1997 Rexhall Aerbus Fuel Filter Location: What Owners Need to Know
The 1997 Rexhall Aerbus is a Class A motorhome built on a Ford F-Series Super Duty chassis, most commonly powered by a Ford 7.5L (460 cubic inch) gasoline V8 engine or, in some configurations, a Ford 7.3L Power Stroke diesel. Finding the fuel filter on this coach means working with the underlying chassis — not the coach body itself — which is where most owners get tripped up.
Why Chassis Matters More Than the Coach Brand
Rexhall built the living quarters. Ford built the drivetrain. When you're looking for fuel system components — including the fuel filter — you're working with Ford's chassis engineering, not Rexhall's design decisions.
This is important because the fuel filter location on a Ford F-Series Super Duty or E-Series-based motorhome chassis follows Ford's placement logic, not anything unique to the Aerbus nameplate. If you look up a fuel filter for a 1997 Ford F-53 motorhome chassis, you're looking at the same filter your Aerbus uses.
Fuel Filter Location on the 1997 Rexhall Aerbus (Ford 460 Gas Engine)
On the gasoline 7.5L (460) V8 version — which was the most common engine in the 1997 Aerbus — the inline fuel filter is typically mounted along the frame rail, on the driver's side of the vehicle, somewhere between the fuel tank and the engine bay.
More specifically, owners and service manuals generally point to a location beneath the coach body, midway along the driver's side frame, often near the area below the driver's door or slightly forward of it. The filter is an inline canister-style unit connected to the fuel line running from the rear tank(s) to the engine.
Key characteristics to help you identify it:
- Cylindrical metal canister, roughly 3–4 inches long
- Connected on both ends by fuel line fittings (often quick-disconnect or threaded)
- Positioned parallel to the frame rail, secured with a bracket or clamp
- May be partially obscured by heat shields, wiring, or chassis components depending on the build
⚠️ Motorhome chassis builds can vary slightly even within the same model year. Coach length, chassis configuration, and any modifications done during the coach-building process can shift routing slightly.
Diesel Variant: Different Location Entirely
If your 1997 Aerbus is equipped with the 7.3L Power Stroke turbodiesel, the fuel filtration setup is completely different. The 7.3L uses a fuel filter/water separator assembly mounted on or near the engine, typically on the passenger side of the engine bay. It's far more accessible than the inline gas filter and has a water-in-fuel sensor built in. The service interval and replacement procedure are also distinct from the gasoline version.
Confirming which engine you have before hunting for the filter will save significant time.
Variables That Affect What You'll Find
Even knowing the general location, several factors can change exactly what you're looking at under your specific coach:
| Variable | How It Affects Filter Location or Access |
|---|---|
| Chassis length/wheelbase | Longer chassis may route fuel lines differently |
| Dual tank vs. single tank | Dual-tank setups add selector valves and longer line runs |
| Previous owner modifications | Filter may have been relocated or upgraded |
| Aftermarket fuel systems | Some owners install auxiliary filters at additional points |
| Accumulated rust or shielding | Older coaches may have corroded brackets or added heat shielding that obscures the filter |
At 25+ years old, a 1997 Aerbus has had time to accumulate repairs, workarounds, and modifications that a service manual won't account for.
Accessing the Filter Safely
Working under a Class A motorhome requires more preparation than working under a standard passenger vehicle. A few general points apply:
- The coach must be on level ground with the parking brake fully engaged
- Many owners use ramps or jack stands rated for the coach's weight — the Ford F-53 chassis can support a fully loaded GVWR well above 20,000 lbs, and standard passenger car stands are not adequate
- Fuel lines on a 26-year-old vehicle may have brittle fittings, worn O-rings, or corroded connectors — handle with care
- Depressurizing the fuel system before disconnecting any line is standard practice on fuel-injected engines
🔧 The 460 V8 in this application is fuel injected, which means the fuel system operates under pressure even when the engine is off. The fuel pump fuse or relay is typically pulled and the engine cranked briefly to bleed pressure before filter work begins — but confirm the correct procedure for this specific engine in a Ford service manual or equivalent resource.
Finding the Right Documentation
Because the Rexhall Aerbus rides on a Ford chassis, Ford's own service documentation for the F-53 motorhome chassis (or the F-Super Duty platform for that year) is more directly useful than anything Rexhall published for the coach body. Rexhall's build manuals cover the living quarters, not the drivetrain.
Sources that tend to help:
- Ford's factory service manual for the 1997 F-Super Duty / F-53 chassis
- Mitchell1, AllData, or similar shop databases indexed by engine and chassis
- Class A motorhome owner forums (several active communities focus on Ford-chassis coaches from this era and often have pinned threads on exactly this topic)
The filter location is consistent enough across this platform that experienced owners often describe it clearly — but the coach body's underside panels and the specific routing on your unit are things only a visual inspection under your actual vehicle will confirm.