My leveling system is letting the coach weight down onto the rear tires. If it goes through the normal leveling procedure and there is a need to lower the rear it will deflate the air bags to the point where the plastic(?) piece above the tire is squashed in at least half an inch and the sides of the piece are buckling. I think it is supposed to stop dropping the bags when the coach get close to the tires and then stop. But how does it know where the tires are? How does the leveling system decide where to stop deflating a bag and start inflating the other bags? The leveling process seems to be working ok, it just seems to think it is ok to drop the rear end lower than than it should. I called HWH but they do not let you talk to techs on the phone.
Thanks
my 2 cents. There should be stops on the frme behind bags so the tyres do not touch top no matter how deflated bags are. They are round like washers about 1/2" thick and welded to bottom framing. You should add another 1/2 or so to the top to stop this problem.
JohnH
I agree. Check the stops. Our coach doesn't rest the body on the tires even when the air bags are fully "dumped," and I don't think yours should either.
Went out to look and yes the stops are there sitting on the bottom frame. Very obvious when you look for them. This has probably been going on a long time and I just didn't notice it. I think I figured out why it happens. I have Toyo tires on the back and I think they are a little taller than the Michelins. The frame stops are set to the size of tire that came on it. I'm putting Michelins on it all the way around next week, so I'll see if this problem goes away then. I think it probably will.
Thanks John!
BJ,
You will changing the diameter of your tires by 0.01 inch by changing from Toyos to Michelins.
Hi BJ,
The frame stops John mentioned are inboard of the tires away. If you are in a site that is sloping right to left for example your right tire can be be up against the body floor before the frame stops engage. This is because the axle is not parallel to the body. Adding more spacers as John suggest would minimize this but might also limit your ability to get level in an out of level site.
Be careful if you do welding on the frame.
Roger
I've had two air bag Foretravels, a 95 and a 99. Both lay down onto the tires. Both have the stock Michelins. Foretravel told me it's normal.
jor
My chassis rests on the tires as well when dumped. Has been that way for years.
Mark
When we're at home the left rear is on the tires, right rear is close, but still some room, front left has plenty of room, and right front is near full extension.
You could also carry a few 2x12s to help level the coach.
Oh how I wish I could put the old time three lever leveling system on my U320!
The leveling system on the U320 is a real PITA! Some times it works and sometimes it doesn't. How I miss the days of pulling up, looking at my bubble level and spending 30 seconds on the levers leveling the U280. Now I spend the first half hour trying to get the auto system to do it's job. It's small brain seems to get confused--- takes one side full down. Stop, start over two or three times before it gets it right, or try to manually level which sometimes doesn't work either.
Hmmmm. So not my experience. Pull in, hit button twice, wait a minute or two and coach level. Are you near Moscow IA any time soon?
My experience is like Tim's. Unless the site is way out of level it only takes a minute or two to have the coach level. Filling bags to lift one corner or side can take a while. I try to get level before shutting the engine off because if you need air the supply is greater.
The site we are in now (6 days) is sloped to the rear and to the right. With the coach level the passengers side is low, drivers side high. Once leveled, I shut the level system off. After 6 days we are still bubble centered.
Roger
Our HWH leveling system works quite well. We certainly wouldn't want to go to an older manual system.
If the HWH automatic level doesn't work or takes too long, simple solution for perfect quick leveling.
Buy RV EZ Level and put HWH into manual level setting and use buttons just like the using the old manual levers. Works EVERY time. And is handy for quick re-level 'tune-up'.
RV EZ Level - Camco 20601 - Levels - Camping World (http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/rv-ez-level/35617)
If you have an iPhone, open the compass app, right to left swipe gets you a level, set the phone on the kitchen counter and adjust as needed. Turn green hen the bubble is centered.
Here is mine after 6 days.
Roger
John H, the issue with adding thickness to the metal donuts on the frame is that metal to metal contact in the suspension when driving causes damage. I can not determine why the metal donuts are there, except for perhaps alignment during assembly. I use 6 inch long aluminum pipe which is centered by the donut for safety.
I added a half inch thick piece of high impact plastic to the top of each airbag. Now, when level and air is dumped, the block of solid rubber inside each airbag takes the weight and a sheet of metal will slide between the top of the tire and the underside of the floor. If not level the tires on the high side will still contact the underside of the floor, so I use 2x12 pieces of wood under the tires when leveling. I seldom have to do this because find moving around a little and taking advantage of humps and holes, my coach will be level in travel mode and when the air is dumped.
I facilitate knowing when the coach is level, I installed a small RV type two way level beside the driver and took care to assure it shows level when the coach is level. I get level in travel mode then just dump the air and turn level system off. I found the auto-level system was unreliable and I prefer being as close to the ground as possible when parked.
If stopped on the side of the road, I level manually, so can raise one side and drop the other to minimize air used.
I never use auto-level mode - just not reliable enough for me.
Wyatt, the 6" long pipe is not clear to me, maybe I'm dumb, any pics?
JohnH
I am curious how long it is taking your system to auto level the coach. Both my 1996 and 2005 coach level fairly quickly. I do know it lowers the high side and high end for two minutes. If it is not level after two minutes it raises the low side and end. I just leave my engine idling while the auto level is working and then come back and shut down the engine when it's level. This provides plenty of air if you are on a big slope and lets the engine components cool before shutdown.
Hi KJohn,
Leveling is a one or two minute operation. Auto or manual, it should not be longer.
Raymond
X2 on leave engine running during level
HWH told us that if we let the coach sit for a bit at the campsite and then leveled the system would do a better job. I now get parked, shut off the generator, hook up the electric cord, put on the tire covers (if staying more than just overnight), and then level. Our system dumps air first, then pauses for a minute or so, and then adds air if needed. Since I'm supposed to let the engine idle for a few minutes before shutting down anyway, this routine works for us.
What is inside an airbag?
BJ
Here is a print that may help you http://www.sdtrucksprings.com/images/airide/w01-358-9448.gif (http://www.sdtrucksprings.com/images/airide/w01-358-9448.gif)
Not much but a rubber stop.
Pamela & Mike
Think of it as a hard rubber ballon. We call them air bags, they are actually air springs.
Roland
A few years ago someone posted photos of a cut-apart airbag. I'm trying to find them for you.
Air Spring Ass'y (Air Bags) (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=12109.msg62563#msg62563)
When you lift your coach to as high as it will go, the distance from the metal donuts to the frame member above it is 6.25 to 6.5 inches. Makes shorter safety blocks for working under your coach then the 11.5 inch ones most folks put beside the airbags. I purchased high strength aluminum pipe from a boat manufacturer with 2 inch ID, which is the OD of the metal donuts.
Wyatt
Hi All,
I safety block as Wyatt. Need just over six inches to keep coach near the highest it will go. The mount just over the washer/spacer that the factory has on all frames.
Raymond
thanks for the link to the diagram. that helps. I was not aware that there was a solid rubber block inside that the weight of the coach could rest on, until Wayne mentioned it in his comments.
oops, meant Wyatt, not Wayne.