Community Forums

Cowboy0001 · 05-15-2019, 06:35 AM

Greetings, I read that whenever you fill up the fuel tank on a DP you should drain the water separator first. Where do you find it and what is needed to drain it? Thanks for any advice.

Kevin&Kate
2001 National Caribbean 4341
Wilson, NC

HJLowell · 05-15-2019, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowboy0001

Greetings, I read that whenever you fill up the fuel tank on a DP you should drain the water separator first. Where do you find it and what is needed to drain it? Thanks for any advice.

Kevin&Kate
2001 National Caribbean 4341
Wilson, NC

Maybe you read whenever you
Change, replace? your ( Fuel Filters ) ???

I look at my clear seperator every 3 to 6 months but have never drained it.
As I have never detected water contamination.

Gary RVRoamer · 05-15-2019, 08:34 AM

It's the first filter in the fuel line, usually right after the lift pump. Just look for a cannister-type filter cartridge. Other than "close to the engine", I have no idea exactly where yours may be located.

It will be one of two types:
1. Some have a valve on the bottom that you can turn open until some fuel runs out. If the separator has captured any water, the water runs out first.

2.The filter can sits on a glass bowl and you will see fuel or fuel/water mix in the bowl. Remove the bowl and dump it out in some environmentally ok place.

Draining every time you fuel up may be ultra-conservative. These days most commercial fuel stations have water separators on the pumps and water in the fuel is no longer a common event. I never found any water in mine in a dozen years of RV travel with my diesel coach.

Ljwt330 · 05-15-2019, 09:01 AM

I had a 2007 National RV Tropical, but that does not mean yours is set up like mine was. I had the 300hp Cummins ISB on a Freightliner chassis and the fuel filter/water separator was the only filter on the rig, aside from the virtually unknown inline screen hidden above the right rear axle. On mine, the filter was located on the passenger side, near the rear of the engine (toward the front of the coach, close to the transmission.) It was accessed by crawling under, and draining was simply turning the knob to drain some fuel. There was a sticker on the fuel door that said to drain fuel after every fill, but I never found any water and stopped checking after every fill.

You have an earlier coach and likely earlier fuel system on your 2001, so the number of filters and location will probably be different, but maybe this gives you a place to start your look and know what to look for.