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Vectraguy · 05-09-2015, 04:16 PM

Hi folks.

I have recently acquired a 1996 Winnebago Vectra Grand Tour 35' diesel coach and am sorting out the basics and some minor issues but one thing kinda has me confounded.

On the curb side at the center of the coach if you open the LP access door you see some green liquid dripping from what looks like a green hose that is exiting the floor above. This is located under/near the refer and hot water heater. Now, I am no stranger to these rigs but it has been a few years since I messed around with one, does anybody know what that could be? The coach has central air but that is located on the road side, why would it drip condensation on the awning side of the coach (And why would it look like anti freeze?). I checked the refer access panel and can find no green hose exiting the area. You can also see green residue on the strut bracket in the photo. At first I thought it could be a leaky "Motor-aid" in the water heater, but this is a diesel rig and I dont think they offered that on the diesel.

Picture of hose (looks a lot like a garden hose to me?)

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Alex

krivanj · 05-09-2015, 04:23 PM

Green coolant has a specific smell and feel. Slide a drop or so of it around between your thumb and finger and smell it. If you still think it is coolant, be aware you have two heater hoses go through somewhere from the rear engine to the front of the RV to make the dash heater get hot. One of them could be leaking...

mccsix · 05-09-2015, 04:23 PM

Looks like a home made drain line, garden hose. Probably a drain line for the frig pan. Have someone stand inside, blow up the pipe & see where it exits. Green could be mildewed water.

brobox · 05-09-2015, 04:29 PM

Green liquid draining from the refrigerator area could be refrigerator coolant and not good. Does the refrigerator work?

HoneyBadger · 05-09-2015, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brobox

Green liquid draining from the refrigerator area could be refrigerator coolant and not good. Does the refrigerator work?

This makes no sense. The gas in gas absorption reefers is ammonia; and its not a "coolant".

HoneyBadger · 05-09-2015, 04:39 PM

My first thought would be that someone winterized the coach with green antifreeze; the green garden hose might be an extension for the pressure relief on your water heater.

but also, those sorts of drains lines coming down out of the floor are often for draining the plumbing for storage/winterizing. Do you know where your drains and valves are?

Vectraguy · 05-09-2015, 07:19 PM

Wow. This was an adventure for sure...

Turns out that once I removed that long black plastic cover above the LP tank I found that was the area that holds one of the waste tanks, the area was covered in waste water, and that was the smell and the color. I went inside the coach and removed some drawers in the closet and found that the drain pipe elbow for the washer/dryer prep kit had came out of the top of the tank and was allowing waste water to "slosh" out and run down and onto the OUTSIDE of the green hose (and everything else).
So, nasty is the word of the day. How the previous owner did not notice that on a warm day is beyond me. I guess its possible it just happened on my trip home, but I doubt it.
A new hose clamp, lot of bleach water and rubber gloves later and it is finally clean and secure.

Still have no idea on the green hose, I will send an air line up it in the morning and see if its the defrost line for the freezer etc.. Either way its less of a mystery now for sure.

Thanks gang,
Stay tuned..

phays · 05-09-2015, 08:23 PM

I had an unknown to me leak and went to a CAT dealer for repairs. Turned out to be antifreeze. I asked the CAT mechanic how you can easily tell the difference between transmission fluid and antifreeze. Taste it. Antifreeze has an initial sweet taste then goes bitter. Trans fluid just seems oily in the mouth.

Don't know about trans fluid but a drop of antifreeze does have a sweet then bitter taste. I checked on new, clean antifreeze. But, in the case of the OP's problem, I would never taste that fluid, even before his later post.

Vectraguy · 05-09-2015, 08:36 PM

The green hose is the refer pan drain. So now that I have the septic all buttoned up the coach already smells better!

TeJay · 05-09-2015, 08:40 PM

Having spent most of my 71 years around mechanical things of all sorts we use all our senses in the process of diagnosis. Feel, taste and smell are critical ones.

It's been pointed out already that anti-freeze first is slippery when rubbed between the fingers. It has a definite coolant smell, an as noted does have a sweet taste. Many an animal has encountered antifreeze (sweet taste) drank it and gotten very sick and probably died.

With yours I would have checked to determine how slippery it was. Then the smell would be next. It might have been slippery but would not have had a pleasant odor and I would have stopped there. It's not antifreeze and I'm not going any further.
Good that you figured out the source.

TeJay

bluepill · 05-09-2015, 09:01 PM

Reminds me of the joke from my Cub Scout days............

Kid picks up an object on the ground.

"Looks like poop"

"Feels like poop"

"Smells like poop"

"Tastes like poop"

"Glad I didn't step in it!"