Location of Manual Air Tank Drains on Gillig Chassis

I got a response from American Coach this moring.

So even though Gillig says this.



American Coach says.

"Glenn,
That system is not a Fleetwood system. The chassis manufacturer provided all the suspension pieces and parts. The emergency air inlet is always located in the Front roadside bay. That comes with the chassis and we mount it there on all coaches thru 2015.
I understand Gillig said it’s Fleetwood that but it is not a correct statement. Fleetwood does not install anything in the air tanks.
I’m sorry but I have no information on any of the items you are working on. I wish I did but that one is all chassis.
Regards"

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 valave.



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.

Trackrig wrote:


Gillig air tank clicky

Bill

I wrote to Gillig about this diagram and they say "This does not apply to your chassis. This is from the 60's and it's for our school buses that we were building at that time. "

No, my Fleetwood is on a Freightliner chassis. I was hoping Fleetwood did the same thing on your chassis, though it might have Freightliner that did it since the lanyards are on the chassis frame rails and not hooked to the body.

Maybe Gillig assumed most MH owners wouldn't drain the tanks (too lazy or didn't know about draining air tanks) and therefore left it to the air dryer to take care of. This is a little like Cat taking the greaseable zerk off of the fan on their C7 engine. They never got greased and went bad, so they just put a "permanently" greased bearing on it.

The picture of the air chuck fitting is interesting. If you look right behind the valve it looks like there's a bracket there to mount it someplace instead of having the hose coiled up. Gillig should have put an air chuck someplace up front for a tow truck to connect their air system into yours. However, the NH chassis fitting should be a female air chuck (and then it wouldn't need the valve) for the tow truck to hook into. If your engine is dead, your air brakes will be engaged and the MH won't move unless the tow truck provides air pressure to release the brakes. Have you located that fitting on your MH?

From the pictures, it appears there's drain valves on the bottom of some of the tanks, but it looks like they haven't been opened in ages. I be afraid of putting very much pressure on them. If you try it, I'd soak them every night in something like a PB Blaster penetrating fluid for a week. Don't try too hard because if you break a valve, you won't have any air pressure to drive it to a repair shop.

Iffn it was me, I'd call a truck shop (International, Freightliner, Mack, etc) and ask them if they would allow you to go under the MH with a mechanic to help you understand your air system. Then have them open the tanks valves so if they break, they can be fixed while you're at the shop. You may have to find a smaller truck shop (not a larger corporate one) that will let you under the MH with the mechanic due to insurance policies. I'd take it to a shop anyways for PM on the air dryer.

Since you didn't get any moisture out of the hose / air valve you opened, the air dryer is probably doing it's job, but it's going to bug you until you know for sure.

Bill

Trackrig wrote:
From what I can find on line, it has three air tanks. Two between the frame rails over the front axle and the third about three feet further back, still between the frame rails and on the passengers side. If I were to go under to look at the tanks, I'd go in behind the passenger front tire.

What they did on my MH, a 2005 Fleetwood Excursion, is they ran three lanyards up to the front that you pull on to drain the tanks. They sit beside the generator on the passenger frame rail. You have too raise the "hood" to get to them

Gillig air tank clicky

Bill

I did not get a notification of your post. Is your 2005 on a Gillig chassis?

I will have to crawl back under to check for the third tank, this is what I found.

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.

I have replaced the generator (removed and installed another one) and can state categorically there are no lanyards on either side of the generator.

From what I can find on line, it has three air tanks. Two between the frame rails over the front axle and the third about three feet further back, still between the frame rails and on the passengers side. If I were to go under to look at the tanks, I'd go in behind the passenger front tire.

What they did on my MH, a 2005 Fleetwood Excursion, is they ran three lanyards up to the front that you pull on to drain the tanks. They sit beside the generator on the passenger frame rail. You have too raise the "hood" to get to them

Gillig air tank clicky

Bill