Ait Tank Location on Gillig Chassis

[GlennLever]

It is raining today, and I am being a little lazy. A little crawling around under the Motor home will answer this.

I am trying to locate the manual air tank drain valves on my Gillig Chassis.

Vehicle Vin 46GED1814T1052706
Fleetwood # 720AV5202890
MFD ID # 02890
Chassis date 7/96
Motor Home Date 1997
39 foot

There is nothing in the owners manual on draining the tanks.

I got this from Gillig, says the manual; valves may have been replaced with automatic valves. I have written American Coach with this question.

[BFlinn181]

I don't know if Gillig equipped the tanks with lanyards or not, but on my Spartan chassis 3 lanyards are attached to a brace in the LP tank area. I can pull the lanyards and drain my 3 tanks from that location. Other RVs have them at the wheel wells or other spot to allow draining without crawling under. Go under the first time to see it the drain valves have lanyards and if so, where they go.

[TQ60]

Ours (cc) have selenoid valves with manual ones near bumpers just in case the selenoid fail.

Front has tanks and front bags and rear has rear bags.

Gillig may have valve directly on tank that builder may relocate.

Our tanks located front passenger side but ours is low rail 1989 version and yours may be high rail.

Look behind bumpers first then locate tanks and see what comes off along the bottoms and see where it goes.

[GlennLever]

If it is not raining tomorrow I will look.

[GlennLever]

Received this diagram on the other forum after I had crawled around under the Motor Home looking for tanks, I will have to look again to see it there is a third tank in the location given on the diagram.



Stopped raining to day and I crawled under the Motor Home and this is what I found.

Between the frame rails in the front in back of the front axle.

Both tanks.



Left (driver’s side) tank



Left (driver’s side) front valve



Left (driver’s side) rear valve



Right side (passenger side) tank



Front valve right side passenger tank



Rear fitting right side passenger tanks



Valve up between the two tanks.



I traced some of the lines and found a mess at the end of one of them. It appears someone added a line that ended in a shut off valve and an air chuck quick release fitting. It comes off the bottom of the right tank in the front above the valve. And ends like this.



I will clean this mess up and relocate the valve in the propane tank compartment.

I opened the valve and nothing but clean dry air escaped, no mist or moisture came out, I let it run for 30 seconds.

I could not find the Ping tank, directly behind the right wheels is a mud flap and right behind that is the electronics compartment.

I did find what I believe to be the dryer. Passenger side about three feet back from the rear wheels



I believe it says Bendix on the side facing the frame rail.

Thoughts?

I did not find any lanyards or manual valves (other than the one that I believe someone added) to drain the tanks.

[BFlinn181]

The coiled hose with the shut off valve and the quick release chuck is probably a place for a tow truck to hook up their air compressor to air up the air suspension and the parking brake while towing.

I believe the valves to drain the tank are the small rods with the 'T' handle. If you pull on them, I think you'll bleed the tank. They might be twist valves, but try just pulling them down and see if they aren't spring loaded bleed valves.

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

The coiled hose with the shut off valve and the quick release chuck is probably a place for a tow truck to hook up their air compressor to air up the air suspension and the parking brake while towing.

I believe the valves to drain the tank are the small rods with the 'T' handle. If you pull on them, I think you'll bleed the tank. They might be twist valves, but try just pulling them down and see if they aren't spring loaded bleed valves.

I believe those to be air pressure regulators. It would be impractical to crawl under the Motor Home to drain these tanks daily with those valves. They are literally in the center of the chassis behind the front wheels.

The valve with the air chuck fitting looks added on to me. Certainly the way it is wire tied up under the vehicle is not a professional job.

Just my thoughts.

[TQ60]

It looks like you have a drain hose that goes someplace then stacked on that a manual valve.

Tank with 2 fittings is 2 tanks in one package.

Agree with others the added hose may be for towing.

Follow those hoses from bottom of tank to see where they go.

Did you check every switch inside as Gillig is higher end chassis and a builder using it would likely have used remote electrics.

[deandec]

My 1995 Gillig Air System Schematic

Use the link and then the + button to see a much clearer picture of the schematic.

http://www.irv2.com/attachments/phot...d9131dbdda.jpg





Our valves are activated via an electric toggle switch near the transmission shift pad.

