low point drain valve - where is it???

ParTimCmpr · 12-03-2009, 08:41 PM

I am ready to winterize my Sierra 291RL for the first time. I am a bit confused about the low point drain. On my unit there is a hose which appears to be the drain for the freshwater tank. This hose has a screw on cap which I remove to drain the fresh water tank.

To the left there is another white hose which has no cap - just hose extending out from the 'enclosed underbelly.' I cannot find an obvious valve to open the low point drain.

I did find what I have shown below. Is that the 'valve', which I need to unscrew to allow the low point drain to work? It looks odd to me.

BTW - the hose marked low point valve almost looks like it goes up and into the side of the fresh water tank. I loosened the sides of the underbelly to look, but it is hard to tell for sure.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
ParTimCmpr

NWJeeper · 12-03-2009, 09:20 PM

What you have in the picture is the check valve/vacuum breaker for the black water flush line. It keeps the black water from backflowing out the hose port for the tank flush system.

milzat · 12-03-2009, 09:39 PM

ParTimCampr,

You should find a RED and BLUE line protruding from the under side of the trailer. They will be located next to each other. It's possible the valves will be hidden behind a false wall of floor cover, maybe in a cabinet, directly above the low point drain lines.

bdb2047 · 12-04-2009, 06:41 AM

On our Sierra they are on road side in front of front axle outside of frame rail next to a support that goes to outside of body.Come thru floor are short and hard to see unless looking for.

ParTimCmpr · 12-04-2009, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWJeeper

What you have in the picture is the check valve/vacuum breaker for the black water flush line. It keeps the black water from backflowing out the hose port for the tank flush system.

That makes sense.

I will check again today for the low point drains. The white hose without a cap appears to come from the top of the fresh water tank. I suspect it is some type of vent hose.

I ran out of day light yesterday. Maybe I can look at it today before the rains begin.

Thanks,
ParTimCmpr

**huntr70** · 12-04-2009, 09:10 AM

What kind of unit do you have?

Our Wildcat has the low point drains under the sink area, slightly behind the entry steps on the outside of the frame between the frame and skirting.

ParTimCmpr · 12-04-2009, 10:01 AM

I have a 2009 Sierra 291RL. It has a sticker on the road side(driver side) just forward of the city water and black flush connections. there is a white hose protruding from the underbelly which appears to be connected to the fresh water tank. I have not found any valves in that area.

I plan to go out during lunch and check all over! This is driving me crazy!

Hokiehall · 12-04-2009, 10:11 AM

You will need to get under your trailer and crawl all under there until you find two open tubes coming down through the bottom of the trailer. They will be side by side. Mine were well hidden. Once you find them, your low points will be somewhere just above them inside. Again, mine are so well hidden that it is very difficult to get to them. You will likely have to remove some sort of panel or drawer to get to them.

Good luck

ParTimCmpr · 12-04-2009, 12:35 PM

I spoke with the service department at the dealer. He suggested the trailer may not have a low point drain?

Is that reasonable? and if so, why is there a 'low point drain' decal on the side of the trailer? Inquiring minds want to know....

Any 2009 Sierra 291RL owners out there? Your input would be greatly appreciated!

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ies/please.gif

Thanks!
ParTimCmpr

ParTimCmpr · 12-04-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hokiehall

You will need to get under your trailer and crawl all under there until you find two open tubes coming down through the bottom of the trailer. They will be side by side. Mine were well hidden. Once you find them, your low points will be somewhere just above them inside. Again, mine are so well hidden that it is very difficult to get to them. You will likely have to remove some sort of panel or drawer to get to them.

Good luck

Crawled and crawled - no luck. I have pulled the panel where the hot water heater is located under the kitchen counter, and the panel where the water pump is located under the bathroom sink. I did not see valves in either location. However, I will give it all another look.

Thanks,
David

Hokiehall · 12-04-2009, 01:07 PM

I didn't think my trailer had them either but another member with the same model pointed them out. They were WELL hidden. After another trip under I did find them. They might be under the area of the bathroom/shower stall area. Just a thought.

I think they probably all have them somewhere, just finding where is the issue. I think all the manufacturers like to make them as hard as possible to find for some reason.

MtnGuy · 12-04-2009, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParTimCmpr

Crawled and crawled - no luck. I have pulled the panel where the hot water heater is located under the kitchen counter, and the panel where the water pump is located under the bathroom sink. I did not see valves in either location. However, I will give it all another look.

Thanks,
David

Look for a pipe connection in either of those locations, and any where else you can visibly see the lines. In ours, an ordinary looking connection is actually a tee, with the bottom of the tee going through the floor to the low point drain. If you can find something like that, then look on the outside in that area for the drain. Ours does not have a valve on the inside, just a pipe cap on the outside.

**huntr70** · 12-04-2009, 05:47 PM

Mine technically doesn't have any "valves".

The drains are just 2 tubes sticking down with caps on them, no valves to move or open.

The cold is blue, the hot is red.

cma659 · 12-04-2009, 07:07 PM

The low point drains on mine are located right underneth the water heater between the frame and skirting should be a red and blue with screw on caps no valve for opening and closing but mine is a 2007 model

mjones12 · 12-05-2009, 03:10 PM

My low-point lines were easy to find: two capped lines under the bathroom area. My question is what is the procedure for using them during winterization? I was very confused by the dealer's explanation, and I thought he said we would never need to open them. When I do open them while parked at home, some water comes out, so it seems I will need to be sure I've got antifreeze running out of them when I winterize. Is that right? Can anyone help clear up my confusion? Thanks.

Hokiehall · 12-05-2009, 04:04 PM

Depending on how you winterize (blowing out with air or drawing antifreeze through the lines) determines whether you need to open them. If blowing out, open them so all the water in the lines goes out. On my other trailers, I left them open until Spring when I closed them up before de-winterizing.

If you are running antifreeze through the lines, you can still open them to get rid of any excess water, but be sure to close them back. Otherwise your antifreeze will be all over your parking area.

highwayman · 12-06-2009, 09:51 AM

Low Point Drains? I kept looking! Guess What?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have a 2009 Sandpiper RLD 332 TT, I was about to give up after an hour of crawling around under the trailer looking for the low point drains. I spotted this clump of sandy mud that looked like it could be something, brushed it away and ta dah!! The bright Red & Blue lines weren't so colorful with the coating of mud, (twenty miles of wet gravel in route to our seasonal spot) plus they were way up under just inside about a foot in from the outside body of the camper. My first clue to check this area was the I saw lines going thru the floor inside the corner of the kitchen vanity. I have no valves, but capped lines.

I drained, and then winterized, noticed I did get a little Pink out of them after opening them up and leaving them open for winter.

Highwayman
Rog
Attached Images

highwayman · 12-06-2009, 10:32 AM

MtnGuy · 12-06-2009, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highwayman

Low Point Drains? I kept looking! Guess What?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

II drained, and then winterized, noticed I did get a little Pink out of them after opening them up and leaving them open for winter.

Highwayman
Rog
Attached Images

I recap my lines after I make sure they are drained good........I don't want any kind of little critter crawling up there and contamanating my water lines.

ParTimCmpr · 12-27-2009, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cma659

The low point drains on mine are located right underneth the water heater between the frame and skirting should be a red and blue with screw on caps no valve for opening and closing but mine is a 2007 model

OK - So mine were right where you described. I was so tired after looking so many times, I did not crawl far enough under to see them. They are right against the skirting so you have to look back under the edge to see them.

With that said, I now wonder about what the 'low point valve' really is. But let me start another thread for this one....

Thanks,
ParTimCmpr

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