Hydraulic nightmare

bruceh · 04-09-2008, 02:18 PM

This is kind of long so I will summarize to start. I have had three hoses leak or blow off the fitting in the last three weeks. According to HWH, none of them are included in the recall or have any warranty at this time.

Now the longer version. I had one hose that leaked a little for years. While I had the MoHo in the shop for something else, I asked them to fix the leak and contact HWH to see if it was in the recall. No recall.

When I went to pick up MoHo, I noticed that the living room slide was out about 2 inches. I closed and it and it slowly slid back out. The service advisor suggested that I put it all the way out and then retract it. Now it was stuck open all the way. Time to involve the shop foreman. He thinks that it is air in the line. We run and run and run and bleed the line. After about two hours, it is drivable.

I took it home and just to be paranoid put the slides out and the jacks down. The plan was to leave the next morning. When I tried to pull in the slides, nothing. Apparently all of the running had toasted the solenoids that control the motor. This was repaired the next week at my house.

Trying to leave again. Got 20 miles up the road and stopped to buy gas, noticed the living room slide out about 2 inches, tried to retract and the motor ran and nothing happened. Drove to service location and demonstrated the problem. While the techs were running for creepers, I noticed a large red puddle under MoHo. The techs told me that the fitting had come off completely and the adjacent hose was leaking. Another weekend down in flames and another big bill.

In my conversation with HWH, I asserted that theses things should never fail. He countered by saying that sometimes these things happen.

This certainly makes a case for non-hydraulic slides that the Fleetwood products use. Three hoses in three weeks have left me a very unhappy customer.

bruceh · 04-09-2008, 02:18 PM

This is kind of long so I will summarize to start. I have had three hoses leak or blow off the fitting in the last three weeks. According to HWH, none of them are included in the recall or have any warranty at this time.

Now the longer version. I had one hose that leaked a little for years. While I had the MoHo in the shop for something else, I asked them to fix the leak and contact HWH to see if it was in the recall. No recall.

When I went to pick up MoHo, I noticed that the living room slide was out about 2 inches. I closed and it and it slowly slid back out. The service advisor suggested that I put it all the way out and then retract it. Now it was stuck open all the way. Time to involve the shop foreman. He thinks that it is air in the line. We run and run and run and bleed the line. After about two hours, it is drivable.

I took it home and just to be paranoid put the slides out and the jacks down. The plan was to leave the next morning. When I tried to pull in the slides, nothing. Apparently all of the running had toasted the solenoids that control the motor. This was repaired the next week at my house.

Trying to leave again. Got 20 miles up the road and stopped to buy gas, noticed the living room slide out about 2 inches, tried to retract and the motor ran and nothing happened. Drove to service location and demonstrated the problem. While the techs were running for creepers, I noticed a large red puddle under MoHo. The techs told me that the fitting had come off completely and the adjacent hose was leaking. Another weekend down in flames and another big bill.

In my conversation with HWH, I asserted that theses things should never fail. He countered by saying that sometimes these things happen.

This certainly makes a case for non-hydraulic slides that the Fleetwood products use. Three hoses in three weeks have left me a very unhappy customer.

SteveG · 04-09-2008, 02:44 PM

bruceh, having experienced only one hydraulic ram failure (rear slide)I can not really speak to what causes such failures except either fair wear and tear or poor workmanship. In my case no one told me why the hydraulics failed. But I got it fixed by a good Winnebago dealer and thankfully it has stayed fixed. Hopefully you will have the same experience.

Randy Chesnutt · 04-09-2008, 02:54 PM

I know how you fill. I have a 04 Journey that have many problem with the hydrlic from new. I would get it repaired and get home and something else would break. I have all but 1 jack replaced, many hose leaks,the metering block repaired,one of the rear slides ram replaced. I blow the other ram on the rear slide on my last trip. With all my problem with there system from day one, they told me that the system was 3 month out of warranty and that it was my problem. I purchased a new ram from them and after a long talk I got a $66.00 credit for a$132.00 ram. The labor was out of my pocket $376.00. I agree with you this is the last time I will ever have a coach with their system.I got at lease 15 to 20 repair orders. When we go out I allways look for the system to break down.Well I better end here I get wounded up on this subject.Im with you.

bruceh · 04-10-2008, 05:43 PM

It turned out that I only needed one hose, the one that completely blew the fitting off. The other was 'splattered' by the other.

Some good news.

bruceh · 05-14-2008, 08:50 AM

Update, the nightmare continues.

I went to my favorite windsurfing spot and attempted to level, motor didn't run. No slides and no level.

Went to the RV dealer and now they tell me that the motor is bad AND, the hose for the living room slide that they just put on is leaking. I still think that they ran the motor too much and toasted it.

I am so sorry that I had these guys fix the original leak. I am out a bunch of money, had two ruined weekends and have no confidence in the system.

I could cope with the leak by putting cardboard under the front and a can of ATF fluid per year.

