Shock mount: Re: Temps

[Pete Masterson]

Interesting. I usually start the engine (and close the suspension dump switches) before lowering the jacks when I'm getting ready to leave a campground. Since I don't have an auxiliary compressor, I need air pressure to open/close the dump valves so that is the basis behind my normal practice -- I need the air to complete my un-hook procedures and I may as well raise the jacks while the air is coming up. As you say, this probably puts at least some air into the suspension before the coach is lowered.

Since my coach is parked in the street in front of my house, I have done no work on it at home that involves using the jacks to lift it to work underneath. Indeed, I do not generally ever put the jacks down while at home for any reason -- early on, I discovered that it dents the pavement. (I'm no mechanic, so there's little that I can do under the coach anyway.) While the long-term parking isn't an issue where I live, there is an ordinance against doing mechanical work on vehicles in public streets.

However, while at CCW, the coach was raised and lowered several times, with and without blocking under the jacks to make room for the technicians to work underneath. As you describe, these activities may have been the last straw, but the length of the support crack also indicates that it was working toward failure for some time. 

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Jun 19, 2008, at 6:39 AM, David Brady wrote:

The LXi is set up the same way. If the front end is lifted high
off the ground by the jacks, the front ride height valve wants
to dump suspension air. Usually, if I start the motor, build up
air pressure, then throw the switch to raise the suspension,
then  retract the jacks, by the time the jacks are "almost"
completely retracted, the front ride height valve is starting to
allow air to flow into the airbags and it just catches, landing
softly on the airbags instead of crashing on the bump stops.

If it doesn't appear that things are going to work out this
way, I'm not above retracting the front jacks manually and
then stopping them at a point where the ride height valve is
willing to pump some air into the front air bags. I then let
the front airbags fill up then continue with jack retraction.

These cases usually occur due to someone wanting to raise
the coach sufficiently to remove a tire, or work underneath
(with proper blocking/cribbing). At campgrounds, the coach
will typically raise on the suspension allowing the jacks to be
retracted without incident.

David Brady
'02 LXi, NC


Pete Masterson wrote:

The stress crack/tear in the metal was over 7" long, so the problem must have been developing for some time. (The popping noise had been with me for some time, too.)

I don't know if the raising/lowering the coach was the last straw, or what ... (might have been) But airing the coach before raising the jacks is tough (on my coach) since the air bags are dumped automatically when you lower the jacks, so I don't know if they'll refill until the jacks are raised. (Does someone know precisely how that is set up?) I know I've forgotten to dump the suspension before I started the jacks ... but then they dump anyway.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"