Mystery solved:
The mechanic checked the poppets and said they didn't need much adjustment. He replaced all of the hoses related to the steering hydraulic system with good quality crimped hoses. Still, the only explanation for the popping hydraulic hoses was that they were old.
So we headed back toward TX! We arrived at our first stop - Walmart 90 miles away from the shop and as I was maneuvering to parallel park, I lost the power steering again. The leak was coming from the area of the (what I call steering pump but Richard calls hydraulic pump so that's what I call it now.) I walked over to Harbor Freight and got a mechanic's mirror but still couldn't see where the leak was from. I filled the reservoir with 2 qts of ATF and my wife started the engine and I watched ATF spray out of the back of the hydraulic pump. I checked the connections on the hoses and could not see a problem. I walked over to Walmart and got cat litter and a shovel to clean up the mess in the parking lot.
This was Saturday and I called the mechanic and he said to have the coach towed in (again) and he would look at it tomorrow morning (Sunday). We got lucky on the tow. Or maybe when I told the dispatcher from the tow company everything that was needed to tow this motorhome properly, they realized it would not be simple. The tow truck driver showed up Saturday night to look at the coach and make a game plan for the tow the next morning. He arrived on time Sunday morning and towed us to the shop without a scratch. Much better experience than our first tow.
The mechanic found that the ATF was coming from the hydraulic pump regulator. The regulator consists of a spool valve that sits on a spring. On top of the spool valve is a plug with an oring and a roller pin holding everything in place. It is supposed to regulate the pressure in the hydraulic system by recycling the fluid back to the reservoir when the pressure gets too high. He took the pump out (2 bolts) and found the roller pin to be bent. The leak was caused by a broken oring. (Probably the same oring that had been replaced with the previous owner in N. Carolina. The previous owner had only driven the coach from there to Maine and then I bought it.) The mechanic noticed a worn spot on the top of the spool valve and turned it upside down and saw a similar wear spot where the spring contacted the spool valve. He then realized that in the position the valve was in, the holes in the valve did not line up with the holes in the pump. When he turned the valve "upside down" the holes lined up!
So that's all it was. The mechanic in N. Carolina apparently placed the spool valve in upside down when he replaced the oring. That caused the lack of control of the pressure in the system that resulted in hoses popping when the wheel was turned far to the R or L which is when the pressure in the system is maxed out.
We are finally back home in TX with our new to us Newell. Thanks to all you Gurus for the advice and support.
The mechanic checked the poppets and said they didn't need much adjustment. He replaced all of the hoses related to the steering hydraulic system with good quality crimped hoses. Still, the only explanation for the popping hydraulic hoses was that they were old.
So we headed back toward TX! We arrived at our first stop - Walmart 90 miles away from the shop and as I was maneuvering to parallel park, I lost the power steering again. The leak was coming from the area of the (what I call steering pump but Richard calls hydraulic pump so that's what I call it now.) I walked over to Harbor Freight and got a mechanic's mirror but still couldn't see where the leak was from. I filled the reservoir with 2 qts of ATF and my wife started the engine and I watched ATF spray out of the back of the hydraulic pump. I checked the connections on the hoses and could not see a problem. I walked over to Walmart and got cat litter and a shovel to clean up the mess in the parking lot.
This was Saturday and I called the mechanic and he said to have the coach towed in (again) and he would look at it tomorrow morning (Sunday). We got lucky on the tow. Or maybe when I told the dispatcher from the tow company everything that was needed to tow this motorhome properly, they realized it would not be simple. The tow truck driver showed up Saturday night to look at the coach and make a game plan for the tow the next morning. He arrived on time Sunday morning and towed us to the shop without a scratch. Much better experience than our first tow.
The mechanic found that the ATF was coming from the hydraulic pump regulator. The regulator consists of a spool valve that sits on a spring. On top of the spool valve is a plug with an oring and a roller pin holding everything in place. It is supposed to regulate the pressure in the hydraulic system by recycling the fluid back to the reservoir when the pressure gets too high. He took the pump out (2 bolts) and found the roller pin to be bent. The leak was caused by a broken oring. (Probably the same oring that had been replaced with the previous owner in N. Carolina. The previous owner had only driven the coach from there to Maine and then I bought it.) The mechanic noticed a worn spot on the top of the spool valve and turned it upside down and saw a similar wear spot where the spring contacted the spool valve. He then realized that in the position the valve was in, the holes in the valve did not line up with the holes in the pump. When he turned the valve "upside down" the holes lined up!
So that's all it was. The mechanic in N. Carolina apparently placed the spool valve in upside down when he replaced the oring. That caused the lack of control of the pressure in the system that resulted in hoses popping when the wheel was turned far to the R or L which is when the pressure in the system is maxed out.
We are finally back home in TX with our new to us Newell. Thanks to all you Gurus for the advice and support.