How to Winterize Forest River Shamrock & Roo Camper w Photos

Winterizing your RV can be a challenge. Here are some tips to get it done right in no time at all!

The “forest river winterizing instructions” is a step by step guide on how to winterize the Forest River Shamrock & Roo Camper. It includes photos, and is easy to follow.

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In this article, I added photographs and a YouTube video in which I decided to write a how-to for the 2016 Shamrock or Roo by Forest River on how to winterize the hybrid camper (and a few years around it).

This Forest River 23IKSS Shamrock is a hybrid model camper, although others are extremely similar, if not identical, with the only change being the color scheme.

A 2016 Shamrock / Roo Camper’s Winterization Process

To drain the water heater, start with a 1 1/16′′ socket and remove the anode.

Water will begin to pour out of the hot water heater’s tank when the anode is removed.

Open the pressure valve to speed up the draining process and check there is no water in the water heater with an air lock. This is accomplished by raising the pressure relief valve, causing water to flood out considerably more quickly.

It’s a good idea to empty your water filter while the hot water tank is emptying. To do so, open the rear compartment and look inside for it. Unscrew it by twisting it counterclockwise / left.

Simply drain the water and screw it back into place, snugging it up. As you continue to winterize your camper, you’ll see that it’ll be filled with pink antifreeze to protect it from the elements.

The water heater tank should be almost empty at this stage. The pressure release valve should be closed.

During the winter, you may leave the anode out and let it lay on the bottom, allowing moisture to drain freely.

For this area of the camper, the water heater has been winterized. It is now safe to re-close the compartment.

It’s now time to finish the remainder of the camper. Begin by turning on the bypass valve. Parallel to the pex pipes, this valve should be installed.

Turn off the cold water supply feeding the hot water tank to prevent it from filling up again. The valve should be aligned with the hose.

Replace the hot water line in the same way.

Before going on to getting any anti-freeze flowing, there’s one more thing to do. Another valve must be turned to prevent the fresh water tank from filling with anti-freeze. This is on the left-hand side, just next to the pump.

The next step is to locate your low point drains. There are two low point drains on this model: one for hot water and one for cold water.

The position of your power connection is indicated above it, so you know where to look beneath the camper for it.

A blue (cold) and red (hot) water line stubbed through the floorboard and capped immediately above your sewage drain valves may be found on the Shamrocks and Roos. Inside, turn on the hot and cold water faucets at the kitchen sink.

The pipes will be able to drain as a result of this. Unscrew the hot and cold water caps on the low point drains after they’re finished.

Allow the water to drain before replacing the caps on the camper and turning off the kitchen faucets.

Connect your short 3- to 4-foot hose to the anti-freeze intake outlet.

The other end goes into the antifreeze container, with the hose positioned at the bottom to prevent air from being sucked in.

We’re now ready to switch on the water pump inside the camper. This will begin to suck the antifreeze into the lines, and you will observe that a significant amount of it will be consumed rather soon. Because the antifreeze will flood the water filter, this is necessary.

It’s time to start putting antifreeze into the camper’s water pipes now that everything is pressured. While doing so, keep an eye on the anti-freeze canister to ensure you don’t run out. This will need to be swapped out as required. Allowing it to run empty may cause the pump to burn out.

Once you’re confident you’ve got enough anti-freeze, just turn on the cold water in the kitchen and run it until it becomes pink, then turn it off.

Apply the same procedure to the hot water.

It is now time to go to the bathroom. Repeat the procedure, turning on the cold until pink appears, then turning it off.

The same may be said for the hot water.

Now go to the shower. Turn on the cold water again until it becomes pink, then switch to the hot water.

After that, it’s time to go to the bathroom. Simply flush until the bowl is pink around the edges.

Last but not least, there’s the external shower, which you should be getting the hang of by now. Turn on the cold water until it becomes pink.

The hot water is now available.

Except for the municipal water hookup and the traps, everything is in place at this stage. Simply take the screen out to see whether the city water connection is working.

In order for the valve to spray water, press it in. Do this until you see pink, and then you’re done.

How to Prepare the Shamrock / Roo Campers Traps for the Winter

To accomplish this, just pour 1-2 gallons of antifreeze down each drain to prevent the water in the traps from freezing. Begin on the left side of the kitchen sink and work your way to the right.

The right side is next.

Make your way over to the bathroom sink.

Then there was the shower.

Finally, I like to throw some in the black tank, so I flush it down the toilet.

This completes the winterization of your Forest Rivers Shamrock / Roo Hybrid camper’s plumbing system! You’ll see that the water filter is full with anti-freeze, which means you’re good to go till spring.

To assist extend the battery’s life, I also suggest unplugging it, taking it inside, and placing it on a trickle charger (in which you do not want to store the battery on the concrete).

Keep warm till spring, and have fun camping!

30 minutes of active time

30 minutes in total

How to winterize a 2016 Forest River Shamrock & Roo camper. This specific model is the 23IKSS, but most models and years around 2016 are all very similar if not the same. It is that sad time of year again in which the camper must be put up for the winter!

Materials

Antifreeze for RVs, 3 gallons
Garden Hose, 3-4′

Instructions

Remove the anode from the water heater with the 1 1/16″ socket wrench first. During the winter, the anode may be kept in the compartment. By lifting the pressure release valve, the water will begin to pour out.
Remove the water filter from the camper’s back compartment while the water heater is emptying. Simply spin it counterclockwise / left to do this. Dump and reinstall it after it’s been uninstalled.
The pressure relief valve should be reset and the lid restored once the hot water heater tank has been almost empty (leave the anode out so no moisture is trapped with in the tank)
Turn the hot water heater bypass valve, which is situated in the camper’s rear compartment. Once the antifreeze has been bypassed, turn off the cold and hot water valves to prevent the antifreeze from entering the hot water heater’s tank.
The supply to the fresh water tank has one additional valve that has to be turned off. To the left of the water pump, you’ll find this.
To avoid an air lock in the pipes, turn on the hot and cold water faucets in the kitchen. Find the low point drain, which should be underneath your camper and directly above your sewage line. Remove both the hot and cold tops and set them aside to drain. Replace the caps after the water has been drained (don’t forget to turn off the hot and cold water at the kitchen faucet).
Connect one end of the antifreeze hose to the camper’s antifreeze intake and the other end to the antifreeze. To avoid sucking any air, make sure the hose reaches the bottom. Go inside the camper and switch on the water pump once it’s finished. Due to the water filter being emptied, this will quickly drain a significant amount of antifreeze.
Make sure you don’t run out of antifreeze by keeping an eye on it (swap gallons as necessary).
From here, go to the kitchen sink and run cold water until you see pink pouring out. The hot water is then applied.
In the bathroom, do the same thing in the sink and shower.
To view pink swirling around the bowl, press the toilet flush pedal until you see pink swirling around the bowl.
The external shower is the final stop, and you’ll want to run both hot and cold water until you see pink. The water pump may be switched off after everything is finished.
Once last cautionary step that needs to be taken is the drain traps. Take about a cup or 2 of antifreeze and dump it down the left side of the kitchen sink, right side of the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower drain & toilet to assist the empty black tank from freezing.

Notes

In the spring, the pink antifreeze may be difficult to remove, so it’s best to wipe it clean with paper towels to prevent a cleaning headache.

The “forest river how to videos” are a set of videos that shows the steps necessary to winterize your Forest River Shamrock & Roo Camper. The videos show you how to remove the roof, drain the water, and more.