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by deandec

My 1995 Gillig Air System Schematic

Use the link and then the + button to see a much clearer picture of the schematic.

http://www.irv2.com/attachments/phot...d9131dbdda.jpg





Our valves are activated via an electric toggle switch near the transmission shift pad.

I could not get the air diagram to expand.

This is my toggle switch panel




This is my shift panel.

[deandec]

Originally Posted by GlennLever

I could not get the air diagram to expand.

If you use the link, when the picture opens there is a Magnifying Glass Icon with a + in one of the grey boxes just above the picture. That will expand the picture so you can read it..

Or....maybe.....a clearer version is attached to this message?

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by deandec

If you use the link, when the picture opens there is a Magnifying Glass Icon with a + in one of the grey boxes just above the picture. That will expand the picture so you can read it..

Or....maybe.....a clearer version is attached to this message?

The thumb nail picture expanded and I could see it. I have that page in the cassis manual , but it does not show drains. I have looked for the Ping tank and cannot find it either, though there might be a drain on it.

See the attached file.

[GlennLever]

Well I'm still scratching my head on the location of the air tank drains.

The American Dream Owner's manual



says "These tanks hold compresses air for the brake system. They will hold enough air to allow the brakes to be used several times even if the compressor stops working. Entrapped liquid must be drained from the air tanks at frequent intervals. Consult the Chassis Owner's Manual for additional information."

The Motor Home Chassis Fleetwood Owner's Manual



which appears to have been written by Gillig.



says "these valves are mounted in the generator radiator/battery compartment, the front compartment on the curbside of your Fleetwood motor Home. Refer to your Fleetwood Motor Home owners manual for more information".

Which is a loop.

I wrote to Gillig and received this.



Which says the coach manufacture may have replaced the manual drains with automatic drains.

I wrote to American Coach and was told.

"We don’t install those parts for the chassis manufacturer. They are usually on the air tanks. Most have a small lanyard that you pull to expel water/moisture.

The tanks can only be seen from under the coach."

I spent some more time exploring, and under the coach today.

I traced as many air lines as I could.



One of them lead to the front most compartment on the driver's side. I believe I have only been into this compartment one other time, and found this.



The mounting of the air jack to inflate the air tanks looks professional, but the routing of the air line does not.



I'm not sure if this was done by Fleetwood or a past owner relocated it.
The Chassis manual indicates there should be three manual drains that are made up of "Plug, Hex Head 3/4 MPT / Anchor, Coupling Elbow / Valve, Air Tank Drain, Nipple".

I did find one on the first search.





It certainly is not "these valves are mounted in the generator radiator/battery compartment, the front compartment on the curbside of your Fleetwood motor Home."

I'm sure Gillig did not wire tie this like this, and I find it hard to believe that Fleetwood would do this. My only conclusion is the a previous owner did this.

The value assemble is as described in the Gillig Chassis Manual.












When opened no water or moisture of any kind comes out.

If I trace the line back to the tank it ends up above this valve.



There are three of these valves, two on one tank and one on the other. While under the bus they release a very short burst of air.

A closer look at the valves seems to indicat that one side it (ACT) activation? and the other side is (EXT) exhaust?



I tried to trace the ACT line but it disappears up into the fame into a bundle of hoses and wires and is impossible to trace. The bundle is heading towards the rear of the Motor Home.



I'm really at a loss, I believe there is an automatic drain system on the motor home, the one manual drain has no water in it.

I have to believe there must be a way to trigger the automatic system but have no clue where it might be.

I have looked through the battery/electronics bay and find nothing.

[BFlinn181]

In the photo I think you have your drain valves. I believe they are pneumatically triggered valves that are connected to your compressor. When the compressor reaches maximum pressure and shuts off, a blast of air is sent through the lines and triggers a short bleeding of air/moisture from the tank. If your desiccating filter is working on your compressor, there shouldn't be much moisture in the tanks.

The ACT is the side the actuating air line is connected, the EXH is the exhaust where air and moisture dumps out.

In this photo of bleeder valves, one similar to yours is C. The first air brake equipped bus I drove, a '62 GM, had valves like A. After each trip I had to crawl under and 'turn the tap.'
My RV has valves like B. I can access the pull cables from my LP tank hatch.