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Old 06-29-2019, 06:17 AM   #1
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Hydraulic issue

Hi
Just completed the first half of a 2500 mile trip with our 2004 Itasca Sunrise. We purchase the RV at an auction 2 months ago and have had a great few week camping up the east coast and getting to know the rig.
After arriving at our destination and starting to set up, I put the levelers down and had to bring them back up to reposition the Winnie. Tried to put them down again but they won’t budge . Tried the slide and it extended 2 inches and stopped .
The batteries are charged and the parking brake is engaged ( the dash light says so too )
Any suggestions ?
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Old 06-29-2019, 09:09 AM   #2
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Had same problem as you and got recommendation to start rv motor and leave it run while operating levelers and slides. Been doing this ever since and have had no problem operating levelers or slides.
Batteries may have a charge but not enough "UMP" to operate them.
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Old 06-29-2019, 03:20 PM   #3
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Yeah, I'd think it would be prudent to check the batteries with a meter at the battery terminals right off.

After that's done, then I'd check the main fuse if it's an HWH system, there's a big 40 amp fuse that has terminals exposed to road salts and can corrode open.

It would help if you let us know what brand Jacks and Room Slides you have.
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Old 07-01-2019, 01:51 PM   #4
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Batteries check out, I found a fluid leak though but haven’t located the reservoir yet.
Can I top off the fluid level with tranny fluid or is there something better?
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Old 07-01-2019, 08:07 PM   #5
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If you have HWL Levelers, the following is the fluid recommendations from our Owners Manual.

Hydraulic Fluid Recommendation
Universal multipurpose hydraulic oil is
recommended for use in this system.
DO NOT USE brake fluid or hydraulic jack
oil, which can damage the seals and cause leaks.
NOTE: In an emergency, Dexron type
automatic transmission fluid can be used.
However, transmission fluid contains a red dye
that can cause stains if a leak develops.


I'll echo Jim. The more info we have on your systems, the better.

Fair Winds and Following Seas
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Old 07-07-2019, 09:48 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dadinwpb View Post
Batteries check out, I found a fluid leak though but haven’t located the reservoir yet.
Can I top off the fluid level with tranny fluid or is there something better?
On a 2004 gas coach the tank with its fill cap will likely be behind the front grill and visible with the front hood open when looking down inside the area. Its a long reach and a long funnel will make it easier to top off without spilling a lot. Note that the screw on vented cap may be difficult to unscrew if it hasn't been opened in a while.

Use the clear HWH Hydraulic fluid whenever possible since the slideouts that do not have the basement bins attached may have the hydraulic cylinder and hoses sitting on top of the carpeting inside the coach (bedroom slide on a 35U for example) and any alternative fluids such a Dexron II ATF can leave a permanent red stain on the carpeting.

Note that HWH did recall some hydraulic lines in the early 2000's so check with them first before paying for any leak repairs as defective fittings on the hydraulics may still be covered by the recall if they have not already been replaced.
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Old 07-08-2019, 05:17 AM   #7
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Thank you for the suggestions
So far I’ve located the leak - loose screw
Filled the tank with nearly 2 quarts of Dexron tranny fluid, still no slides or levelers. I believe there is power to the system by the click I hear at the solenoids when a slide switch is pushed.

The system is HWH 325 series.

I found the procedure to manually pull the couch/dinette slide in but couldn’t find anything on the bedroom slide! Called HWH and was told to back the 1/4 inch solenoid nut out out 3-4 full rotations (like the other slide) and use a couple of 200 lb. men to literally push the slide in! Huh?

After much sweat and a little cursing it did go in finally. We had that Winnie rocking pretty good!!
So with the strap in place on the big slide all is good but the small slide slid back it a little while traveling to our next destination.
I found a Lowe’s, got a hand pushing the slide back in and put a #12 hex head sheetmetal screw through the flange and into the frame.
It pained me to do it but didn’t see any other way to have some piece of mind for the next 1500 miles.

Fast forward 6 days we are 1 day and 550 miles into the return cruise home. Slides are staying put ��
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Old 07-08-2019, 07:32 AM   #8
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There is also a large 40 amp 12 volt inline fuse that powers the electric over hydraulic motor. 2000 winnebago journey36l
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Old 07-08-2019, 07:54 AM   #9
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Aww, a HWH 325, just like my system. Here's a link to an article I wrote on repair of the 2-3 problems I've had with my HWH in the 3 years I've owned it: HWH Hydraulic...

