Power Gear Airbag Leveling System-Excessive Noise

[accidental_tourist]

My 2008 Monaco Camelot came equipped with the Power Gear Air Leveling System. The system was plaqued with leaks with the compressor going on and off excessively. After a trip to the Monaco - err... Navistar factory in Coburg, OR the system was fixed and all leaks were resolved. The compressor was going on and off 2 and sometimes 3 times a day, which I was told was normal.

At that time, the compressor was fairly quiet (as compressors go) when it ran and things were good for a few months. However, seemingly overnight the sound the compressor made became louder and sounds like a sick cow moaning and groaning. The system seems to be running ok and doing what it's supposed to be doing, but I'm worried something is broken or is about to break.

Has anyone experienced this problem, or experienced a similar compressor problem? We'll be heading back out on the road again in a month or so and I'd be greatly relieved having this problem out of my hair. Oh, did I mention that my wife hates the noise and lets me know about it everytime the compressor goes on?

Any and all help will be appreciated.

[K7JV]

Good morning. We have HWH, instead of PowerGear, but they may operate similarly. Our system check for "level", about every half hour, as long as the system is active. Usually, nothing happens, but on occasion, some bag dumping will occur, usually followed by operation of the compressor, once the coach air has been sufficiently depleted.

If I had a compressor like that, that became excessively noisy, the first thing I would try to do (and it isn't fun crawling under these things, and you need to make sure that if it fully dumps, you will not be endangered while under there) is check the tightness of the hardware that secures the compressor to its mounting, and the mounting to the chassis.

I bought some 2x8's, and built some ramps to all me to get under our rig, safely. I drive up onto the four ramps in front of the driver wheels, then I lift the tag, and set it back down onto the blocks that I slip under the tag wheels. If the coach is completely down, I have plenty of room under the chassis, engine, transmission, differential and other hanger-downer's to keep from getting injured.