What did you do today?

[ebinmaine 74,726]

7 hours ago, davem1111 said:

Bought a camper trailer today - 2022 Coleman Light 1855RB.  Looking forward to taking it on the road, well, mostly taking it and getting "somewhere". Haven't decided where my first camping trip will be. Probably further south for warmer weather. 

 

 

Woohoo!!!

[lynnmor 8,105]

11 hours ago, davem1111 said:

Bought a camper trailer today - 2022 Coleman Light 1855RB.  Looking forward to taking it on the road, well, mostly taking it and getting "somewhere". Haven't decided where my first camping trip will be. Probably further south for warmer weather. 

Congratulations!

You need to understand that nearly all campers cannot handle subfreezing temperatures without damage.  There are some tricks about using water, such as using washer fluid to flush the toilet and dishpans in the sinks to catch water to be poured outside.  Let us know what you are up to, maybe some of us have suggestions.

[Handy Don 14,764]

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

You need to understand that nearly all campers  cannot handle subfreezing temperatures without damage.

Same is true for boats with water plumbing and closed-loop cooled engines!

A couple of weeks ago I helped a friend make sure their new-to-them 32’ sailboat was ready. Tanks for fresh water, gray water, and black water, the water heater, head, engine (inner loop had good antifreeze coolant, whew!), bilge and all the various lines. Several hours work and lots of RV antifreeze. 

[Ed Kennell 43,176]

15 hours ago, davem1111 said:

Bought a camper trailer today

 

3 hours ago, lynnmor said:

some of us have suggestions.

I used a plan view drawing of my 35 footer to locate, number, and describe every valve, drain, and faucet.

To winterize I disconnected the water hose and opened every valve and faucet.  Don't miss the water heater drain and anode pocket and the clean and waste water tanks.

I used a wedge to block open the foot pedal flusher valve on the toilet.

After the water stopped draining, I connected an air compressor ( set at 40psi) to the water inlet hose.

Then using my numbered check list, began closing the valves starting with the one farthest from the air compressor inlet.

With all closed and the system pressurized to 40psi air, I open  the farthest valve until the spray mist stops and I get air only.

Continue opening one valve at a time until you get dry air only.

Then repeat opening every valve  again  to ensure no water mist is present.

Add RV antifreeze to all the drain traps.  I used silicon spray to coat the toilet bowl drain and left it blocked open with the wedge.

 

Never had a frozen pipe in the 15 years I had the camper.

 

 

[lynnmor 8,105]

Many newer campers have a flush system for the black tank, that needs to be winterized as well, many don't know or simply forget.

[nylyon-(Admin) 8,389]

16 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

 

I used a plan view drawing of my 35 footer to locate, number, and describe every valve, drain, and faucet.

To winterize I disconnected the water hose and opened every valve and faucet.  Don't miss the water heater drain and anode pocket and the clean and waste water tanks.

I used a wedge to block open the foot pedal flusher valve on the toilet.

After the water stopped draining, I connected an air compressor ( set at 40psi) to the water inlet hose.

Then using my numbered check list, began closing the valves starting with the one farthest from the air compressor inlet.

With all closed and the system pressurized to 40psi air, I open  the farthest valve until the spray mist stops and I get air only.

Continue opening one valve at a time until you get dry air only.

Then repeat opening every valve  again  to ensure no water mist is present.

Add RV antifreeze to all the drain traps.  I used silicon spray to coat the toilet bowl drain and left it blocked open with the wedge.

 

Never had a frozen pipe in the 15 years I had the camper.

 

 

Exactly what I do, have to add in adding 3 gallons of RV antifreeze to the SaniCon (macerator) system, remove the lower pump drain cap in the washing machine to empty, then add ½ gallon to the washer and run the drain cycle and finally I have a bottled water system which can not be blower out with air, so I add RV antifreeze to that system as well.

For the black tank flush, I use air on that too.  I forgot the bowl on the water pump last year and had to replace that this year, so removed the bowel and screen to ensure it was empty.

[Wayne0 1,365]

2 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Same is true for boats with water plumbing and closed-loop cooled engines!

