how often do you really drain your air tanks?

[TURBS]

Really imo which take it or leave it, if you have "air dryers" on your coach which most if not all of them do, you shouldn't have to drain your tanks ......

All you have to do is maintain your filter and heater.

Turbs

[TURBS]

And for the discussion about home non portable air compressors they make a simple little gadget that automatically purges air from tank......

[Himcules]

i think the freightliner tech has overly simplified it... the wire loops used to drain the tanks release pressurized air as it drains the tanks as well. the fast air is going to blow any water into fine droplets that you may not be able to see with your eyes and in most cases, it won't land on the ground in drops. if you captured the exhaust from the tanks with a glass jar or similar, you will see that there is some moisture being expelled.

[boowho]

Originally Posted by Phil57

I like your attitude. I hope to run out of money and be a burden to my children for a few years. They owe me. Ha. Really the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep (broke).

Absolutely. I'm working real hard on the broke part. I've already told my kids not to expect anything, because whatever might be left goes to Wounded Warrior Project and St Jude's in Memphis.

Boowho??

[Hallen01]

Originally Posted by Himcules

i think the freightliner tech has overly simplified it... the wire loops used to drain the tanks release pressurized air as it drains the tanks as well...

I called Freightliner, and they gave me directions to find the wire loops. Looked carefully, and I don't have anything vaguely resembling that. Hopefully I have the automated drier system. I guess they'll show me in June 2013 at the Camp Freightliner course or at the maintenance shop down the road when I have my first service appointment in Gaffney, but my chassis was built in March 2012, and the tanks have never been blown.

[marialee]

I just had to take my 2011 Berkshire in for service on the air dryers. Lost air when pulling into camp and had to call for service to get going. At Freightliner in Jerome Id. They replaced the purge valve. I was told when in cold weather pull lines each week to remove moisture and prevent freezing. Under normal weather to pull once a month. Will do that it looked easy. Better safe than sorry when out of warrenty. Also had problems with coolant leaking...had to replace clamps in the front of the coach. Coolant was leaking on the generator.. Hopefully all is well now.. Very nice service department. Recommend them. In and out in 2 1/2 hours. Purge valve under warrenty, coolant clamp replacement and testing..replacing coolant $68.00. Fair price I thought...

[Himcules]

Originally Posted by Hallen01

I called Freightliner, and they gave me directions to find the wire loops. Looked carefully, and I don't have anything vaguely resembling that. Hopefully I have the automated drier system. I guess they'll show me in June 2013 at the Camp Freightliner course or at the maintenance shop down the road when I have my first service appointment in Gaffney, but my chassis was built in March 2012, and the tanks have never been blown.

front wheel wells... look on the frame for a wire look that looks like this:



after parking and shutting the engine off, pull the loop till air stops coming out.

[mjracsj]

I found three loops. One behind drivers side front wheel and two behind curb side front wheel. Is that all of them? Also is it ok to do this anytime when parked regardless of whether leveling jacks are down? And is it safe to start the motor when parked and leveled with jacks down if air pressure in the tanks is needed to be built up to use the front air fitting to inflate car tires or water toys, etc?

[Hallen01]

Himcules: Thanks for the pix on the wire loop location - worth 10K words, as they say! I haven't looked yet, but I'm sure I'll find them now. BTW, Freightliner says that the bag pressure is independent of the tank pressure, so the coach will not settle while the air system is being blown (and you are "under the bus", as they say).

Mjracsj: Fill all those toys and your tires too, with the jacks down. In fact, you are supposed to start the engine and allow the air pressure in the bags to fill before retracting the jacks, otherwise the coach will settle down on the empty bags with the engine off. Then, when you start up, you will hear a popping noise as the empty bags inflate from a "squashed down" position. This is not good for them - it will cause an undue amount of wear or possible damage; however, we've all done this once or twice.

