2021 T@B 400 De-winterizing

gwpurinton

Coming into warmer weather and looking for info on de-winterizing our 2021 T@B 400 with the Nautilus system. Are there any videos or manuals/instructions out there that would be helpful? Of course, any and all advice is welcome. “Experience is the greatest teacher.”

Verna

Look on the left side of this page for the various categories. Near the bottom are User Manuals, etc. I’ll bet what you are looking for is in there.

Sharon_is_SAM

Here is the Nautilus instructions for the 400.

https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/py/2wdph8ajpgb7.pdf

Sharon_is_SAM

The Nautilus system on the 2021 TaBs have only been around long enough to winterize!  We need someone (like yourself) to dewinterize and report back the steps to the forum😉

Do you know if you added antifreeze to the plumbing or just to the p traps?  Do you know if there is antifreeze in the Alde?  

If you have antifreeze in the plumbing, I do know that it is best to dewinterize where you can hook up to sewer either at home or at a full hookup campsite.  It usually involves lots of flushing with a city water connection.  Then you will want to sanitize the fresh water tank (not the Alde) and the plumbing lines, then flush again.

bergger

I've got the nautilus on mine but we've got at least a good two more months of sub-freezing temps so it'll be a while before I de-winterize!  Hoping to have it done around early May.  But de-winterizing is easy with or without the nautilus.  Really no different just a different water connection point on the Nautilus and make turn the levers properly.  Run water through your lines until all the pink and foam disappears from all the fixtures.  I'd hook up a hose and use the "city water" settings.  That's all you should need to do.  Unless you put antifreeze in your fresh water tank and the Alde.  Hopefully not but if so just need to drain and flush them out as well. 

ColoradoSun

Our 2021 400 was winterized at the factory last November so I am not certain whether they put anti-freeze in the FW tank or Alde. Anyone out there know? I was hoping to de-winterize before our trip to Capital Reef NP in mid-April.

Katydid

My 2021 Tab 400 BD was winterized by the dealer when I bought it in October 2020. I left New England between two storms in December. When I got to Florida I called Nautilus to get more specific directions on de-winterizing to give to the mobile Rv technician. This is what Nautilus sent me:

Page 1 of 1

DE-WINTERIZE (NAUTILUS P3)

1. Connect garden hose to inlet labeled “CITY WATER CONNECTION”.

2. Turn diverter handles on Nautilus Panel to following positions:

Blue diverter handle should be facing left.

White diverter handle should be facing down.

Red diverter handle should be facing up.

Green diverter handle should be facing left.

3. Connect other end of garden hose to water source and turn water on.

4. Open one plumbing fixture on RV. Keep it open until winterize solution has been flushed, then

close.

5. Follow above procedure until all inside and outside plumbing fixtures have been flushed.

Important! Make sure to flush both hot and cold lines including the outside shower.

6. Turn Diverter handles on Nautilus Panel to PowerFill Tank positions.

7. Fill Fresh Tank until it is approximately 1⁄2 full.

8. Turn water off at source.

9. Turn diverter handles on Nautilus Panel to DRY CAMPING positions.

10. Push “PUMP” switch so that light on switch is lit.

11. Using the outside shower on the Nautilus Panel:

open COLD faucet. Use the shower head to flush out any remaining winterizing solution.

Sharon_is_SAM

@ColoradoSun - to find out if antifreeze is in the Alde, just place a bucket under the Alde drain and pull up on the yellow valves under the driver side bench.  

Sharon_is_SAM

The beauty of the Nautilus is that it allows you to avoid antifreeze in the fresh water tank!  @jkjenn - did the factory run antifreeze through your TaB at delivery?

jkjenn

Sharon_is_SAM said:

The beauty of the Nautilus is that it allows you to avoid antifreeze in the fresh water tank!  @jkjenn - did the factory run antifreeze through your TaB at delivery?

No, but I took delivery well after the risk of freeze was past. The factory puts a winterized sticker on the door (portal) windows of units that have been winterized the last I knew.

Verna

Mine was winterized at the factory (it has the sticker @jkjenn speaks of). I am not ready to find out how it was winterized.....too cold!

