leveling compressor

[Harold and Gloria Skipworth]

I am going to replace my dead leveling compressor soon with a Viair 380C unit.  My 2005 Monterey only has air for leveling, no hydraullics, I am concerened about what will happen when I disconnect the air line from the compressor.  Are there check valves, will both tanks empty, will the air bags deflate and drop the chassis.  I need to know what to expect so I can take precautions.  Advice appreciated.
Harold

[MarcRodstein]

Dump your air first, before you do anything. If your air tanks are empty you won't have a problem.

[Harold and Gloria Skipworth]

Thanks Marc, good to know.

[Jerry Carr]

FYI, I added the 380 last year to our 06 Thunder so far it's been great,

[Sean Donohue]

Did the old one die or are you upgrading?

What are you going to do with the old one?

[Jerry Carr]

My old pump was so packed with dirt and road grim that it would no longer mover even after I removed it. (I did try to clean it but)
The replacement pump the 380 is a sealed unit this will prevent the problem again. On the 06 unit the pump is outside just in front of the passage rear tire, how stupid was that on Monaco!
  

[Robert Mathis]

My Contessa has a check valve, and I suspect yours does too.

[Harold and Gloria Skipworth]

The old unit has been silent since I bought the coach 20 months ago. I think I'll try to see why it quit after the 380 is in place.  Right now just waiting for favorable weather to make the switch.

[Stan Simpson]

Is the leveling compressor the one that comes on periodically to "re-level" your coach? Or the one that's supposed to, anyway.

[Gerald Farris]

Stan,
The air leveling compressor is the 12V electric compressor that turns on when the leveling system is trying to raise the coach at any point.
If your coach has been automatically air leveled, you will hear the compressor come on occasionally to raise the coach back to a level condition if one corner leaks down a little.

Gerald  

[Harvey Ziegler]

I have a question about this air compressor as mine has never operated since we got the coach 4 years ago. I have removed the compressor and tested it on the work bench and it works fine. I had an assistant help me yesterday and I can hear and feel the solenoid pick up when you operate a raise button on the key pad but the compressor does not operate. Checked the positive terminal on the solenoid and I do not have 12 volts. The fuse is good next to the compressor. Checked for voltage at the supply side of the fuse and still no voltage. Does someone know where this compressor gets its 12 volt power supply from?
My electrical drawings do not show the auto leveling system.
04 Monterey Newport.

[Harold and Gloria Skipworth]

The manual that came with my 2005 Monterey has a rough diagram of the HWH leveling system. It shows 12V coming from the leveling controller going through the pressure switch then to the compressor.  At least that's as it appears to me.

[Harvey Ziegler]

From what I can make out from looking at info on the HWH web site the 12 volt from the controller to the pressure switch is the 12 volts that picks up the solenoid. The main 12 volt supply should be from the battery but I do not see it in the from electrical cabinet. They would not a wire the length of the coach from the battery with out fusing it until the compressor end would they.

[Harvey Ziegler]

Just an update on were the 12 supply is fed from for the leveling comp[ressor. I undid a large number of tye raps to look for wire numbers on the wires in the electrical bay. Noticed that there were 7 wires down on terminal TB1-7 and 2 of these wires were red in color like the wire that supplies 12 volts to the compressor.

Tried operating the compressor from the key pad and put my foot on the brake pedal. Lo and behold the compressor ran as long as I had my foot on the brake pedal. If this is how this coach was wired from the factory then this compressor has never operated. I quess I have a 10 year old compressor that has never ran.

Rewired the compressor 12 volt supply wire to one of the circuit breakers for the HWH in the electrical bay. Thanks for your assistance Harold.

[Harold and Gloria Skipworth]

I got a break in the weather and crawled under the front end with tools and removed the compressor assembly.  I took it to my bench to find out why it failed.  To my surprise the compressor still runs but my solenoid was DOA.  I already received the 380C so that's what is going in.  I located one at a Graingers nearby and will pick up a new solenoid tomorrow.  Just in case it helps someone I diagramed the wiring at the compressor and copied the manufactures name and part numbers.  See attachment