Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Topic: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading (Read 10493 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #75 – April 12, 2021, 06:12:23 pm

Quote from: dsd – April 12, 2021, 04:39:59 pm

Yes there is a off button on control panel but if the parking brake is released it automatically goes back to travel.
If the level button is pushed one to enter manual that would work except once parking brake is released goes back to travel
Scott

I am thinking it only goes back to working if you turn the key off and back on. I will have to check that when I go out again.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #76 – April 12, 2021, 06:21:46 pm

I had a left front air bag pop and lost all its air front driver side from over inflating it Manually trying to level the coach with one wheel in a hole and would not rein flat I let all the air out of the System and she inflated back up and I move it back on more level ground and it went back to normal it would not air up that one air bag till I empty the hole system there is only one valve in the front and the right side was full of air none in the left-hand side the air bag pop from the base
and then reseal it self

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #77 – April 12, 2021, 07:08:46 pm

Quote from: Elliott – April 12, 2021, 06:04:19 pm

One 40' country coach DP, one 38' Holiday Rambler (gas), one 38' Thor something or another (gas), and one Tiffin DP that was 36' or 38'.

Plus a big class C on a ford chassis and other much smaller rigs (casita, truck camper, 5th wheel, etc..). We have a very hodge podge group of friends

And I'll bet they all have rail type frames with the rigidity provided by the house. Right now you may consider it a liability, but with the Foretravel Unihome frame, the house will last much longer without falling apart.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #78 – April 12, 2021, 08:47:54 pm

Elliott, very sorry for your issues. Hang in there, it's just things, it'll get all taken care of and you'll have some good campfire stories. Wishing you the best.

This Thread has really got me thinking and wondering?....... I live in the mountains of Colorado where nothing is flat. To back in to my garage, I have to make a pretty severe S turn in reverse with concern about high centering at the top of the driveway as well as dragging both the front and rear when going from the sloped driveway to the flat garage. I have always put the HWH in manual, and lifted front and rear to almost the max and VERY slowly backed in. If not raised, I would drag the left rear and right front. With it raised, I haven't had any issues, I think the HWH being in manual mode makes the difference.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #79 – April 13, 2021, 12:10:51 am

Quote from: turbojack – April 12, 2021, 06:12:23 pm

I am thinking it only goes back to working if you turn the key off and back on. I will have to check that when I go out again.

I actually was in coach before my post double checking hopeful that you were correct. With parking brake off you cannot go into manual mode. Raise worked fine. Red parking brake lite illuminated on control panel with level selected and held. As soon as released goes back to travel green light illuminated.
Scott

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #80 – April 13, 2021, 12:30:57 am

Quote from: dsd – April 13, 2021, 12:10:51 am

I actually was in coach before my post double checking hopeful that you were correct. With parking brake off you cannot go into manual mode. Raise worked fine. Red parking brake lite illuminated on control panel with level selected and held. As soon as released goes back to travel green light illuminated.
Scott

That is the same way my coach works. I need to raise it to get the passenger side mirror over the gate and the only way is to keep the raised button with my left hand and drive through the gate as soon as the button is released it goes down to travel.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #81 – April 13, 2021, 04:59:13 am

Think Lt. may have a point,something happened before,if the torgue rods are truly bent then what bent them,theHWH did not bend a rod.Can you tell if the axle could have moved.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #82 – April 13, 2021, 09:52:45 am

Would have them get the coach to proper ride height and see what that looks like,and if any rods are bent get new ones instead of rebending and get new bushings for the whole coach.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #83 – April 13, 2021, 10:32:23 am

Quote from: craneman – April 13, 2021, 12:30:57 am

That is the same way my coach works. I need to raise it to get the passenger side mirror over the gate and the only way is to keep the raised button with my left hand and drive through the gate as soon as the button is released it goes down to travel.

In our 2004, the raise button holds status when pressed once. It releases if you exceed 5 mph or press another button (I don't remember exactly which buttons, certainly Stop)

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #84 – April 13, 2021, 10:44:59 am

Quote from: bpal – April 13, 2021, 10:32:23 am

In our 2004, the raise button holds status when pressed once.

The change from "momentary" to "latching" raise button action seems to have occurred somewhere around the 2000 model year. This also applies to the "dump" button.

The only way to know for sure how a particular coach works is to try it and see what happens.

Excerpts below from the HWH Air Leveling Systems Textbook (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=media;sa=item;in=1458#viewitem)

"The "RAISE" Button. When the button is pushed all the raise solenoid valves will open allowing the vehicle to raise. This is a momentary button on some systems and will latch in on other systems."

"The "DUMP" Button. When this button is pushed all the lower solenoid valves will open allowing the vehicle to lower. This is a momentary button on some systems and will latch in and stay on with other systems."

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #85 – April 13, 2021, 10:54:41 am

Ours is the latching relay, push once and coach will rise. 2003 U320

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #86 – April 13, 2021, 11:51:37 am

I'm just catching up on this post. First let me say that I wouldn't have given a second thought taking that S curve. I've been in a lot of places that look a lot worse. Looking at the photos it doesn't look "challenging", but then that's looking at a photo. It's also hard for me to conceive that the leveling system could do that much damage to the heavy duty suspension system on a Foretravel. The cracked windshield is not a surprise as that can happen in a shop but the suspension? Wondering if there was previous damage to the suspension system that you were unaware of. I wonder if you'll ever be able to determine exactly what broke and what caused it to break. I will surely be following this thread.

