Author Topic: HWH Air leveling system  (Read 3638 times)

Bruce Hoglander

  • Guest
HWH Air leveling system
« on: June 22, 2021, 02:31:33 PM »
I have a 2005 Beaver Monterey with HWH air leveling and Hydraulic jacks. I recently put it in a good shop because I couldn't figure why the air leveling wasn't working and to help hunt an air leak in suspension. They are familiar with Roadmaster Chasisis and air suspension as they were formerly  a Monaco Dealer. They have been unable to get the air level system working and have been having trouble with support from HWH. I asked them to disconnect the air level system and I will use the Hydraulic jacks as I have a month long trip scheduled next week. They now say that the air level system is linked to the suspension and that the coach is not safe to drive as they can not get it to go to travel mode and establish the ride height.  I am wondering if anyone else has been able to separate the systems in a way that I can make the scheduled trip and focus on the air level when I return. They believe there may be a problem with the board that can be rebuilt.  Any suggestions would be a big help. It seems if you could buy the coach without that option that you should be able to operate without it and isolate it somehow.
 

David T. Richelderfer

  • David, Leslie, Jasper, & JoJo
  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1676
  • Thanked: 497 times
  • OSU, Class of 1971, RVing nearly 50 years
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2021, 03:07:51 PM »
This sounds a lot like my experience a year ago - air leveling would not work properly and the system would not go into Travel Mode.  If you want to try getting something out of my experience, then try reading this thread.

http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,9847.msg68032.html#msg68032
2004 Beaver Marquis Sapphire

I had a dream... then I lived it!

Richard Davis

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 207
  • Thanked: 85 times
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2021, 04:19:25 PM »
If your HWH manifolds are like my '06 Monterey, there is a small "T" handle release valve on the side of each manifold.  Unscrewing (opening) the valve will manually put the system in Travel mode bypassing the air leveling system.  The "T" handle valves are there to allow the chassis to be driven by the manufacturer before the system was completely assembled.  Good luck on continuing your trip.
Richard
06 Monterey Ventura IV, C9 400 hp

Bruce Hoglander

  • Guest
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2021, 10:03:29 PM »
Thank you both for your reply. I will look at the manifolds for the override handle for immediate repair and also plan on sending the "brain" for repair once I am parked. zzzzzzzI will post what I find out.

David T. Richelderfer

  • David, Leslie, Jasper, & JoJo
  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1676
  • Thanked: 497 times
  • OSU, Class of 1971, RVing nearly 50 years
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2021, 10:40:49 PM »
A few comments about HWH...

When I talked to the guy at HWH who was more familiar with my equipment, I had a good feeling that my repairs would be handled appropriately.

Before sending in anything to HWH for repair or return, get an authorization (RMA) from HWH.  It sounded like the authorization is a reservation for repairs.  The firm in Yuma that I was using, Bob's Diesel, told me to send in my equipment without getting the HWH authorization.  When I called the next week to check on the equipment repair schedule, they had placed my mailed box of equipment on a shelf because it had no authorization and, therefore, they did not know what to do with it.  I was glad I called and got an authorization completed after its delivery.  As it was, the repairs took about 1 1/2 months, including shipping to and from HWH.

I think the repairs would have been completed much sooner but for the initial lack of authorization, the reduced HWH crew size due to the Chinese Virus being in full force (May-June, 2020), and perhaps because my equipment was so old (nearly 20 years) that the older, more experienced technicians were staying away from the HWH workplace to avoid the Virus.

I say this extra delay was likely Virus caused because a few years earlier, my repair shop here near Hermiston had to send in the same HWH boards for repair.  The equipment repair for that event took about two weeks, including shipping to and from HWH.

2004 Beaver Marquis Sapphire

I had a dream... then I lived it!

Bruce Hoglander

  • Guest
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2021, 03:16:08 AM »
Thank you David... will do.  Were you able to use your motorhome without the boards. HWH said that it needs to be wired to bypass the system and another member suggested I lok for a bypass on the manifolds which I will do tomorrow. I have a month long trip scheduled for Monday and am trying to get a work around so I can take the trip.

