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Old 11-05-2019, 09:29 AM   #1
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Draining Air Tanks

After a year of ownership and never finding the air tank drain cords I asked the shop to drain the tanks and run the cords where I could get to them while the coach is in for annual service.

The shop advised to not use the cords because the valve could get stuck open requiring crawling under the coach to reset the stuck valve.

What they suggest instead is to run a drain hose from the tank to the front of the coach, with a brass valve that can be accessed and drained from the front air tank and two more going to the rear for the rear tanks.

Has anyone else gone this route? Was it worth while for you?
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Old 11-05-2019, 09:33 AM   #2
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This is the way Monaco's of my vintage, came from the factory.

Very convenient!
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Old 11-05-2019, 09:47 AM   #3
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I would not change from the cords...just pull on them often. With a air dryer you are not going to get much water (if anything) out of the tanks, but pulling on them will help to keep them from sticking open. Most big trucks have pull cords.
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Old 11-05-2019, 10:20 AM   #4
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You would have to run three drain hoses with valves and it's not worth it. You sometimes have to turn the front wheels to the side to find the loops, then use an awning pull rod to pull the valves. There will be two on one side and one on the other, can't remember from my Freightliner days which side is which. Our current coach has drain valves in the rear next to the DEF tank.
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Old 11-05-2019, 05:00 PM   #5
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After never finding water in the tank (my air dryer gets serviced every 3 years, per Spec), I stopped fooling around with tank drains.
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Old 11-05-2019, 05:38 PM   #6
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I don't get their reasoning...

Rather than have a single possible point of failure (the drain valve) they are suggesting adding tubing, fittings, and a valve?

Our coach is from 1974. The drain valves on all but one tank can be accessed easily. On the one that's not accessible, there is a drain valve with a pull cable. I drain all tanks daily (no air dryer) and have never had a problem. But that's probably because this drain valve is on my maintenance schedule.

If you have tank drains which are not accessible and use a pull cable (or any other type of remote method of draining) they should be inspected/serviced regularly. When my coach is in for routine maintenance, one of the items on the inspection list is the drain valve with the pull cable. It's inexpensive and only takes about 10 minutes to replace if it's ever needed. To me, this is one of those things I'd rather replace proactively than wind up getting stuck somewhere with a tank that won't air up.

Probably the best way to keep the thing from getting clogged or gunked up is to use it regularly, rather than allow crud to collect inside the tank.
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Old 11-05-2019, 08:03 PM   #7
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100,000+ miles and the lanyards work fine.

I think your shop was selling you an upgrade - often called an "upsel" in the industry; when you come in for a new tire valve stem rubber cap and walk away with replaced ball joints, new shocks and a scheduled return visit.
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Old 11-06-2019, 09:08 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AllanK View Post
After a year of ownership and never finding the air tank drain cords I asked the shop to drain the tanks and run the cords where I could get to them while the coach is in for annual service.

The shop advised to not use the cords because the valve could get stuck open requiring crawling under the coach to reset the stuck valve.

What they suggest instead is to run a drain hose from the tank to the front of the coach, with a brass valve that can be accessed and drained from the front air tank and two more going to the rear for the rear tanks.

Has anyone else gone this route? Was it worth while for you?
I have the front valve and the rear valve, both brass. I open and drain the 2 tanks perhaps 4 or 5 times a year and never have water or vapor come out of them. I don't think it is a bad idea to do it more often so why not just use what comes on the coach? My brother has the yank cords on his Tiffin and has not had an issue draining, just getting to them is a bit inconvenient.
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Old 11-06-2019, 09:23 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivylog View Post
Most big trucks have pull cords.
Quote:
Originally Posted by richard5933 View Post
Probably the best way to keep the thing from getting clogged or gunked up is to use it regularly, rather than allow crud to collect inside the tank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Domo View Post
100,000+ miles and the lanyards work fine.
Most of the trucks I've driven in the past had lanyards. Park it, give a tug to check for water coming out, hold it until it stops spraying water if there is water present, and move on. But they all had lanyards that were easy to reach, from the driver's side. It was a daily routine, and I don't remember any valves ever getting sticky, though being mechanical devices, it's certainly possible. But exercise is good for them.
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Old 11-07-2019, 08:24 AM   #10
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After having our new coach a few months and getting ready to go on an extended trip, I pulled the lanyards for the air tanks. One of the valves did not return to the closed position. At that time I was recovering from a back issue and couldn't get under the coach so had to call for assistance. He returned the valve to closed position, WHen I was able, I crawled underneath and found the lanyard was rubbing some wiring and that caused it to hang up.
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