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tomgauger · 12-10-2017, 11:41 AM

Rolling down I-95 to Savannah two weeks ago, I noticed a drop in air pressure indicated by the red needle.
When rolling over highway joints I could hear a short burst of air leak from something under my side of the coach...near or on the left front wheel assembly or air bags. This brought the red needle down 5-8 pounds.
Driving over dips in the road where the coach "bounded" a bit resulted in no leaks and no noise. Only the short "jab" from an expansion joint in the road would cause a synchronized "pssst."
I'd love to have some ideas from you guys.

hohenwald48 · 12-10-2017, 12:17 PM

Can't say exactly but I'd be taking a close look at the ride height valves or loose air line connections somewhere.

FIRE UP · 12-10-2017, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomgauger

Rolling down I-95 to Savannah two weeks ago, I noticed a drop in air pressure indicated by the red needle.
When rolling over highway joints I could hear a short burst of air leak from something under my side of the coach...near or on the left front wheel assembly or air bags. This brought the red needle down 5-8 pounds.
Driving over dips in the road where the coach "bounded" a bit resulted in no leaks and no noise. Only the short "jab" from an expansion joint in the road would cause a synchronized "pssst."
I'd love to have some ideas from you guys.

tomgauger,
Air suspensions are a bit technical. There's all kinds of valves, air bags, lines, and more. In short, your coach rides on a cushion of air inside an air bag, typically one on each corner of the vehicle. (there are some with TWO air bags on each corner). The air compressor build air, ships it to air tanks and from there, it is used for the suspension and brakes. There are valves called "Ride height sensors) that control just how much air is sent to each bag or, axle to keep the vehicle within a certain ride height, as designated by the coach/chassis builder(s).

As your coach jounces and bounces in certain operation conditions, these ride height valves will make period adjustments. And, in those adjustments, some air will be exhausted every now and then. I'm by far, not an expert and , some of this info could be off a tad but, I'm trying to convey how I think the system works. When cornering, there are adjustments made too. But, these adjustments usually are not detrimental to the coaches air storage system. In other words, you really should not see any formidable air drop while driving down the road or, hitting certain bumps, dips or cornering. These adjustments are very subtle.

There are numerous articles, writeups, diagrams etc. on the net that one can delve in, in an attempt to broaden even some basic knowledge of how things work on our coaches. Not many read those. It's kind of a hobby for me.
Scott

alank · 12-10-2017, 01:32 PM

Sounds like it takes a shock, hard vibration or movement to cause the leak. First thing that moves rapidly is a ride height valve. Other item is hose from the frame out to the brake. Check both those, disconnect adjuster rod and work valve by hand. Then get a hand on all the air lines in the area to see if you can create a leak.

Ray,IN · 12-10-2017, 09:25 PM

First SAFETY! place blocking under your frame, or jacks in the up position. This prevents a sudden air loss from causing injury or death. Now, fill a spray bottle with soap N water, crawl underneath and spray everything that contains air pressure, and observe for any air leaks. Also inspect your air springs for signs of cracking, wrinkles, etc. while spraying them.
That "'bounded" you mentioned is a sign of failing/failed shocks. Our MH did that since purchase, I thought it was normal. My mechanic took it for a test drive after making some repairs and said to replace the shocks. I did replace the front shocks; took it for a drive afterwards, WOW what a difference it made. No more rebounding, dipping, side to side waving. It now drives just as good as my pickup, which BTW has new shocks too.