DSDP Don wrote:
Hopefully a hydraulic engineer with some knowledge of RV hydraulics will post and can describe if there is some type of pressure regulator that can be adjusted or replaced.
Fingers crossed. :-)
DSDP Don wrote:
Out of curiosity, what brand of filter are you using. Is there an OEM filter available and have you tried one. The reason I ask is that some spin on filters have a built in bypass.
I've gone through a few filters. The original one was probably (frighteningly) the original. It was a Fairey Arlon FA35-25. Those aren't widely available if at all and there was no date written on it. I have started writing install date and mileage on all replaceable filters whenever I can, but I have no idea how long this filter had been in place. I've been using different cross-reference filters from the FA35-25, and currently have a WIX in place because I was able to grab 3 of them at an auto-parts store to have spares on the road.
DSDP Don wrote:
What is that pump supplying, power steering, side radiator fan??? Do you have any issues with those?
The hydraulic pump is driven off the engine with a dedicated belt. It powers steering and 2 hydraulic fans on the side radiator. No apparent problem with those though sometimes I'll hear a little whine from the steering during turning. I replaced one hydraulic fan a couple years ago and maybe (or not) the hydraulic filter was replaced by the shop at that time. I haven't looked at that expensive receipt. I may have burned the receipt in a fit of spite over the total bill. Not sure why hydraulic fans were used instead of commonly available automotive electric radiator fans. The hydraulic motors are crazy expensive, not widely available so parts have to be ordered, and require people trained or competent in hydraulics to replace. If I were going to keep this coach I'd probably replace the fans with electric motors just for reliability.
DSDP Don wrote:
Lastly, if there are no solutions, I would replace the hydraulic pump with a new or rebuilt model.
Yea, that's on my list of options. Being nearby oil fields the hydraulic shop in town does a lot of rebuilds or may have an alternate. My mechanic said he could just plumb around the filter and effectively remove it from the system but then if an overpressure situation occurs I wouldn't want to burst a line. A spin-on filter I can carry a spare (or 3-4) and replace on the side of the road. A burst hydraulic hose isn't within my capability or desire to mess with. So I'm most interested in learning how our hydraulic system are plumbed and how they regulate pressure.
DSDP Don wrote:
Hopefully you're not giving up on RVing and will buy another, maybe newer.
Well we're still youngsters (39 and 42). We bought the coach in '09 after a job loss when we knew we were moving but didn't know where. We spent the summer full-timing with our kids and driving all over California, and Texas visiting friends and family and going on job interviews. We settled in Texas and kept the motor home for long distance road trips to visit my in-laws in Mississippi every holiday and during the summer. It's a great road trip vehicle with room for the kids to not be kicking each other, toilet immediately available and even once heated up a can of soup while stopped for a 1/2 hour because the highway was blocked by an accident.
Around town we were fine with our sedans but for road trips taking the dogs and luggage and stuff we used the motor home. We had a new baby this summer and finally needed a minivan for even in-town use. With a minivan option for road trips it just doesn't make sense to keep our coach. When we reach retirement age I definitely will consider another one, but for now it'd be better used by someone else.
