Community Forums

busa · 07-06-2008, 07:12 PM

hi guys. new here. i have been doing some reading around this forum and looks quite helpfull. i would like to take the oportunity to ask if anyone out there has experience problems filling the air bags. I have a 2008 forest river charleston 41 feet long with a freightliner xc chasis and a 400 cummis. a technician told me that the parking brake must be released to let air in air bags after engine running and jacks fully stored. some times this works and sometimes don`t. specially if i am getting out of a camp site a little too inclined. is there any special procedure i am missing? or certain criteria i am not meeting? if anyone can tell me the propper procedure i would apreciate it a lot.thanks for your response in advance.

busa · 07-06-2008, 07:12 PM

hi guys. new here. i have been doing some reading around this forum and looks quite helpfull. i would like to take the oportunity to ask if anyone out there has experience problems filling the air bags. I have a 2008 forest river charleston 41 feet long with a freightliner xc chasis and a 400 cummis. a technician told me that the parking brake must be released to let air in air bags after engine running and jacks fully stored. some times this works and sometimes don`t. specially if i am getting out of a camp site a little too inclined. is there any special procedure i am missing? or certain criteria i am not meeting? if anyone can tell me the propper procedure i would apreciate it a lot.thanks for your response in advance.

BigSkyBob · 07-06-2008, 07:32 PM

I can fill my bags as soon as the engine starts. The jacks can be up or down but I've never tried it with the parking brake released. The parking brake won't release until the air pressure reaches approximately 45 pounds on my coach so it doesn't really matter. It generally takes me 5 minutes to reach 125 pounds on both tanks running on high idle using the cruse control

Harry B · 07-06-2008, 07:58 PM

I am not familiar with your coach, but if it has the HWH systems like my coach has the pricedure is as follows:

Start the engine and wait for the air tanks to get up to pressure (you will hear air escape outside) and my gauges will show about 120 lbs of pressure.

Push the jacks up/store button on your leveling control panel.

This will initiate pressurizing the air bags.

busa · 07-06-2008, 08:00 PM

iss your chasis a freightliner or roadmaster. ? because i think they operate diferent.

Elkhartjim · 07-07-2008, 11:10 AM

I've got the same chassis FL xc. all I do is start the engine and while its coming up to pressure, bring up jacks. Seems to take about as long to pressure bags as bring up jacks. And yes, the brake is on all this time. If not, you would have to sit w/ foot on the brake. I always alow at least 5 minutes warm up in the summer just to get stuff nice and warm...longer in the winter. Edit, I assume you are flipping the fill switch.

busa · 07-07-2008, 01:21 PM

I don`t have a fill switch. it does it automatically but sometimes i have to lower the jacks and retract them again, some times twice with the engine running so i can inflate the air suspension. i`m thinking i am having trouble with the valve that is suposed to let air pass thru the air bags, it may be sticking or something. Does anyone knows where that valve is located? maybe y can clean and lubricate some mechanism or something related to it. my chasis was built in 2007 if it makes a difference. any help would be apreciated guys. it`s getting anoying having to wait for up to half hour lowering and retracting the self leveling jack system just to get the suspension back up.

Gary RVRoamer · 07-08-2008, 05:59 AM

Your coach is under both the Forest River and the Freightliner warranty, so why not let them find the problem and fix it? I'd start with Forest River, since it seems more likely to be a jack & dump valve problem than an air suspension problem. Fl put in the air brakes and suspension, but Forest River added the links to the jack system and associated dump valves.