Your HWH leveling and Travel process

I have a 2006 Winnebago Journey 34H (short DP) with a HWH 625 Series  ?Computerized Leveling? system. This is a power down,  spring return (store) system. The system seems to work fine, auto leveling works and jacks retract (store) at a reasonable rate.

My question is more about the process or sequence from those who have this or a similar system,  to level and then return to travel mode.

My normal process when I get to a site or home once I have backed in to my site is:

1- Apply air emergency brake
2 ? Shut down Diesel
3 ? Connect to Shore Power
4 ? Put coach ignition key into ACC position
5 ? Power up the HWH system by pressing the HYD button once
6 ? Press the HYD button a second time to activate Auto-Leveling. This automatically Dumps the air bags and then starts dropping the jacks and auto levels.

Leaving site to travel:
1 ? Slides are all in
2 ? Water, sewer and power disconnected
**** This is the part I am wondering about
3 ? I start the coach (also start generator so it can warm up if I intend running it while driving)
4 ? Power up the HWH system and press the Store Button
5 ? As the Air pressure builds in the system the jacks return to there store position and the system goes into travel mode ? approx 10 minutes.

Because my system is a power down, spring return system, as soon as I press the Store Button on the HWH control panel the coach just drops. Because the airbags are basically empty at this point and depending on how un-level the couch was, the drop off the jacks can be abrupt. Previous RV (5th Wheel) I had with auto-leveling (electric) were power up and down so there was no abrupt drop. I have tried to manual lower the coach off its level height by pressing the Jack Up buttons on the control panel, but that merely opens the valves on the jacks just as the Store button does. So it seems with a Power down, spring up system there is no real way to control the coach?s drop off level.

So here is my question relative to the ?Leaving? process or sequence ?

Would it be better to allow the coaches Air Bags air up and bring the coach back to it?s normal ride height before pressing the HWH Store button?  I guess I am assuming that would shorten the distance the coach drops on the low side/end from when it was level. But, would dropping the weight of the coach onto the aired up airbags be too much stress on them.

So what do you do when leaving, hit Store and then Air up or Air up first before hitting Store.

I just don?t like how the coach just drops so abruptly.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

-Russ

On my Horizon, the air bags will not inflate until you push the store button. The HWH system will not close the vent valve to allow the bags to inflate until the jacks are retracting.

Pete

Russ, mine also needs to have the store button hit to inflate the bags so your process is correct. The reason all the jacks drop at the same time is to make sure no one jack gets stuck with the weight or an off center load, this protects the jacks.
Everyone's opinion of how fast the coach drops and how radical it is will be different. It is the intended way to store the jacks but if I recall they have flow control valves installed on some models to prevent it from getting too crazy. HWH calls them velocity valves so take a look at your schematic in your manual to see if yours is equipped with them. If so, they should be on the manifold, not sure if they are adjustable so you might just have to replace them if that is the problem.

After I read Pete's reply I realized that is also the case with mine. I have on a couple occasions when not traveling started my coach up in it's spot in my drive when it was leveled and I realized that the air suspension did not air up sitting there at a hi-idle. Had the bags inflated it would have pulled the jacks on the high side of the coach off the ground (my pad I park in at home is a few inches low on the passenger side).

Mavarick - I will look at my manual and see if it shows a control valves.

So I guess I can say to my original post - question .... nevermind -  ;D

This being my first coach, I am still in a learning curve trying to understand how systems work and what is normal and what is not. Sometime a discussion like this is all I need to help me think a process through.

Thanks Pete and Mavarick for your replies.

- Russ

The reason all the jacks drop at the same time is to make sure no one jack gets stuck with the weight or an off center load, this protects the jacks.

Click to expand...

Actually, the reason for that is to protect the chassis from getting twisted by uneven jacking.

I always let the air pressure build up completely before I hit the store button.  It is possible you could pinch an air bag when the coach drops without having some air in them.  The coach will "settle down" less abruptly with the air built up.