Winterization reassurance

my 10 cents, I think you are good to go   with RV antifreeze in the engine, there is no need to drain, escpecially since you drained the water out first before sucking in the pink stuff   most is good down to -50F

there are lots of other posts on winterization and different methods of draining and filling techniques with antifreeze

some folks choose to remove the spark plugs and fog the cylinders as well

I have never done it, but some will also blow any water out of the speedos

I usually regrease the trailer bearings at this time as well

Levin,
Sounds like it will be good for the next few months. Just in time too as it's snowing this morning!!

Next year you may what to use the method outlined in the manual (see the reference section) which is drain and pour. It will save you a few gallons of antifreeze!

Just out of curiosity sake and because the site is kinda slow these days do you guys recover the antifreeze in the spring? Is there even a way to do it?

It just doesn't get that cold down here in Hotlanta long enough to truly winterize the boat.Mine's in the garage but I will still drain the water out of everything if its gonna be below freezing for days.But until then I just leave it alone.

you are good to go. Only thing I would do different is don't waste your time pulling the battery.
I used to capture the green stuff, but don't bother with the RV. The FDA considers it GRAS. Generally Recognized As Safe.

I use the low tox antifreeze so my inner hippy is happy.

That is awesome fellas, I feel very relieved not to worry over the winter months. Like I said, I'm new to the family, just purchasing my first Nautique in September, and found this website. I feel very honored to be associated with such a great group of people. It's only December and I cant wait till spring to get out on the water. Absolutely love it! Thanks again.

Well, the low/ non toxic pink stuff is not glycol based like the normal green or other color toxic AF is.    As such, it is not toxic, because it has no glycol. Glycol is what shuts the liver down if ingested.

I still wouldn't let any animals drink it though, and I still would not let it just go into the lake when you start it up in spring. Starting the boat in spring in the driveway or on land will help to keep the AF out of the lake. Even better, you could capture and recycle it for next fall if you want.

I recover this stuff using the drain-to-bilge-with-bucket-under-drain technique every year. It's 15.00/gallon so I don't let it go to waste.

http://www.sierraantifreeze.com/

Ecofriendly huh Tim--
And here we were on the Monkey Run- a Natural Spring Fed 72'F clear water beautiful River--and the guys go PP over the side of the boat

horkn wrote: Well, the low/ non toxic pink stuff is not glycol based like the normal green or other color toxic AF is.

Wrong, they are both glycol.

I got curious and found this-

" As little as half a teaspoon of spilled antifreeze can kill an average-sized cat, and eight ounces can kill a 75-pound dog. Unless you catch it early, the damage to pets' kidneys can be irreversible. Spilled or leaked antifreeze also washes into rivers and lakes, harming fish and other wildlife.

New and safer formulations of antifreeze are now available to consumers. These formulas replace ethylene glycol with propylene glycol. Although not entirely safe, an animal would have to ingest three times as much propylene glycol before it proved fatal. Propylene glycol is also recyclable and biodegradable, making it a safer and heatlhier choice.

In terms of automotive performance, propylene glycol is almost identical to ethylene glycol. Your car will not notice the difference.

Propylene glycol is sold under the brand names Sierra, Prestone Low Tox and Texaco PG. There may be others as well. It's a little more expensive than regular coolant."

Full Article

Keeganino wrote: propylene glycol is almost identical to ethylene glycol. Your car will not notice the difference. Full Article

So I just replaced the Waterpump on my Suburban and in the process learned it uses "Dex-Cool" which is different then the green and the pink stuff (it's orange, formulated for long term applications, 5 year 150k mi). I can't find any good information on what it is made of, anyone know?   

Air206 wrote: The toxicity of "the regular Green Stuff" is outrageous to marine life, pets, kids, birds......... everyone except insects. Use alternatives WHENEVER possible! Steve (practicing veterinarian and tired of seeing "Anti-Freeze Poisoning" kill domestic animals, birds and fish)...........

Thanks Steve my inner hippie knew he was doing the right thing by spending the extra $2.

skutsch, I thought it was silicone based, it eats at gaskets, the thing about antifreeze is that it never loses its ability to not freeze, it does lose the abilty to lubricate the waterpump...thats why the dex/cool will last 100k, but it does gum up inside the engine, on personal cars with dex, we always switch them out to the green

"RV Antifreeze - Not all Antifreezes are Created Equal
RV/Marine non-toxic antifreeze is probably the most misunderstood commodity in our industry today. There are currently three different varieties on the market at three very different prices.
Ethanol (alcohol) based: This type of antifreeze is most readily available in hardware stores and most RV shops it sells for approximately $3.00 Canadian a jug. However, this product is also extremely flammable and not to used around any sort of pilot flames or cigarettes. As well, this product has been known to taint certain RV plumbing systems and is only to be used with Quest or Pex plumbing lines. Furthermore, because this product is made from alcohol it works to dry out all the rubber seals readily found in your faucets and toilet. As a result we do not recommend or sell this product.

Propylene Glycol based: This product is only available at your local RV shop (and not every RV shop for that matter). It sells for approximately $6.00 Canadian a jug. Like the ethanol antifreeze, this product is non-toxic and safe for all RV plumbing. However, propylene glycol does not have the same fire safety warnings, nor the risk of tainting your RV plumbing system. Furthermore, propylene glycol is a lubricant and will actually work to extend the life of the seals in your faucets and toilets, unlike the ethanol based products. This is the only product we use on our own RVs and the only product we sell in our parts store.    

Propylene/Ethanol Blend: Again this product is non-toxic and completely safe for RV plumbing systems. It will cost more than $3.00 and less than $6.00 Canadian a jug. This may seem like a good idea, however, it is unknown how much ethanol is required to taint RV plumbing lines and dry out plumbing seals. For that reason we do not recommend this product."