Where are my low point drains?

[zayd]

Good evening, everyone.

I've been an avid learner for the past 18 months and just got our first Airstream: a 2007 Safari FB from the original owner.

In winterizing, I've completed blowing all the lines clear but can't find the low point drains anywhere. Reading the forums, it seems they're typically located street side, aft of the tires. But I only have my gas line there down there (see pic). Anywhere else I should be checking?

Zayd

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by zayd

Good evening, everyone.

I've been an avid learner for the past 18 months and just got our first Airstream: a 2007 Safari FB from the original owner.

In winterizing, I've completed blowing all the lines clear but can't find the low point drains anywhere. Reading the forums, it seems they're typically located street side, aft of the tires. But I only have my gas line there down there (see pic). Anywhere else I should be checking?

Zayd

Congrats on the trailer. We wish you much happy camping and safe travels.

What size and floor plan do you have? On our 2013 25FB, the fresh tank drain and the main hot and cold low point drains are on the street side, hidden by the tires. I can see them when I look between the tires and crane my neck around. There is also an additional cold low point drain near the water heater. The valve for that is inside the outside storage compartment on the curb side (we have twins, queen models may differ).

Good luck finding your drain.

[A W Warn]

There are 3 drains in the black plastic box (the tank cover) that hangs beneath the trailer. Two brass petcocks are in depressions in the bottom surface of the box. The fresh water drain (a white plastic faucet) is on the curb side of the box between or behind the tires.

There will be one or two other low point drains (my Safari has only one) somewhere in the plumbing. Look beneath the metal belly pan to find a pipe (or 2 or 3) extending an inch or two below to the exterior. There will be a stop valve somewhere above on the interior of the trailer. (There is also a drip pipe for defrosting beneath the refrigerator that is not related to plumbing)

Don't for get the exterior shower if you have one. Also the sprayer at the sink.


edit:
I found the owners manual for your trailer. It says: "The 25 foot front bed, 28 foot rear bed and the 27 foot front bed has exterior water line drain valves. If you look between your tires you can see a “box” that is a few inches lower than the trailer frame. This “box” or tank pan supports the water tank. The line drains will be the two brass pet cocks extending from the bottom of the pan. The white plastic petcock located on the same pan is to drain the water tank"

you can download a copy here:
https://www.airstream.com/owners/man...r/2007/page/2/

Look in section F.

[zayd]

Thank you for the welcome and helpful information, gentlemen.

I've attached a pic of what I see in that area. I see the two petcocks, but they looked like they were directly in the fresh tank. Reading Alan's excerpt from the manual, I see that's just a tank cover. So I assume that hot/cold lines run underneath that cover and terminate in those low point drains. I'll drain those and that should be the end of it. The rest of the trailer is done.

And I'll be starting a new thread on today's unfortunate moisture discovery...

Thank you again.

[greenflag]

I had a 2007 International with rear bedroom. The brass petcocks are the low point drains I believe. The white plastic petcock is the freshwater drain. Living in So CAl I never had to worry about winterizing much.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by zayd

. . .
. . . Reading Alan's excerpt from the manual . . .
. . .

Welcome to the forum!

When you got this trailer, was it missing the owner's manual? You should have one, and should read it thoroughly at some point. Alan's post has a link to see your manual online, which you can print out. You should also be able to order a copy someplace. Airstream has changed its website recently, so if you don't have any luck finding a manual to print or order, please let us know.

My guess is that you have more than 2 low point drains [just one cold and one hot?]. Have you drained the water heater, water pump incl. its pre-filter?

The topic of winterization can be nuanced, depending on your model. Here is the basic Winterization sticky thread in this sub-forum FYI:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f458...rize-7222.html

Have fun with the new AS!

Peter

PS -- Using Alan's link, and the blue Download link, the plumbing Section F starts on p. 68/103 of the PDF, which you can save to your computer. On PDF p. 70/103 it says: "The 25 foot front bed model has an access door on the bed top." Have you found this access door on the bed top? There may be low-point drains in there IMO. This same section has the text which Alan quoted about the two external drains. The manual also describes the location of your water pump. Have you located the pump, and followed the winterization process for the pump? I would advise having a hard copy of the manual, and locating every single plumbing item, to familiarize yourself with the trailer. The manuals can be notoriously incomplete or even inaccurate FYI. Nothing like a hands-on full-scale review of everything IMO.

"Measure Twice, Cut Once" as they say in construction!

[RoxaneO]

We have a 2021 Bambi 16RB and just pumped two gallons of antifreeze into the water tank. Inside the trailer, we opened the faucet, turned on the pump and heard the pump working, but the antifreeze did not flow into the faucet. From talking to Coach-Net, we learned that Colonial Airstream had probably installed a siphon next to the water tank under the dinette seat (apparently "standard industry practice" now). We saw the water tank (filled partially with pink antifreeze) the siphon, half filled with pink liquid. Guy said we need to empty the water tank via the low point drains, then use the siphon to pump the antifreeze directly into the lines. We found the two petcock valves, using Zayd's photo (thank you, Zayd), which looks like ours, driver's side, located close to the dark tank release valve. When we opened the valves one at a time, nothing came out. Trailer is level. Does anyone have any advice?

[CRH]

Those brass petcocks like in the pic are the low point drains for my kitchen area. I also have a cold water drain under one of my beds for the bathroom side of the trailer.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by zayd

And I'll be starting a new thread on today's unfortunate moisture discovery...

Always remember, "There's no problem so big it can't be made worse."

[aftermath]

I have a 2006 25FB. Yes, the two brass petcocks are the low point drains. The plastic one is the drain for the FW tank. This is not rocket science. I don't know how the system was designed. I do know that opening them as part of the winterizing process works. Been doing this since 2009. No problems.