What is the consensus on the rear wet tank drain? I have an auto drain and the last time I pressed the Shrader valve there was water coming out. (This was before I replaced the air dryer) My question is should I remove the auto drain and plumb in a manual valve like I did for the front two tanks? I am thinking the rear tank will get dropped next since I would like to replace the check valve and give the tank a good examination. (Assuming Newell engineers didn't weld the tank brackets above the chassis blocking the bolt head) I am sure that one will be a doozie to get out due to the large size and proximity to chassisfanalia.
I am a fan of the manual. The auto drains and lanyard pull drains can get debris in them and become difficult to reseat. Plus with the manul, you see what is coming out of the tank.
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
95 Newell, 390 Ex caretaker
99 Newell, 512 Ex caretaker
07 Prevost Marathon, 1025
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home )
I'm contemplating an auto drain valve on my 4 tanks...simply for the reason I can't get to them...easily.
But, the Bendix costs are over $140 and I'm not sure if I can trust an Amazon version at $30.
The manual petcocks on our '15 are pretty stiff and haven't been opened in over a year.
Having my shop air hooked up using a PC pancake has me enough concerned to give the tanks a check; the small, and cheap, inline dryer from HF gets "pink" after a day...so not much good.
Thoughts or experiences with an Auto Drain? IF so, and you have a good alternative to a Bendix, love to hear it.
Steve & Janice Vance
2015 Newell #1524
Glendora, CA
I am in Richards camp, the auto drains and lanyards will eventually leak when they get crud in them. I extend the drain with DOT tubing out to the edge of the coach and put a valve there where I can easily drain them.
I have been using these little Nigo valves, they have held up well and have not had any leaks. The ones on my Wanderlodge are 6 years old at this point and so far they have held up. I mounted them by just drilling a hole big enough for the threaded end to go through a piece of plate steel and use the DOT air fitting on the other side to lock it in place. A couple of washers to help tighten it up.
What Jeff said ! Route a short line out of the remote valve so that you don’t get a shower when you drain the tanks. This was my first project on my Prevost.
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
95 Newell, 390 Ex caretaker
99 Newell, 512 Ex caretaker
07 Prevost Marathon, 1025
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home )
(Yesterday, 01:49 PM)CaptainGizmo Wrote: I'm contemplating an auto drain valve on my 4 tanks...simply for the reason I can't get to them...easily.
But, the Bendix costs are over $140 and I'm not sure if I can trust an Amazon version at $30.
The manual petcocks on our '15 are pretty stiff and haven't been opened in over a year.
Having my shop air hooked up using a PC pancake has me enough concerned to give the tanks a check; the small, and cheap, inline dryer from HF gets "pink" after a day...so not much good.
Thoughts or experiences with an Auto Drain? IF so, and you have a good alternative to a Bendix, love to hear it.
Steve,
Do you know which air dryer you have on your coach? I have the Bendix AD-IS and it is designed as an integrated system, combining the air dryer and reservoir functions into one unit, eliminating the need for a separate wet tank. If you have this and are seeing moisture, it may be that the dryer needs servicing. I have been chasing leaks for a year now and probably drained each of the tanks a dozen or more times. Honestly, I never see any moisture. According to the literature, the moisture is expelled from the system before being sent to any of the tanks. I feel that it does this very well.
The moisture is probably coming from the onboard air system, not the engine driven compressor. At least that is what is seems is happening on my coach. I believe that the onboard compressor is not routed through the drier on mine, not sure if that is the case with your coaches. I get a ton of water when I am sitting and and running the onboard compressor, hardly any when running down the road.
)
