Ride Issues

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Ride Issues

April 08, 2019, 02:24:54 pm

Thursday went to a rally and no issues. On the way home I noticed the coach pulling slightly to the right. I also noticed the Travel Mode buzzer would quickly sound every once in a while. As I focused on the issue I learned the it would sound when I encountered dips in the road it would sound very quickly. Pressure was running around 110 psi while traveling. There was a section on the road that had like 4 dips in a row and the travel mode light would go off and on along with the warning beeper. Trying to figure out was is wrong. Don't know how to start analyzing the issues. I'm considering of changing out the air dryer. I don't know how long its been in the coach. This way I have a base line. Don't know if I should change the ride height valves and the pressure valve on the 6 pack.
John M.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #1 – April 08, 2019, 02:48:40 pm

Don't overlook loose wires, plugs, grounds, etc. since it seems to happen on a bump.
Is the pressure varying or dropping when this occurs?

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #2 – April 08, 2019, 03:20:24 pm

I would sure CHECK ride height.

Then, get out your safety stands and soapy solution and check for air leaks at 6 packs as well as ride height valves and air bags.

Consider air dryer replacement/major rebuild as very good Preventive Maintenance. But not related to your current problem.

If ride height got very low, check for signs of tire wearing through top of wheel well.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #3 – April 08, 2019, 03:25:49 pm

If you don't know when the air dryer was last replaced then you run the risk of it leaving you stranded without warning. (Yes, I know by personal experience.) I strongly recommend installing a remanufactured unit.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #4 – April 08, 2019, 03:26:29 pm

Quote from: folivier – April 08, 2019, 02:48:40 pm

Don't overlook loose wires, plugs, grounds, etc. since it seems to happen on a bump.
Is the pressure varying or dropping when this occurs?

Yes it does, but comes right up.

I'm on a level site. I aired up the coach all the way up to check underneath and then hit dump on the panel till I didn't hear anymore air and only the rear came down. When I hit the down arrow for the front I can hear it dump, then I hit the main dump valve and it continued to come down. Never had that happened. Something is not working right.

We will try it again and see if it repeats. Right now the coach is all the way down on the wheels and the level panel shows no lout of level lights. Going to start the coach and let go into travel mode and then I will check the bag height on all 8 bags.
John M.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #5 – April 08, 2019, 03:31:40 pm

Rough roads knocked my ride height valves out of adjustment. I have an entirely different system .

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #6 – April 08, 2019, 04:35:28 pm

Lowered coach all the way down and started it up and let come to travel mode. There was a few times it struggled to go into travel mode because of the right side. When I raised the right side a little it went into travel mode. Below is a picture of all of the measurements at every bag. Left to right at the front is a 2 inch difference. Don't know if its the ride height valves or a solenoid on the front. 6 pack. Excuse my drawing.
John M.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #7 – April 08, 2019, 04:44:07 pm

John,

If those are bag measurements (8" is factory spec), I would agree, you have a problem. Since there is only a single ride height valve in front, there is SOME "averaging"-- rare for each side to be exactly the same. But, normally you can balance a non-slide Foretravel within 1/2 to 3/4" delta side to side.

But (OK, large BUT) 3.75" delta right to left is excessive (unless you have a really big rock collection in the front right basement!

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #8 – April 08, 2019, 04:56:51 pm

John,

Remember that having the "TRAVEL" light ON does not tell you anything about what the air bags are actually doing. The "TRAVEL" light only means the leveling system is OFF, and the air compressor has built sufficient system air pressure to close the pressure switch on the rear 6-pack manifold. It does not mean the vehicle is at the proper ride height.

If you are getting a "Travel Mode buzzer" while driving, and at the same time you show normal system air pressure, then it is possible that there is a loose wire at the rear 6-pack pressure switch. A bad connection there can cause intermittent alarms.

