Location of Air Line Quick-Connects - 2018 Model Year

[LWBAZ]

Dewey, I purchased my "universal" quick-connect coupler at Harbor Freight, item number 63549:

https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-...ler-63549.html

[LWBAZ]

Originally Posted by DeWat

Gary... just an FYI, but this is the one I've had my eye on for quite awhile: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-1-...00AV/100019500. You'll notice in the description that it fits "most popular styles", and specifically calls out industrial (an extremely common connector) and automotive (the connector that Entegra uses). The reason I mentioned feeling so stupid is because I was thinking of building a couple hoses using this connector just for the Entegra basement air connector. It never crossed my mind that I could just exchange Entegra's air connector for this one.. DUH!

Dewey, I'm not sure which style Entegra is currently using, but our coach did not come with an Automotive connector; it came with a "Milton V-European 7.2 MM High Flow Quick Connect" - see photo below.

I'm not sure about the "Merlin" universal coupler I purchased at Harbor Freight, but Milton's universal coupler is stated to accept "all major interchanges: Industrial (M-Style), High Flow (V-Style), Automotive (T-style), ARO (A-Style) & Lincoln (L-style)."

I'm guessing Entegra selected that particular style because of its high flow, but I can't imagine using a different style would make any significant difference, even if the coach is being towed and is connected to an external supply of air.

[DeWat]

Larry, that's interesting... maybe I just have an oddball coach. The picture of the 2 independent connectors is what came with our coach. The larger brass connector on the left was plastic cable tied to the basement air connector, and fits the air connector at the tow hitch. I suspect it is the same hi-flow brass connector that you show. The silver connector on the right was in a small zip locked plastic bag on the same plastic wire tie. That is the automotive style connector (notice the fat head) that is the only style connector that will fit our basement air connector.


The picture of the two back to back connectors is one of the "adapters" that I made for our basement connector. Notice the fat head automotive style nozzle on one end, and the more typical thin ringed industrial style connector on the other end.


Finally, the other picture is an inexpensive metal bowl automatic moister ejector that I bought off Amazon for when I supply air to the coach from an external source, such as when I was airing up while parked to deploy my slides... that's is until the Spartan Campaign Bulletin took that ability away. Like my home made adapter, notice the industrial style connector on one end and the automotive style connector on the other end for the coach connection.

[Cruzer]

Most garages use the Milton "M" series. When our '04 Bus was towed the tow truck had an M series connector. I do carry a few extra fittings and a coupling so that any tow truck could easily adapt should they use a different style. At least I can use all my standard "M" series hoses and air tools.

[Gary.Jones]

Larry

Just FYI, but the buyer comments on the Harbor Freight "Universal" quick connect are REALLY TERRIBLE.... (Go look them up) You never know, but you might want to invest in a known good one from a known good manufacturer.... one guy bought 12 of them for his auto shop and chucked all of them as junk.

Gary

[LWBAZ]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Larry

Just FYI, but the buyer comments on the Harbor Freight "Universal" quick connect are REALLY TERRIBLE.... (Go look them up) You never know, but you might want to invest in a known good one from a known good manufacturer.... one guy bought 12 of them for his auto shop and chucked all of them as junk.

Gary, you may or may not be aware, but Harbor Freight has implemented a product stratification approach that could be termed "Good, Better, Best" (or words to that effect).

For example, they are now selling three "brands" of air compressors:

Central Pneumatic (Least Cost, Presumably Lowest Quality)

McGraw (Moderate Cost, Better Quality than Central Pneumatic)

Fortress (Highest Cost, Best Quality)

Same idea with drills and lots of other Harbor Freight products. If you want a lithium-battery-powered drill with battery, you can choose between the following brands:

Warrior (18 Volt, Lowest Quality) - $39.99

Bauer (20 Volt, Better Quality) - $69.99 including soft carrying bag

Hercules (20 Volt, Best Quality) - $89.99 including hard carrying case

Of course all these "brands" are just made-up names and all of the products are made overseas, but looking at and having bought & used some of the tools, there clearly is a difference in quality as you move up through the tiers.

This approach strikes me as a smart move on Harbor Freight's part. For most of their existence they sold junk at low prices - period, end of discussion. I think they've figured out that there a plenty of people out there who will pay more for a given product if that product is in fact better than a somewhat similar product being sold at lower cost.

In any case, when I was looking at quick-connect air line couplers at Harbor Freight, I noticed they were selling the Central Pneumatic brand as they have for years and were also now carrying a slightly higher priced brand called Merlin. The couplers were in bins so I was able to inspect and handle one of each brand, as well as insert & remove fittings from each brand. Doing so, it was clear to me the Merlin couplers were better quality than the Central Pneumatic brand, so I went with the Merlin brand.

Here is a link to the particular coupler I purchased:

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-to...ler-63549.html

As I type, there are currently 139 reviews posted for that coupler, with an average rating of just under 5 out of 5 stars. It would be interesting to know which brand was purchased by the guy who bought 12 couplers and found all of them to be junk.

[LWBAZ]

I’m pleased to report that, contrary to widely circulating reports, I haven’t lost my mind just yet. While dumping the gray tank this morning, I discovered why I was under the impression our 2018 coach has two quick-connect couplers.

Hanging around the wet bay, I noticed the second of the two couplers – on the output side of the fresh water valve body at the bottom left of the bay. That coupler allows an Entegra-supplied plastic hose with a male quick-connect fitting on one end to be connected to the valve body. I’ve virtually never used the hose, so until I come up with something more credible I’m using that as my excuse for not remembering where the second coupler was located.

[Cruzer]

That's the slinky hose with nozzle that is good for giving the dog a bath.

[seeg]

Originally Posted by Cruzer

That's the slinky hose with nozzle that is good for giving the dog a bath.

… and the kids after they've rolled around in dirt or sand.

[Matt D]

Larry, the image you posted looks like the HVLP fittings I used for my shop equipment.

They are kind of a PITA because equipment with integrated couplers can not adapt. Think of a pin nailer with the fitting integrated into the handle.

-Matt

[DeWat]

Originally Posted by Matt D

Larry, the image you posted looks like the HVLP fittings I used for my shop equipment.

They are kind of a PITA because equipment with integrated couplers can not adapt. Think of a pin nailer with the fitting integrated into the handle.

-Matt

Matt, if Larry's pictured connector is the same as my picture of a brass connector just below his post (they look the same to me), then that's the connector that Entegra is supplying to use on their toad brake air supply.

[LWBAZ]

Dewey, you may know this but in case not, the towed vehicle braking system air connection on 2019 and later Entegra diesel motorhomes is installed by Spartan when they build the chassis.

[DeWat]

Originally Posted by LWBAZ

Dewey, you may know this but in case not, the towed vehicle braking system air connection on 2019 and later Entegra diesel motorhomes is installed by Spartan when they build the chassis.

No, I didn't know, which is why I kept referring to it as the "Entegra supplied" connector. Maybe it's Sparten who supplies it since they build the connector onto the chassis, who knows? Thanks Larry .