A couple of weeks ago I helped a friend make sure their new-to-them 32’ sailboat was ready. Tanks for fresh water, gray water, and black water, the water heater, head, engine (inner loop had good antifreeze coolant, whew!), bilge and all the various lines. Several hours work and lots of RV antifreeze. 

I can identify with that after having a 34' SeaRay to winterize every year. 2 big blocks, generator, heat/AC, fresh water system (hot&cold) and black water system. Lots of pink!

Edited Thursday at 06:05 PM by Wayne0

[Ed Kennell 43,176]

Got the fruit trees all trimmed and the downed tree cut up.

 

[davem1111 2,239]

5 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

 

I used a plan view drawing of my 35 footer to locate, number, and describe every valve, drain, and faucet.

To winterize I disconnected the water hose and opened every valve and faucet.  Don't miss the water heater drain and anode pocket and the clean and waste water tanks.

I used a wedge to block open the foot pedal flusher valve on the toilet.

After the water stopped draining, I connected an air compressor ( set at 40psi) to the water inlet hose.

Then using my numbered check list, began closing the valves starting with the one farthest from the air compressor inlet.

With all closed and the system pressurized to 40psi air, I open  the farthest valve until the spray mist stops and I get air only.

Continue opening one valve at a time until you get dry air only.

Then repeat opening every valve  again  to ensure no water mist is present.

Add RV antifreeze to all the drain traps.  I used silicon spray to coat the toilet bowl drain and left it blocked open with the wedge.

 

Never had a frozen pipe in the 15 years I had the camper.

 

 

Obviously there's a lot to remember and you don't want to miss anything. They went over most if not all of this at the dealership but it will be hard to remember it all. They may have given me a winterization checklist, but I think they want people to bring RVs to them to winterize so a "too well educated" customer may stop being a customer.  I'll make my own numbered checklist as you have done.  But I may just be watching the forecast and heading south when subfreezing becomes persistent.  Not a fan of winter any more (if I ever was).

 

Someone mentioned a wash machine - this one is too small for that.

 

[8ntruck 8,189]

We just got home from a week in Ky in our Coleman 17FQ.  Had a couple nights of high 20's temperature.  Woke up to a dusting of snow on Monday morning.  @davem1111, you will need to go farther south than Bowling Green Ky. to get away from the cold.

 

We did stay a night at Mounds State park on our way south and stayed at Brown County State park on our way north last night.  Both are really nice parks, though we like Brown better.

 

I'll drain the water tomorrow and pump rv antifreeze into the pipes for the winter.  That means a good flush in the spring, but you need to disinfect it when you open it for use anyhow.

[953 nut 62,368]

Back when I had one I winterized my travel trailer by taking it to Florida for the winter.                

[Sparky-(Admin) 23,841]

  Prepping for winter, moved the mowing rigs to the shed and the plow rig to the garage. 
  Seven machines (4 with decks on em) in my 10x20 shed! 
 

[8ntruck 8,189]

I attacked the leaves at the lake house today.  They were piled too thick for the sweeper to be effective, so I ended up running 2 1/2 tanks through the leaf blower.  Did a fair amount of work with the leaf rake.  Worked about 4 hours on and took care of just over half of them.

 

The wind was stronger than I like for burning, but I kept the fire size smaller than usual and kept a close eye on it.  The wind was actually helpful in blowing the leaves up hill from the lake.  

 

No seat time today, but it looks like Monday will be a good day for more leaf clean up.  Probably will get seat time then.

[953 nut 62,368]

6 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

attacked the leaves at the lake house today.  They were piled too thick for the sweeper to be effective,

If you grind them up with the mower it reduces the volume considerably and then you can mulch them.

[Handy Don 14,764]

38 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

burning, but I kept the fire size smaller

I'm surprised burning is permitted. It’s not allowed anywhere in my county or the four adjacent counties (all are part of the NYC Metro area.) The leaf vacuum run by the village came by today and cleared what had been piled at the street (a little by me since I mostly mulch ‘em”; LOTS by neighbors’ lawn maintenance contractors). There will be one more vacuuming in early December. The village composts what it vacuums/mulches and in spring residents can go and fill their bag/bins/barrels to bring home to their gardens and flower beds.