Randy Chesnutt · 05-14-2008, 09:42 AM

Bruceh, I know how you feel. I have had nothing but problems with the hydraulic ever scent I purchase my 04 Jounrey. Just send nearly $500.00 on a ram for my rear slide. I have been around hydraulic all my life and never run into so much problem. I will never have another HWH system again.

Savannah · 05-14-2008, 11:58 AM

I see you are in California so I guess a trip to HWH in Iowa is out of the question. That's a bummer cause they do fantastic work/repairs and usally at no cost or low cost to the customer.

We always use HWH for any repairs like you are talking about. IF a repair is not theirs they tell you and recomend a trip to Forest City but they do document your problem so Winnebago knows what you did and what HWH did.

We also have found HWH to be fantastic to work with regarding repairs on the road (talking to them on the phone). Maybe you should try calling them direct away from your dealer and see if they can help you.

wagonmaster2 · 05-14-2008, 06:37 PM

I have a 2004 Meridian purchased new. Within the first 4 months I had a leak under the front slide. Several months later while in Forest City they found a leak under the passenger side end of the front slide. Just recently a bad leak was found on the passenger side of the rear slide in one of the storage compartments. Now something is leaking on the drivers side under the rear slide. Last year one of the seals on top of the reservoir under the front steps started blowing oil every time a slide was run in or out. Seems if it carries hydraulic fluid, it will leak. If this all happens within 4 years what is going to happen the next several years. And most Extended Warranties exclude any seal, gasket, or hose replacement after the RV is over 5 years old. Up to this time I would have sworn on a stack of bibles for HWH, but now I have begun to wonder.
Wagonmaster2

John Hilley · 05-15-2008, 02:27 AM

Although a trip to Iowa may not be possible a trip to 3 Ts RV in Lake Havasu would be the next thing to going to HWH.

CaptChet · 05-15-2008, 10:33 AM

I sympathize with your problems and would like to try to help with a bit of experience from our view.
You will make more progress by not getting angry with them, just try to bite your lip and go easy.
Ask HWH to please reccommend one of their Factory Trained Representatives to you for your service work. They have repair places all over the Country. They may be listed on the HWH Web Site, they used to be listed there.
One thing we all need to remember is that although HWH makes the equipment, the Coach Builder installs it. The hoses are usually made up at the builders shop and installed by the builders people. So don't get all mad at the maker for things that are many times not their fault.
Always remember that we can catch more flies with honey than with Vinegar.

Good Luck

Duner · 05-16-2008, 12:30 PM

Bruceh,
Another place that we can highly recommend is Redlands Truck & RV. They are HWH repair site and Kieth Shomaker is an IRV2 sponsor and member.
Send Kieth a PM or call him at 888.249.0124 to get his opinion of your delima.

If I were you, I'd plan a windsurfing trip to Silverwood Lake and visit Redlands RV on the same mini vacation.

Good luck,

gunny · 05-17-2008, 02:50 AM

Wait a minute here.

You had a "little" leak and someone worked on it. Everything worked fine, except for the "little" leak.

Any chance that the repair to the "little" leak cold be the cause of the present nightmare? A lot of RV service folks are learning as they go, one day its a generator, next is hydraulics and who knows what's tomorrow.

Let us know how it all turns out.

Randy Chesnutt · 05-17-2008, 04:18 AM

At the factory they have many suppliers. In many cases the supplier have their on employees working at the factory. HWH is one of them. My coach has been repaired many times by HWH trained employee which is very good and I still have problems. The problem is not there work, It's the parts that come from HWH. After 4 years of problem, honey done work. After 3 years the warranty is gone, even if you had problems in the past and it comes out of your pocket.

olley · 05-17-2008, 04:50 AM

Hi hydraulic hose's are secured into the fittings either by swaging which most manufactures use or reusable fittings if you're out in the field. For one to blow of it either hasn't been fitted properly or your system pressure is set to high.

I would say of the two its almost a certainty that it wasn't fitted properly, and as these are fitted by the coach manufacturer its not HWH's fault.

I would guess that if you had one blow off the technician would have fitted a reusable as he could have done that under the RV.

Generally speaking the commonest cause of hose/fitting failure is either if the hose wasn't pushed far enough in to the fitting before swaging or screwing the reusable together, or using the wrong fittings for the pipe.

Olley

bruceh · 05-17-2008, 06:58 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by gunny:
Wait a minute here.

Any chance that the repair to the "little" leak cold be the cause of the present nightmare? A lot of RV service folks are learning as they go, one day its a generator, next is hydraulics and who knows what's tomorrow.

Let us know how it all turns out. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It is my suspicion that the subsequent problems were caused by the extensive running of the motor to 'bleed' the system after the first repair.

The new motor arrives Monday (they say) and we will see. The new leak really bothers me.

bruceh · 05-19-2008, 02:13 PM

The new motor really did arrive today and the dealer got it installed and running; so far, so good. The part and the installation were comped which I think was appropriate.

The new leak is the equalizer for the living room slide. One is on order.

I gave a lot of thought to going somewhere else but, for example, Redlands would have been $400 in gas and two travel days. Any go backs would require the same dance. I decided to stick with my local dealer. They are trying to do the right thing.