Community Forums

meinoc · 10-11-2020, 10:11 PM

We have a 2005 2 slide Tradition with a 370 Cummins on Spartan chassis. We have a periodic issue while driving when we go over large 'bumps', railroads, changes in freeway flatness like going over bridges, etc. when the coach moves vertical up and then down hard enough a very large BANG occurs that can be felt very strongly thru the coach coming from the passenger front suspension.

Recently I noticed my air tanks were softly leaking while sitting parked from the rear levelers and I adjusted the back to stop.

I then went to check the front leveler controls and found there is no level control system setup on the passenger side like setup on the drivers front side.

I pulled up my manuals on the Spartan chassis and noted it too show a level control value on both the driver AND passenger side. I contacted Spartan and the told me to call RV manufacture who is out of business so dead end there.

Is it possible for others with same rig check they do or do not have one installed on the passenger side?

For what it's worth, the coach has been a good solid unit with very little issues driver line and living area thus far after 15 years.

Thanks,

Rob

Skip426 · 10-12-2020, 12:36 PM

Welcome to iRV2.

I can't speak to Spartan chassis , but Freightliner played around with ride height controls , ( number and placement ) over the years.
My 99 has two in front and one in the rear . By 02 they had one front and two in the rear . Not sure if they ever used four.

Does the document you have indicate a single control on the rear or two ?
If it says a single control , could you look carefully for a second in the rear suspension .Wouldn't be the first owners manual to be wrong.

Try calling Spartan again and ask for an air system diagram , matched to your chassis serial number , maybe that document will provide the answer.

EDIT: JMHO: It would be unlikely for the coach builder to remove any control; or other item; installed by the chassis manufacturer.

meinoc · 10-12-2020, 10:12 PM

Hi and rear has on control unit per side.

oddly for the front and although the Spartan manual shows one control unit per side, the mount to frame holes are there along with the lower veritical rod mount but no air tubing, etc on passenger side.

It would be good to hear from another owner of an American Tradition around my same year to see if they have one or two up front.

thanks

Skip426 · 10-12-2020, 10:31 PM

Perhaps a question for the Spartan chassis section of the forums for your vintage of chassis .

Frame and mount holes may have been a standard stamping for years, and the ride height sensor location , a running change on the assembly line .

Back to my question ; Did your manual say there should be four ride height sensors ?

deblas · 10-12-2020, 11:53 PM

Rob,

While I don’t have a Tradition, on my 2005 Providence on a Spartan chassis, it has a single height control valve on the front drivers side and dual valves on the rear.

Steve

Gary RVRoamer · 10-13-2020, 05:26 PM

Fleetwood & American Coach specify how the ride height valves should be employed on the chassis they order, whether Freightliner or Spartan. For awhile they specified two front & one rear valve while everybody else was the opposite. Then they changed to be like everybody else in the RV and truck industry, two in the rear and one up front. I've forgotten when that happened, and never looked under my '04 Tradition to see.

American Coach changed both body & chassis design for the 2004 model year, so that's a likley changeover point.

meinoc · 10-14-2020, 09:09 AM

Thanks guys for checking ur Providence on Spartan and the follow up the changeover in 2004 info. I now suspect manual is more 'generic' but will follow up with them to see if they can send me the airflow diagram. That said, I'll assume how mine is setup is normal. I still think the bang noise we hear is related to front passenger air system not working 100% even the the couch is level when aired up or down.
Thanks again -- Rob