Dump Air, or Not?

Sealevel Ram · 09-16-2011, 08:44 AM

I'm new to this forum, and also new to the world of Diesel motorhomes. Just purchased an 04 Ultimate Freedom.
Been lurking on this site for a few days. Lots of helpful people here.

The first of many elementary questions: should you dump the air when you are going to be stopped for a long period of time? I'm talking about overnight or longer, when you are not going to level the coach. Does the air slowly bleed off if you don't do the dump thing?

Another question: should the front wheels be aligned front-to-back when you let the air out, or does it matter?

Thanks

Dixieray53 · 09-16-2011, 03:00 PM

Welcome to the forum

Glad you joined...

We own a 42ft GS and I have never dumped the air, parked for a day or a week. Now I am positive that I will be takin' to task for not dumping the air

, but we have owned it for almost a year without any issues. We have had the air system bled out as part of the 12 month service. Next part is why would you not have the wheels aligned when parked

You got me on that one...Again Welcome to the forum..and keep asking those question..great people here to help..Peace and Safe Travel... D

Elkhartjim · 09-16-2011, 03:10 PM

I dump the air just to lower the coach. Also, if you're extending the jacks, the jack leg travel (extension) will not be as long.

I'm not sure I understand the "should the front wheels be aligned front to back" question.

Theberrys · 09-16-2011, 03:31 PM

I always dump because over two or three days it escapes anyway. I find the floor moves a bit if left on the bags and the steps are higher off the ground. The level seems to change a bit after a day or two but not enough to hurt the Fridge. It just feels softer when still on the bags.

Good point made about the jacks. I put blocks under mine no matter what surface I'm parked on just to reduce the extension. I have found extending the jacks less makes them stow better and produces less side to side motion when I retract them. I also fill the bags before I retract the jacks to reduce the trauma, it seems a bit dramatic with no air in the bags.

Dick

RickO · 09-16-2011, 03:52 PM

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new rig! Those are beautiful coaches!

I'm among those who only dump my bags when I'm going to put the jacks down. It will bleed down on its own eventually but I don't dump them. Not sure if it's right or wrong but it's what I do.

It's probably a good idea to have your front wheel straight before dumping the bags but would depend on the particular coach I think. I suppose some designs might allow the body to contact the tire when bags are dumped and that would be a bad thing.

Best of luck. We're glad you found us.

Rick

Always-RVing · 09-16-2011, 04:08 PM

I do not dump the air. Never a problem.

bsimonds · 09-16-2011, 04:16 PM

When the MH is going to be stored for more than a few days, I dump the air and extend the jacks to keep the load off the tires and make a shorter step getting in and out.

RJay · 09-16-2011, 04:19 PM

I dump air if using jacks.

Texas TC · 09-16-2011, 04:47 PM

Put me in the column of only dumping the air to extend the leveling jacks. In fact, it does it automatically so I guess I have never dumped the air on purpose. When I park my coach in my driveway to load, I always turn the wheels to the left so that if the spring-brake fails and the coach happens to jump the chock, it will not wind up in the neighbors front door across the street. However, I am installing a Safe-T-plus next week and I think the wheels will self center with that device. I guess I better add a couple of extra chocks to protect the house across the street if all safety devices fail.

FIRE UP · 09-16-2011, 04:56 PM

Sea level Ram,
First off, welcome. Second, if you have any manuals pertaining to the operation of your particular rig, it or they, will explain when and why you should dump. Now, if you can't find any info on it in there or, you don't have any manuals on your rig, you might be able to find them on line.

Third, parking a short time, day, week etc, will not hurt the bags if kept aired up. If they leak down, first, they shouldn't, second, it's not end of the world if they do but, it's apparent that there's a bit of a leak somewhere.

Now, as for dumping for leveling, two things to consider here. If you try and level with fully aired up bags, and the ignition is on, in either ACC or ON, it is possible that the load sensors (if so equipped) will try and interact the leveling system and possibly cause problems. Second, if you have to extend the jacks quite a distance to get level, and the bags are aired up, there's a possibility of damage to them because they're not supposed to extend that much.

Third,in mine and others HWH leveling systems, especially the "Auto leveling system", the bags are dumped in the first 20 or so seconds and then the jack system enters the operation. That way the jacks take bascially all the weight and the bags do not interfere with the leveling system. Hope this helps some.
Scott

Sealevel Ram · 09-16-2011, 06:29 PM

Thanks for all the replies.
I will not worry at all about leaving the system aired up.
When using the automatic leveling, it dumps the air.

Dixieray53 · 09-16-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elkhartjim

I dump the air just to lower the coach. Also, if you're extending the jacks, the jack leg travel (extension) will not be as long.

