Question When it’s up, how do you know?

[RandyB]

Stop it. We’re discussing the coach air suspension.
According to Newmar procedure, the full wall slide is to be extended and retracted while “on the bags”. Meaning with the air suspension fully up. Then dump the air for leveling.
It’s fairly easy to know when the bags are down. The hissing stops and you can see/feel the suspension bottom out.
Reversing the procedure for retracting the slide is not so evident. The engine must be started to drive the compressor that inflates the bags which “airs up” the suspension. Running the engine early in the morning is annoying to the neighbors. The engine should be run at a minimum, but like the title, when it’s up, how do you know? How do you know when the chassis is fully inflated and the engine can be stopped? What is your tell on up is up?

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

On our coach, you can hear the pop-off valve release a short burst of air when the air bags are full.

TJ

 

[RandyB]

On our coach, you can hear the pop-off valve release a short burst of air when the air bags are full.

TJ

The pop-off valve release is indicative that the air pressure maximum has been reached. So is it save to assume that if the dash gauges reach the max pressure, the bags are fully inflated?

 

[stang37]

I call it aired up when I hear the discharge from the compressor/air tanks and see both air gauges are at or near 150#. I have the engine at high idle when airing up and once I heard the discharge from the compressor/air tanks I disengage the high idle and let the engine slow and run for about 20 seconds before shutting down. So far I have never had the not airing up issue.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

The pop-off valve release is indicative that the air pressure maximum has been reached. So is it save to assume that if the dash gauges reach the max pressure, the bags are fully inflated?

That's been our experience.

TJ

 

[CaptainGizmo]

I agree with TJ. That’s how I gauge “aired up”.

 

[Neal]

The ultimate goal of Newmar is not to move slides while on levelers as they can twist “the box”. They use the concept of a box in a box. The FWS is a box inside the coach shell as the outer box.

They want you running slides while on the air bags. They can be deflated or inflated it really doesn’t matter and honestly to avoid all twist deflated would probably be best but they want you at ride height for now so that means aired up.

 

[J&JD]

I agree with TJ. That’s how I gauge “aired up”.

Same here. And, if you are fortunate enough to have HWH Active Air, the control screen will tell you when you are at ride height.

 

[DKRITTER]

I start the coach and go outside and do something so I don't have to listen to the alarm. It's easy to hear the popoff once it's up to pressure, then I go in and close the slides.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

I start the coach and go outside and do something so I don't have to listen to the alarm. It's easy to hear the popoff once it's up to pressure, then I go in and close the slides.

TIP: Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY (left), then AUTO STORE your jacks!!!

Wait until the process is complete? THEN start your engine.

This way, you won’t have the alarm!