Sharon_is_SAM

We always run into the problem of how “winterized” is defined.  I guess if there is pink stuff in the cassette, then at least we know the Nautilus was used to add AF to the pipes.

gwpurinton

Thanks to all and especially Katydid for those detailed instructions. I’ll work my way through them and hopefully be good to go for the rest of the season.

boiseites

So, we have not yet "de-winterized" our new 2021 320S.  I am assuming that the same procedure would be used for our 320S??

jimrj

I think the Nautilus system on a new 400 is different than on a 2021 320S. We don’t have a red diverter described in #2.  Unfortunately, the P2.5 instruction manual has winterize instructions, but I couldn’t find any dewinterize instructions. Mine was winterized with an air compressor at the dealer so I should be OK. Hope to camp soon!

ColoradoSun

Thanks for the helpful information.

Sharon_is_SAM

@boiseites - the 320 is different in that there is an obvious, large, red Alde bypass valve.  Not sure if you know if antifreeze is in the Alde, but hopefully, if the bypass valve is still turned to “Bypass” then hopefully it was turned before antifreeze was added.  Anyway, leave it bypassed and follow the Nautilus section “Using System from Pressurized Water Source "CITY WATER"
then follow the instructions to sanitize.  After flushing and sanitizing is completed, then turn the Alde Bypass to normal.

https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/i2/ifvg1dabfs8z.pdf

ScottG

I'm not sure if the Alde bypass valve is technically part of the Nautilus system, but rather an added component. I assume there are also low point drains and possibly other valves that are external to the Nautilus that still need to be considered when winterizing/dewinterizing. 

Can anyone confim?

bergger

There are low point drains for the Alde and the levers for them are inside the trailer under the drivers side bed compartment.  They are the yellow ones and there are two of them.  The instructions posted above are correct and will work.  They are telling you to put the system into city water mode.  It will allow for water to enter the system, go to all the fixtures and flush out the lines without water going into the fresh water holding tank.  But it will also let water into the Alde hot water tank.  If you want to first just flush out the lines without allowing water into the Alde then follow those instructions but keep the red lever horizontal.  That will allow water to bybass the Alde.  

Sharon_is_SAM

Just so there is no confusion - boiseitis was inquiring about a 320.  Bergger is referring to a 400.

gwpurinton

De-winterized today using Katydids instructions above. Went perfectly. Thanks to all who commented. Hope all of you can dewinterize soon!  

Kamate

Katydid said:

My 2021 Tab 400 BD was winterized by the dealer when I bought it in October 2020. I left New England between two storms in December. When I got to Florida I called Nautilus to get more specific directions on de-winterizing to give to the mobile Rv technician. This is what Nautilus sent me:

Page 1 of 1

DE-WINTERIZE (NAUTILUS P3)

1. Connect garden hose to inlet labeled “CITY WATER CONNECTION”.

2. Turn diverter handles on Nautilus Panel to following positions:

Blue diverter handle should be facing left.

White diverter handle should be facing down.

Red diverter handle should be facing up.

Green diverter handle should be facing left.

3. Connect other end of garden hose to water source and turn water on.

4. Open one plumbing fixture on RV. Keep it open until winterize solution has been flushed, then

close.

5. Follow above procedure until all inside and outside plumbing fixtures have been flushed.

Important! Make sure to flush both hot and cold lines including the outside shower.

6. Turn Diverter handles on Nautilus Panel to PowerFill Tank positions.

7. Fill Fresh Tank until it is approximately 1⁄2 full.

8. Turn water off at source.

9. Turn diverter handles on Nautilus Panel to DRY CAMPING positions.

10. Push “PUMP” switch so that light on switch is lit.

11. Using the outside shower on the Nautilus Panel:

open COLD faucet. Use the shower head to flush out any remaining winterizing solution.

So finally getting to de-winterize tomorrow.

Picked up 2021 T@b 400 BD / Nautilus P3winterized from the dealer back in March.

I (believe) I understand all the above steps.  Just wondering if, since there isn't an Alde Bypass valve on the P3, is it safe to assume that the hot water heater (Alde) is ok? (No AF in ALDE).

