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06-13-2007, 09:30 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 341
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New coach goes over bumps in the highway and there's a clunking coming from below the front seats. I've had an alignment shop check everything out and all was tight and nothing was hitting anything else. Also had Coach Care take a look and couldn't find anything. I did a good going over of the front compartment to make sure it wasn't any of my stuff.
Anyone have similar problem?? Anyone found a solution if you have had it? Would appreciate any and all info as going down the road in the truck lane with all the "ripples" almost hurts as I listen to the clunking.
Thanks.
__________________
David Horn, TX; 2014 40ft Phaeton QTH; 2014 Mazda CX5; 2013 Can-AM Spyder RT-S on TandemTow trailer; Traveling with Ringo (an English Cocker)
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06-13-2007, 09:30 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 341
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New coach goes over bumps in the highway and there's a clunking coming from below the front seats. I've had an alignment shop check everything out and all was tight and nothing was hitting anything else. Also had Coach Care take a look and couldn't find anything. I did a good going over of the front compartment to make sure it wasn't any of my stuff.
Anyone have similar problem?? Anyone found a solution if you have had it? Would appreciate any and all info as going down the road in the truck lane with all the "ripples" almost hurts as I listen to the clunking.
Thanks.
__________________
David Horn, TX; 2014 40ft Phaeton QTH; 2014 Mazda CX5; 2013 Can-AM Spyder RT-S on TandemTow trailer; Traveling with Ringo (an English Cocker)
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06-13-2007, 10:54 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Abington, PA
Posts: 1,103
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Dave, go to noise in front end in the find section. It just possibly may shed some light on your situation.
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Ted & Carol Ulmer
2005 Alpine 34', 34FDDS
2006 PT Turbo pusher
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06-13-2007, 12:32 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Northeast PA
Posts: 1,146
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The first place I'd look would be the bushings on the sway bar. They are very often overlooked unless specific directions are given.
Although the Coach is young doesn't mean the bushings are good. Case in point: I had a 96 Mystique with less than 8,000 miles on it that had a bad bushing in 1 of the links.
I know this is not a car; but it will have elastomer bushings to insulate the suspension.
Go under the Coach and look at where the sway bar is attached to the chassis. If it has any real clearance between the inside diameter of the bushing and the outside diameter of the bar, chances are it'll be a relatively inexpensive fix.
Let me know what you find.
BTW, I don't have mine here to check so I'm just going on previous experience with heavy over-the-road equipment.
__________________
Bob (Squidly Down Under) & Peg - 2013 Ford Focus pushing a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser 2552S
"In God we trust" to preserve our country and bring our Troops safely home.
Carry on, regardless..................
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06-13-2007, 12:38 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Fremont, Ca
Posts: 1,325
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Have you checked the rod that tells the front air bags how much to fill? On our 05 the rod was not connected at the factory and one of the air bags was not filling. The front end had a terrible clunk when going over bumps.
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Jerry & Judy, Fremont, California
2017 Dutch Star 4018
Freightliner, HWH Active Air
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06-13-2007, 02:08 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 41
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I had a noise that sounded like it was right under my seat (drivers side).
I thought it might be a shock, strut even had a rubber gasket glued around the generator compartment. Turned out to be the metal bracket which attaches to the body. Sit up under the wheel well. Mine was the drivers side wheel well. See if there is a bracket attached to the body. It may be loose.
That noise drove me nuts!! Good luck with yours
Andy
05 AlpineCoach Avalanche
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06-13-2007, 02:29 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WASHINGTON
Posts: 284
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On my 2000, the first time it was a loose step. I know what you mean, it drives you nuts. It happened again, slightly different, but more solid. It turned out to be in the front end torque arm. It could not be found until a bolt fell out!!!
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06-14-2007, 09:18 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 341
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Follow-up: Thanks for all your suggestions. I just got off the phone with Cary Kaiser of Kaiser Alignment in Eugene, OR who do all the troubleshooting for me (at no cost). He said that the bushings on the sway bar and all the shock bushings were tight. The torque arm was secure. Everything they could check and tighten, they did.
He still thinks it has something to do with an 1/8" thick strap that is wrapped around the springs (my non-technical talk betrays that I am a retired accountant). He said that there was some space between the strap and the spring and that may be the clunk. He opined that the strap had no real value although most of the chassis mfgrs use something like it. His opinion is that if there was a problem with the springs coming apart, that strap would be gone in 5 seconds.
