Alde service for a full-timer T@B400, 365 day use

@jimcenname If you have space for a pH test strip kit, and a cheap refractometer, you are the best source to answer your own question. Check it every six months or so.  If the color looks right, pH is 7 or higher and refractometer shows protection down to zero or below, then no need to change yearly?

It is good to care about this but let me ask you this, as an owner of a Diesel garage for 31 years how much have you worried about your car antifreeze? I am not saying to ignore all but not to beat a dead horse to death. Travel more and enjoy your T@B. Art

My Alde ran for two years while fulltiming. Only one small burb at the end of fulltiming, otherwise, hot water every day and heat whe needed. 

@jimcenname, not as much as I wanted. A family member was sick and I had to stick around “home” to help. But, I found I’m more of a homebody than I thought. I found my dream home out in the country and I’m happy. 

I just joined this forum specifically to comment on this issue. You are right to be concerned about corrosion in the Alde system if used heavily. It happened to me on my 2018 Tab 320. After about 18 months of almost continuous use the Alde heat quit working though I still had hot water. Eventually the problem was traced to corrosion in the glycol distribution system, specifically in the (aluminum?) radiation fins. It was so bad one of the connecting hoses had also corroded and was leaking glycol slowly onto the floor under the passenger side seating. This was the cause of the Alde heat not working. My local dealer ended up having to replace the entire glycol system including all the hoses and radiators for a cost of $2000. I was also without my trailer for over 3 months as this happened during the summer and parts were very hard to get. So despite Alde’s assurance that the glycol is good for 2-3 years mine failed way before that. When my dealer contacted them they replied that  although rare it can happen under “heavy” use. Neither Alde nor my after market insurance would cover “corrosion” and I was past The Nucamp warranty period. I have since upgraded  to a 2021 Tab 400 which I continue to use every week. I am not sure if living in the Seattle area with its wet and humid climate had anything to do with the failure but I can assure you I will now be keeping a very close eye on the Glycol and will be replacing it every year.

@Cassie where did you have your TaB before the corrosion occurred?  The glycol does not circulate directly in the find, just in the tubes.  Corrosion in the fins would be from an environmental issue, like being around a salt water/ocean coastal area, or an area with high air pollution, like around airports.  

Not normally Sharon, unless the glycol went acidic, or its corrosion inhibitor ability failed.  I had this happen on a marine engine heat exchanger, that had an aluminum manifold on the pump, that only had an aluminum wall separating the salt water cooling from the glycol in the heat exchanger, allowing salt water into the glycol lines.  This was down to bad glycol on one side and the salt water eating away on the other side.  So yes, bad glycol can create corrosion issues.
cheers

Thanks for the update, and corrosion in aluminum can spread over its surfaces, from a leak or corrosion spot in the tube.  Sounds like you had a bad glycol issue.  The glycol in our recently purchased formally owned 2018 TaB400 was a little over two years old, and whilst it looked OK, we had it replaced when the TaB was in the shop for its floor replacement.
cheers

Even worst is the dissimilar electrolysis in different metals like in our A/C system fins in our home a/c units that make us replace them in 10 years or less on the evaporator cores. Electrolysis can eat most metals. Art