Dump air or not?

[Tom]

Should I always dump the air when my diesel pusher is either parked at a campsite or in storage? If so, why? Can any harm be done by not dumping the air?

TIA

 

[Ned]

Often if we are only stopping for one night, we leave the air bags up.  The coach is usually pretty level on the air bags and we don't need the jacks in that case.  I know of no harmful effects of not dumping the air bags, except that last step out the door is higher

 

[Ron3]

Like Ned I know of no reason you must dump air when parking if you are reasonably level.  Do be aware the last step out the door will likely be higher.  For longer periods of time like in storage you may as well dump the air because it will probably bled off anyway over a period of time.

 

[Steve CDN]

Overnigh parking does not require dumping air, but prolonged storage would.  It is recommended to empty the wet tank first then the next two to remove any residual moisture not removed by the air dryer.

Does the coach in question have cables attached to the dump valves on the tanks?

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the responses.

Steve - no cables or lanyards attached to the manual dump valves on the tanks. Why do you consdier it necessary to dump air for prolonged storage?

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Should I always dump the air when my diesel pusher is either parked at a campsite or in storage? If so, why? Can any harm be done by not dumping the air?

TIA

I leave ours aired up all the time because there is no way to dump the air bags. I can dump the air out of the tanks but that doesn't dump the bags. I have no way to dump the bags other than letting them bleed off. Which takes the better part of a week.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Don. Makes sense to me.

 

[rogerpotie]

Should I always dump the air when my diesel pusher is either parked at a campsite or in storage? If so, why? Can any harm be done by not dumping the air?

TIA

Tom,

Our MH was air leveled. So we never dumped the air out. While parked in winter at Chet's place, he would strt the engine for some time every 3 or 4 weeks. Not for the air bags but just to keep the engine in shape. But consequently the air bags were automatically filled to level the coach.

Roger

 

[Tom]

Thanks Roger.

 

[Terry A. Brewer]

Tom

>>Can any harm be done by not dumping the air?<<


My coach uses the air bags for leveling so there is always air in them...after 6+ years no problems or leaks.

Terry
At Yuma, AZ

 

[jscuzz]

Steve - no cables or lanyards attached to the manual dump valves on the tanks. Why do you consdier it necessary to dump air for prolonged storage?

Tom:

My jacks aren't very effective if we're not just about level unless I dump the bags.

Also, don't you have a Freightliner chassis? When I crawled under our coach I found the dump valve cables wrapped up and tied. Freightliner told us they supply them with every chassis but the coach manufactureres don't install them after the coach is built. It was a simple task to run them out where I reach them with our awning rod.

The air tanks have always been dry when I check.

 

[Ron3]

By design our air bags are dumped whenever we extend the jacks.

 

[Tom]

Don't have the Freightliner chassis Jeff, but I've heard a number of folks talk about the lanyards being tied up. I have rotary pet cocks, so no way ro attach a lanyard.

 

[Steve CDN]

Ron,

Though your air bags are dumped, as in our coach, the tanks remain pressurized.  If the tank does not already have a dump valve to which a wire lanyard can be attached, I believe such a valve can replace the petcock style valve by unscrewing one and installing the other.

Pressurized tanks, especially the primary or wet tan can retain moisture, thereby rusting out the tank prematurely.

I have dump valves on my three tanks, and empty them regularly...and the wet tank does spit out some moisture, despite the fact I regularly maintain the air dryer.

I would recommend installing lanyards from back to front, rather from side to side to preclude some road obstacle catching the wire.  Another way is to make a loop at each tank valve and using the awning hook to snag and pull the loop.

 

[Smoky1]

On the Newmar email list there is a raging battle going on regarding a related subject, when to out out the slides.

Some say you first put out the slides, then release the airbags and then level.

Others say you follow the Newmar manual and first release the air bags, then level, then put out the slides.

The ones opposed to the method in the manual claim that you risk twisting the frame and throwing the slides out of alignment if you don't put them out first.

What order do people here use?

 

[Ned]

Follow the manufacturers instructions.  There are different procedures for different makes and models.  You can safely ignore about 90% of what you read on those elists.

 

[BernieD1]

As for Travel Supreme, the engineer who designed the coach says it doesn't matter. Some of the people in service say level first then extend the slides, but while we normally follow that procedure, we have found it doesn't matter.

 

[Ron3]

Whether you extend the slides before leveling or after leveling depends on the manufacturer.  On our Eagle we can extend the slides before or after leveling. As I recall the Newmar is somewhat different but I am not sure.  Hopefully one of the newmar owners will jump in and advise.  IMHO the best policy is to follow your coach manufacturers instructions.  Back yard engineers can get folks into trouble. ;D
If you manufacturer instructs to level first then take that as fact.  If your manuifacturer says to level before dumping the air bags then that is fact.  Anybody, besides the manufacturer,  says differently are making an effort, knowingly or unknowingly, to cause you problems.

 

[Terry A. Brewer]

Ned

>>? You can safely ignore about 90% of what you read on those elists.<<

Except for this one.<G>



Terry
At Yuma, AZ

 

[DonJordan]

Whether you extend the slides before leveling or after leveling depends on the manufacturer. On our Eagle we can extend the slides before or after leveling. As I recall the Newmar is somewhat different but I am not sure. Hopefully one of the newmar owners will jump in and advise. IMHO the best policy is to follow your coach manufacturers instructions. Back yard engineers can get folks into trouble. ;D
If you manufacturer instructs to level first then take that as fact. If your manuifacturer says to level before dumping the air bags then that is fact. Anybody, besides the manufacturer, says differently are making an effort, knowingly or unknowingly, to cause you problems.

I think that it may depend on the type of leveling you have.  We have straight automatic air leveling - no jacks - and Monaco says to extend the slideouts before leveliing.  That way the weight of the slideouts doesn't throw off the coach's level and the automatic system keeps us level until it's time to leave.  We then pull in the slides first and then turn off the leveliing system with the engine running to bring the air bags back to ride position.