94 Marquis goes tilt

[Wayne Tull]

When starting up my coach this year, the right side appears to be going to Max air bag height. Not sure about the left side because the right side is so high.  Would this be a problem with ride height sensors?  Do they dump air to control ride height?     When parked, doing the auto air leveling everything is working fine and once leveled stays that way.  

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Check or have checked the ride height adjustments in the rear. One on each side. They are a vertical steel rod through a rubber sleeve that is attached at the top to a lever. Sounds like tey may be out of adjustment. They need to be to factory specifications for proper drive shaft angle.

[Gerald Farris]

Wayne,
You definitely have a problem with a ride height sensor. The sensor on the right rear probably has a broken linkage connector. This is some thing to have done by a professional mechanic, unless you have the right equipment and some suspension experience, because of the safety concerns.

It is a fairly easy repair that should not take more than 30 minutes, but it can be dangerous if you get under the coach and mistakenly lower the coach down on yourself.

The reason that the coach sets level and stays that way when it is air leveled, is that the leveling system has its own sensor and does not use the ride height sensors to adjust the suspension air bag pressure. So a defective ride height sensor has no effect on the coach when it is air leveled.

Gerald

[Wayne Tull]

Gerald,

You are correct.  There is a broken one, but not completely, on the left side (this probably indicates I don't what is the correct height, since I thought the right side was high).   This one has the rubber adjuster at the bottom that connects to a pin on the rear suspension.  Do you know where I might find these?  Or are they common, and I should just call around locally?  Yep, I'm in what appears to be a slow learning curve on a Diesel RV.  I'm just glad my wife visited with a  BAC Member at our local camp ground, because this site is gold.

[Gerald Farris]

Wayne,
Your coach is on a Gillig chassis so you should be able to find the the part at any large RV repair shop. However it may be easier to call Beaver Coach Sales in Bend Oregon and have the parts department drop one in the mail to you. The postage will be less than the gas that you will burn-up looking for the part locally.

Remember that working under a coach, especially on the suspension, can be dangerous. So if you repair the coach yourself, use safety measures like HD jack stands and work safe.

Gerald

[Richard And Babs Ames]

I have done business direct with Gillig for parts and find them very very easy to do business with. They will be able to tell you what you need and ship to you by your chassis sn and year. They are much better organized than Magnum or Monaco ever was.

[Keith Oliver]

I have to echo Gerald's caution re safety while working under your coach.  
I once worked on a fatality, caused by ignorance, of the licensed mechanic working under a train.  He undid a bolt without first knowing exactly what would fall out with it.  As it happened, the weight that came down was enough to kill him.
Track everything that is connected to the pieces you are working on, and be sure you know how they are supported.  If unsure, set up additional supports first.

[Wayne Tull]

I appreciate the concern / caution and it's always well received.   I have been checking out the chassis suspension, and making sure I have more than adequate support in place. I plan on replacing all the linkage (it's been ordered) now in hopes to avoid future problems with those parts, and the drivers side fill hose (the recent post on that answered the question even before I asked).