Leaking Slide Out Hydraulics

[Bruce Benson]

The "in" line on the hydraulic cylinder of my slide out started leaking at the fitting several years ago.  It was a small leak, but over time made a huge mess on my generator.  

I decided to have a new connection crimped to the existing hose because, of course, there is no way to replace the whole hose in the manner it is originally installed without removing the water tank.  I used a hydraulic shop in Grand Junction, CO that had a portable, sort of, crimper.  It was a difficult job and required that I remove the  slide alignment gears and rod to get the equipment in.  Needless to say, it was a tight fit.  

The shop owner groused about the original hose quality, of course, but it all seemed fine when done.  I think the bill was around $85 which included a short make up piece and the necessary fittings.

The fitting started leaking again about a year ago.  A generator shop repaired my Onan this week and the shop owner warned me that the hydraulic fluid was up to no good in the generator and that I really needed to fix the leak.  

Yesterday, I ran a new hydraulic line from the cylinder to the control valve.  I ran it out side of the frame rail, through the wheel well, then through an existing cutout in the frame rail across the coach to the control valve.  In my case, the control valve is located under the step, right next to the pump.  The top rearward line is the "in" line on mine.

I had a 20 foot piece of Gates 6000 lb. double steel wall hydraulic line made up and placed it inside a 20 foot piece of black plastic split wire loom to help protect it.  The total cost for parts was $107.  

I had to take the pin out of the cylinder end and lower it to get to the connections on the cylinder.  There is a 90 degree fitting on it that I took out and took with me to make sure I got the right fittings.  They were the same for both ends.  Threading the line through was not easy but was do-able.  The coach is parked on a crushed rock pad which makes all the crawling around under it tough.  

My point of the post is to communicate that the best fix for a leak like this appears to be total hose replacement.  

  

[George Harwell]

Welcome to the club. First, thanks for the post as it will help others with the never ending leak. I have seen numerous coaches over the years and including my own with leaking hoses and repaired mine several times including the swedging of new fitting to no avail. The hose material used by Beaver is an inferior product and the only cure is to replace them with high quality lines. I changed mine 2 days ago on the 03 Monterey with the pump located in the engine bay. Not an easy job to run the hose, one 24 foot and one 26. Did not want to remove the water tank so ran them outside the frame rail. Had air leveling installed on the coach so do not use the jacks anymore. Looking forward to a leak free system.

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Mr Harwell who did your air leveling system? We have been discussing Active Air from HWH but do not relish a trip to Moscow, Iowa any time soon.

[Mary Collins]

I just checked with the Alliance Coach repair facility in Wildwood, FL. Brett Howard, their Vice President and Director, assured me that they are a certified HWH installer. They would be happy to add air leveling to a Beaver that currently has a hydraulic leveling system.

We added air leveling to our 2003 Patriot Thunder at HWH in Moscow, Iowa, and were extremely pleased with the result and wished that we had done it years earlier. We have already scheduled an appointment to add it to our new coach when we cross the country next spring.

[George Harwell]

Had my air leveling done by HWH @ Moscow, Iowa and have been very happy with it. Took them a day and a half and we were allowed to be in the coach while they worked and also spent the night in the coach. They pull the coach in on a ramp so the guys can work underneath with ease. I recommend them because they are experienced and have access to parts and engineering help if needed.