Solenoid Valve for hydraulic slide

[KC Snellgrove]

Good Day fellow BEAVERS! I have a 2005 Beaver Monterey coach with 3 slides. The passenger large slide when retracted eases out about an inch, I have been told it is likely the SOLENOID VALVE. Where would I find this item on the coach? They are spendy little items and are on back order through Beaver in Bend. I am going to try and order through Monaco. Any ideas are muchly appreciated. Thank you, 

KC Snellgrove
2005 Beaver Monterey Olivia Jean
38 foot CAT 400

[Joel Ashley]

Under the front right corner of the coach, in the vicinity of the entry step.

You should see 8 solenoids on a common manifold, with a tank and pump motor.  The solenoids are the smaller cylindrical parts in the diagram.  Three slideouts have 1 "In" and 1 "Out" solenoid each, and they are opposite each other on the manifold.  Your slideout with the bed in it is probably electric and so no hydraulic solenoids are used for it.  The 4th set of solenoids on the manifold, as I understand it, are for those rigs with the hydraulic leveling jacks option.

In the last few days there was another thread here where the poster, Roger Rempe, included a photo of his:   http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,5076.0.html

Joel

[Lee Welbanks]

KC,

Order the solenoid valve from HWH direct, that's who all the rest will get them from as they are the co that made the unit.

http://www.hwhcorp.com/

[Stan Simpson]

Just had one replaced, and luckily my repair shop had one on hand. The part was $196.00.

[Joel Ashley]

As I've mentioned in other related threads, our front curbside slide creeps out about once a year, with the coach just in storage, power off.  It hadn't done it for awhile, but a couple weeks ago I put all slides out for exterior cleaning, then back in, all systems and mains off again. Yesterday I walked past the rig and noted the slide was out at the bottom a half inch.  Though it creeps out on occasion, I'm not so sure a new solenoid is necessary.

In the past I've just turned on the 12v. and popped the thing out 3-4 inches, and back in, and it's always stayed put.  It seems to be just a matter of the rare imperfect O ring-sealing upon retraction, that lets a smidge of fluid by that with time gives the slide a chance to relax out a little.  A bump out and back in seems to reseat the ring, at least so far.

If that routine's not holding for you, then a new solenoid is one resolution.  It's been awhile since I've read about it, but I recall some have disassembled the offending solenoid, cleaned it, and replaced O rings.

Joel

[KC Snellgrove]

Thank you all so very much. I will get out there tomorrow am to check it out. As for the solenoids they are on back order several weeks. Cannot get them..awh.

[Joel Ashley]

Here's the way I think things are arranged for those of us with several slideouts, as partially plagiarized from another resource:

The slides are numbered one, two, three, four in a counter-clockwise direction starting with the one behind the driver.   So if you had 4 slides hydraulically operated then the streetside frontmost is #1 and the front one on the curbside is #4.

The hydraulic solenoid valves are numbered similarly starting with the set closest to the pump and moving outward. So the set closest to the pump would be for slide #1 and the set furthest away is for slide #4.

The wrinkle for us with 4 slides is that slide #2, usually the bed, is electric and that implies slide #3, curbside bedroom scissors-type, would be run by the second solenoid set.  Set 3 would then be for the curbside front slide.  I think solenoid #4 is for hydraulic jacks if you have them.

Joel

[Jim Edwards]

Hi I have a similar problem on my 2005 3 slide Monterey. I believe that there is also a check valve in the system, somewhere. I find that I can create the problem if I do not move the slide 100% and out and build a little pressure then retract it. When the slide does creep cycling it all the way out and back reseats something and it functions fine until I don't completely cycle it again. Also in the hydraulic loop when creep occurs, I think there is some diagnosis required as to which solenoid may not be sealing or if it is the check valve.  You might want to look at page 8 of the attached document if this is the system that you have.   

Just a thought.

Best

[Roy Deeble]

Joel,

I have a 4 slide 2005 Monty and have a creeping bedroom slide, but mine seems to be attributable to a leaking solenoid evidenced by a recent puddle of hydraulic fluid on the ground to the left of the front step.  I wasn't sure which one was leaking so I used Gunk and my pressure washer and to clean the manifold.  Reading your helpful posts I was expecting to find four solenoids each for in and out including my hydraulic jacks, but my rig only has three of each.  After a bit of head scratching it occurred to me my RVA jack system is completely independent from the HWH slide system with it's own pump, reservoir and solenoids.  Nothing is a given with these custom coaches, year, model and options all can and will throw us curve ball.

And then there is the unexplainable; it's been over a month and no leak is evident and the slide is not creeping. I didn't know Gunk was a sealant, go figure.  Now if only the Hydrohot will fix itself and fire up.  The adventure continues!  Happy holidays to all.

[Stan Simpson]

On our 2005 Monterey, the bedroom slides are electric, so no hydraulic solenoid. We have only 4, 1 in for curbside front slide, 1 out for the same; 1 in for the street side front slide, 1 out for the same. We have air leveling only, so no hydraulics for any jacks.