Since this is our first trailer AND our first time de-winterizing AND the P3 is new to everyone, I'm just a bit concerned that I might mess things up and somehow forget to get the AF out of the Alde or some other line.

I noticed that in the 11 steps above nothing is said about opening the low point valves (hot/cold/fresh water) or the Alde yellow valves is that something that we don't have to worry about due to the P3 system? In older videos they say to drain all the low point valves.

Th@nks in advance!!

Sharon_is_SAM

@Kamate - assuming that the dealer correctly winterized using the Nautilus, there should not be any antifreeze in the Alde. You can open the yellow flapper valve and see if any antifreeze comes out of the Alde.  

I may not be correct, but it seems to me that the Nautilus “city water” mode will allow antifreeze in the Alde.  Once you open a hot tap to flush all the lines, water moves into the Alde, along with the AF.   Maybe somebody can chime in.

Ideally you do the flush out when you have a connection to a dump.  Since your gray tank is large, you can let it go into your gray tank and then dump later.  

Regarding the low point drains, after you are done flushing the AF, you can open your hot and cold low point drains just to clear out any residual AF.  No need to drain the fresh water tank as there should not be any AF in it, but check to make sure.

I wrote instructions for the 320 de winterization, but they have a separate Alde Bypass.  

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/13115/de-winterizing-2021-t-b-320-s#latest

After you flush the AF, then you will want to sanitize the fresh tank.

Denny16

The TaB 400 Nautilus P3 has an Alde bypass valve, it is the red middle valve on the panel.  Turn it horizontal to bypass the Alde.
Cheers

Sharon_is_SAM

@Kamate - follow Berger’s lead from above.  

• bergger Member Posts: 276

   February 22 35.133.50.34

  There are low point drains for the Alde and the levers for them are inside the trailer under the drivers side bed compartment.  They are the yellow ones and there are two of them.  The instructions posted above are correct and will work.  They are telling you to put the system into city water mode.  It will allow for water to enter the system, go to all the fixtures and flush out the lines without water going into the fresh water holding tank.  But it will also let water into the Alde hot water tank.  If you want to first just flush out the lines without allowing water into the Alde then follow those instructions but keep the red lever horizontal.  That will allow water to bybass the Alde.  

cmpd218

As I de winterized my 20211 Tab 400 water ran from under the camper - probably from the Aldi bypass. Is this normal? What should I do?

Sharon_is_SAM

If you were hooked up to city water without a pressure regulator, the excess water pressure may have tripped the Alde Safety/Relief Valve.  We need a little more info to be helpful.  

TABNewbies

Hi @cmpd218 - Which tube is water coming from? Perhaps one of the relief valves is still open from the winterizing?
See my photos in the the document here of my recent endeavors of winterizing this same 2021 TAB400.
https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/11969/tab-400-boondock-2021-winterizing/p2

Had to laugh to myself also as just about finishing winterizing 

Binghi

Seems to me as a first step to de-winterize a 2021 BD you could leave the Nautilus P3 valves in Winterize mode and siphon clean water through the lines using the trailer pump, just as you siphoned antifreeze via the pump when you winterized. That way you clear the pump of antifreeze in addition to the lines. Then later you could Powerfill and/or Sanitize the fresh water tank and run the P3 on City Water. Does that make sense? I used the P3 manual to winterize, but it doesn’t seem to have de-winterizing instructions. This will be my first de-winterizing.

Denny16

Yes, that would work, but it would be faster to use the low point drains to first drain out what antifreeze you can, then flush with fresh water.  This reduces the amount of antifreeze in your gray water holding tank.
 Cheers 

B11

Hi All. Newbie and learning as I read. We haven’t yet gotten our 2022 Tab 400bd. Delivery is scheduled for May. I’ve been doing my best to read as much as possible in numerous forums. I’m a bit confused re the Alde system. I was under the impression that no antifreeze is needed for the Alde system to winterize bc it is a glycol based system to begin with. I did read in our manual that RV antifreeze can get into the “domestic water tank” if the unit was winterized and that I should confirm there is no RV antifreeze in that domestic water tank. How would RV antifreeze get into the closed Alde system if the Nautilus system is winterized? Aren’t the two separate systems? Sorry for my newbie ignorance.