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Hello. We have stopped for the night in Abilene Tx , We are heading west, dropping down to I 10 for the rest of the trip to Riverside Ca. After registering at the rv park, we found a  small coolant puddle from the front area of the coach on the asphalt where we had been parked. Checked the genny coolant and it is fine, We have not used the gen set for a week or so. Checked he power steering in case i was really seeing p/s fluid. It was full.

I have been using coolant at the rate of approx 1 gal per 1000 miles since we bought the coach 18  months ago. I chalked it up to lack of an overflow can on the radiator, but I might have found the culprit. This drip would be more than one gallon per thousand miles

I see coolant dripping ever so slowly from the bottom steel plate that looks like it is the bottom for the gen set between the steer tires. I am assuming that there is a leak from the hoses that supply driver - passenger heat. I have looked for shut off valves from the engine to the heater. Does anyone know where they are on a 1984?  I could just trudge on keeping an eye on the temps and frequently check the radiator sight glass, but that seems risky?
(12-18-2017, 04:24 PM)Guy Wrote: [ -> ]Hello. We have stopped for the night in Abilene Tx , We are heading west, dropping down to I 10 for the rest of the trip to Riverside Ca. After registering at the rv park, we found a  small coolant puddle from the front area of the coach on the asphalt where we had been parked. Checked the genny coolant and it is fine, We have not used the gen set for a week or so. Checked he power steering in case i was really seeing p/s fluid. It was full.

I have been using coolant at the rate of approx 1 gal per 1000 miles since we bought the coach 18  months ago. I chalked it up to lack of an overflow can on the radiator, but I might have found the culprit. This drip would be more than one gallon per thousand miles

I see coolant dripping ever so slowly from the bottom steel plate that looks like it is the bottom for the gen set between the steer tires. I am assuming that there is a leak from the hoses that supply driver - passenger heat. I have looked for shut off valves from the engine to the heater. Does anyone know where they are on a 1984?  I could just trudge on keeping an eye on the temps and frequently check the radiator sight glass, but that seems risky?
Check drivers side near water pump
With out KNOWING what is leaking, you are taking a big chance at loosing all coolant.

The leak is in a component that is likely original - that means 33 years old! If a hose, it could be bad.

My valves are on the driver's side near the water pump. They are gate valves that seem to take a couple hundred turns to fully close. Make sure you close both of them.

Good luck identifying the leak - hope it is an easy fix.
Do you have an aquahot.. ? If so they can leak at the front where the heater fans are
i dont think he has an aquahot.

i had the same thing. used coolant consistently when i was driving. mine ended up being the heater core under the dash. that was easy to figure out when it leaked enough to come out on the edge of the doghouse on the carpet.

so.....i thought, i would just shut off the valves at the engine that go up to the front heater core. actually a smart idea till you remember those are old valves that have probably never been turned off. so when i turned the two valves off (one for going and one for coming back), they leaked like crazy at the handle. and only leaked when they were off. and they are on a manifold that is really hard to get at.

so, i decided i dont care about dash heat. i have aquahot that blows as a defrost and have aquahot heaters at the drivers and passengers ankles....and i dont want to drive where it is cold anyway if i can help it. so i just got a piece of heater hose and looped it between the two valves and left them open. have not used a drop of coolant since.

tom
Correct, No aqua hot on this old girl. I have to be careful, as this coach has a marine water heater that preheats it's water from the engine water . With any luck, perhaps it runs in series to the water heater and then the front heater in the coach. That would limit my search to only two hoses off the engine instead of 4

I will take a look in the morning.

Great tip about the old valves.
mine had 4 valves. 2 for the coming and going of the dash heater core. and another two that goes to the aquahot to heat the water with engine coolant, just like your marine hot water heater.

tom
I  am surprised I did not see a manifold back there when the alternator was rebuilt. It came out of the drivers side firewall area.
just look for heater hoses near the rear frame rail. probably near the aux pump that sends it forward

tom
On my previous 77 coach with the 2-stroke engine there were 2 round handle valves located on the rear end of the engine on the driver's side. One valve was mounted about even in height with the top of the frame rail and the other was higher up. These are testosterones only valves in that area with heater size hoses. On the 77 coach the return water from the front core passed through the water heater coil.

If you shut off the two valves at the engine they both need to be closed or they leak out the stem.

Also on that coach the heater core was centered just below the dash and the hoses and the modulating valve were above the generator so leaks from any of those sources would leave a spot like you saw.

As always, your coach may differ.
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