[A/S] Winterizing (Please, please don't put it in the tank)

[maryhudson@xxxxxxx]

Charlie,
This makes a lot of sense to me.  Recently, I had a problem with my fresh 
water tank developing a horrible smell.  The trailer had been sitting for 
awhile and there was some water left in the fresh water tank.  I live in the 
country and have untreated well water, so I assume there was some algae 
growth in there that made "pond water" in the tank (yes, the water was green 
-- YUCK!).  It took about 5 complete flushes of the tank, including a quart 
of bleach in the first one left overnight, to get the odor out.  The length 
of time the bleach smell remained tells me that not all the water is siphoned 
out of the fresh tank by my water pump.  The fact that there is always some 
water remaining in the tank makes me reluctant to put any antifreeze in 
there.  And, I never, ever drink from that tank.  Showers and dishwashing, 
fine, but filter or no filter, God only knows what's in the bottom of that 
tank.

Does anyone know how much bleach I should put in with each 50 gallons of 
fresh water to sanitize the water but still be able to use it?  Also, my 
Airstream manual says vinegar removes the bleach smell.  Anyone tried this?

Also, Charlie, if you were to park the Airstream on a slope (or put blocks 
under the wheels on one side) so that the water in the tank runs toward the 
inlet, could you get the remainder of the water out by putting the intake 
hose of a pump down the fresh water filler neck?

Mary Hudson
Hollister, CA
1978 Ambassador International 29'
1997 F250 HD Supercab Shortbed, 4x4, 5-speed