Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

mike bulriss thanks for the reply on the jacks. i did indeed clean out
20 something years of junk out of the bottom of the jack and as you
said i see a pipe plug in the bottom. today i will attempt to remove it
and see what is inside. the plug has a 9/16 allen wrench hole in it and
i found a wrench to fit it in all of my tools.
again thanks mike for your reply.


ed and peggy mcstay
83FC RB 35FT
"lonesome dove"
lake charles, louisiana

I noticed a small bit of fluid on my garage floor near the left rear HWH jack.
Thinking it was leaking I took the coach to a certified HWH repair facility 2
weeks ago. The coach would not stay level on the jacks and would list to the
curb side after being on the jacks for several hours (always with the suspension
air dumped). The repair facility told me this morning HWH believes both rear
jacks need to be replaced. When I inquired why I couldn't get a straight answer.
I think the facility may know about the same as me regarding HWH jacks as they
have had the coach for 2 weeks and haven't fixed the problem yet.

The service advisor stated they thought the coach may have a suspension air leak
also. I told them I didn't think a suspension air leak would have anything to do
with the HWH problem. Am I missing something here? Anyone have any experience
with jack problems and has anyone had to have jacks replaced?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Randy Merrill
Ocala, FL
2003 40' LX

The most likely cause of fluid under your leveling jack is debris that has
gotten drawn into the seals on your leveling jack. It is not uncommon for this
to occur. It's happened twice to me in six years. This is usually corrected by
raising and lowering the jacks several times. However I have to believe that
the repair shop must understand this and I expect has tried this. The fact that
they want to replace two your jacks....wow. The only reason that the jacks
should be replaced and not repaired is if the shaft is scored. In my opinion
that is unlikely and an expensive repair.

I once went to the HWH factory. I asked the technician how often he has seen
the large rear jacks on our system replaced. He said that the BB's had the
largest of the HWH jacks and he had never seen one that needed to be replaced.
Replacing the seals in the hydraulic jacks is a routine job for most hydraulic
repair facilities.

I guess if I were there I would ask the shop to remove the jacks and have them
sent to HWH for evaluation/repair if raising and lowering your coach several
times doesn't clear the problem. After the jacks have been sent back HWH you
could leave the facility and come back in a few weeks to have the repaired jacks
reinstalled.

If the "HWH facility" you are at is recommending replacing two of your jacks and
not repairing them, I would be suspect of the shop. I am not sure I would want
such a shop to be turned loose on my bus. If your bus is settling (lowering)
slowly in time it can mean two things. Oil is leaking out of the system
(usually a lot of oil) or as mentioned earlier, a solenoid valve or valves are
leaking oil back to the tank.

Eric Perplies
96 PT-42

Hi Randy,

We are having a similar issue with our rear driver's side stabilizer not
holding. We had the system gone over earlier this year (before this was an
issue) and the did a "tune up" and clean out and things wer fine for a while.
After a couple of months, that rear stablizer slowly lets down a little. We
relevel the couch about once per week or so. This is the second park where we
have had this issue. Seems like the hydrolics are involved again...

Hope others have ideas,

Light

1991 40'PT WB
Auburn, CA



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Randall" wrote:
>
> I noticed a small bit of fluid on my garage floor near the left rear HWH jack.
Thinking it was leaking I took the coach to a certified HWH repair facility 2
weeks ago. The coach would not stay level on the jacks and would list to the
curb side after being on the jacks for several hours (always with the suspension
air dumped). The repair facility told me this morning HWH believes both rear
jacks need to be replaced. When I inquired why I couldn't get a straight answer.
I think the facility may know about the same as me regarding HWH jacks as they
have had the coach for 2 weeks and haven't fixed the problem yet.
>
> The service advisor stated they thought the coach may have a suspension air
leak also. I told them I didn't think a suspension air leak would have anything
to do with the HWH problem. Am I missing something here? Anyone have any
experience with jack problems and has anyone had to have jacks replaced?
>
> Any help will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Randy Merrill
> Ocala, FL
> 2003 40' LX
>

This may be a good place to mention this although I don't believe it is the
cause of the problem in this case. A year or so after purchasing our '99LXi in
2001, the right rear HWH jack started leaking. Connections were tight and it was
not leaking from the seal. Upon closer inspection it was determined that the
leak was through a minute pinhole in the jack body itself. I confirmed this by
applying air pressure into the removed jack and soapy water over the pinhole.
The fix was easy; simply grinding a "V" groove over the pinhold and welding the
groove. It has been fine now for 9 years.
Rich D. '06 M450 CT

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Fred Hulse" wrote:
>
> Hi Randy
> My thought on this is you have an issue with your right leveler and of course
the shop and most likely the factory wants you to change both of your rear
jacks.
> Probably is a good idea,but the other side is ok right now and may leak back
later.
> If you could get to the HWH factory they would rebuild your old jack and you
would be on your way. I don't think a certified HWH facility is capable of
anything other than remove and replace.
>
> The suspension air system leak will not affect the jacks operating and the svc
mgr was not right to use that as an excuse.But if he thinks it has a leak,tell
him to fix it if he can find it ( that is if they are trustworthy).
>
> Fred & Jeanne Hulse
> Morristown Arizona
> 1997 Wanderlodge WLWB41
>

Hi Randal.

You have had some very good ideas from the guys here. One other option on
the slow leak down and re level some are going through are the T handle
manual release valves on top of the 4 control solenoid valves located under
the step area. A check there to be sure vibration has not loosed the jam
nuts might be a good idea as well. As to the leakage on the rear cylinders,
it has been said, actuate them to allow the scrubber o-rings to clear the
path for the pressure o-rings, though usually once damaged they are not
self healing.

Need to have a look at the sequence of operation diagram and by doing that
you will know how the fluid is supposed to work and that knowledge allows
you to trouble shoot effectively before you go to a repair facility. That
tells you, with out doubt that your getting what is needed done and not a
"let's stick this problem on too," type of bill.

Charolette and I are headed out in the morning for a trip south and when I
get back I will pull out my books and post the 7 different HWH system
schematics to the Forum.

Yes, I too, am a Factory certified HWH tech.

Safe travels,

Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
"84FC35 "Ruff Diamond"
Duncan, Oklahoma

At 04:15 PM 5/1/2010 +0000, you wrote:
>I noticed a small bit of fluid on my garage floor near the left rear HWH
>jack. Thinking it was leaking I took the coach to a certified HWH repair
>facility 2 weeks ago. The coach would not stay level on the jacks and
>would list to the curb side after being on the jacks for several hours
>(always with the suspension air dumped). The repair facility told me this
>morning HWH believes both rear jacks need to be replaced. When I inquired
>why I couldn't get a straight answer. I think the facility may know about
>the same as me regarding HWH jacks as they have had the coach for 2 weeks
>and haven't fixed the problem yet.
>
>The service advisor stated they thought the coach may have a suspension
>air leak also. I told them I didn't think a suspension air leak would have
>anything to do with the HWH problem. Am I missing something here? Anyone
>have any experience with jack problems and has anyone had to have jacks
>replaced?
>
>Any help will be greatly appreciated.
>
>Randy Merrill
>Ocala, FL
>2003 40' LX
>
>
>