Cardinal RV Club

I have a 2005 Cardinal TS33 Fifth Wheel, purchased used from a private party. I am new to the RV world, and would like any help in the proper method of winterizing the unit. It has an icemaker in the freezer, and a stacked washer/dryer.

Welcome to the club Mork!! That's a great unit you have. Very shortly you will have more info than you could imagine. We have a great group of guys here that are very knowledgable and love to share their info!

You will get the info from our members, sorry I can't personally help as we live in ours year round and have never winterized.

Well what I do with mine is blow all the lines out with air. You can buy an attachment at your RV dealer or Camping world the goes into the fresh water hook up. I run about 35 lbs of air through the system with all the inside valves open. If you have a winterize kit on your you can then pump some RV antifreeze through the system. Here is the list I follow to winterize mine.

Winterizing 5th Wheel

1. Drain hot water tank when done blow some air in the system to empty filter housing.
2. Drain fresh water tank
3. Take off cap for water fill low point and blow out
4. By pass hot water heater
5. Open all faucets and blow out
6. Close all faucets then open two low point drains and blow out.
7. Put on caps for low points and flip open valve for antifreeze
8. Turn on pump fill lines then open one faucet at a time to bleed antifreeze through then turn on pump for a second and proceed through the rest of the trailer.
9. When finished turn on pump to build some pressure then close valve for antifreeze so it gets to the back of the trailer.
10. Pour antifreeze in traps.


clear as mud huh

Hi Mork and welcome to the Cardinal Rv Club.

Mike's list is very good and covers everything you need to do. The hot water heater bypass is located inside the cabinets. It is somewhere very close to your hot water heater. In my unit it is in the access door under the referigator and you can not see it you have to feel for it and turn it cross wise to bypass the water heater. Some units you may have to pull out a drawer to find it. If you do not bypass the hot water heater it will take in excess of 6 gallons of antifreeze and I am speaking from personal experince. Bypassed it only takes about 2 gallons!

The winterizing kit is a hose that is connected to your waterpump in your basement storage area and you insert into the container of antifreeze turn the valve so that you a pulling antifreeze through that hose into your fifth wheel water system. You will see the lines turn pink when it starts working. When you are opening faucets do not forget your outside shower faucets.

You can buy RV Antifreeze from your local auto parts store less expensive than your RV dealer. $2.59 compared to $8.00 per gallon in my case.

If you have any questions while doing your winterizing just post your question and someone will help out!

I do not really know anything about how you would handle the ice maker. The washer you could disconnect the hoses and run antifreeze through the faucets but not into the washer.

There is a discussion on the website in the Miscellanous section from October 30, 2006 title is Winterizing which you may want to read through

Don