03-11-2015, 02:20 PM
I was due for a side of the super slab down and out. Yesterday, heading North on I75 just outside Ocala, I hear a high pitch whine that is new. Hmmm, Rhonda do you hear that. She heads back to the coach and says it's smoking back here. Immediate high alert ensues when I look out the mirrors and we are billowing profuse smoke. Nascar burnouts have nothing on us. I assume we are on fire, tell her to prepare to abandon ship, and head out the door with a fire extinguisher. Nothing from engine compartment, but when I get to driver side the problem is evident. The coach is sitting on the rear tires. Oops. Air is hissing.
First order is to try to see what is up. I put jacks under the hitch to keep it from going down further, and I go in through the duals on the other side. If you can get through there by turning on your side it is by far the easiest access under the rear. Nothing hangs down to catch you there. Anyway the primary problem is evident when I see the vertical and horizontal rods on the HCV are no longer connected. The rubber "P" that normally connects them had fractured. Never seen that or even heard of it, but it results in a big problem. I tried to put the coach in level mode to get it up but that corner was not coming up like it should. I could still hear a large volume of air hissing but I couldn't find the leak. I couldn't hear well because of the trucks whizzing by 5 feet away. Soapy water didn't find it, but I went back in with my leak detector and headphones to find an airline tucked in the outer perimeter of the wheel well. The tire had rubbed through it of course.
Rhonda found a local truck supply place, and we took the toad to find a replacement "P". I was already figuring how to make one if I couldn't find one. Lucky for me they had a suitable replacement.
Now the fun begins. With my arms you can't reach the HCV through the well even though I have jacked up the coach with bottle jacks. And from underside I can barely reach the junction with one hand. The nut is spinning the bolt in the HCV arm. It is impossible to get pliers or a grip on the backside of the bolt. Replacement part in hand but I'm really stuck now. I try a number of different things and none work. Hmmmm, maybe the impact gun. Find the gun, correct socket, and extension bar, but I have no air because of the leak. Crank engine to get air, and it doesn't get the nut off. The bolts just spins. Finally, I used very long needle nose pliers and I nibbled the remaining rubber away from the bolt. Then I could get pliers on it while I hit it with the impact wrench. The nut never came off, but the wrench did break the bolt. That allowed me to bolt the new "p" on with a fresh bolt. Splice the air line next, hold my breath, and press the travel button. Bingo !
Three hours of excitement and we were rolling again.
Yes, I have Coachnet. They couldn't tow the coach with it on the tires. I saw the problem. Either I was going to have to fix it, or the unknown technician that I waited unknown hours for was going to have to do the same.
It's still not clear to me why the Level mode would not raise the coach. Perhaps in the stress of the moment I didn't wait long enough.
Some years ago I put double ended quick connect fittings in the fitting box for an emergency splice. They sure made the fix quick.
Many thanks to the Ocala LEO who parked behind us with the flashing lights.
Honestly, when I first saw the smoke, I thought the coach is gone.
First order is to try to see what is up. I put jacks under the hitch to keep it from going down further, and I go in through the duals on the other side. If you can get through there by turning on your side it is by far the easiest access under the rear. Nothing hangs down to catch you there. Anyway the primary problem is evident when I see the vertical and horizontal rods on the HCV are no longer connected. The rubber "P" that normally connects them had fractured. Never seen that or even heard of it, but it results in a big problem. I tried to put the coach in level mode to get it up but that corner was not coming up like it should. I could still hear a large volume of air hissing but I couldn't find the leak. I couldn't hear well because of the trucks whizzing by 5 feet away. Soapy water didn't find it, but I went back in with my leak detector and headphones to find an airline tucked in the outer perimeter of the wheel well. The tire had rubbed through it of course.
Rhonda found a local truck supply place, and we took the toad to find a replacement "P". I was already figuring how to make one if I couldn't find one. Lucky for me they had a suitable replacement.
Now the fun begins. With my arms you can't reach the HCV through the well even though I have jacked up the coach with bottle jacks. And from underside I can barely reach the junction with one hand. The nut is spinning the bolt in the HCV arm. It is impossible to get pliers or a grip on the backside of the bolt. Replacement part in hand but I'm really stuck now. I try a number of different things and none work. Hmmmm, maybe the impact gun. Find the gun, correct socket, and extension bar, but I have no air because of the leak. Crank engine to get air, and it doesn't get the nut off. The bolts just spins. Finally, I used very long needle nose pliers and I nibbled the remaining rubber away from the bolt. Then I could get pliers on it while I hit it with the impact wrench. The nut never came off, but the wrench did break the bolt. That allowed me to bolt the new "p" on with a fresh bolt. Splice the air line next, hold my breath, and press the travel button. Bingo !
Three hours of excitement and we were rolling again.
Yes, I have Coachnet. They couldn't tow the coach with it on the tires. I saw the problem. Either I was going to have to fix it, or the unknown technician that I waited unknown hours for was going to have to do the same.
It's still not clear to me why the Level mode would not raise the coach. Perhaps in the stress of the moment I didn't wait long enough.
Some years ago I put double ended quick connect fittings in the fitting box for an emergency splice. They sure made the fix quick.
Many thanks to the Ocala LEO who parked behind us with the flashing lights.
Honestly, when I first saw the smoke, I thought the coach is gone.
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home
)
Ashley Pardue Coach 589
