Coach didn't raise when dumped valve switched to auto

[et2]

When I started my MH and switched to fill the air bags they didn't raise the coach. I visually looked as the gap by the wheels was the same when dumped.

So I dumped ( and air dumped out) but no drop of the MH. Put it back to fill and it filled on the second try.

Any thoughts?

[Sully2]

You need to be smarter than the air valve to start with!!! And if you think yours is malfunctioning after you have started the coach and the AIR BRAKES have built up enough pressure....just put your foot on the brake pedal and hit a fwd gear and see if the coach doesnt instantly jump UP and in road travel condition.

Of course if it doesnt....just put the shifter back in park and grab a phone and call for a wrecker

[mchero]

Freightliner chassis?

[et2]

smlranger wrote:
Maybe I missed it, but what coach do you have? What type of air/leveling system....HWH with hydraulic jacks or air leveling?

It's a 2013 Fleetwood Expedition. It's the chassis air bags ( suspension ) I'm referring to.

[smlranger]

Maybe I missed it, but what coach do you have? What type of air/leveling system....HWH with hydraulic jacks or air leveling?

[et2]

Executive wrote:
You might try this.....park the coach and empty the air bags all the way to the stops. You should feel the clunk when it reaches the stops. Measure, then refill and measure again. The air has to be going somewhere. What system do you have?

My HWH system has lights to indicate what's happening with the system. When pressing 'travel' mode a red light is lit until the bags fill. At that point the green lamp lights and I'm good to go. Is yours' similar?.....Dennis

No lights that I'm aware of, at least not on the dash. Just the valve that is in dump or auto. After each trip I verify the dump by the signature clunk and a visual they have done so.

I don't know maybe its nothing. I'll get a chance to try it out again next week 🙂

[Executive45]

You might try this.....park the coach and empty the air bags all the way to the stops. You should feel the clunk when it reaches the stops. Measure, then refill and measure again. The air has to be going somewhere. What system do you have?

My HWH system has lights to indicate what's happening with the system. When pressing 'travel' mode a red light is lit until the bags fill. At that point the green lamp lights and I'm good to go. Is yours' similar?.....Dennis

[et2]

I agree - It isn't drivable when the bags are dumped other than a straight line or the front wheels would tear the wheel well apart turning a corner. This is a new MH.

On another point, I don't try to raise the coach until the brake alarm stops and the air tanks blow off signaling they are full. Then and only then is when fill the air suspension. So there was plenty of air pressure in the tanks.

[Bill_Satellite]

This would really concern me if it happens just one more time! If you are out camping you generally are going to be away from the kinds of services that would be required to fix it. A coach with dumped air bags is likely not drivable and even if it could go some it's not going far. That means either a tow or a remote service call giving you 2 choices, big expense for a remote service call or a huge inconvenience with a tow.
If you can isolate the problem and you are handy at all you can determine what part might be necessary and buy and carry it but if it were me (and it's not) the next time I would ensure it got fixed.

[UsualSuspect]

Mine does that every now and then, not often enough to worry me yet. I notice it if I don;t drive it for more than a month or two, so I know the valve is sticking, but not enough for me to crawl under there and find it to replace it.

[eheading]

I'm sorry you feel like you were being laughed at. My personal guess is that the valve that lets the air from the air tanks into the air bags just didn't open the first time. The sound you probably heard was the air going into the air tanks. The second time you tried, apparently the valve worked correctly. I wouldn't worry about it. I would keep tabs on it though, and if it happens again you might want to have the valves to the airbags checked.

Ed

[et2]

Executive wrote:
I would say your coach did not dump when you FIRST parked it. Or it dumped a bit and stopped. Second time, it actually dumped some air then refilled.....Dennis

Thanks Executive. But I always verify it dumps, you can feel it and hear the the stopping of the air coming out. Plus I always leave it in the dump position, so hopefully any residual air would dump eventually.

Of course I'm new to this MH stuff but not mechanically stupid. Just looking for answers from people who have been doing this a while. So what your saying is if there were air in the bags ( not enough to keep the coach raised) it won't allow the bags to fill properly? Because it didn't raise it at all.

[et2]

Horsedoc wrote:
Good observation Dennis 😉 LOL!!

I honestly don't know what is funny about the question as I thought it to be legit. If you have something of actual value to add I'd be interested. Maybe I was lacking in my explanation, here it is in better detail.

I "always" verify the dump by the motorhome settling to the frame after every trip. It's a distinct feeling and sound. The gap in the MH wheel well was the same as all prior dumps.

So it "was" dumped before I switched to fill. It made the distinct filling noise but the coach did not raise. I exited the motorhome and verified there was zero movement off its in rest position. I waited a minute and it failed to move off its rest.

I then switched to dump and it released air ( probably the air I heard going into it on the fill position) - there was no settling with that air release so "it was" at rest to begin with. After switching it back to fill it worked properly.

[Horsedoc]

Good observation Dennis 😉 LOL!!

[Executive45]

I would say your coach did not dump when you FIRST parked it. Or it dumped a bit and stopped. Second time, it actually dumped some air then refilled.....Dennis