TJ&LadyDi
RVF "Dinosaur"
In a recent thread on another RV forum, it was pointed out that in some cases, Newmar has covered the bottom end of the engine air intake tube drain (the "duckbill") with insulating foam, preventing proper drainage. In at least one case, some major engine damage apparently resulted from a blocked drain.
I checked our coach yesterday, but couldn't find any evidence of a drain tube. After getting some tips on where specifically to focus my examination, I found the drain tube. It had been totally foamed over. Whether this would have prevented the drain from working properly, I can't say, but I think it certainly had the potential to do so.
I removed enough foam to fully expose the lower end of the drain "duckbill" and probed inside with a smooth, flat stick to ensure that it was open and would drain properly. So far, the confirmed cases of foamed-over drain have occurred on coaches with the Spartan K3 chassis (LADP and MADP), but I recommend that all Newmar owners verify that their drain is uncovered and working properly.
TJ
I checked our coach yesterday, but couldn't find any evidence of a drain tube. After getting some tips on where specifically to focus my examination, I found the drain tube. It had been totally foamed over. Whether this would have prevented the drain from working properly, I can't say, but I think it certainly had the potential to do so.
I removed enough foam to fully expose the lower end of the drain "duckbill" and probed inside with a smooth, flat stick to ensure that it was open and would drain properly. So far, the confirmed cases of foamed-over drain have occurred on coaches with the Spartan K3 chassis (LADP and MADP), but I recommend that all Newmar owners verify that their drain is uncovered and working properly.
TJ