When we bought our 1999 U320, we heard several different theories from owners of similar coaches about how they level and they use the HWH panel. I'm just trying to get some sense of "best practices" here and to understand what's really happening. Two specific questions, but feel free to address other topics we might need to know:
- One friend recommended totally dumping air, then leveling, to eliminate as much rocking motion as possible when the coach is parked. I've never figured out a sequence of key-presses that would accomplish that.
- More recently it was suggested to us that after leveling (by whatever method) to turn OFF the HWH panel. I thought I understood the reason to be that it would keep the compressor from running, that we hear about twice every 24 hours. We've never minded the sound, but turning off the switch didn't stop whatever we hear from running anyway.
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So, what's going on here? Sorry this is a newbie type question, but after nine months full-time in the coach, we're still discovering there is a lot we don't know.
The 12 volt pump provides air pressure for inflating and deflating the slide bladder along with leveling. Unless you remove the fuse, I believe it will run whenever the air pressure drops.
As for leveling, I find my system will occasionally dump a little air to maintain level, and eventually need to run the pump to paint it back up. I can shut the system off to stop this cycling and the coach stays level for extended periods of time.
My mechanic located and fixed all the suspension side leaks after we acquired our coach. Left for long periods of time with the hwh system off after leveling it does not move.
There is a dump valve switch on the panel. I dump all air before leveling to keep the entry door as low as possible for my wife.
craneman, after dumping do you auto level using two pushes, and do you keep engine running. Then when you are ready to leave do you hit the storage button?
After dumping hit the level button twice with engine running. When ready to leave turn off the leveling system and start engine and wait for travel light is how I do it. I don't have a storage button
I stand corrected the manual does not want the air dumped level from ride height.
You might wish to review this:
HWH Leveling Procedures (http://www.beamalarm.com/Documents/hwh/hwh_leveling_procedures.html)
I will level from ride height even though I cannot think of a reason to not dump the bags first.
I dump the bags for the same reason that Craneman does and that also holds my wheel covers in place so that they don't blow away in the night.
Speedbird1
n.b. that the light is not an indication that you're at ride height all around, it just indicates that you have adequate pressure. Ride height should be verified visually before moving
Here's a previous discussion topic on leveling So -- How do you level your coach? (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=12080.msg62412#msg62412)
If you are on a significantly unlevel site dumping all the air might twist the coach and put things like the windshield at risk. Kind of like manually leveling improperly can do.
I sometimes dump some air before leveling in order to lower the coach for convenience at the step. I cease leveling at the sound and feel of any "corner" hitting a stop. That is how I attempt to avoid the twisting forces that Michelle mentioned.
If you can't sense when a "corner" comes to rest on at the bottom of the allowing movement, you may want to use automatic leveling from travel height.
I sense vary slight changes in attitude of the coach, can feel the suspension hitting bottom, and can hear the leveling relays "rattle" when an air spring bottoms. My bride, doesn't identify those events. Different folk have different sensitivities. (OTOH, she is really good at noticing some things that escape me altogether. :D )