You need to follow a logical trouble shooting procedure to determine what is going on. As luck would have it, the HWH Series 600 Service Manual contains exactly that! Don't know if you have the 600 Series system, but the trouble shooting steps should be very similar in any case.

https://www.hwhcorp.com/ml11148.pdf

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #9 – April 08, 2019, 05:56:53 pm

I was on the phone with Red Tractor. He feels the right front travel solenoid is not working and all the lifting is being do on the left front. It will go up manually but not in travel mode. Attached is my part of my air schematic. There are 6 solenoids on the 6 pack I can see were the air bags for the right front go in at lines 35 and 36. I just don't know which solenoid is the right front travel solenoid. I don't think I have a detailed schematic of the rear 6 pack layout or the part numbers to the solenoids.
John M

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #10 – April 08, 2019, 06:04:20 pm

Manifold layout.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #11 – April 08, 2019, 07:13:13 pm

Thanks Chuck,
I learned I have the 600 Series. The top right solenoid is the travel solenoid for the right front air bags. From BeamAlarm the solenoid number is RAP1940 and the replacement coil is RAP90568. Is it best to replace the entire solenoid or just the coil? Or order one coil and one solenoid?
John M.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #12 – April 08, 2019, 07:25:14 pm

John,I have a used rap1940 that the PO removed,don't know if it's good I can send it to you to try it.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #13 – April 08, 2019, 07:59:06 pm

John,

Before you start replacing things, did you try the trouble shooting steps in the manual I linked? They should lead you to recommended solutions, depending on the results.

Or, being a man of action, you could try swapping the left and right side front travel solenoids. See if the problem moves to the other side. That might narrow down the possible suspects.

It is easy to check the coil on any given solenoid. When the coil is energized by one of the buttons on the HWH control panel, it is magnetized and the valve opens. You should be able to hear the valve clicking open if you are under the coach and in close proximity to the 6-pack.

There isn't much to go wrong mechanically with the actual valve, but it can develop a leak. You may remember the long thread 3 years ago about repairing the HWH 6-pack solenoid valves. We got into a lot of detail about what can leak, and how to correct the problem.

Working On My Six Pack

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #14 – April 08, 2019, 08:15:53 pm

Quote from: John44 – April 08, 2019, 07:25:14 pm

John,I have a used rap1940 that the PO removed,don't know if it's good I can send it to you to try it.

Thanks for the offer. I did get your voicemail. Just been very busy troubleshooting the problem. I will keep the offer in mind. Red Tractor here in Florida has one also.
John.M.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #15 – April 08, 2019, 08:22:03 pm

Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie – April 08, 2019, 07:59:06 pm

John,

Before you start replacing things, did you try the trouble shooting steps in the manual I linked? They should lead you to recommended solutions, depending on the results.

Or, being a man of action, you could try swapping the left and right side front travel solenoids. See if the problem moves to the other side. That might narrow down the possible suspects.

It is easy to check the coil on any given solenoid. When the coil is energized by one of the buttons on the HWH control panel, it is magnetized and the valve opens. You should be able to hear the valve clicking open if you are under the coach and in close proximity to the 6-pack.

There isn't much to go wrong mechanically with the actual valve, but it can develop a leak. You may remember the long thread 3 years ago about repairing the HWH 6-pack solenoid valves. We got into a lot of detail about what can leak, and how to correct the problem.

Working On My Six Pack

I will swap them out tomorrow and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for the idea.
That is simple. To answer your question on the trouble shooting. I had not looked at yet. I was already using my own logic to isolate the problem. I will look it tonight and review it. I am a take charge person and don't like to waste time. I use the knowledge I have to resolve any problems and research as I go. Will check it out tonight.
John M.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #16 – April 08, 2019, 08:47:04 pm

John,

Now that you have a lead on the ride height solenoid let me give a thought about the light and buzzer alarming.