Richard Davis

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 207
  • Thanked: 85 times
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2021, 03:42:50 AM »
I found a couple of images of the Travel Mode bypass T handle in the HWH literature.  It also states that early models did not have the T handles.  My '06 has them.  Hoping your '05 does also.
06 Monterey Ventura IV, C9 400 hp

Richard Davis

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 207
  • Thanked: 85 times
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2021, 03:50:33 AM »
A strong FYI.  There is a warning in the HWH literature about opening the T handle.  When you open the T handle, air in the system will be allowed to interact with the ride height control mechanism (the air springs may drop dramatically and quickly).  So, safety is utmost when opening these valves to insure that the coach is supported adequately while working underneath it.
Richard
06 Monterey Ventura IV, C9 400 hp

David T. Richelderfer

  • David, Leslie, Jasper, & JoJo
  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1676
  • Thanked: 497 times
  • OSU, Class of 1971, RVing nearly 50 years
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2021, 01:40:28 PM »
Bruce - We did not use the Marquis while awaiting equipment repairs from HWH.  The main reason being is we have a house in the Foothills of Yuma where we live over the winter.  The Marquis simply resides there with us in its spot in the driveway, plugged into 30 amp, waiting to take us back to Hermiston, OR in April.  Given that the leveling system would not operate and would not inflate the bags to show a green travel light, we would not have been able to safely drive the coach anyways.

Soooo.... I just continued to play golf six days a week through May, June, and up to when we departed on Monday after the July 4th weekend.  It was getting to be a little hot there though!
2004 Beaver Marquis Sapphire

I had a dream... then I lived it!

Joel Ashley

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2341
  • Thanked: 801 times
  • OSU Class of '73, Oregon Native. RVing 39 years
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2021, 09:41:06 PM »
Probably not as hot as it must be there now, David.  Ouch.  109 predicted here even in Portland Sunday.
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat

Bruce Hoglander

  • Guest
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2021, 02:36:37 AM »
Hello  and thank you to all. here is an up[date .We were lucky to talk with HWH and they worked with the local shop tech sent replacement solenoids and a valve and I picked up the coach today . The air leveling system is not working properly so I will send out the board when I return but they were able to get the coach on the road!. I did not get a chance to look at the manifolds myself but the shop said there were no T handles that they saw on the manifold. Hmmm seems if your 2006 has it my 2005 should too. At this point just happy to be able to make the scheduled trip.

jeffprupis

  • Guest
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2021, 12:55:59 PM »
If you're near Moscow IA, a visit to HWH for repairs is well worth the diversion (not much else there). The shop is a site to see and the repairs are handled very quickly and affordably.

Mike Shumack

  • Guest
Re: HWH Air leveling system
« Reply #12 on: June 30, 2021, 12:31:37 PM »
Hello  and thank you to all. here is an up[date .We were lucky to talk with HWH and they worked with the local shop tech sent replacement solenoids and a valve and I picked up the coach today . The air leveling system is not working properly so I will send out the board when I return but they were able to get the coach on the road!. I did not get a chance to look at the manifolds myself but the shop said there were no T handles that they saw on the manifold. Hmmm seems if your 2006 has it my 2005 should too. At this point just happy to be able to make the scheduled trip.

There are no T-handles on my 2005.
You can check the solenoids with an ohmmeter. A good coil is around 16 ohms.
If the electronics (HWH board) fails, or you need to send the board in for repair and still need to drive the coach, you can still power the Travel coils with 12V to put coach in Travel mode. There are instructions in the HWH manual.

I created a jumper wire setup so I can just plug in a 12V power source (already set up in my Run Box) in case I ever ran into a problem. You can see those connections in this photo circled in red (not very clear). So I unplug the wire from the HWH box going to the Travel solenoid and then plug in the 12V power wire. Of course if the solenoid is bad this isn't going to work. I also carry some spare solenoids - but getting under the Coach to swap them out (while on the road) would be difficult without a set of ramps.