Knoedler seat bladder will not deflate, unable to drive due to seat height. Bladder rock hard, unable to deflate with seat switch,
Well, everything was going great on the commencement voyage of our full-timer start & relocation trip to Tampa, then we stopped at an I95 North Carolina Rest Area after a 10+ hour drive today to stretch our legs!
We had the coach running, I left to check the Foretravel, the trailer and make sure everything was fine after the last four hour ride. Kristen went to the Welcome Center. When I got back in the Coach, I noticed the drivers seat was raised up, touching the steering wheel??? You cannot get in the seat to drive. The rubber base was detached due to the extreme height. I sat on the seat, used the air bleed switch to adjust down or up, (as normal) lots of exhaust air coming from the switch, no movement in the seat. Examined the bladder that adjusts the height, it's "rock hard". I adjusted the air supply valve behind the seat to shut off all air, bleeding the switch does not deflate the bladder. looking to see how the "controls" detach from the seat base to see if something is messed up, (cracked switch???). Not sure how the bladder bleeds / deflates?
Searching Forums. Knoedler only has an email tech support from what I can tell. We also have "Good Sam" dispatching a Service Tech. Any ideas on what this could be?
Thanks in advance. Jeff & Kristen
You can loosen the fitting between the air switch and the boot and it will deflate. Some fiddling will get you the height you need until a better fix comes in.
Update: Tech came out and within 5 minutes figured out the problem.
The coach air regulator behind the seat is defective, unable to regulate the air. The regulator was pumping to much air into the switch/bladder. When we turned the regulator completely off, a good percentage of air still flows through the regulator, tech said this should completely stop/block air flow. So, at it's original setting the regulator air had overpowered the switch and pumped the seat bladder to max. We'll replace the air regulator, just need to get a part number, believed to be a standard air regulator. Seems just by chance, when we parked to stretch our legs, with no weight in the seat, the regulator over inflated the seat raise air bladder, the air release switch could not bleed air off, (overpowered by the regulator)..
The best part of the experience was the fast service provided by the "Good Sam" Roadside assistance program, and the Tech "Billy". PLUS the education I received from the Tech Billy.
1. Leather Seat Top comes off very easily by sliding forward and tilting forward/up, this exposes the bladder air lines and connectors. This also exposes the screws to the controls at the side. This gets you into the "guts" so you can access the bladder, air lines, disconnects, etc.
2. Once the seat raise/lower bladder is over-extended, will not release air UNTIL you manually bleed, (via disconnecting the air line).
3. The air return line from the bladder has a "quick-disconnect" fitting just above the bladder, coming through the metal base of the seat, (just under the cushion removed). This "quick-disconnect" is very similar to a "shark-bite" plumbing connector, only all plastic. To remove and bleed the air, simply push the plastic airline towards the fitting, at the same time, use your fingernail to push-in the darker gray "ring" in the connector towards the fitting. This releases the "grip" on the plastic air line, and it simply pops off, due to the pressure in the bladder. The bladder deflated immediately. Then push the air line back into the "fitting", once deflated. Simple, if you know how its designed and operates.
4. We "aired-up" the coach with the regulator in the "closed position", or minimal position, (puts the least air volume/pressure into the seat switch) this will get us driving. We will replace the regulator, which should be able to completely shut off the flow of air to the seat. The air up/release switch might be a suspect too.
Learned a couple good lessons today about the Foretravel, still a "newbe" but love the challenge... Now, we can continue our adventure.
Cheers~ J & K
Craneman- You are correct!!!
Thank you for the quick reply. I was stuck at how to get access to the parts... the Tech arrived just as I was reading your post.
Much appreciated!. Jeff
Yowser! At over $3,500.00+, on this one I found, with all the Bells a Whistles, it sure is something! May I ask what you folks who have these, see as the Huge Benefit? I am considering just getting new FOAM in a Seat, I have currently, as the Right side bottom portion is sort of Flatter than the Left Cheek area?
Trucker seem to be satisfied with them, but their Semi-Tractors, bounce like rubber balls at times. With the Ride we already enjoy, does this seat make any difference? I sure hope so?
Also, is there a Certain Adapter needed, or is it Plug and Play? How much more for that, if necessary!
