Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

I have owned my 2002 26’ RSB coach since 2005 and over the years have winterized it the same way using pink RV antifreeze. Since I never used the coach in 2020 due to the COVID restrictions it was last winterized in the late fall of 1999. So last Tuesday got the coach out of storage and began the de-winterization process. I had a 10 day RV trip planned leaving last Thursday. Long and short I discovered that the RV antifreeze I used back in 1999 evidently was a defective product and as a result I had freeze damage to many parts of my fresh water system. After a weeks delay to get a repair appointment at my favorite local RV repair shop everything is working again today. They had to replace my water pump, kitchen sink fixtures, shower water fixtures, and the Thetford toilet spray hose and nozzle. Total repair cost came to about $675.

Now at this late date I don’t remember the brand of RV antifreeze I used since the containers were tossed 1-1/2 years ago. But I commonly purchased my antifreeze from Walmart. I asked the repair technician if they ever see this kind of freeze damage even though RV antifreeze had been pumped through the system. The answer was yes. Their recommendation was to never use product purchased from Walmart. A $675 expensive lesson learned!

YIKES!! Have been buying it there, & using it for years! TY for the info...will be looking for another source from here on out.

I checked my inventory of RV antifreeze and I have mostly the Super Tech brand. This is the brand commonly sold by Walmart. It is alcohol based whereas the preferred type based on my recent research is a Propylene glycol based product - which of course is more expensive.

Bill -- Sorry to hear about your disaster.

Last winter when I went to Walmart to buy RV antifreeze, the local store didn't stock the Super Tech brand. They replaced it on the shelf with a name brand which, of course, cost more.

I don't know if this makes any difference in the effectiveness of the winterization process, but after following all of the normal procedures, I drain all of the RV antifreeze out through the drain valves on the lines. Then I close all of the line valves, turn on the pump and vent every water fixture. My logic is that I'd rather have nothing in the lines at all. This method seems a bit safer than the compressed air method where the water is first displaced by the RV antifreeze.

Thanks for info. Threw all my Walmart stuff away!