Hopefully I'll find a shop somewhere in Wisconsin (next stop) who will take a look at his suggestion for putting a wedge between the strap and the spring and taking it down the road.
Thanks again.
__________________
David Horn, TX; 2014 40ft Phaeton QTH; 2014 Mazda CX5; 2013 Can-AM Spyder RT-S on TandemTow trailer; Traveling with Ringo (an English Cocker)
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06-14-2007, 09:47 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Northeast PA
Posts: 1,146
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Is it possible to use a bungee cord to hold the strap away form the spring? Or at least hold it snug?
I'd try something like that before I started carving stuff out of the Coach.
__________________
Bob (Squidly Down Under) & Peg - 2013 Ford Focus pushing a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser 2552S
"In God we trust" to preserve our country and bring our Troops safely home.
Carry on, regardless..................
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06-14-2007, 09:52 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Auburn, CA, Havasu, AZ & Mulege, BCS
Posts: 5,385
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Daivd- Try running the gen slide out so you can get at both sides. Then check all of the elements on the inside by trying to vibrate them w/your hands. Make a fist & pound rapidly on each item simulating hitting a bump. This is what the WRV tech did on mine & found one of the lower, round (I think fog) lights was banging on the gen cover hole it mounts thru. I thought it was something to do w/the step the way it sounded. An adjustment on the light left enough space that it didn't bang on the fiberglass.
__________________
Baja-tested '08 2-slide 36'
Alpine: The Ultimate DIY'er Project
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06-14-2007, 11:58 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 105
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Dave
2 excellen shops are Cummins coach Care at White Bear Lake, MN. (just n. of St. Paul off of 35N.) or Kings Campers in Wausau, highly recommended by many. presnetly in Birchwood,WI. best of luck Larry
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06-14-2007, 01:48 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 128
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I have a friend that has a 2001 38 FDDS and he had a clunk in the front end and it was found to be a loose saftey bar lockout for the Gen slide. You can only hope it would be that simple. -Mike
__________________
2003 Alpine Coach 34 FDDS
Moorpark, CA
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06-18-2007, 06:35 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 870
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I have had two issues with clunking under the front seats.
The first turned out to be the splash panel behind the right front tire had a bolt that holds it to the rest of the body and it had come loose and fallen out. I tightened the splash panel up and it went away.
The second turned out to actually be the external panel door that covers the holding tanks on the passenger's side on our 36 mid-door. It's right behind the last bay door behind the entry door. Bolts first came loose and the the door banged while drving. Replace the loose bolt and it went away. 4000 miles later the bolts fell out and the door banged when driving but it would only be hanging a little way out on the bottom and not be easily noticeable when stopped.
The mounts on this door used bolts that thread into the aluminum frame holding the Structurwood cover on the bottom under the tanks. The threads had become sloppy. I got some slightly oversided bolts and threaded them into the aluminum frame, creating new threads while doing so, and it go the door panel good and tight. Then I covered the bolts with duct tape so they didn't back out easily if they came loose. Haven't had a problem since.
So, check both panels -- splash panel behind the wheel and this door panel over the tanks and see if it might be one of these. Might not be for you but it was for me.
__________________
2019 Winnebago 22M
2015 Jeep JK Rubicon
Former Owner, 2006 Alpine Coach 36MDDS
Former Owner, 2005 Tioga 31M and Arctic Fox 22GQ
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06-23-2007, 09:45 AM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 43
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Your problem is the drag link (arm from Pittman arm on the steering box to the steering arm on the wheel. It is not straight, as in earlier models, as WRV put a bend in it for better turning radius! If you crawl under the coach and grab it at the bend, push up and down agressively, it will make the Klunk! I made mine stop by loosening the clamp on each end, turn each end with a pipe wrench in the OPPOSITE direction until they won't turn any farther(put a hydraulic jack under the bend in the rod to keep it level so it doesn't sag down) and retighten the clamps. It puts the ball in the ends in a bind so the arm can't flop up and down and Klunk! Not the most perfect "fix", but it works! The Drag Link only moves forward and back, so it doesn't hurt anything. Mine has worked for 2 years. Roy
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