Ranger Winterizing Part 3

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Ranger Winterizing Part 3

In this Part 3 segment of winterizing, we’ll finish the entire boat with the exception of the engine. On my Ranger, I have the Cummins engine however, since I plan on using my boat this Winter - I’ll use a “BoatSafe” heater for the engine compartment.

I got some good news from Andrew at Ranger the other day when he advised me the cabin heater and the engine hot water assist system, is heated from the “closed circuit" portion of the engine (anti-freeze), so there is no need to winterize these items.

To winterize the “Fresh Water System” we’ll first have to bypass the hot water heater to avoid using 6 extra gallons to fill the heater. I bypassed the water heater with just a hose coupling. All that is needed is to remove the two hoses from the heater and join them together with the coupling. This allows us to run RV solution through the both the cold and hot water devices in the boat. After the coupling is in place, you’ll want to make sure all the fresh water is pumped from the tank. Next, dump 5 gallons of RV Solution in the water tank. You’ll need at least this amount to help dilute the small amount of water remaining in the tank.

Run both galley and head sinks and shower head into a good size pail (we’ll use this solution later) until you see the solution come out fully concentrated. While your in the head, you’ll want to pour RV solution directly into the floor drain until you hear the slump pump kick on a time or two to get the solution in the shower slump. Even though both the sinks run overboard, pour a bit in the drain in the event the line is not sloped downwards.

We’ll winterize the water heater by opening the drain valve until all the water is out. Next, hook a small piece of tubing on a funnel and slip it over the upper water heater inlet. If you don’t have a piece of hose, you and easily remove the pressure relief hose off the valve and use it to hook the funnel to the inlet. Pour some solution directly into the heater until the solution turns comes out the drain fully concentrated, then shut the valve off.

The last thing left is the holding tank. After it’s drained or pumped out. We’ll take the RV solution that was poured in to the fresh water tank and pumped into our pail and dump it into the holding tank to both help dilute the remaining water in the tank and protect the macerator pump.




This image shows the water heater before the bypass was installed





Here’s the coupling I picked up at Lowe’s





This image shows the hoses removed and bypass coupling installed.





After pumping the tank dry - pour 5 gallons of RV solution in tank





Here I cut a few inches of hose from the pressure release valve to hook up the
funnel to the upper inlet of the heater tank to pour solution in the heater





Pour the solution in the heater until the solution comes out fully consentrated





As I pumped the solution from the water tank I captured it in a few pails
And dumped it into the holding tank to winterize the tank and macerator pump