I am pretty sure the air bags do not lower the frame of the coach when they are dumped. I am 99% sure that in another thread there was great debate about this and a member much smarter than me said the coach is separate from the frame and the air bags lower the box to the frame only.
And the distance the jacks travel does not change. Just adding this to maybe get a answer to what I think is right. D

rv rick · 09-16-2011, 08:30 PM

I dump the air when leveling so the coach lowers.

On straightening the steering wheels, I was influenced by a friend who forgot to straighten his wheels when dumnping the air -- the wheels hit the inside of the motorhome body and caused quite a bit of damage. The Winnebago coaches I have owned have a cutout in the fiberglass inside next to the tire, so this does not happen (thanks for the good engineering Winnie!), Indeed, the first time I dumped the air when parked next to my friend, my wheels were not dead straight and he ran over yelling for me to stop dumping the air or my coach would be damaged. When no damage occurred, he was amazed -- and said maybe he should get a Winnebago!

RickO · 09-17-2011, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixieray53

I am pretty sure the air bags do not lower the frame of the coach when they are dumped. I am 99% sure that in another thread there was great debate about this and a member much smarter than me said the coach is separate from the frame and the air bags lower the box to the frame only.
And the distance the jacks travel does not change. Just adding this to maybe get a answer to what I think is right. D

Hmmm..... I sure don't think this is true on my rig. If my step is out, I have to be sure that there's plenty of clearance under it before I dump the air just so it doesn't ground the step.

Rick

MaverickBBD · 09-17-2011, 12:16 AM

Welcome and yes dump the air. That is what Freightliner and Nuway both recommend.

sdennislee · 09-17-2011, 01:38 AM

I dump to reduce travel on levelers as others have said. I find if I don't dump and allow the extra travel in leveler legs the retraction of the legs when I break camp is a jarring experience.

Journey39n · 09-17-2011, 01:46 AM

I am sure there are many designs of coaches out there, and perhaps some with some very unusual designs. But as far as I know, the air-bags are part of the 'suspension'. The coach 'box' is attached to the frame, along with the engine and transmission. Thus when the air-bags are inflated the ride height and quality are affected.

With my current and past Diesel Pusher RVs, the air-bags inflate when the leveling jacks are retracted, and automatically deflate when the leveling jacks are extended. The frame is definately raised or lowered with that inflation, deflation procedure.

With my previous DP, when just parked, the airbags would gradually lose pressure over many days, at least 5 perhaps 10 never really checked it. I never purposely deflated the airbags. With our current RV, we live aboard, so I don't know if they gradually loose pressure or not.

Regarding the direction of the steering wheels, I normally point mine straight ahead out of habit, but last time, when parking, and levelling at the service dealer's lot, they had me back in at a sharp angle, I levelled with no issues with the wheels pointed sharply to one side. The service tech mentioned that some rigs would not level with the wheels at that angle, but obviously mine did. So the wheel angle and levelling must depend upon the particular RV.

And that's about all I can say about that

sdennislee · 09-17-2011, 02:59 AM

My steps will ground depending upon conditions of the terrain when I dump the air. Coach drops several inches with air dump.

AFChap · 09-17-2011, 08:32 AM

Much of what has been said depends on the chassis/leveler/coach brand. What is true for some is not necessarily true for others. The 2004 Winnie UF (great coach!!) is on a Spartan chassis. It will automatically dump air when leveling is started. The coach bony and frame will drop 4-6 inches or more. AND, with brakes locked it will creep forward apx 6 inches due to the mechanics of how the suspension interacts (we crushed a rain gutter with a mirror once to learn about the creep ...also causes jack pads to be misplaced if they are positioned before air is dumped). You can manually dump air if you want to, totally up to you, no harm either way. When we stop even overnight we almost always use the levelers, depending on where we are of course. Have no fear of "overextending" the levelers ...just be sure you do not lift the rear wheels off the ground.

Wheels straight is a good idea. I forgot a time or two and had no damage.

Enjoy the adventure!

Roadking · 09-17-2011, 01:08 PM

Sealevel: As AFCHAP said, coaches and chassis are different. I have an 03 UA, which is virtually identical to yours. Your choice on dumping, or not dumping, the air, but beware of the forward creep that Paul mentioned. If you're in a totally unlevel location and elect to put blocks under the wheels then beware how you park on the blocks as the coach will move forward on the blocks while dumping. i.e. park to the rear of the blocks and then dump your air. Likewise, the coach will move rearward 4-6 inches as the bags are aired back up.

I keep the steering wheel straight (i.e. wheels aligned forward) as we place a table on the steering wheel after we are parked and the table doesn't fit properly if the wheels are not aligned straight.

P.S. If I don't dump my air, my coach will stay elevated for several days, if not weeks. No air leaks here.