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What Next??

Yahoo Message Number: 50486
I've been a member of this forum about 60 day, a class A owner about 4mos., (I was a 5th wheel camper for several yrs.).. Now in that period I have learned that I purchased a Coach with a bad PTO (might crash with no PS), I may over heat with a bad radiator, I may have to purchase new shocks that cost as much as a used car, I may have a problem with a fuel leak that could burn the whole thing up, my inverter may over heat and maybe have to move it to another compartment or something, my tv might over heat need fans, ride height may be needing adjustments., tires getting too old.. and to top that off the sofa is not comfortable to sit on or to sleep on., I just have one question: WHY DO PEOPLE BUY THESE THINGS?? Where is my 5th wheel? What do you guys take for Asid Reflux? Marvin #31459

Re: What Next??

Reply #1
Yahoo Message Number: 50487
In life a lot of things 'may happen.'

Marvin there are many hundreds of folks on this group, each may experience a problem. As a result we hear about and become aware of a problem that may or may never happen to each of us. Better to be aware.

You or I may win the lottery or die tomorrow.

--

Lee Zaborowski
07 Intrigue 12153


Re: What Next??

Reply #3
Yahoo Message Number: 50489
We always have something to talk about at rallies. We all have a opinion on how we would run Country Coach.
You would not find a better group that's....Fussy...Opinionated...and impossible to please.
AL

00 affinity #5851


Re: What Next??

Reply #4
Yahoo Message Number: 50490
Quote
I've been a member of this forum about 60 day, a class A owner about > 4mos., (I was a 5th wheel camper for several yrs.).. Now in that period I > have >learned that I purchased a Coach with a bad PTO (might crash with no > PS), I may over heat with a bad radiator, I may have to purchase new > shocks that >cost as much as a used car, I may have a problem with a fuel > leak that could burn the whole thing up, my inverter may over heat and > maybe have to >move it to another compartment or something, my tv might > over heat need fans, ride height may be needing adjustments., tires > getting too old.. and to >top that off the sofa is not comfortable to sit > on or to sleep on., I just have one question: WHY DO PEOPLE BUY THESE > THINGS?? Where is my >5th wheel? >What do you guys take for Asid Reflux? >Marvin #31459
Be careful or we'll have to report you to the whitehouse for being an angry "rabblerouser" >>;-))

Tom Fisher

Re: What Next??

Reply #5
Yahoo Message Number: 50491

Walt,

I think what I need is a little of the syn oil in my coffee so it will make my hair lay down!! Marvin, #31459, now is that the right #, I may have to check..




Re: What Next??

Reply #7
Yahoo Message Number: 50496
You may not have to do anything, they may be watching as we type!!! :)

Doug Sherar
#31453


Re: What Next??

Reply #9
Yahoo Message Number: 50500

Ok Now all the fun stuff is over, back to the suspension thing, I checked my ride height and it seems to be in the spec range, but I'm trying to come up with something to sink my teeth in, so I raise the Tag Axle and my rear suspension goes down by about 2"(at least that much), since I do not have a qualified tech that I can depend on that knows for sure, How do you know if the ride height is adjusted since the Tag is also adjusted seperately.... I guess my question is how do you determine if the Tag is properly adjusted and may or may not have too much of the load from the drive axle? Would this affect the front suspension since it rides level with the adjustment of the rear suspension? Or would it not have any influence on the ride at all? Just wanting to know..
Marvin, 31459



Re: What Next??

Reply #10
Yahoo Message Number: 50502
First, are you saying you have 5 ride height valves? That is the only way a tag can be adjusted separately.... Usually the tag bag pressure is set with an external pressure regulator. The correct adjustment for this is made with the pressure regulator when you weight the coach, each axle. You can then adjust the tag to get the weight balance they way you want it, remember as you increase the weight on the tag you move it from the drive axle and transfer some of it to the steering axle, On some coaches, there is no tag adjustment, it is balanced within the rear suspension, on these units when the tag is raised it cuts the air off to the tag axle and applies air to the lift cans to lift it.
To set the tag correctly you need to weight each wheel or at least each axle, the tag should be set so the drive is not overloaded and the steer is not overloaded. If the coach weighs 40,000, 12,000 on the steer, 18,000 on the drive then the tag will be set so it has about 10,000 on it, or 5,000 each wheel. It takes several weighing passes to get it right, but too much tag axle pressure will throw more weight on the front axle. Think lever, fulcrum, here. The drive axle becomes the fulcrum, the tag axle the lifting force, thus pushing down on the steer.
Now, once the tag weight is set you can then set the ride heights. When the tag weight is set it will always hold the same amount of weight as it's air pressure is controlled by the aux regulator, if so equipped... then when you set the ride height all should be good... .
Some suspension systems use a balanced approach, applying the same air pressure to the tag bags as the drive axle, they control the ratio using geometry or different size bags for the tag..
Which system does your coach have? Let me know and I can tell you exactly what to do.

Mikee

Re: What Next??

Reply #11
Yahoo Message Number: 50503
I don't think the tag axle adjustment affects the ride height. I have a 2005, 42' Intrigue and the factory installed a system for me to be able to manually adjust the amount of weight the tag axle carries. This was done because my coach was perilously close to being overweight on the front axle when it came off of the assembly line. With the drive axle acting as a fulcrum, I can increase or decrease the weight carried by the tag which in turn increases or decreases weight carrying capacity of the front axle. Upon taking delivery of the coach, the factory adjust the tag axle pressure in order to create an additional 1,500 lbs of carrying capacity on the front axle. I have never changed it since then, but I could. I was never told that increasing/decreasing pressure on the tag would affect ride height.

Brian Davis

'05 Intrigue 42' OVTS
Coach #11901

Re: What Next??

