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Old 01-26-2013, 11:13 AM   #1
mbar4965
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: oklahoma
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Angry Winterizing a 2013 Laredo 292RL????

We just traded our Wildcat for a new 2013 Laredo 292RL. It was a great floorplan. We knew that Laredo is an entry level trailer and were prepared for a few issues, but the winterzing situation for this model is DISGUSTING!!!!!!. It has a 5" hole inside the front under-belly to reach in and drag out a siphon hose for the antifreeze. Then your supposed to reach the hot water heater where there is only one shutoff valve ( turned in the away position ) and FOUR FEET inside the little hole????? Keystone engineers must have LONG ARMS/ I can't even reach the hot water heater when I take the entire cover off that side of the underbelly.
I called the customer support desk, talked to a woman that said there was a winterzing compartment next to my dump valves on the outside.. No Sorry!! Nothing on the outside. Evidently she does not know anything about this model. I called back talked to another lady that was familar with my model. She said that only one valve on the cold because the hot had a anti siphon valve to keep the antifreeze from going into the hot water tank. When I asked how to get to the one valve, she said try taking a step pannel off from the inside? That is 5 feet away? Does anyone at the Keystone factory know anything or even care. I have buyers remorse and haven't even spent one night in the trailer. Makes me wish I had considered Heartland or Forrest River more and not shopped floor plan. Anyone had any experience similar?
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Old 01-26-2013, 11:48 AM   #2
Festus2
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I am not familiar with the layout of your Laredo but you should have reachable access to the back of your HW tank where the bypass valve is located on many HW tanks. Some members have had difficulty finding the access because the rear of the HW tank is often found behind a removable panel, drawer or partition of some sort.
I have never heard of anyone having to crawl underneath and remove a portion of black coroplast underbelly to carry out any stage of the winterizing process. The low-point drains and FW tank drain valve are underneath the unit but are quite accessible and visible in most cases.
I don't have a "central winterizing station" on our '08 Cougar as I have to visit the water pump and the rear of the HW tank (both of which are inside the unit but behind removable panels and crawl underneath to deal with the low-point drains and FW tank.

I don't think winterizing the Laredo should be that difficult and that much different than other models.

Did you happen to ask about the winterizing process when you did your pre-delivery inspection? If so, what were you told by the service tech who did the walk-through with you? Unfortunately, the owner's manual won't be of much help as it is pretty much generic and will only provide you with general information - nothing specific.

Hopefully, other Laredo owners will chime in and offer some suggestions. Don't give up on your unit yet. There is a way around this - it can't be that hard.

And...welcome to the forum!!
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Old 01-26-2013, 06:42 PM   #3
mbar4965
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Thanks for the reply. The walk around at delivery is where we were shown the little hole in the storage area to get to the valve. I removed the wall liner inside the storage compartment (not the floor area). The lady at keystone customer relations said it was a problem - but no one seems very concerned. I'm not used to an attitude like Keysone when I spend that kind of money. I have an appointment at a Forrest River dealership on Mon. to get everything moved to a new access hole that I will have cut. I should have refused the trailer at delivery time---- my mistake and I get to pay for it. Dean's RV in Tulsa is not the place to get any help or buy a new trailer.
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Old 01-27-2013, 05:43 AM   #4
jsmith948
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Sorry to hear you are having problems with your new Loredo. I can only imagine your frustration. However, you may want to step back and think about having the plumbing modified by anyone other than a Keystone authorized dealer as it may result in voiding your warranty. Just food for thought - FWIW. Good luck and please let everyone here know how you fare
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Old 01-27-2013, 03:09 PM   #5
gkainz
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I have the 245RL. I took the screw out of the panel in front of the water heater and just set the panel aside. Easy access to the bypass valve now and plans to make all that newly-revealed empty space usable one of these days. For the antifreeze draw tube and bypass valve, someone (here, maybe) posted pics of replacing that silly little flap of plastic excuse of an access port with a real hinged marine-style access port. ... Another item on my "one of these days" project list.
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Old 03-31-2013, 02:39 PM   #6
iamrwnut
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I have an 08 Laredo 311RL Travel Trailer. I had a hard time last fall late finding my bypass valve. This was my first year with it so first winterizing also. I found the water heater isolation valves and the bypass valve under my fridge. I had to remove 6 screws and pull a panel off near the floor. I remember thinking that this was not very friendly. The isolation valves were easy to turn, but the bypass required pliers to turn. I was worried that I would snap the handle off. I did get it closed and have left the panel off until time to de-winterize. I should spend some time looking at what I can do to improve this.
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Old 11-23-2013, 04:34 PM   #7
DANIEL HYLAND
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I have a 2011 Laredo Keystone and I could not figure out how to get to the water heater to winterize my rig and I saw the posts here yesterday and decided I would figure it out today. Well I looked through the hole in my storage area and saw the water heater and removed that panel, it had 10 screws. after removing it I just flipped the 1/4 turn valve to by pass the heater tank, after removing the tank drain plug, also saw the water pump, which had a 1/4 turn valve and a hose for the antifreeze. Went inside and turned the pump switch on and began pumping the fluid through each faucet. Oh, I drained the water tank first. Used almost 2 gal. Hardest part was getting the 10 panel screws out, nothing in the owners manual told me about the panel.
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Old 11-23-2013, 07:23 PM   #8
Ken / Claudia
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I just read this post from the 1st and we will never really know was said at the time of purchase. I have met people who when I start to explain something to them, they say I know, I know and I stop explaining. They than come back and to ask questions because they did not know how to do it and were not able or willing to listen when I tried to instruct them. Was that what could have happened at purchase. Someone at the lot would know how the trailer works and what needs to be done.
Also, when I have a problem, I phone the dealer to whom I spend my money(car, boat, rv) and ask for the service dept. I did not want to talk to anyone who needs to look up the same information in the same booket that I have. He said he phoned the keystone customer service dept., I am guessing here but, I doubt that person ever worked on or fixed/repaired any trailer.
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