You cannot deploy (lower) the jacks, or auto-level with the ignition ON - the system won't allow it. Also, while we're on the subject of jacks, do not move the jacks up or down while the slides are out, because the slides and their adjustments are less tolerant of the resulting, small amounts of torque (twisting) than the chassis frame is. I also NEVER TOUCH THE E-BRAKE OR GEAR SELECTOR until physically checking that I am completely unhooked, the jacks are UP, and I have carefully gone through the Freightliner checklist at the Driver Info Center EVERY TIME - NO EXCEPTIONS.

Happy motoring

[Himcules]

Originally Posted by mjracsj

I found three loops. One behind drivers side front wheel and two behind curb side front wheel. Is that all of them? Also is it ok to do this anytime when parked regardless of whether leveling jacks are down? And is it safe to start the motor when parked and leveled with jacks down if air pressure in the tanks is needed to be built up to use the front air fitting to inflate car tires or water toys, etc?

yes, you have 3 tanks and those 3 loops are the releases of those tanks.

yes, you can clear the air tanks anytime the engine is off (jacks up or down). as stated by others, the air bag suspension is independent (with the exception that the leveling computer has access to them as well).

+1 to what Hallen01 said above.

[Hallen01]

Originally Posted by Himcules

front wheel wells... look on the frame for a wire ... ...after parking and shutting the engine off, pull the loop till air stops coming out.

Himcules: Here's the specialty tool I use to hook the wire loop so I don't have to drag my bod under the bus:

Unfortunately the tool is of relatively little value to me when used for its originally intended purpose

[boowho]

Originally Posted by mogman

I maintain 18 diesel trucks and our rule is to drain the air tanks at every fillup. We have the drain valve pigtails by the filler cap so its easy to reach down and pull them.

Critical to drain in the winter because the moisture will freeze in the airlines and make braking a little difficult!!!!!

Someone earlier commented about how little moisture comes out and that is true. During non-freezing weather I drain once in a great while (maybe once a month). I don't drive below freezing, so that doesn't affect me.

Boowho??

[lefaivre]

Ok ... I am officially confused.
I see the need to dump air in order to release excess moisture from the tanks.

I was under the impression that by dumping air from the suspension that "all air was being dumped". One of the notes however indicated that this process is only dumping air from the suspension and not from the tank.

If this is the case, why do both air pressure gauges drop to zero if only suspension air is being dumped.

I believe what is being said ... just trying to understand the process

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Roll

I have a garage compressor/tank I bought new in 1997 from Sears. Have never drained it and I'm not sure it has a drain valve, (In the old days we called these petcocks).

Maybe I should check it.

Chances are, you're only getting 3/4 of the tank capacity due to water in the tank. I check mine about every 6-8 months. Usually get about a gallon from a 60gal tank.

[lefaivre]

I have just found the answer to all of our questions on page 30 in the Freightliner Chassis manual. It says the following;

MYTH:

Air systems require little maintenance

FACT:

FCCC provides automatic moisture ejectors this eliminates the need
to drain tanks drain cables provided which allow tanks to be drained from

above every 6 MONTHS

If someone can tell me how to attach a PDF file ... I can post the entire document

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Chances are, you're only getting 3/4 of the tank capacity due to water in the tank. I check mine about every 6-8 months. Usually get about a gallon from a 60gal tank.

Not true.

If you refer to my earlier post about air system dryers there's no need what so ever to use tank drains.
Normal maintenance on the filter and heater as well as the purge valve is ALL THATS NEEDED.

[TURBS]

http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/...air-dryer.aspx

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

Not true.

If you refer to my earlier post about air system dryers there's no need what so ever to use tank drains.
Normal maintenance on the filter and heater as well as the purge valve is ALL THATS NEEDED.

The man was talking about a home tank and there are no water checks on a home compressor filling the storage tank. The dryers are on the line from the tank.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

The man was talking about a home tank and there are no water checks on a home compressor filling the storage tank. The dryers are on the line from the tank.

Funny this post is about motor home air brakes.......

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

The man was talking about a home tank and there are no water checks on a home compressor filling the storage tank. The dryers are on the line from the tank.

Oh and by the way they make auto tank drains for compressors to.