With you traveling on a wavy road it may be nothing more than the 2 rear ride height valves trying to add and dump air faster than the air supply line from the front of the coach can make up. As the air pressure drops and raises it will drop and clear the alarm quickly. Ours does this sometimes. The worse road section for our coach to do as you describe is going across the river bridge on I-55 from Memphis to West Memphis. It all depends on the speed over the sections in relation to the oscillations in the frame.

If you don't find a bad solenoid you may have a trailing arm bushing (or 2) binding at the top of the arms travel.

Mike

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #17 – April 08, 2019, 10:27:09 pm

Not to
Muddy the water, your bag measurements should be made at rear bags on the front and the rear bags on the back, if memory serves me. The back looks fine. I'm at a loss on the front measurement. It would seem to me if you had a failed solenoid the RF would not come up at all.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #18 – April 08, 2019, 10:33:37 pm

Quote from: bbeane – April 08, 2019, 10:27:09 pm

Not to
Muddy the water, your bag measurements should be made at rear bags on the front and the rear bags on the back, if memory serves me.

Ya, that question came up a week or so ago (as to which position to measure ride height).

I was told the bags toward center of the coach (rear of front and front of rear).

Would love for someone to get and post a definitive answer from James Triana or Keith Risch.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #19 – April 08, 2019, 10:33:51 pm

Mike, right now the right front air bags are not coming up in travel mode. The left front is over compensating. I can raise it manually. Tomorrow I will follow the trouble shooting procedure and check the fuses in the box and check for power to the solenoids. I'm pressed for time and have to leave in the coach to a rally we are hosting in St. Louis, MO. I'm hoping it's just a solenoid issue.
John M

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #20 – April 08, 2019, 11:23:28 pm

Brett, you are right now that I think about it. The bags closest to the suspension mounting points to the frame/ body make sense.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #21 – April 09, 2019, 01:05:37 pm

Issue resolved. Studied the trouble shooting procedures last night. No blown travel fuse, had power at the travel solenoids and one coil had very high resistance reading. My assumption was that was my solenoid. Great and simple advice to check the coils Red Tractor gave was to turn the key to the on position and touch the stem with a screw driver. If the coil is working it will be magnetic. Touched one it was good, touched the one with high resistance and no magnetism. Problem found. Now I'm off to get a coil from red tractor and finish the job. He has been a great help. Thank you all for your suggestions and help. It's nice to have this resource to go for help.

After the job is done I need to see about some yoga classes. Not easy to twist and turn up front to get to the six pack. 😁😎

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #22 – April 10, 2019, 12:01:57 pm

Well I installed the coil today and the coach came up as it should. I measured the coach height on the front bags of the rear and the rear bags of the front. I made the gauge Barry shows in BeamAlarm to the 8" dimension and notched out a 1/4" on one side. The bags were all in the 8 1/4" setting. Thanks Barry for the infomation on BeamAlarm and again thank you to this forum.

John M.

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #23 – April 10, 2019, 12:30:35 pm

Just a tidbit, I know I am preaching to some of the choir.
Anyone having this issue, be careful, I split my windshield from top to bottom because of a bad ride height solenoid.
You need to carry one of two with you at all times.
I lost one in the middle of the desert last year, with no cell service.
Fortunately I add a spare with me.
I get mine here, in stock, great price, will ship them ASAP wherever you are

http://www.nwrvsupply.com/category/158.html

Cheers

Re: Ride Issues

Reply #24 – April 10, 2019, 12:58:41 pm

Quote from: gracerace – April 10, 2019, 12:30:35 pm

Just a tidbit, I know I am preaching to some of the choir.
Anyone having this issue, be careful, I split my windshield from top to bottom because of a bad ride height solenoid.
You need to carry one of two with you at all times.
I lost one in the middle of the desert last year, with no cell service.
Fortunately I add a spare with me.
I get mine here, in stock, great price, will ship them ASAP wherever you are

http://www.nwrvsupply.com/category/158.html

Cheers

I agree. I was lucky my windshield did not split. I was told by Red Tractor that I could have raised it manually and it would have stayed till I got home.

Thanks for the reminder.

John M.

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