Stan

[Joel Ashley]

Roy, there is more than one possible "puddle source" up front.  I once thought one I found was from a fuel tank vent, after I peered underneath and saw a nearby rubber tube end hanging down and coming forward from over the tank area.  Turned out it was from a poorly secured oil filter that a service facility had replaced not long before on the generator. 

Leaking fluids on a vehicle get sprayed around chassis parts on the road, then drip from wherever they collect the most.  If the puddle is fairly clear, then the source is not chassis dirt-contaminated, close by, and less likely an oil or diesel, so your little hydraulic module (tank, pump motor, and solenoid manifold) is suspect indeed .  If the puddle is dark, I'd check other things first.  The creeping bed slide implies solenoid set #2, and using the owner's manual instructions judiciously, I'd consider checking the torque on the solenoid nuts and perhaps the tank top and any hose clamps/connections;  solenoid failures are more commonly internal, with no external evidence other than a creeping or inoperative slide.

Stan, I assume from your comments and yours being a Laguna IV that you have a curbside bedroom wall slide, but it would be the first I've heard that wasn't hydraulic.  Obviously with only 2 solenoid banks, that must be the case, so thanks for upgrading my mental encyclopedia on the subject;  not that it is all that complete a resource to begin with    .

-Joel

[Roy Deeble]

Joel,

Thanks for your input.  Given my wife's been ill we haven't had the rig out for a while.  I am confident the leak is/was from slide pump and/or related parts.  The puddle was directly beneath it about a foot in diameter immediately behind the front cap.  I suspect if I run the slides in and out several times the leak will reappear and perhaps I can rule out the solenoids as the source. 

You mentioned fuel tank vent hose as a possible source so here is another question.  I topped off my fuel tank and shortly after noticed diesel leaking on the ground at a fair clip.  Upon investigation my vent hose was hanging down the forward side of the tank and was the leak source because the fuel level was above the tank in the fill hoses.  So, is this hose suppose hang down and shouldn't it have a one way check value in hose end, if so?  I guess this vent hose could have been suspended above the fill ports, but where exactly and how is the mystery, any thoughts?  I have filled the tank to the same level many times in past without this issue so something has definitely changed.

[Joel Ashley]

Roy, I'll leave that one to Gerald who as I recall was in on a previous discussion about this and was fairly well-versed about it.  Seems like there was mention of a check valve, but you might also run a search here for that thread.  My experience on this topic is not sufficient re. the diesel coach compared to our old Pace Arrow and its fuel tank/hose issues.

-Joel

addendum:  I think if you fill up from a cold underground tank and then the coach heats up from travel and/or exposure, but you don't go very far in the interim, the diesel may expand enough to be forced up the necks and vent.  But I'm only speculating.  I've come to the point where I try not to use high-speed pump nozzles due to the foam-back anyway, and am more attentive not to fill too far with slow-speed pumps.  Topping off just before storage is okay to prevent water condensation, but not so much when the weather is hot.  Fuel going from 54 degree earthbound tanks to trapped in a 90+ degree ambient coach tank I would expect to expand and go somewhere.

[Roy Deeble]

I found threads re the Monterey fuel tank vent on our forum and those on RV.net.  Looks like a mixed bag on the solution.  I had purchased a one way fuel check valve used on ATV's that looks like it will plug into the dangling hose.  I'll give it a try; just hoping the air flow will keep up with diesel flow and not create a vacuum.

[Roy Deeble]

Probably should have started a new thread for my fuel vent hose leak, live and learn.

A middle of the night epiphany - a one way check valve is/was a BAD idea! I can only speak for my Monterey, but given the fuel fill hoses enter the tank about a third of away below tank top I thinking all fuel added above these inlet hoses will in fact pressurize the air in the top third of the tank with a check valve in place.  This pressure will increase with a change to a lower altitude or increasing ambient temperature causing lowered fuel capacity, hose leaks or a diesel fuel shower if a fill cap is removed, no thanks.

Since I've never noticed this problem previously and the dangling vent hose seems to be the beaver norm I apparently really over-filled my tank and didn't drive far enough to use the excess fuel stored above the tank in the fill hoses, thus the leak on ground.  Of course driving with an over-filled tank results in diesel spray emanating from the vent hose which is not desirable either.

The obvious solution is not to top off the fuel tank, but I parked on an incline at the pump (rig front a couple of feet higher than rear) with the fuel flow set to low expecting the automatic shutoff to do it's job; too full.  An alternative, as mentioned elsewhere, is to elevate said vent hose so the high point is about equal to fill hoses high point.  To keep dirt etal out of the hose end should turn down.

I will attempt to reroute and perhaps lengthen my vent hose unless someone can come up with a better solution.  Usually my middle of the night ideas are on the mark, hope his is case.