When did you add the 2 qts of ATF? With the slides retracted or extended? If the slides or jacks were extended, then you've added too much. If they were retracted and you were down that much fluid, then you have a leak. And probably not a small leak. For small leaks, I just pour a bottle of ATF Stop Leak in my tank to help stop them after removing the appropriate amount [note that our resident HWH expert doesn't approve of stop leak].

As mentioned there is a 40 amp fuse that powers the entire HWH system. It is an in line fuse and it's down at the HWH hydraulic manifold. Here's a picture of mine after I cut it out and replaced it with a flat automotive fuse I found at Napa. My fuse had corroded so badly the fuse holder wouldn't open. The new fuse in the orange package in the middle of this picture:



There's a GROUND STUD down below the HWH system that is famous for corroding and causing open circuits to the controls. So in the cool of the morning, nothing works. Crawl under there and whack it with a rubber mallet to see if that restores operation, then when you have the time, unbolt and burnish everything.

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Old 07-08-2019, 08:11 AM   #10
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Agree, I ground off paint and rust and put new wire ends and reattached. After completing I used dielectric grease both on area where connected to chassis and covering stud. Note, when stripping wire back, if need be, and you notice ANY discoloration/ green on any wire strands, Then the wire needs stripped back to area that is all copper.
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Old 07-08-2019, 10:15 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim_HiTek View Post
Aww, a HWH 325, just like my system. Here's a link to an article I wrote on repair of the 2-3 problems I've had with my HWH in the 3 years I've owned it: HWH Hydraulic...

When did you add the 2 qts of ATF? With the slides retracted or extended? If the slides or jacks were extended, then you've added too much. If they were retracted and you were down that much fluid, then you have a leak. And probably not a small leak. For small leaks, I just pour a bottle of ATF Stop Leak in my tank to help stop them after removing the appropriate amount [note that our resident HWH expert doesn't approve of stop leak].
Overfilling isn't going to cause any damage, just a mess. The plug in the top of the reservoir will allow any excess to flow out of the tank. My driveway is a witness to this.

Jim's website contains a plethora of information and I've bookmarked his writeup on the bad ground for future reference.

The "resident expert" he mentions is azpete, a Winnieowner and a HWH employee who's helped many of us out. He's very responsive to private messages. According to azpete, use of stop leak can cause longterm damage to the seals in the cylinders and elsewhere.

I've had to replace several hoses with defective ferrules where the fittings are swaged on to the hoses. Presumably these were part of the bad batch of HWH hoses in the early 2000s.
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Old 07-08-2019, 11:42 AM   #12
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Overfilling isn't going to cause any damage, just a mess. The plug in the top of the reservoir will allow any excess to flow out of the tank. My driveway is a witness to this.

This is true. No damage but makes a mess.

Jim's website contains a plethora of information and I've bookmarked his writeup on the bad ground for future reference.

Hope you get some use out of my written ramblings...

The "resident expert" he mentions is azpete, a Winnieowner and a HWH employee who's helped many of us out. He's very responsive to private messages. According to azpete, use of stop leak can cause longterm damage to the seals in the cylinders and elsewhere.

I used stop leak for 12 years in my Bounder, and so far 3 years in my Winnie and with the Bounder, it repeatedly stopped a seal leak I had that popped up intermittently, and so far my Winnie's 2000 era system hasn't developed any leaks I'm aware of. Just had it in Winnie's Forest City factory shop in May of '18 and no leaks found. I'm hoping AZPete is mistaken about it 'causing' a problem. Once he told me that using stop leak may cause seal issues. I'm taking that chance.

I've had to replace several hoses with defective ferrules where the fittings are swaged on to the hoses. Presumably these were part of the bad batch of HWH hoses in the early 2000s.

So far, I've not had that issue but I'm watching for it...
And the ground problem could be all that's wrong with the OPs system...fingers crossed for them.
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Old 07-08-2019, 07:05 PM   #13
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There is also a large 40 amp 12 volt inline fuse that powers the electric over hydraulic motor. 2000 winnebago journey36l
Will try to trace that down when I get home. Thanks
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