# De-Winterizing / New to this Camping Stuff



## Don McClain (Jul 2, 2010)

Good Morning, 

I just acquired a 1993 Fleetwood Avion 335J 5th wheel from my parents. The camper is in excellent condition, but I have a couple questions about it's operation that my mom couldn't answer, since she really never used it after she purchased it a couple years back. 

It has been winterized, so I assume to de-winterize it I just need to flush out the lines with fresh water? 

Also - an I correct to believe that the heat is strictly gas? 

I believe the hot water is both gas and electric - if you have power available.

There is no owners / operators manual that she can find, and I haven't been able to locate on online.

Any help / suggestions would be greatly appreciated since I will be putting this camper on the base campsite where I am stationed and living in it. 

Thanks
Don


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## dogbone (Sep 22, 2009)

You are going to have to do more than just run fresh water through the lines.

Check for a bypass line by the hot water heater. When winterizing they bypass the hwh. Then they just drain it. Saves on anti freeze. You will have to open or close at least one valve. Your year trailer might have 3. If it has a bypass at all. Make sure the drain plug is in the hwh.
Look for an onboard water filter. It will look like a big house filter. You need to replace the filter. Not really a necessity. Somewhere around the filter there might be a valve to winterize. It just shuts of the water from the fresh water tank and lets you just put a short tube into the antifreeze to pump it through the lines with the pump. Turn it so it will get water from the tank and not the tube.
Hook a hose to the fresh water in and turn the hose on. Open up a faucet in the trailer so the antifreeze and air come out. Open a hot water faucet so the hwh will fill and the air will come out.
Your heat is propane gas
The hot water heater could be gas or electric. If it is on electric don't turn it on until there is water in it. Probably shouldn't turn it on at all til you know there is water in it.
All this sounds a bit intimidating. It is really not that hard once you learn. It is the learning part.
You might be able to go to a near by campground and ask someone to give you a hand. If I could be at your trailer it would be a lot easier to do. The people on this site amaze me with what they come up with. I seen them come up with diagrams to help people get thing done. My be they will come up with something to help you better.
I hope I helped a little and didn't confuse you to much. Bob


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## Don McClain (Jul 2, 2010)

Thanks Bob - I'm taking the day and running through everything. I have flushed out the potable water tank, while also opening up the faucets one at a time to run clean water through them. 

Thanks for telling me about the HWH - I had it on to make sure it works, but like you mentioned I'm not sure there is water in the HW tank, and I did find the HWH by-pass so I just need to make sure I'm getting water into the tank. 

Thanks for the information, this will be an experience.

Don


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## dogbone (Sep 22, 2009)

Glad to be of some help. The hwh, how many valves does it have? If it has one just turn it to the off position. If there are three, one on the blue line going in should be turned on. The red coming out should be turned on. At the bottom is the bypass line that should be off. It could be a blue line running into the red.
A way to find out if there is water in the hwh is to open the pressure relief valve. It is located behind the outside access hatch to the hwh. It is at the top, a brass valve with an aluminum little handle. Pick up the handle and air or water will come out if you did the bypass right. It is spring loaded till all the way open then it will lock open. when you get water out of valve just put it back in the original position. Make sure the drain plug is in the hwh.
The reason I said to do this is that you will get water from both taps because of the bypass, but you will not have filled the hwh. Make sure ther is water in the hwh before you turn it on again.


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## Don McClain (Jul 2, 2010)

thanks for the help. Got it all figured out and actually have the camper on the site I'll be living at for the next several months. 

Know how about a generator question - the camper has a location for a generator but the cost for what's recommended is about 4K - I've been looking at a couple portable generators and can get one for about 9 hundred that will run everything I need - and this will only be used as needed. 

Should I consider the permanant installed generator, or can I get by with a portable one? 

Thanks
Don


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## dogbone (Sep 22, 2009)

I bought a Gentron 3500 watt portable. I don't use it that often, But I have had no problems when I needed to use it. I paid $300 for it about 5 yrs ago. It has an electric start and runs at 68 decibels at 20 ft. I didn't want to pay a lot of money for something I barely use.
It can be mounted permanently, but I just take it out of the front hatch and put it on the ground and plug in the trailer. It has a 30 amp trailer plug. I would have had to put an exhaust in and change the hatch to let the air in, to mount it permanently. 
GeneratorDepot.us - Generators - Portable This is the place I bought mine from. The price has gone up since I bought mine.
Glad I was able to help. Do some more research on the generators and decide what will work best for you.


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