screw in the drain plug into the heater.
Then flush the system before using. IF you intend to use the trailer's water system for drinking water, you may experience an after taste in the water. It is hard to remove the antifreeze taste out by flushing. Therefore some people prefer to air blow the system instead. In this case they put a cup of antifreeze into each of the drain traps and the toilet after air blowing.
 

sbrowell

Member
Look under the TV cabinet, 3 valves, turn middle on, bottom & top off. Go outside drain H/W heater, remove white plug. Where in MT?
 

mamajudy

Member
okay this is mamajudy asking why won't it pull antifreeze into lines I have bypass on hot water heater done faucets open hose stuck down in jug turn on water pump and nothing happens. pump is running-remember how was shown to do all this but not working.any suggestions?
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
okay this is mamajudy asking why won't it pull antifreeze into lines I have bypass on hot water heater done faucets open hose stuck down in jug turn on water pump and nothing happens. pump is running-remember how was shown to do all this but not working.any suggestions?

Judy,

You need to flip the Winterize valve to Winterize from Normal - if your RV is so equipped. That is a different valve than the Water Heater Bypass. The way the Winterize valve works is to allow the water pump to draw antifreeze from the hose versus draw water from the fresh water tank.

Jim
 

Jdstorm

Member
This thread has been extremely helpful. I am having the same problem as mamajudy. Where is the Winterize valve. I have an M-18
 

RonBB

Active Member
The valve I think they are referring to is near the base of the plastic tube (M18, probably others as well) that you put into the Antifreeze jug. It is normally closed so as not to allow air to be sucked into the system instead of the water being drawn from the fresh water tank under normal operation. When putting in the antifreeze you want it to suck the A/F through the clear plastic tube. Don't forget to put it in the normal (closed plastic tube) for nomal use when finished with the A/F.
Once you do the winterization once & have a feel for how the plumbing is laid out, you will see how well organized & easy it is. I especially like the check valve release (in the center of the hose connection on the outside of the trailer-just push the center & wait for the A/F to come out of the hose connection) on the city water connection that allows A/F to be pumped up to the city water hose connection from the above discussed plastic tube. Best of luck. Ron
 

camr

Well-known member
Good description Ron. Some might be confused as to the location of the suction hose for the RV antifreeze, although you stated it in a previous post. We are working at three separate locations in the trailer. The suction hose and winterization valve is at the water pump. On my M22 it is under the front bed. (The only way they could have made it louder is by putting it under the pillow!!!!!) The water heater bypass is behind the water heater. And the check valve is located in the centre of the water hose connection.
Now if only someone could explain how to manually retract the slide if and when it cannot be done by the switch. I have sent a PM to Mike via this site and recieved no reply, I have posted in the ask the factory and received no reply, and my dealer has no solution. This problem will become horrendously important to one of us in the future, and it frustrates me terribly that we cannot get an answer. There, got that off my chest!!
 

RonBB

Active Member
The pump, water heater, bypass valves, & A/F hose in the M18 are all located together behind a panel in the basement also under the bed area. At least there is a floor between them & the bed. I suppose you could put the pump on some foam rubber or other material to dampen the noise/vibration.
I have given the "failure to retract slide" a bit of thought. On the M18, at least on mine, the shaft of the retraction motor has a flattened end on the motor shaft on the end opposite from the gear train. This is under the Jack knife sofa. I speculated that it might be possible if the problem is electrical or a burned out motor that it might be possible to use a socket on my cordless drill on that motor shaft. I haven't tried it, and I'm not sure the size socket it would/might take or even if it would work. If the problem is in the geartrain or something major is misaligned/askew. I suspect the grear train might have to be disconnected mechanically to allow the slide to be pushed in. A good plan of action from the factory would be welcomed by all of us owners so we would at least know where/how to start if the slide wouldn't go in when out of cell range, in the outback. I very much agree that, "This problem will become horrendously important to one of us in the future". I'm not concerned about major repair instructions, only some suggestions to allow me to get the slide in, should it fail, so I can get on the road. I guess I would look for loose wires, & blown fuses after making sure the battery was charged first.
 
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