Newer Alde Bleeder "tube' location?

pthomas745

FB owners of newer trailers are finding glycol all over the driveway.  I know there are new "bleeder valves" in different locations. Anyone know where one of these would be in a 2021 320?  I found a picture in one of the threads, but Vanilla traps some threads in something called "Best Of".......and the links provided send you to...a vast wasteland of posts, and not the specific link!

pthomas745

Owner wakes up with glycol puddle under trailer on a 2021 320. Calls NuCamp. This is what they say.  There might be some quibbling about the pump speed (the general consensus in some threads here state 2 is a better pump circulation speed. 

"I called Nucamp and a technician walked me through all the steps.

1. Check the glycol levels. This is located under the sink in the wet bath. Make sure it’s not empty or not too full (above the max line). If it’s not empty and the clear tube connected to the glycol container is not leaking then you move on to step 2.

2. Check the alde system pump that’s located under the seats. It has level 1-5. He recommended to set it to 3 as that’s the factory setting ( ours was at 2). He did state don’t set it to 5 as that’s too much fluid pumped into the holding tank. After you set it to 3. Move on to step 3.

3. You will have to now check if your glycol tube has any air inside the tubes. This tube is located on the driver side, rear back corner under the cabinet. I’ll be posting pictures for reference. You will open up the valve and if glycol leaks then you are good to go, meaning there wasn’t any air. But if nothing comes out then it might have been air bubbles. After doing all that you will go back to check your glycol holding tank (under the sink in the bathroom) and see if it went down or stayed the same. In my case it went down between min and max line which is what we needed since it was overflowing."

So....it appears Alde/NuCamp has made this change to the Alde system in the newer trailers.  Is this a backup for the "automatic bleeder valve"?  Which somehow isn't so automatic?  Or is it just a good backup for when the "automatic" system stops being "automatic?"

Sharon_is_SAM

@pthomas745 - I can not picture how you access the bleeder valve.  Is it accessed from the inside of the upper cabinet?

pthomas745

I'm a little lost on that, too.  I've asked for more info.

WayneW

I believe that tube is accessed through a new triangular removable cutout that is pictured in Creed’s photo. The access is on the side wall  below the upper cabinets and above the long shallow flip-up storage area. It has 3 square drive screws. There are cutouts on both the driver’s side and passenger side. The bleeder valve is on the driver’s side. 

DougWW

Wow, I'm going to have to follow this thread. Our new 2021 T@B 320S BD managed to dump it's glycol in the dealership parking lot. Great timing. They say is should be fine now... we will see soon.

WayneW

Here is a photo of the access point in our 2021 320S BD.  

pthomas745

Thanks!  Is the glycol expansion tank back there, too? 

Verna

@pthomas745, it looks like it is where the glycol tank has been since the late 2014 T@B’s. Driver’s side rear corner, behind the screw-in access panel. 

pthomas745

@Verna you are being polite.  You should have told me to look it up!

Sharon_is_SAM

The glycol tank is under the wet bath sink in the 2021 320 models.

Verna

Thank you, @pthomas745 😂😂😂😂. Rare, but it happens😂😂😂😂

ClaireFM

 By the way, does anyone know how you can tell when a particular 320 model was built?  I'm referring to @Verna 's post on the change in glycol for units manufactured on or after 1/4/21.

pthomas745

On the trailer tongue, I have a gray sticker that has the details of the manufacturer, etc.  On that sticker there is a build date of 10/2016. You might check there.  But, to get your exact "date" you might want to note your VIN number and call NuCamp and ask.

DougWW

I mentioned above our new T@B 320S bd had dumped it's glycol at the dealership. We just spent 4 nights in her at sub-freezing temperatures and were warm and comfortable.

What surprised me more was 4 1/2 days with Alde and refrigerator running, lights as needed, and me playing with the Jensen (connected and running well) and the LOWEST I saw the standard battery go was 12.7V which showed up as 2/3 full on the indicator panel. Very nice.

Sharon_is_SAM

@DougWW - was the battery switch off and the battery rested before measuring?  No solar?

