Air Dryer Maintenance

[Josh]

Looking into replacing the dessicant filter in the Bendix air dryer on our 1992 Champion. The part number stamped on the bottom is hard to read but with some parts shopping I figured out that the number is 107953 which cross references with the Bendix 065225 12 volt AD-9 Air Dryer.



Since I don't know the maintenance history of this unit I am considering buying a re-manufactured unit to put in so I know all the valves, seals, etc have been replaced and checked out.

Found a brand new Bendix for $282 from AnythingTruck.com or they have an aftermarket unit by PTP for $149. It's tempting though to just get the PTP replacement cartridge for $30 or the Bendix reman cartridge for about $60 since everything else is presently working. The debate -- Is it worth getting stranded or having to get emergency repair service for a failure that may have been prevented by spending an extra couple hundred $ now? Personally I'm gonna replace the whole unit, question is off brand or name brand, new or reman?

I'm gonna sleep on it. Any advice is appreciated.

[Grey Ghost]

Josh, as we found out with my motorhome at Dunes III, the air dryer is extremely critical to being able to move the unit. It goes out and you are literally dead in the water. In my opinion, replacing the entire unit is probably not needed, but it would provide peace of mind. It may make sense to replace the unit now, and then replace the filters in the future. Spartan recommends 2 year replacements, but many MH owners replace yearly. I think I will follow the 2 year rotation due to only expecting to drive 2,000 miles per year.

On another note, you should look into the plastic housing "muffler" like mine has, It will quiet it down quite a bit. Also, Spartan has an actual muffler to band clamp onto the end of the plastic housing to divert the air sideways rather than straight down. In addition to quieting the dryer, it prevents gravel from being blown back up into the serpentine belts and causing damage. Not sure it is really needed, but it was an interesting item being as we learned all about air dryers last week.

[Josh]

Thanks for the input! I've been doing lots more research and after witnessing your debacle I'm liking the idea of replacing the whole thing with a Bendix Re-manufactured unit in the spring and then replace filters every two or three years. Some of the manuals say three years or if you are getting excessive moisture out of your tank drains. I wish we knew how old your filter was before it failed, might give us some clue as to how much leeway one could have in replacement interval. Trying to balance cost savings with reliability yet avoiding big repair expenses and headaches on the road isn't easy. I will follow my own advice and always error towards the preventative side!!

The side discharge cover sounds like a good idea, only thing is I really like hearing that sound, feel like I'm driving a big rig.

[Josh]

Aftermarket with one year warranty, might do something like this.

[Josh]

Found the manual online for these Bendix AD9 Air Dryers.

Bendix AD9 Air Dryer Manual