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Travel mode and ride height

November 28, 2015, 09:58:30 pm

On the way back to Florida (home) from Maine this year our driver side air bag would not inflate to ride height. We start our engine, build up air pressure, retract the slides, press the travel mode button on the HWH panel and the green light would come on but the driver side air bag would not inflate to ride height. We found that if we would then level the coach, raise the front, then press travel that the air bag would stay inflated. Also, we have found moisture in the air reservoirs and an air leak in a sight jar that is connected to the auxiliary 12 volt compressor.

Is anyone familiar with kind of problem? Remedies?

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Re: Travel mode and ride height

Reply #1 – November 28, 2015, 11:04:56 pm

In regards to your driver's side air bags not coming up to travel mode I would guess its your left side travel solenoid on the six pack manifold is not operating.

You don't mention which axel. You have a six pack manifold for the front axle and one for the rear. Each having two travel solenoids one for each side.

For the moisture in your air reservoir tanks I would suggest servicing your air dryer.

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Reply #2 – November 28, 2015, 11:36:12 pm

Service the air dryer for the main air system, and the dryer for the auxiliary compressor NOW! Chances are good that you will be replacing some valves in the air system. If there is moisture, there may be desiccant in the system. It tends to foul valves in the air system. BTDT. You may be able to "dodge the bullet" with immediate service.

Air dryers must be serviced regularly. Intervals depend on environment, usage, luck, etc. Checking the air tanks for moisture on a regular basis is good practice.

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Reply #3 – November 28, 2015, 11:38:31 pm

Also check the "O" ring on the sight jar and for cracks. If the desiccant is a pink color, it's time to change it with new or bake it in the oven to get the moisture out.

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Reply #4 – November 29, 2015, 08:09:33 am

Thanks for all the advice. Will have dryer and valves serviced.

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Reply #5 – November 29, 2015, 08:45:14 pm

The moisture in the plastic filter for the aux system is separate from the main coach air, and can be bled out of the bottom of the bowl. The newer coaches do not use the dessicant like is in yours, but the problem with not raising is probably due as was mentioned to a bad travel solenoid

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Reply #6 – February 26, 2016, 10:05:16 pm

Turns out that we had several problems. A cracked sight glass on the leveling system was leaking air, the right rear ride height valve was leaking air, the right rear ride height vale linkage was fatigued and we had an air leak in the brake lines. Under pressure the rubber linkage parts would bend causing over inflation of the air bag. We replaced air dryer, three air filters of the leveling system, three ride height vales along with linkage, front ride height solenoid. All appears well now.

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Reply #7 – February 27, 2016, 12:33:44 pm

Here should be some pictures of the linkage.

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Reply #8 – February 27, 2016, 01:13:31 pm

The first time I crawled under our coach, and saw that ride height linkage, I could not help laughing.  It looked so...amateurish...like something a kid would build.  And yet, it has (apparently) functioned just fine on our coach for over 23 years and 180,000 miles!  Hard to argue with success - sometimes simple works best.

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Reply #9 – February 27, 2016, 01:22:50 pm

@Chuck,

I had the same reaction the first time I saw the linkage!

see ya
ken

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Reply #10 – February 27, 2016, 03:15:42 pm

That same linkage is on slot of highway tractors and trailers. Simple and easy to repair

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