Power Chief Midback Truck Seat With Headrest By Knoedler - Raney's Truck Parts (https://www.raneystruckparts.com/power-chief-midback-truck-seat-with-headrest-by-knoedler/?msclkid=a8f4210fe5a5176c3fd77d953cdd15b0&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=)(ROI)%20Shopping%20-%20General&utm_term=4579191052868606&utm_content=Big%20Rigs
Guns,
Search is your friend.............
for example:
New Driver Seat? (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=23688.msg184920#msg184920)
or:
Air seats (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=35553.msg333368#msg333368)
HTH,
Neal
My 1997 has the same problem. I think it is from just sitting on the edge of the seat when not driving. I have notice I was always sitting on the corner of the seat unless I was driving. I had learned when I would go and sit in the seat instead of sitting on the corner I would move all the way in and sit in the seat like I was driving.
My newer coach came with one. I use it with just a little air in the bladder. Takes a little getting use to when you go and sit down the seat will move way down as my weight makes it lower. The only one bad think I have notice is if you hit a woo-pe-du you will go up and if you have very little air in the seat it will bottom out. The way I look at it is if I had a regular seat I would have bottomed it out also but it would have not been so noticeable. The seat cools and heats but I have not used either feature yet. It also has bladders for the back but have not used those either.
My husband had some pretty severe back issues, and driving in the original seat was problematic after a few hours. The Seat in Beeman's coach (formerly ours) had been removed from a much newer, fancier coach because the owner (apparently a little, skinny guy) was not fond of it. It is much more appreciated by those with a "generous" frame. David Flanagan realized that it exactly matched the interior of our coach, and knew that we had planned some interior upgrades in the not too distant future, so he called and asked if we were interested! SO happy that I made friends with that guy so many years ago! Having that seat made a world of difference for Mr Wonderful, and driving for 3 or 4 hours at a stretch was no longer an issue.
The many, many areas of adjustability on that seat make it ideal for anyone who needs to dial in a level of comfort when driving down the road. Back, arms, seat, lumbar ... it is pretty amazing. Warms your posterior OR blows cool air to keep you from getting sweaty. Parts are available from Knoedler in Canada, and they were great to deal with over the phone. It would be a shame if they no longer spoke directly with customers.
For about $700.00 you can get 4 Koni FSDs up front, and I have to say they really made my old coach into a new one. I can't imagine how much better the Knoedler seat can be.
Huge difference. I put new Konis on twice but loved my airseat
The "experience " is 20yrs old, but back in day when I drove a delivery (Schwans) truck with an air seat I found them to be problematic. The ride in the seat was great until you hit a bump or a pothole.
The seat would either bounce down and bottom out ( hard on your back) or bounce up and force my head to smack the roof of the cab. And seems like it took forever to adjust that issue out of it. In fact I don't think I ever did completely solve the problem. I just learned to partially support the seat travel with my feet on the floorboard.
That said , Foretravel coaches ride MUCH different than that truck did so perhaps it's no issue at all. Or that bouncy thing has been engineered out of them. I would be all in on that cooling or venting seat thing. We've already decided that our seats that need redone will have the perforated leather ( much like our Corvette n Lexus has) in the seat (butt) area .....
Well, we made it to Florida. Air regulator adjusted to zero, worked great! Will get a new one today.
My comments on the comfort of the seat: As Carol said in summary, if you have a bad back, this is the drivers chair! AND I have unfortunately developed a real bad back situation from years of working to hard... In our cars I can't drive more than a couple hours without some real serious discomfort and tightness and ice packs, (yeah bad). This chair is infinitely adjustable, back, legs, armrests, etc and is real smooth, not bouncy at all over the highway gaps, bridge plates, etc- and I'm a skinny guy. Actually flows air out the seat performations, (has a cooling fan). I like to drive in my cargo shorts, keeps my legs from getting sticky on the leather.
On this trip South, we were really delayed up north, and I had appointments here in Tampa. Day one, I was in that seat for 14 hours, (two quick stops only). the next day 9 hours, (two stops). We do not intend to travel at this pace BTW. The time sitting/driving was not a problem for my back at all. Very supportive and comfortable actually. My only complaint was that I literally had the seat "dialed-in" to the adjustments that fit my frame and weight from fiddling with it over the last couple of trips, it has three bladders for the lumber adjustment. When the regulator blew out, all that had to be readjusted, I'm almost there...
Yes, they are not inexpensive, however for me, I could not travel without a drivers seat like this one or a Bostrom seat. In my opinion they are well worth the expense. Thanks Carol & Jeff for puttin' that seat in the coach, we love it!!!
Safe travels ~ Jeff & Kristen