Reply #12
Yahoo Message Number: 50504

Mikee, from what the books says I have the Ridewell RD-246 with tag. And I am not sure about the # of adj valves, I know that the Tag take a lot of weight off the drive axle.. I am parked on a cement floor, level so I can get a pretty good measurement, but I have no weight information..it just seems to me this could affect the bottom out of the front suspension? Marvin 31459



Re: What Next??

Reply #13
Yahoo Message Number: 50505

Brian, I am still in the learning stages of my allure and of course it is kinda of a man thing, I want to know what makes everything work...
I have not fully loaded my coach as of yet, the large front compartment does not have anything in it, so I guess more weight on the front may make it ride better? I was wondering about the pressure on the Tag but mine probably does not have the valve to adjust as you mentioned., if it did I would surely have to try it out to see what effect it has on the quality of ride...But I must say that I have learned quiet a few things here, so keep me informed by all means...
Marvin 31459



Re: What Next??

Reply #14
Yahoo Message Number: 50508
Do you have a pressure regulator for the tag?
If the tag has a much weight on it as you think it does that may be part of the issue. You probably need to go get each axle weighed. . .

Mikee

Re: What Next??

Reply #15
Yahoo Message Number: 50509
Marvin,

My thoughts exactly! We have only had ours for nine months. Do all MH brands have this many problems?

Jerry, Allure 31485

Re: What Next??

Reply #16
Yahoo Message Number: 50514
Mikee,

I know from reading your posts on the Monaco Yahoo Groups that you are familiar with the Monaco coaches and they have a way of adjusting the pressure on the tag right inside the rear access hatch. No Country Coaches, with the exception of the old Concepts, have a means of adjusting pressure on the tag. Mine does because I wouldn't take delivery unless such a means was provided given how close the front axle was to its weight limit. The heavy front end was the main reason CC moved the fuel tank from immediately behind the front axle (2005) to immediately in front of the rear axle (2006).

Brian Davis
Coach #11901

Re: What Next??

Reply #17
Yahoo Message Number: 50518
Yes, all MH certainly do have problems. These are highly complex systems and are moving down the rough roads too boot. If you think CC's have problems check with the owners of other brands! I do not want to get people started so I will not go into brand names but we are talking major chassis problems. Welds holding tag axles on, braking problems and things like that. Check NHTSA. I am mechanically and electrically inclined and I have fixed many, many little things on my Magna (with great help from CC tech support, but no chassis, engine or tranny problems other than a leaky tag air bag; one bad solenoid in the air system and a leaking front hub seal. Admittedly, these would have cost a fortune if I had paid someone to fix them, but then I find that the majority of the problems I do identify turn out to be the result of some incompetent non factory tech putting his hands on the coach in the past. The only serious problems I have had are microcracking and the SeGi seal creep. These are pandemic to the industry

Rich 2002 Magna

most certainly do hae

Quote from: jsmmrlin@\.\.\.

Re: What Next??

Reply #18
Yahoo Message Number: 50523
Marvin/Jerry

I have an 07 Allure 470 31535 and have had virtually every problem that you have mentioned in your posts, We are about 50 numbers apart , obviously they didn't correct their quality control , maybe the later serial number guys should start a separate thread to compare notes , we may be able to help each since we seem to have very similar problems.
Jim

Re: What Next??

Reply #19
Yahoo Message Number: 50527

Jim, So far I have not had a problem except for the shock or air bag thing and that is something I can deal with until I have been satisfied that the real problem has been solved. I think it lies between the under inflated air bag or the tag axle has too much pressure., I do plan on having the Coach weighed the next time I take it out., maybe that will shed some light on things. I think I may try to adjust the shocks on the front also...I have been following your post and see that we are close together with our #... Let me know if anything I can do, I am on the East Coast and you are on the West, so maybe we can keep each informed...
Marvin 31459



Re: What Next??

Reply #20
Yahoo Message Number: 50530
My lawn mower wont start. Our front door is tight so I have to take it off and fix that. The dog next door is driving me mad. The church bell over the road wakes me too early on the weekends. Fall is coming and I'll have to clean out the gutters. DW wonts me to spread some fertiliser on HER garden. Got our power bill in the mail today. Property taxes need to be paid. Tiolet has a slow leak.

Ahhh if only I was on the road fixing my motorhome.

Bruce

2001 Intrigue. #11278


Re: What Next??

Reply #22
Yahoo Message Number: 50533
Okay then it has to be a balanced system, meaning the tag is geometrically designed and balanced to ride height, much like the Prevosts are. This being said, I really need to get one of these coaches in my shop. I am willing to bet I can determine the real problem and the correct fix.
I have the feeling the front air bags are oversized or set up in such a way that they are not the correct height for the bag, this is not related to ride height. All bags have a design operation height, usually 70 to 80% of max extended height. If the air bag is oversized it takes a lot less inflation to support the weight, this may allow the bag to reach its happy height, but there is not enough air pressure to make it firm.. Think about an inner tube that only has a little air in and what happens when you try to float on it in the pool etc...
If someone could give me the bag diameter and the front axle weight I can tell what is happening... For that matter if you know the front axle weight run a tape measure around the air bag and give me the circumference. I can work with that...
I can figure out a fix, but I need data, continued speculation, changing shocks, is not a fix nor it is the way I approach things.
I would really like to find the right answer to this problem. And I am willing to do it gratis... these coaches are too nice to live with this.

Mikee


 

Re: What Next??

Reply #24
Yahoo Message Number: 50639
Ya, but can you go to the potty while driving down the road?..........................huh, huh?

ddtuttle

aka Billy Byte (trusty hound)
2000 Allure #30443