Pressure Washer Onboard

[Gary Wolfer]

My new to me 98 Patriot came with a built in Pressure washer. It has a water connection at 3 or 4 points on the coach where I can plug in the wand and a soap fill tank. My question is did this Pressure washer come factory or is it an add on the previous owner added. I do not have any manuals on it? I have not read of one on any of the posts here.

[Adam Hicklin]

Hi Gary.  Mine appears to be factory installed.  Took me months to figure out how to operate as it as I only saw the quick-connects for the wand.  Finally found the plug for the pump in the engine compartment. I still haven't used it though.  

[Gary Wolfer]

Mine appears to be factory installed also. I looked for a similar unit online saw one but it required 50 feet of hose and a reel this one like yours has connectors at the back in the water bay and one in the 120v bay in the front corner under the drivers seat. Seems like I saw a soap tank inside the radiator cover on the back of the coach. I have not used mine yet either but have only had the coach a couple months and I am in Q now and they probably would not want me using that much water in the desert. Thanks for the reply maybe someone will have a manual or a flyer on it. I cannot even see a pump for it.

[Gerald Farris]

Gary,
Many of the Beavers in the time frame era of your coach came from the factory with pressure washers. Most of them have been removed, because although the idea sounded good from a sales brochure, it was not very practical. Motor failures were very common in the light duty pressure washers, and a very high number sustained freeze damage to the system. If yours still works it will be one of the rare ones that have survived this long.

Gerald

[Gary Wolfer]

Thanks Gerald
It looks like it may have never been used. I looked around this morning, there is a connection in the water bay, one in the 12v wiring bay in the drivers side front corner, one in the service bay and one in the back by the trailer receiver hitch. I also noticed inside the service bay there is some petcocks I assume for letting air out of the leveler lines and there is another like air connecter next to the petcocks is that for an air supply from the Exhaust Brake compressor? and I am not sure what the petcocks are for air or hydraulic oil?

[Gerald Farris]

Gary,
The air fitting in the service bay is for use of air from the onboard air tanks that are supplied by the engine driven air compressor (there is no exhaust brake compressor). The engine driven air compressor supplies the air pressure for all air operated systems on the coach, including the braking system, suspension system, and the exhaust brake. The drain cocks that you are referring to are low point water drains for the compressed air system.

Gerald

[Gary Wolfer]

So is that how I can drain moisture off the air tank or does it have an automatic bleeder on the tank? Seems the bleeders would be pointed toward the ground.

[Gerald Farris]

There is not an automatic bleeder, but your coach was equipped with an automatic dryer in the compressor output line. Therefore you should not get water when you bleed the tanks. If you bleed the tanks and you get a significant amount of water, you need to have your air dryer serviced and the desiccant filter replaced.

Gerald

[neil omalley]

Gerald: how often should that dessicant filter be replaced?

[Gerald Farris]

Neil,
There is no easy answer to your question. The service intervals that the air dryer manufacturer gives for the unit are based on it's application in the heavy duty trucks that it was designed for. In a motorhome the air dryer will see less use in the life of the coach that a 18 wheeler will see in a year. Therefore, my viewpoint is that as long as it is doing it's job an you never get water when bleeding the tanks, it is OK and does not need service. However, if you are getting water when you bleed the tanks, it is time for service.

Gerald    

[Keith Oliver]

Gerald:

Some of us have air/hydraulic brakes.  and no air dryer.  The petcocks will almost always spray out some water and should be opened regularly, so as to avoid water getting into things like the floor close out, horns, etc that are on the air system.
Also, given the quantity of water I get out of mine, I wouldn't expect an air dryer to cope with that volume for very long.

[Edward Buker]

Keith,

Actually in our application the air dryer works very well, I ran the same desiccant cartridge in my last coach for ten years and never saw any water come out of the bleed/drain valves, just air. The water from the compressed air clings to the surface of the desiccant in the receiver dryer until the surface is pretty well saturated. The desiccant attracts the water but does not absorb it. A purge cycle takes place where compressed air blasts the water off of the surface of the silica gel (desiccant) and it drains out the valve at the bottom (regeneration) and is ready for the next cycle. This system could never work for vey long if the silica gel actually absorbed the water and could not shed it. I live along the gulf coast and mine has shed a lot of water with the purge cycles over time. Hope this helps.

Later Ed

[Keith Oliver]

Thanks Ed.  I had no idea the air dryer was so efficient.  When i was looking at an air brake coach I was told they had to be replaced periodically, with the suggestion that the period was short.  I didn't buy, so didn't learn any more.