Perhaps this is a good opportunity to post a "State of AutoPark" message. This is OUR take on the history - - Nothing official.
The "old ones," made from about 89 thru about mid 94: These are what we call the Version I AutoPark, and they run off of the power steering pump pressure. Amazingly, many are still out there ticking, but we get few requests for help on them. So far, parts and repairs are still going on with no major issues that we've heard about.
The Version II: Made from about mid 94 up to around mid 98. This is the system with a separate pump and reservoir. Up until sometime in 2001, the pump was still under the coach, but then got moved up under the utility hood at the front - - driver's side of the radiator. Version II got morphed around mid 98 and they removed (sadly) the floor pedal that allowed one to manually set or release the parking brake. They also made some significant circuit changes at that time.
We call the post 98 AutoParks "Version III." From a repair standpoint, they differ from the Version II by the lack of the foot pedal, and a different electronic circuit and some different switching - - including the addition of a yellow push-pull switch on the dashboard.
The Versions II and III comprise what is called the J71 AutoPark family. They are the ones that are most famous for locking up, failure with the Rotten Green Switch, etc.
The J72 AutoPark system, is a totally different bird. It exists in far fewer numbers, is made by Carlisle, and at present there is a fair amount of turmoil surrounding parts and service for this unit. We do not provide any measureable support for the J72 at the AutoPark Library.
We believe that statistically, the huge share of the AutoPark problems occur with the J71 - - and this is the focus of interest at the AutoPark Library. We DO continue to provide support for the earlier "all hydraulic" Version I units however.
We feel that we've seen most of the maladies with the J71, and will continue in our belief that coach owners, with some help and information, can do the huge majority of needed repairs. This assumes that one has the basic mechanical skills of Do-It-Yourself shade tree home fixers. In most cases, the tools needed are also pretty common.
In addition to the typical repairs, we have also come up with some "Workarounds," that enhance operation,service or use of the J71. These include such things as:
1. The Genie Lamp accessory - - Which gives you additional dashboard information on what your AutoPark is doing. This accessory can be built and installed by most coach owners - - about twenty bucks worth of parts from Radio Shack.
2. Mechanical cagers - - These allow you to release a locked up J71 by turning a bolt - - Instead of pulling clevis pins or cutting cables.
3. Electric pump motor conversions - - These allow you to convert the pump motor to one with thermal protection. An issue with the MTE pumps that have been used instead of the more prevalent Parker pump.
4. Hex adapters made of steel in place of the soft (easily to strip threads) aluminum ones that hold the RGS.
Our latest activities may speak most directly to the OP's question about "What else is lurking out there?" In addition to all the troubleshooting and repairs we've become so familiar with on the J71, we've lately seen a new problem that until the last year or so, has been rarely heard of - - LEAKING HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS. This is a new "ball game" for AutoPark owners, and involves failure of the hydraulic seal in the actuator cylinder. Historically, most of the places you might take your RV for service, have claimed these cannot be repaired and require total replacement of the actuator - - often at the expense of 1200 bucks or more.
Be of stout heart and good cheer, however. Again, this is an area where most users can participate in the repair options and save himself almost all of the really big dollars. It is however, what we are firmly convinced is an AGE RELATED malfunction, so we're pretty confident that all J71 owners will be faced with this fixem job at some point.
In conclusion - - We expect that all J71 systems will at sometime, need some repairs. Just the nature of the beast, but no different than most of the other systems on your RV. The good news is, that the owners can in almost every case, participate in the process and save probably ninety percent of what they would otherwise have to lay out.
The AutoPark Library will be glad to share information on any of the above issues. In almost every case, we can help you step by step through the troubleshooting and repair of your system.
We can be easily reached by contacting - - oldusedbear11@charter.net
Be advised that most procedures involve data sheets and file sizes that are waaayy too large to allow "online fixes" within this, or other forums. Regular email works the best - - sometimes supplemented by phone calls.
Feel free to contact us at the above email address with any comments or questions.
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The reason for spelling is so that all of the words don't look the same.
