Air Compressor

[white-eagle]

mma2s, didn't i read you were in Texas?  and Ace, i know you're in Florida.  you boys need to come up to cooler weather.  all that heat causes sensitivity.  we even have snow maybe tonight to really cool heads off  .

now Ace, i thought his compressor failed on first reading also.  i didn't think about a "not big enough" or danger until mma2s said something.

course, i don't worry about air bags.  we have the advanced suspension system on Eagles.  when someone says "air bag", i'm usually thinking politician. 

i carry a 6hp, 120psi, pancake compressor with 50ft of hose.  not sure that will help with the campground leaving early, as if i could get someone up b4 8am, becuase the compressor makes as much noise as the bus!

good idea and the cautionary note was right on.
jm2c, and imho.

[Blacksheep]

Ok I went back and re-read my ORIGINAL post. ONE key word was left out that would have hopefully cleared up everyone's ill thoughts and that word was "FRONT" as in FRONT AIR BAGS!

The bus compressor has been checked out by a pro shop and it worked and is still working great. The problem, again, stemmed from an air line that supplied air to the FRONT air bags on a PREVOST H3-40 which LIFT the bus OFF the front tires and allowed him to drive SAFELY home which was about 1 hour on back roads!

When he arrived home safely, parked the bus, and went to air it up the next morning, the same thing happened. The REAR of the bus lifted, the air gauges (both) said full but the front of the bus never went up keeping him stranded in his own driveway. He again plugged in his portable on board air compressor and THAT supplied the FRONT air bags enough air, along with the bus air compressor together to lift and allow him to drive to the shop which was about 15 minutes on back roads. It seems with BOTH compressors running together at the same time that they supplied more air than was leaking out which kept the bus UP and OFF the steer tires!

Now I'm sure my friend has many more miles than a lot of you since they full timed for the last ten years and that was not camping in one spot and has enough common sense to know what is safe and what is not. Bottom line is, I wasn't aware that EVERYONE had a portable compressor in their bus and thought it was a good idea! Now I know, since 2 stroke informed me that EVERYONE has one, including me!

I hope this has cleared up the negative thoughts that my friend drove an unsafe vehicle down the interstate with just a portable compressor holding the bus up off the tires and working the brakes! I'm positive that IF he had little to no air from the bus compressor, which would not service his needs to drive safely, he would have been towed.

Ace... no snow in Florida but chilly!

[Lin]

Manasst,

Your compressor may make noise but it doesn't feel the air with exhaust.  That's one of the main reasons I carry a compressor.

[Dreamscape]

BTW, Paul thanks for the article in the latest BCM.

God bless,

John

Thanks John, It was long overdue! "Pay It Forward" has become my new slogan.

Paul

[BJ]

well gentlemen! being a greyhound repair shop MANY, many times we have brought hounds back into the shop with just an air compressor. sometimes more than 75 miles...Naturally a small compresssor will not work, but a larger one works just fine. Ours is gasoling powered naturally, just put it in the bay and run the air line. simple....

[compedgemarine]

Hey Ace
I have thought of doing the same. what compressor did you install and what are the specs. have you had a chance to air the bus up with just it and how long did it take for it to build air? just curious how much idling it cuts out in the morning.
thanks
steve

[RJ]

Great suggestions, Ace!!

Might I also add that fellow busnuts should check their coach's air system's schematics in the shop manual before plumbing in an air chuck for use with a portable system, unless the coach already has them.

Reason I mention this is that many coaches have check valves in the system that only allows air to flow one way - usually from the air compressor thru the wet tank, dry tank(s) and finally to the accessory tank. Obviously, if you try to fill the system from the opposite direction, the check valves will not allow you to do so.

If your coach already has the air chucks from the factory, like Ace's does, then this is a moot point. But for those with older models, take a few minutes to find out how your coach is plumbed. In my case, my 4106 actually has chucks both front and rear, so the system can be filled from either end of the vehicle. So do your homework before starting this simple project.

Thanks for sharing, Ace!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[FloridaCliff]

I also have a compressor in my bus.

I use it, as suggested, to air up the coach before we leave our house or campgrounds.

Usually as we are within an hour of leaving I turn it on and let it do its thing.  Since its in the bay, I just close the door and you can just hear the hum of it running.

I have used it in a unforeseen emergency once.  I had stopped in a rest area and set the parking brake, I guess at that time a bad parking diaphragm finally let go, it had just enough leaking that I couldn't release the parking brake.  Here's what I did, turned on the portable compressor and let it build to full air capacity, then as I opened the valve to max discharge, my wife pushed in the parking brake and it released.

This of course was not a fix, but we finshed our trip, and did this when we left the campground, weekend salvaged.

When I was home I replaced the defective park diaphragm and the main diaphragm for good measure.

Remember, If you have the tool or part on board, you will never need it!

Cliff