Air Dump

[Mel Griffin]

When should I use the air dump, before putting slides out, before leveling, when I store the coach?
What air am I dumping?

Miami Mel

[Tom and Pam Brown]

if you use the automatice hydraulic level button the air will dump automatically.

The slide should always be out before leveling as stated in the rear compartment of the motorhome.

I have never used mine just as a dump for the air system.

I am sure others have more info and opinion.

[Edward Buker]

Mel,

It would depend on the leveling system that you have. If you have air leveling I do not think that you need to dump the air. If you have hydraulic leveling jacks that go to the ground I do not think that you have to dump the air and sometimes if the coach gets too low with the air dumped the jacks cannot swing down properly if you have that style jack. There are other configurations where the jacks come straight down, not sure on that one. If you have the hydraulic leveling that has cylinders that come down to pads welded on the axle then Tom is right, the automatic leveling system dumps the air first. However the timing of that system does not seem to allow enough time to sufficiently dump the air in my coach so I manually dump the air first using the press button switch. There is a written procedure in the manual covering leveling of your coach. The use of the air dump switch should be covered if required in the manual. Someone with your same coach and leveling system would be the best source to answer for your specific chassis and leveling system.

later Ed

Later Ed

[Gerald Farris]

Under normal circumstances you will probably never need to use the air dump. The air dump will dump all of the air out of the suspension and usually some from the air tank that supplies the suspension.Since dumping the air from the suspension will lower the coach all of the way down to the axles, it should never be done when driving unless it is an emergency situation to clear an overhead obstacle because it can be dangerous.

If your coach has an automatic hydraulic leveling system it will dump the suspension air before it extends the jacks to level the coach. If you have an automatic air leveling system, it does not dump the air, but it will deflate the air bags at the highest point to level the coach. If completely deflating the high side air bags do not level the coach, it will add more air to the other air bags until the coach is level.

Gerald  

[Joel Ashley]

I dump the air in two circumstances:  when the entry step will otherwise end up unnecessarily high to the point my wife will have trouble negotiating it, and when I have to go under unusually low tree branches.  As Gerald indicated, it isn't normally advised when driving, but I've done it to clear branches, and I only do that at super slow speed on a level surface and I keep the wheels straight;  turning with the coach body down will put the front tires into the fenders and damage them.

-Joel

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Driving with air bags deflated on an uneven surface can flex the frame enough to do things like pop out your windshield etc.  We follow our owners manual which has us open and close the slide with the air bags inflated then dumping the air and leveling.

[Mel Griffin]

As far as I know I have the air bag auto leveling system when driveing.  I have the manual RVA co. madel # J 2 leveling system which has 3 jacks to the ground,one each behind back wheels and one in middle front.

Mel

[Gerald Farris]

If you have a manual hydraulic leveling system you should dump the air before extending the jacks.

Gerald

[Larry and Heidi Lee]

If I am parked on a perfectly level site, I like to dump the air so the front step is low to the ground and it's easier to get in and out of the coach.

[Mandy Canales]

I have a manual hydraulic leveling system on our 90 Marquis.  If I air dumped before putting the jacks down I would never be able to get the jacks down.  I say this because when putting the jacks down first I only have about 1 1/2 inches in clearance between the jack foot and the ground.  By dumping the air first the coach would lower itself by at least 3 inches.  There are some coaches which had shorter jacks put on and allowed them to do what Gerald suggested.  You just have to know what the jack length is on your particular coach.
Thanks for the input.

[Jim Shaw]

I have the manual hydraulic leveling on my Monterey and always put my front jack down before leveling if the front is low because the front jack is not strong enough to handle the weight if it is shifted to the front. It will hold OK if it is down when I dump the air. This has not caused any problem in seven years. RVA informed me that Beaver should have used a stronger jack. Just wonder if anyone else has had this problem?

[Richard And Babs Ames]

I believe mandy is referring to the flip down jacks that have a knee action that were a safety feature, if you dirve foward  with the jack down it merely folds instead of tearing everything up like the later straight acting, up or down only, jacks.
  

Our three jack RVA jack manual state level "side to side" then front. Jim's method works but you have to be experienced and cautious