Community Forums

lera · 04-09-2009, 07:16 AM

2005 Alpine limited 36FDTS, 75410 I appear to have a hydraulic leak in the bay area. There appears to be hydraulic hoses that run inside the chassis channel which the fresh water tank is up against and also the fresh water tank appears to be supported by this chassis channel. (about 5 inches high, white, passenger side of coach). There is no obvious access to these hoses.

Does anyone know what type of hydraulic hoses run inside the chassis channel beside the fresh water tank on the passenger side of the coach? Does anyone know how to access these hoses? Does anyone know how to remove or move the fresh water tank to access these hoses?

The leak is not water, it is clear and oily looking. The person who looked at it said it is hydraulic fluid. I will appreciate any help or suggestions to access these hoses and fix the leak. I do have hydraulic hoses on the outside of the channel but they are not leaking. You can put your hand inside the channel and feel the fluid and hoses on the inside of the channel and you can see it dripping from the channel on the outside. Thank you.

Wil Rathke · 04-09-2009, 08:03 AM

Check the pressure equalizer for the living room slide. This is a cylinder attached to the frame rail in the storage bay and runs parallel with it. It has hoses on each end and a rod extends from the center of the cylinder on one end or the other. This is a likely source of oil leak.

Old Scout · 04-09-2009, 09:03 AM

Generally speaking, HWH hose leaks have occured between/within the metal connections at the end of the hoses, ie, at the pump end or at the slide/jack ends. The area you are describing appears to be in the middle of the hose run--not very typical[save for the hoses over the engine radiator]. If you are convinced the leak is in the hose run and not in the connections Wil described, then you will probably have to drop the water tank to get inside the frame rail. Removing the water tank appears to be a straight-forward process--drain the water, disconnect all the feed/drain pipe connections, undo the threaded rods that hold the tank/tank support bracing in place. Then you will have to remove the suspected hose[s] from the entire length of the coach......Lots of work here....

Final thought--One of my "long-run" hoses is leaking at the pump and at the rear equalizer--rather than fish the old hose out. I am thinking about just abandoning[cap-off] the leaking hose and just rerouting the new hose on the ouside of the frame rail.

two sailors · 04-09-2009, 09:29 AM

To replace the hose, it may be possible to connect the new hose to the old one, then drag in the new as you pull out the old.??

Stone Man · 04-09-2009, 11:24 AM

Lera I just put one in my 04 38 fdts, my hose was leaking on both ends the one I put in was the hose to the pressure equalizer for the bed room slides. I took the hose off the pump and the back equalizer then i put air to the hose to get the oil out, then I cut the hose end off the pump end and pulled the hose past the water tank. I pulled it out so that the water tank would not get i leak in it. I got a new hose made at a hydraulic hoses shop here in town and had better ends put on. When we put it back in we ran it on the out side of the rail by the pressure eqalizer for the front slide and then to the back. The new hose was a better hose and better ends the cost was $ 120.00 It took about 3 hrs. and now no leaks. The job was no fun but can be done. Good luck

lera · 04-09-2009, 11:31 AM

Thank you for the information and suggestions. Will do more research based on this information. I appreciate every one's help.

Old Scout · 04-09-2009, 12:40 PM

Good idea on pulling new hose using old hose but unfortunately, the old hoses are bundled together with numerous plastic ties--you will never get the new hoses passed all these ties......Glad to hear that Stone Man has "been here and done that" and the replacement/reroute option works...

EngineerMike · 04-09-2009, 06:03 PM

To remove the H2O tank, you also have to deal w/the flush valve & extension (by some level of dismantling), which on many coaches is a 2" PVC affair. Good time to move that by adding an elbow or whatever to get it to a more convenient spot if it is eating up usable storage space, and maybe throttle it down to 3/4" as well. I used mine maybe twice in 2 years, and would rather have had the storage space and a slower drain.

Ted III · 04-11-2009, 07:13 PM

Lera, I had the long hydraulic cylinder that Wil referred to leaking ever so slightly from the piston in the center. HWH replaced it and all was well. Easy to replace, but it was hard to find just what was leaking.