Edited 20 hours ago by Handy Don

[8ntruck 8,189]

Between our two properties here, we have somewhere between 40 and 50 full grown trees.  About 3/4 of those are oak, the rest are maple.

 

I ground up maple leaves, making about 2 yards of mulch.  I've used one yard, but don't really have a use for the other yard.  Not sure what we'd do if we ran all of the leaves through the chipper shredder.  That would probably result in 2 or 3 pickup loads of mulch.  A couple of years, we piled leaves and ground up leaves in the neighbor's woods behind us.  Was a couple of years before that pile decomposed.

 

Now, when we lived in Ky, we had a large garden where the leaves would have been turned under.  That soil was red when we moved in.  Some 9 years later, the soil in the garden was a reddish black color.

Edited 19 hours ago by 8ntruck

[Bar Nuthin 1,527]

13 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Between our two properties here, we have somewhere between 40 and 50 full grown trees.  About 3/4 of those are oak, the rest are maple.

 

I ground up maple leaves, making about 2 yards of mulch.  I've used one yard, but don't really have a use for the other yard.  Not sure what we'd do if we ran all of the leaves through the chipper shredder.  That would probably result in 2 or 3 pickup loads of mulch.  A couple of years, we piled leaves and ground up leaves in the neighbor's woods behind us.  Was a couple of years before that pile decomposed.

 

Now, when we lived in Ky, we had a large garden where the leaves would have been turned under.  That soil was red when we moved in.  Some 9 years later, the soil in the garden was a reddish black color.

 

We've been working the maples into mine and the neighbor's gardens. I try to avoid the oaks because of their acidity. But we're only dealing with about half as many trees as you are.

 

[8ntruck 8,189]

 looks like a good combination for leaf collection/ processing.

 

I'd like a Mighty Mac someday.  I've a choice of mounting it on a 14-8, a C-195, or an Allis Chalmbers B-110.  All of them more powerful than our current MTD 5hp Briggs powered chipper/shredder.

Edited 17 hours ago by 8ntruck

[Beap52 1,682]

Spent a few days at the farm this past week.  We had the water ways restored (removed junk trees and brush) that had grown up since dad died nearly thirty years ago.  We had a couple of perfectly calm days and decided to tackle burning some of the twenty brush piles.   We burned nine of them. We had the disk behind the tractor in  the event we needed to break open some ground if the fires spread--which they didn't.  My brother had already chisel plowed and disk in anticipation of burning.  About 80% of the piles was consumed.  We will deal with the left over root balls later.

 

Also finished cleaning the fence rows. Each year, the farmable land was getting smaller  because the encroaching brush. Now we can mow within a couple of the fence.  That's a time consuming and rough job-for a couple of 70 plus year old brothers. 

[8ntruck 8,189]

42 minutes ago, Beap52 said:

  That's a time consuming and rough job-for a couple of 70 plus year old brothers. 

Yep.  I was having the same thought while I was working the leaves alone today.  And when I was taking the dock out of the lake, alone a month ago.

 

Then again, the bright side is that I can still do work like that.

[Ed Kennell 43,176]

Here's my leaf removal machine.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Ed Kennell

[cafoose 3,499]

[Handy Don 14,764]

2 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

Here's my leaf removal machine.

 

 

This would be great, except our “machine” seems to be more of a depositor!

[MainelyWheelhorse 2,113]

Got up at 5:30 to go to work a short shift at Hannaford to noon. Being Sunday, it’s to be expected that it’ll be busy. Most of our team is still learning the ins and outs of the new shopping software that went live the end of October. Being two weeks out from Thanksgiving didn’t help either. It was a busy day.

[Pullstart 68,325]

On 10/13/2025 at 2:46 PM, SylvanLakeWH said:

 

Just planted a redwood seedling... about 2' tall... natural baby from my neighbor's 40+ footer...

 

my great great great great grandkids should really enjoy it...God willing and the creek don't rise...

 

 

The Creek were a Native American tribe.  I’ve always heard that saying has nothing to do with water, but retaliation.