Roland

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #87 – April 13, 2021, 11:56:54 am

Elliot, sorry this happened to you. As others have said looking at your picture of the entrance and roadway I don't think I would have hesitated either other than the trees scraping my paint. My personal feeling and I'm sure there's plenty of people that will dispute this, is that these rings are not made for off-road. I know that plenty of people have taken them off road, or off of paved road but I have been hesitant to do so. Like the disperse camping north of Oregon Pike cactus national monument in Arizona. As I drove past it I was wondering how the hell am I going to get my coach out there? I know people do it but I wasn't comfortable with it. Maybe after more time with it as I only have on the coach for 3 years and put about 10,000 miles on it. But then again after seeing what you're going through maybe not. Someone indicated in this thread that we should take our coaches off road. Not every Foretravel is built the same. Not every leveling system works the same. And not every coach has the same age airbags and bushings and all the other parts that have to work together.
I'll have to think hard before I decide to do off-road in the future. Yours may be an isolated incident due to something that is yet seen. You may never know exactly what happened. One thing I do know from my own experiences and now yours too, is having good insurance is a must.
Good luck on the repairs and I hope it doesn't take too long to get you back on the road.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #88 – April 13, 2021, 12:08:16 pm

I've posted this picture before but they just don' make them like they used to. And probably a good thing that '81 rode like a dump truck and shook the insides on the freeways. But for 18 years we could go anywhere with the high center and beveled front and rear caps.
Camping on rough roads

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #89 – April 13, 2021, 12:13:57 pm

Quote from: rbark – April 13, 2021, 10:54:41 am

Ours is the latching relay, push once and coach will rise. 2003 U320

I haven't had a chance to play with mine much yet...while it's raising with the latched relay, is there a button to press that will stop at the current level?

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #90 – April 13, 2021, 12:21:16 pm

Keith, I'm going to see if my cancel button will stop my raise function part way. Oh and get back to work!

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #91 – April 13, 2021, 12:32:07 pm

On our coach (momentary raise and dump buttons) the trick is to set the suspension height however you want it (using any of the buttons) and then turn off the ignition switch before releasing the button. The coach will "freeze" in that position. I find this handy when dumping tanks. Engine running - trans in "N" and parking brake set - tilt the coach up on the passenger side - turn off ignition. Helps fully drain the holding tanks.

This would not work if coach is moving (or stopped with engine running and parking brake off).

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #92 – April 13, 2021, 01:24:28 pm

Just a reminder here, but the whole idea behind the automated HWH leveling system is to prevent the operator from twisting the frame of his RV. Something that was happening when we had four jacks with individual control.

As far as Elliott and his wife, I'm willing to place a small wager on a bent or broken attachment point on the uniframe. Something simple that just gave up the ghost under extreme duress.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #93 – April 13, 2021, 01:35:53 pm

Quote from: Old Toolmaker – April 13, 2021, 01:24:28 pm

Just a reminder here, but the whole idea behind the automated HWH leveling system is to prevent the operator from twisting the frame of his RV. Something that was happening when we had four jacks with individual control.

Yes in auto mode leveling. Travel mode is just attempting to satisfy the ride height valve requirements. If ground level is out of limits, travel mode doesn't know there is a operator induced issue and will attempt to correct as proven till one of the front tires is off the ground flexing the chassis to beyond limits. Front axle only has one ride height valve to address coach elevation only. Pitch is performed by rear ride height valves till input needs is met
Scott

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #94 – April 13, 2021, 01:42:52 pm

Yes, the ride height valves/travel mode are basically "not smart" (see how politically correct I am!). They merely maintain a given dimension between chassis and axle-- one on each side in the rear and a single one in front. Just a three decision tree based on input from the linkage-- do nothing, add air, exhaust air.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #95 – April 13, 2021, 01:54:24 pm

I was under my coach this morning greasing it and while there I was looking at the front suspension and it is really well built.
It is really hard for me to see the torque arms getting bent and they would have to be bent a whole lot to make a difference.
Where the torque arms supports are welded to the frame, if those welds let go then there would be displacement. The place Elliot drove through shouldn't bend or brake anything unless the part or parts were already weakened. I'm really curious what is foud
wrong.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #96 – April 13, 2021, 02:01:00 pm

Quote from: oldguy – April 13, 2021, 01:54:24 pm

Where the torque arms supports are welded to the frame, if those welds let go then there would be displacement. The place Elliot drove through shouldn't bend or brake anything unless the part or parts were already weakened. I'm really curious what is found
wrong.

Elliott ended up parked briefly with one wheel off the ground. I'm still willing to wager on one of those supports being moved.

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #97 – April 13, 2021, 02:14:01 pm

Frame crossmember is faulty , for my 9$ bet. The Non Foretravel stuff is really strong and corrosion resistant .

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #98 – April 13, 2021, 02:30:19 pm

Quote from: oldguy – April 13, 2021, 01:54:24 pm

I was under my coach this morning greasing it and while there I was looking at the front suspension and it is really well built.
It is really hard for me to see the torque arms getting bent and they would have to be bent a whole lot to make a difference.
Where the torque arms supports are welded to the frame, if those welds let go then there would be displacement. The place Elliot drove through shouldn't bend or brake anything unless the part or parts were already weakened. I'm really curious what is foud
wrong.

Yes, all the welds look good and I can't imagine any of the arms being bent. Even if the bulkhead partially failed. the airbags should be in the same location relative to everything else.

If the front axle itself moved, that could explain it. Perhaps an accident with a PO?

Pierce

Re: Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

Reply #99 – April 13, 2021, 02:45:27 pm

Have not studied the s curve,think it may have looked better then it was ,why did he end up with one wheel off the ground,would look good at the height valve linkage and find out if his tires could be
Oversized.

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