Community Forums

CountryB · 11-27-2021, 11:48 AM

I always parked my Coach with the airbags full (at Travel height). But my bags will leak down over time, so I would have to monitor them and build up air pressure as needed.

So then, I decided to park with the airbags deflated. I figured it would be easier this way and I don't need to check the air pressure or worry that one side of the coach will drop over time and possibly crack my windshield.

But I now noticed that when the air bags are deflated there is a lot of weight on the Tag axle tires. I first thought I had a low tire (tire leak) when I saw how bulged out the tire was (the photo doesn't show it well) but the tire pressure is fine - it's just all the extra weigh on the tag axle tires now with the weight split between the two drive tires and the single tax tire.

I'm not liking this bulge - I think it is too much weight to leave on the tag tires. I'm thinking now I should go back to parking Coach with the airbags inflated.

What do you think/do?

ByeTheWay · 11-27-2021, 12:01 PM

I air down then level the coach when in storage.

Biljol · 11-27-2021, 07:40 PM

Try lifting the tag before you deflate. May be that the lower coach is adding more weight to the tag if the tag bag is full of air.

Or does the tag bag deflate when you dump air.

jcdata · 11-27-2021, 09:35 PM

I leave mine up

Bylandorsea · 11-27-2021, 10:43 PM

My tag bulges on the low side when I dump air and don't use the jacks

veraken · 11-28-2021, 05:18 AM

For winter storage, I leave my jacks up and put a set of wood blocks under each jack. I then dump the air bags. The coach will lower down on these blocks without extending the jacks. This takes the weight off the tires. I asked (Paul) Azpete, the resident HWH expert, about this procedure and said it is OK.

CountryB · 11-28-2021, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biljol

Try lifting the tag before you deflate. May be that the lower coach is adding more weight to the tag if the tag bag is full of air.
Or does the tag bag deflate when you dump air.

The Tag airbags deflate when the "Dump Air" button is pressed, but it might be possible to then use the Tag Raise button. I'm not sure.

When the Coach is normally parked (air bags full) the Drive axle supports more weight (it has four air bags and height is set by the RHV), than the Tag axle (which has two airbags and is controlled by the air-pressure regulator).

So when I dump the air, the Tag and Drive are "splitting" the weight they support. But the Drive axle has four tires (at 85 psi) and the Tag axle has just the two tires (at 80 psi). So there is more load on the Tag tires then there should be.

I think I will go back to parking it with the air bags full, or maybe air dumped but with hydraulic jacks down (as far as I know they don't leak down). I just don't want the coach to settle on one side/corner and crack my new windshield.

Thanks

Rob_M · 11-28-2021, 06:39 AM

In your situation I would put the hydraulic jacks down enough to get some weight off the tag.

Biljol · 11-28-2021, 07:00 AM

Did not know you have hydraulic leveling. I also have hydraulic and that’s what I do dump air and then level with the jacks.

dizcom · 11-28-2021, 07:18 AM

Our manual says to deflate the bags and do not extend the jacks when storing. We don’t have any noticeable bulge on the tires when we do that. It also says to put the tires at max pressure when storing.

CountryB · 11-28-2021, 07:32 AM

I don't store for the "winter" per se - I'm in FL so my storage is a month at a time between trips. Except for the "lost COVID year".

I park/store at my home. And I have the tires inflated to the pressures calculated based on axle weights and tire manufacture's charts, and just leave them set for normal driving.

I think if I was to leave the airbags deflated, I should increase the tire pressure to maximum as noted in post above.

I will park the coach on the hydraulic jacks this time, and monitor them to see if they leak down over time. If they leak, I'll go back to parking on deflated airbags. The goal is to find the best way to park for a month or so at a time without risking "frame twist" (windshield cracking) from an air bag or hyd jack leaking down.

Rob_M · 11-28-2021, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryB

I don't store for the "winter" per se - I'm in FL so my storage is a month at a time between trips. Except for the "lost COVID year".

I park/store at my home. And I have the tires inflated to the pressures calculated based on axle weights and tire manufacture's charts, and just leave them set for normal driving.

I think if I was to leave the airbags deflated, I should increase the tire pressure to maximum as noted in post above.

I will park the coach on the hydraulic jacks this time, and monitor them to see if they leak down over time. If they leak, I'll go back to parking on deflated airbags. The goal is to find the best way to park for a month or so at a time without risking "frame twist" (windshield cracking) from an air bag or hyd jack leaking down.

Sounds like a good plan. Maybe spray the exposed jack legs with an oil based protectant.

purrin along · 11-28-2021, 10:33 AM

When I park for any length of time my bags loose air,so I put blocks under the levelers and let it settle down on them.That distributes the weight between tires, and levelers.

Crasher · 11-28-2021, 06:25 PM

My coach had proportioning valves to maintain the tag suspension to maintain a certain ratio between drive and tag. When I dumped the air to lower the coach, the tag would not have any more weight on it than it did in travel mode due to the prop valve releasing pressure to maintain the same weight. I converted to manual valves so I could adjust the ratio. As an example, I have the tag axle carrying about 4500# in travel mode which puts the steer and drive axles where I want them. When I dump the suspension, the tag is still carrying 4500#.