MH MOVEMENT

[Frank Bannert]

I have a '02 40' Pat. and when we are set up for a few days, the coach rocks when people walk around.  I was wondering if this was normal.  My coach has auto leveling and no jacks.  And when setting up, I usually dump all the air.  So shouldn't it be setting on the frame and axles to prevent this?  My coach has a 8 air bag system.

Thanks Frank

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

Frank,

I think your coach has jacks, attached to the frame, that push down on the axles to level you.  The movement you feel is from the tires.  

Larry

[Joel Ashley]

Your air leveling simply levels your floor.  Without hydraulic jacks between the chassis and the ground, you are level but essentially sitting on your tires.  The stabilizing effect is much less than with hydraulic jacks.  Personally, my wife and I are used to camping on air only, even though our old coach had electric jacks that firmly locked chassis to ground.  

The air system rocks a bit, but it's certainly not bothersome.  Sitting "on frame and axles" still allows for movement due to side to side flex and tire rubber bounce.  To us, the tolerable flexing and bounce is a very fair trade given the problems and cost that hydraulic jacks can provide.

Joel

[Gil_Johnson]

Joel is right. Also, your bags are not dumped if you have your auto leveling turned on.  I'm also with Joel in that the slight movement isn't bothersome for us.  Having been boaters before, it's sometimes nice the gentle motion of waves.

Enjoy,

Gil

[Karl Welhart]

In a 02 Patriot, the leveling is jacks that go from the frame to the axles.  In that design, it is normal to get some movement after the coach is leveled with the jacks.  This is due to tires...  One problem that I have is over time, after the coach has been leveled with the jacks, is air seems to creep back into the bags and causes the coach to have even more movement.  If I am going to be parked for longer than a week, I will dump the air tanks manually by opening the 4 air valves in the back.  It is also useful to cycle the level system twice to avoid this situation.

[Joel Ashley]

Interesting... I have never heard of "jacks" between the frame and axles  

Joel

[Dave Blystone]

that is how my 01 patriot  33 is set up
it works ok but it is very loud while its working
 metal against metal while working
dave and edie
2001 patriot
3126 cat

[Gerald Farris]

Joel,
Virtually all of the 2001 and 2002 Patriot and Marquis coaches were equipped with the SMC leveling system. This system used only hydraulic jacks between the frame and axles to level the coach.

The SMC leveling system is also called the earthquake leveling system, because on many of them the coach feels very rough and jerky inside (like an earthquake) when the jacks are operated, especially when raised. This is one of the reasons that several of these model coaches have had the HWH air leveling system added to the coach as an aftermarket add-on.

Gerald

[John Hennessey]

I am currently sitting in the shop of Beavermotorcoaches in Bend.  We just had our leveling system worked on.  If it sounds really loud when the jacks are lowering the plumbing was done incorrectly at the factory and they have to reverse the line etc.  Talk to Steve in Bend.  He is the expert on these systems.  Once he corrected the problem I was amazed at how quiet it was when we lowered the jacks.

[Joel Ashley]

Thanks for clueing me in, Gerald.  Even after 27 yrs. of learning about motor homes, there's still some things that missed my attention.  I do now recollect reading about the inter-chassis jack system somewhere, but reckon once wasn't enough to make it stick to my neurons.

-Joel

[Frank Bannert]

Thanks Guys for all the info. I learned alot from your answers and will learn to live with it.

Thanks Frank

[Joel Ashley]

There are a lot of owners who really don't like the movement, Frank.  If you are one of those, I wouldn't discourage you from looking into adding hydraulic to-ground jacks, if they can be put on a coach with intra-chassis ones already.  It's just that having had electric jacks on a previous gas coach, I can say I don't miss the attendant problems.  Yes, they definitely planted the floor solidly.  But being very mechanical means inevitable failures, and I didn't like crawling under the coach with pliers and hammer, esp. in bad weather.  Hydraulic ones have a reputation for leaks and attendant failures.  There are electric versions still available.  Both systems can fail support if on soft ground (sink), and they can crack asphalt or concrete;  understandably, some parks discourage their use on their site pads.  Once in awhile a jack won't retract, so you can't leave camp.  At least air systems or your intra-chassis jacks won't do that, though certainly they can have issues occasionally as well.

It's a personal choice:  is the price and potential problems of ground jacks worth the stability they can provide?  Deluxe diesel coaches are about as far away from "camping" as a camper can get nowadays.  I wouldn't have movement problems in my tent (well, usually), but a little motion in my Beaver coach anywhere in the great outdoors is within my tolerance.

Joel

[Frank Bannert]

Thanks Joel. I will stay with the leveling system that is on this coach. I had other coaches and had some of the problems you mentioned and the movement is very tolerable.

thanks again
Frank