Do you know what glycol was used when they refilled your Alde with glycol?  Do you know why it “dumped”?

DougWW

Battery switch was on, and solar active during daylight. I did check periodically around the clock.

The dealer said the glycol dumped because of a closed valve... not sure which valve. The filled it with appropriate dealership glycol and it is green. I've checked their level since and it is now mid-range.

Sharon_is_SAM

@DougWW - did your Alde come with the “new” glycol?

DougWW

Sharon_is_SAM said:

@DougWW - did your Alde come with the “new” glycol?

I will contact the dealership and ask.

Verna

Here is a quote from the “Announcement” of the glycol change:

” According to the Safety sheet the RhoGard Ultra is clear, blue.  See section 9.

https://www.rhomarwater.com/pdf/RhoGard%20Ultra_SDS.pdf”

DougWW

Sharon_is_SAM said:

@DougWW - did your Alde come with the “new” glycol?

I'm checking with the dealership, they buy the Alde fluid (actual brand) from Airstream. and they say it is blue in color.

since we had bright green fluid on the tarmac, I'm now asking if they flushed the system or just topped it up. Mildly concerned here.

Thanks for flagging this. and to @Verna for the additional link.

...Doug

Denny16

Doug, there is a special procedure to change from the previous green glycol to the new blue glycol.  You are not supposed to mix the two or add the new to a system that’s till has the older green glycol.  I would  be asking the dealer to find out what they did?

Cheers 

Sharon_is_SAM

@DougWW - do you know your TaB manufacture date?

DougWW

@Denny16 The dealership was completely aware of the green to blue change over. I've asked for clarification on their process, but would be surprised if I didn't get a positive answer on the flushing process.

@Sharon_is_SAM  I'm not sure of the actual manufacture date. Do you know a way to determine it. I suspect it was fairly recent though it did arrive with the green glycol.

pthomas745

On your trailer tongue, or on one of the stickers that have the VIN number of the trailer, there will be a "build date". A month and year note. 

Denny16

Doug, to get the exact build date, month/day/yr, you can send nüCamp your Vin number and they will send the exact build date.  Good luck
cheers

Sharon_is_SAM

@DougWW - the new glycol was for units manufactured on or after 1/4/21.  Hopefully your TaB with the green glycol was manufactured earlier than 1/4/21.

DougWW

Hi @Sharon_is_SAM and @Denny16

I've confirmation from the dealership they did the recommended change in glycol for our unit. I will need to wait until I see the trailer again to check the manufacture date. Maybe later this week.

rcarlson1957

The automatic bleed valve will normally handle removing small amounts of air that could get into the ALDE system. If you get a lot of air in your ALDE system, the automatic bleed valve doesn't seem to be able to handle it removing it very well so assume that is what the manual bleed valve is for. The manual bleed valve makes it easy to bleed when that happens. I had a cracked expansion tank nipple and allowed a lot air in. Replaced the expansion tank and changed out the fluid. But if you have an older T@B like my 2018 the bleed valve is only about 1/2 long and behind the passenger side rear shelf all the way at the bottom. A pain to get to. Never ones have a manual bleed value with a long clear extension tube that makes that easier when you need to do a manual bleed. I just put this one in I ordered from NuCamp thru Princess Craft RV. It has a 24 in extension and makes it easy to reach. 

MarkAl

There is some discussion both here and other threads on the correct color of the new glycol. When the dealer (Apache) changed mine under the factory warranty. They said that they've found some slight color differences in the new vs earlier Rhomar fluid both are very different than the more yellow-green of the Century fluid. Anybody know more specific details if this is true?

AnOldUR

MarkAl said:

They said that they've found some slight color differences in the new vs earlier Rhomar fluid both are very different than the more yellow-green of the Century fluid.

Here's the Rhomar that came drop shipped from nuCamp to my house a couple of months ago. Like you said, very different than the Century fluid on the right, but I haven't seen different Rhomar colors. Maybe someone can post a picture of the older Rhomar?