Chuck did a great review of changing out his protection valves on the air system 2 years ago, and so not to add to that thread, I am posting this new one. Question is about the coach's air tanks mainly, but the various systems associated with it as well.
How often should the air tanks be changed out? My new Viair 2.5 gallon tank I purchased recommends changing out every 2 to 5 years. Some of these tanks are 20 plus years or more.
When should the rest of the systems valves be changed out? Is there a maintenance schedule for this or is it just when you feel its a issue?
Reason to bring is up is I am messing around with some of that now, and noticed on Chucks pics Here (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=27638.msg226704#msg226704) that his tanks had visible rust on them. I am sure mine do as well.....
Anyone ever do this? What would be the cost?
Just wondering.....
Bob
Ah thought of another question as well..... the air gauges on the dash anyone know which is which, the top for the front tanks, bottom for the rear? And where do they tie into in the system. I have a bit of a leak somewhere, still having trouble finding it. He is a pic of the guage after 2 days. The top gauge losing pressure quite rapidly compared to the rear.
One data point. My brother replaced one tank on his 2002 about 2014. It had rusted out.
Rich
My opinion on the tanks is that if the air dryer has been maintained the air going into the tanks should be dry. So that only leaves the exterior of the tanks exposed to moisture. So the climate the coach has been in would determine the amount of rust on the exterior. Mine had some minor surface rust on the outside that I touched up. As far as the gauges go you could empty one tank with the valve under it and see which gauge shows zero. That would tell you which tank is which and the you could verify with the schematic or by tracing lines to see which is front and rear tank.
Mark
I agree-- would NOT replace air tanks as Preventive Maintenance. If the air dryer has been serviced properly, all that will be in the tanks is DRY AIR. They could last for many decades.
We very seldom hear of issues with air tanks, unless related to long-term air dryer failure.
On my 99 coach the drain at the rear wheel only drains the wet tank.
I have to drain the front and rear tanks from the valve under the tanks up front.
Mark
The air tanks are made of pretty thick material, so a little surface rust would not be a big concern. What the inside of the tank looks like is another matter. I suspect that most owners would not worry about the air tanks unless they (the tanks) developed a leak. We have had a couple members who replaced tanks due to desiccant powder contamination, but that's another subject entirely.
If you ever need a new tank, they are available and surprisingly not real expensive. I believe Mike (Pamela & Mike on the Forum) can point you to the source for a new one, and so can the factory.
The air valves and other components require periodic maintenance, just like everything else. There is no schedule...how often depends on how the coach is used, and how dry the air system is kept. Some of the air components, like check valves, can be disassembled, cleaned, and then put back in service. Some components, like the air dryer and the PP-1 valve, can be rebuilt with a kit.
Bendix PP-1 Repair Kit (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=27892).
In some cases, like the D2 governor, the best/easiest solution is to simply replace the component whenever it starts to act up.