leveling system

[codretaw1]

hi guys was wondring if any has installed leveling jacks on a 5A just had new clutch put in on my way for new tires , thinking about building my own
thanks john

[thomasinnv]

I use the factory airbags for leveling. I installed a 4 gauge system with push button valves in the cockpit and ran new dot airline to all the bags. Works great. I think I was all in for around $300 with the valves, gauges and airlines. Took me a day to do it all.

[codretaw1]

good idea will try that thanks

[dave5cs]

John pretty expensive because of the weight. Some have done it. Gary has a system that can raise his MC6, 2 ft off the ground on any corner.
I have the Firestone Ride-Rite that's works off the airbags also. If you do it we want pictures and diagrams.
Dave5Cs

[jmblake]

This winter I'm going to tackle this to. My plans are to use the air bags for leveling. I just had to replace all 4 of my rear air bags a few weeks ago and now the rear actually has stayed up for almost 2 weeks, so I figure once I get 4 new ones up front a air leveling system should stay up for a couple weeks without adding air. Jason

[thomasinnv]

I can park for a month and not loose air. Beyond that, I don't know. That's about the longest we ever manage to stay in one place.

[Tikvah]

WOW - a month!  Mine goes down in about 15 minutes.  I thought that was normal.

I guess I need to go for a leak hunt.

I would like to see a design schematic for the leveling system.

Dave

[dave5cs]

dave if you still have your leveling valves and your bags are not plated, it will probably go down faster, just does and yes get out the shop compressor, put it as far away from the bus as you can(so you don't here it very much). Then get out the dish soap and water. Spray the air beams, bag tops and leveling valves. Purge valve hole if you have an air dryer.

Dave5Cs

[lostagain]

The Courier 96 I sold had no levelling system. We used an assortment of 2X6s to drive onto. That got us close enough for me. Never really missed not having a levelling system.

The 5C came with a fancy system using electric solenoids to inflate or deflate each individual corner. Nice. However with a slow leak at the pass. side rear, by the next day we are not level any more and  have to start the engine or the aux. compressor to correct it. I guess that would be the same with the wood levelling system, although that old Courier didn't leak. Oh, and a levelling system is another source of leaks and aggravation...

Some people are fussier than others about being level. My dear wife more so than me, LOL.

One advantage of air bag levelling over hydraulic jack would be the ability to raise the bus to get over a big transition (like getting onto a ferry), or lower it to get under a low bridge or into a low garage, if all you need is a few inches.

If I was building a bus, which I am not, a levelling system would be quite low on my list.

JC

[luvrbus]

I saw a MCI 5 with heavy duty air shocks separate from the air bags or the hyd shocks he used those for a leveling system worked neat

He said he a had less than 100 bucks in the system he bought the valves and the shocks at a truck wrecking yard I think he said they were from a Volvo


good luck

[Lin]

We have been using wood, but a leveling system would be nice.  Air leveling would be the easiest also.  Some people just discard the original leveling valve system, since it really does not serve much of a purpose in an RV.  They replace it with manual valves to raise and lower the air bag.  If you know the inflating pressure of the ride height you want, you just set them to that for travel.  It is also nice to have the option of raising or lowering the height to deal with obstacles.  We have been going to Forest Service campgrounds and there are sometimes access issues.  This 5a is not ideal for this use, a higher clearance vehicle would be better.  A couple of weeks back we scrapped one of the rear bumper side pieces loose on a 180 degree, slanted switchback.  On such roads, the ability to raise the ride height would be nice, assuming you could do it for a little while without damaging the drive shaft.

Some use the buses original leveling valves to level when parked also.  That's done be replacing the link that goes from the body to the valve with something adjustable.  Sean uses linear actuators.  Bob G. uses Morse type cables.

[thomasinnv]

WOW - a month!  Mine goes down in about 15 minutes.  I thought that was normal.

I guess I need to go for a leak hunt.

I would like to see a design schematic for the leveling system.

Dave

It wasn't that way when I bought it. It would go down in about 4 hours or so. I had 2 leaking bags and a leaking leveling valve. Once replaced it holds a long time now.

As for a schematic, I don't have one. What I did was to get a valve and gauge assembly like this one http://www.airbagit.com/Air-Controllers-p/air-gauge-push-05.htm and mount it in the cockpit area. Then I ran new dot airlines from there to each side on the rear, and one to the front. I tapped off the front air bag supply to feed the system. The original system with all the leveling valves and such is still intact, just been disconnected. That way if I ever want to go back to the automatic levellers it's all still there. Oh, and make sure you install a check valve on the supply line to the valve assembly or it will bleed back through the system if you have leaks.

[dave5cs]

Lin,
Bob G said he uses hinges and a Morse cable. He pulls the Morse cable and the hinge collapses and down sits the coach to where he wants it. if he wants to go back up he just flips them the other way and the on board comes on to fill.

On My 5C I want to take out the leveling valves and just hook the air lines right to the air beams and the ride rite valves on the dash similar to Thomas's gauges and button setup. I just rebuilt them because that was the first leak I found in the dash.
I want to hook each side front and back bags in the rear to one gauge and the two bags on one side up front to another and so on.
Right now I can adjust front to back with the front and side to side with the backs but it makes it hard to level when parking.

The new way i should be able to adjust each side right or am I thinking wrong? Could it teak the frame, some report it has cracked windshields on certain coaches like 102's?

I keep about 80PSI in the front and 70 in the rear.





Dave5Cs

[thomasinnv]

I really think you want to be careful about separating all 4 corners. I would stay with a 3 point system, that way there is no possibility of tweaking or twisting the bus. The manufacturer designed it this way for a reason. I know some buses have 2 valves up front and one in the rear, using the front bags for side to side adjustment. Others have the opposite, using the rear bags for side to side adjustment. I would stay with whatever configuration your bus has. It will also make installation of your "home brew" leveling system easier.

[dave5cs]

Thomas, so then I would group all front bags to one gauge and valve. In the back i would group two on each side to 2 different gauges and valves, so I would only need the 3 gauges and not use the 4th at all. Back ones give me side to side and front one gives me front to rear leveling. But I still will take out or not use the leveling valves. They always get leaks and just want them out of the loop.

My coach leaks down in 2 hours after shut down or did until i got the leak at the air dryer purge valve. I am rebuilding the air dryer next month. I got all the parts and desiccant for 75.00 at NAPA. Then I have to go through all of the air system, clean and replace old stuff.

The nice thing is someone prior to me ran all the new lines for the bag system but never hooked it all up. For 35.00 I rebuilt the valves at the dash.

Dave5Cs