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Topic: Replacing a ride height valve - any advice? (Read 722 times) previous topic - next topic
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Replacing a ride height valve - any advice?

Yahoo Message Number: 102848
I am endeavoring to replace the rear ride height valve on my 1998 Intrigue, which went bad on me during my drive home over Labor Day weekend (the rear of the coach dropped all the way down and the tires were rubbing on the wheel wells).  I used the HWH system in manual mode to raise the rear of the coach and then pulled the 'travel' fuse so it would stay pumped up until I got home, which worked just fine.

I have the replacement valve from Kevin W and I am planning to put the coach up on some ramps and crawl under there to replace it.  I have already heard to pay very close attention to the valve's orientation and how it is set, so the new one can go in exactly the same.  Any other advice from experience would be appreciated.

Also I know there is a NHTSA safety recall for 1995-2000 Intrigue and Allure coaches to change the ride height valve configuration from one rear & two front to two rear & one front in order to alleviate potential over-weight conditions on the LF tire during cornering and body roll: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/ACM4723307/RCDNN-01V170-9183.PDF

My Intrigue has not had this recall done.  It has 125,000 miles and has not had a LF tire issue.  Also it does not have the kitchen slide (no slides at all as a matter of fact), and is a 36' model.  I thought I read someplace that this overloading LF tire issue was most prevalent in the 40' and those with the kitchen slide out.
I have called Country Coach, but Greg in the technical service department has never returned any of my messages for this or any other questions.  I know the company has restructured and probably isn't going to honor a recall on a 1998, but I would really like to know if this truly is a safety issue so I can arrange to at least fix it myself if needed.  Any info on this would be appreciated as well.

I'll post an update after I do my valve, in case anyone is curious how it goes.

Mark M

1998 Intrigue #10661

Re: Replacing a ride height valve - any advice?

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 102850
I had a very hard time with air line fittings. I went to Home Depot/Lowes/plumbing store and picked up a bunch of air-line fittings the copper grommet for each fitting seemed smaller than the existing factory plastic line. I really had to work to get them together.

I cant recall why I needed fittings but I changed all 3 ride height valves.

Best of luck

Nate Blackwell
1998 Allure

Re: Replacing a ride height valve - any advice?

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 102851
The fittings must  be DOT approved, Home Depot/Lowes fitting are not DOT approved. The air line must DOT approved . You can get them at most BIG RIG / SEMI TRUCK places.
Marv Swenson
Intrigue11314

Re: Replacing a ride height valve - any advice?

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 102852
Yes I picked some up from the guy who works on our bucket trucks and does our DOT inspection. Had the same problem very well could have been operator error, or he shops at HD also.
Nate

Re: Replacing a ride height valve - any advice?

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 102854
The reason is because Home Depot's fittings are plumbing fittings, not air  line fittings. When one needs air line fittings for a vehicle they need to go to  a truck parts department.

Mikee

Re: Replacing a ride height valve - any advice?

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 102857
The recall was done because of the weight issue of the kitchen slide and generator ect. all on one side of the coach. We have a 97 Intrigue 36 foot no slide model as well and have the same configuration as you, no recall required as far as I know.
-Jesse
10357