5 Best Water Heater Drain Valves For RV Winterization That Nomads Swear By

There’s a moment every RVer dreads: lying on cold, damp ground, fumbling with a wrench, trying to unscrew a plastic plug that’s determined to strip. A sudden gush of lukewarm water soaks your sleeve as the plug finally gives way. This isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a critical step in protecting your rig from a frozen, burst water heater tank, and the factory-installed plug makes it a miserable one.

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Why Your RV Drain Valve Matters for Winterizing

Your water heater is one of the most expensive and vulnerable components in your RV’s plumbing system. When water freezes, it expands with incredible force—enough to split a steel tank wide open. Draining it completely is the single most important step in winterization, and the drain valve is the gatekeeper for that process.

Most RVs ship with a cheap nylon or plastic plug. It technically works, but it’s designed for assembly line efficiency, not your convenience. These plugs strip easily, require a specific socket size you might not have handy, and offer zero flow control. You either have a full-force gusher soaking you and the ground, or it’s sealed.

Upgrading to a proper drain valve transforms this chore. It turns a frustrating, wet task into a simple, controlled process that takes seconds. For a few dollars and five minutes of your time, you eliminate a major winterizing headache and gain peace of mind knowing you got every last drop of water out. This is one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost upgrades you can make.

Camco 11633: The Go-To Brass Petcock Upgrade

This little brass valve is often the first upgrade nomads make, and for good reason. The Camco 11633 replaces the frustrating nylon plug with a simple, durable petcock-style valve. It’s a straightforward design: a small T-handle you turn to open or close a small orifice, allowing water to drain out at a controlled rate.

Its simplicity is its strength. Made of brass, it won’t strip like the plastic plug, and it will last for years. Installation is as simple as threading it into the drain port. Once it’s in, you can leave it there permanently, turning a task that required tools into a tool-free job.

The only real tradeoff is drain speed. Because it’s a petcock with a small opening, it doesn’t drain as fast as a full-port ball valve. But for most people, waiting an extra minute or two is a small price to pay for the massive gain in convenience and reliability. It just works.

Valterra T-1002VP: Simple, Reliable Draining

Think of the Valterra T-1002VP as another excellent take on the classic petcock design. It functions almost identically to the Camco model, offering a simple T-handle for controlled draining. It’s a workhorse part from a trusted brand in the RV plumbing world.

Functionally, you won’t notice much difference between this and other brass petcocks. It’s a reliable, no-frills solution that gets the job done without any drama. It provides the same core benefits: eliminating the need for tools, preventing stripped plugs, and keeping your sleeves dry.

Choosing between the Valterra and the Camco often comes down to availability or brand preference. Both are solid, affordable upgrades that solve the same fundamental problem. You can’t go wrong with either if you’re looking for a simple, effective way to make winterizing easier.

Dumble RV Supplies: Heavy-Duty Brass Option

If you’re a full-timer or someone who believes in buying the most robust version of any component, the Dumble valve is worth a look. While still a petcock design, it feels noticeably more substantial. The brass is thicker, the machining feels precise, and the T-handle is solid.

This is the kind of part you install and forget about for the life of the RV. It’s built to withstand the bumps, vibrations, and constant temperature cycles of life on the road. While other petcocks are perfectly adequate, this one offers an extra layer of confidence for those who put their rigs through demanding conditions.

The cost is slightly higher, but we’re talking about a few extra dollars for a part that protects a multi-hundred-dollar appliance. For many nomads, that small premium is easily justified. It’s a classic "buy it nice or buy it twice" scenario, and this is the "buy it nice" option in the petcock category.

Boilermaker Quarter-Turn: For The Easiest Flow

For those who value speed and ease above all else, the quarter-turn ball valve is the ultimate upgrade. Often sold as a "Boilermaker" drain valve, this design replaces the narrow petcock channel with a full-bore ball valve. A simple 90-degree turn of the lever goes from fully closed to a wide-open drain port.

The difference is dramatic. Instead of a trickle, you get a torrent. The entire six or ten gallons of water empties in a fraction of the time, which is great when you’re racing against dropping temperatures. It’s also less likely to get clogged by sediment or calcium buildup from the tank.

The main consideration is space. These valves are physically larger than a petcock and may not fit in every water heater compartment, especially if there are gas lines or other obstructions nearby. Always measure your clearance before buying, but if you have the room, a quarter-turn valve makes draining your tank almost effortless.

Suburban 232767: The OEM Nylon Plug Choice

Let’s talk about the original part. While most people are eager to replace it, there is a reason manufacturers use the nylon plug. It’s not just about being cheap. The soft nylon threads are "sacrificial"—they will strip before you can damage the much more expensive steel threads of the water heater tank itself. It’s a deliberate engineering choice to make the cheap part the failure point.

Sticking with the nylon plug is a valid option if you only winterize once a year and don’t mind the process. The key is to have the right tool (usually a 15/16" or 7/8" socket) and a gentle touch. Never overtighten it, and always have a spare on hand, because they will eventually wear out or get lost.

However, for anyone who frequently drains their tank for maintenance, travel, or sanitation, the hassle quickly outweighs the benefit. The risk of getting stuck with a stripped plug in a remote location is a powerful motivator to upgrade. It’s a reliable factory part, but it’s not designed for the nomadic lifestyle.

Brass vs. Nylon: Key Material Considerations

The choice between a brass valve and the stock nylon plug comes down to a fundamental tradeoff between durability and safety. Each material has distinct pros and cons that are important to understand.

• Nylon: Its main advantage is that it’s chemically inert and won’t galvanically corrode when threaded into the steel tank. As mentioned, it’s also soft, protecting your tank threads from over-tightening damage. The downsides are obvious: it’s weak, strips easily, and becomes brittle over time with exposure to heat.
• Brass: This metal is incredibly durable and will outlast the RV. It provides a much more secure seal and allows for the convenience of an integrated valve. The primary risk is galvanic corrosion—when two dissimilar metals (like brass and steel) are in contact with an electrolyte (water), they can corrode and seize together.

This is why proper installation is non-negotiable for a brass valve. You must use a thread sealant to isolate the metals from each other. That brings us to the most important part of the installation.

Installation Pro-Tip: Using Teflon Tape Right

Using Teflon tape (or pipe thread sealant) is not optional when installing a brass valve. It performs two critical jobs: it seals the threads to prevent leaks, and more importantly, it creates a barrier between the brass and steel to prevent them from seizing together. But how you apply it matters.

Always wrap the tape in the same direction you will be turning the valve to tighten it. For standard threads, this is clockwise. If you wrap it counter-clockwise, the act of threading the valve in will bunch up and unravel the tape, defeating the purpose. Use three to four wraps, ensuring the tape is snug against the threads.

Finally, don’t be a hero. The tape is what creates the seal, not raw torque. Tighten the valve until it is snug, and then maybe another quarter-turn. Over-tightening can damage the threads on your tank—the very thing you were trying to avoid. A gentle, firm hand is all you need for a leak-free, long-lasting installation.

Swapping out that cheap plastic plug for a proper brass valve is one of the simplest, most satisfying upgrades you’ll ever do. It turns a dreaded seasonal chore into a simple, clean task, giving you one less thing to worry about when the temperature starts to drop. It’s a small change that makes a big difference in the rhythm of nomadic life.