Journey Hydrulics

[Chmielowiec]

Hello everybody I have a 2007 Journey 39K and I have a hydrulic leak coming from the system that is located behind the step {leveling jack system/ slideouts?}.How does a person access this area I have looked at the steps thinking that possibly one of the kick plates or steps would be removable but had no luck.I crawled under the area and there is hydrulic oil on everything there, I could see hydrulic fittings which I checked with a wrench and they were tight so I have to get a closer look somehow any suggestions will be greatly appreicated thanks.

[Oldchinahand]

Underneath the lip of your 2nd and 3rd step approximately centered, you will feel a 1/2in nut. Remove them, and the steps will hinge up to give you access to your hydraulics.

You will see a fill cap to your fluid tank. Make sure you clean the tank top BEFORE you remove the cap. There is no lip to prevent dirt from falling in.

I believe you have the same HWH system I have. If so, the below manual may give you some insight.

HWH Service Manual.pdf

Fair Winds and Following Seas

[Chmielowiec]

Oldchinahand thank you for the reply, yes we do have the same system and I have located the step retainer nuts so I will be doing explortoray surgery later today. It seems that you are very familiar with the system do you have any suggestions on specfic problems to be on the lookout for. Thank You Very, Much Happy Trails To You

[cbeierl]

Check that the four large brass hex-'bolts' (see page 25 of the previously linked service manual) on top of the manifold are tight. They have been know to loosen up and leak (mine did).

[BobC]

The most common, and easier to fix, hydraulic leaks are:

1. A hose that's loosened and needs to be re-tightened.

2. A hose that's leaking from its ferrule, which is the metal fitting swaged on to the hose. The hose will need to be replaced. HWH's part number will be on a white band near the ferrule. If it's unreadable, try taking a photo with a cell phone or digital camera. You may be able to read it by adjusting the contrast.

3. A ruptured hose, which will need to be replaced.

4. An overfilled fluid reservoir. This is self-limiting in that the excess will be purged as the slide is used. This is unlikely to be your problem since it doesn't sound like you've topped off your fluid. I suppose it's also possible that your fill plug has worked loose and may need tightening or may be leaking for some other reason, in which case replacement is in order.

There are many other possibilities, leaky cylinders, a leak somewhere on the control unit/pump, etc., but these are the simpler ones.

You can find HWH's system diagrams at the site below. This will help you ID all the parts and hose routings. For some reason, I couldn't find the 39K in the 2007 link but it does appear in the 2006 link. Note that there are two systems listed for the 39K, a 325 and a 625 so you'll need to figure out what you have.

https://www.hwhcorp.com/winnebago2017_diagrams.html

Note that some hoses will appear to be much too long and will be bundled up to control the excess length. Don't think they can be replaced by shorter hoses. They need to be that length in order for the fluid flows to be balanced between different parts of the system. IMHO it's best to order exact replacement hoses from HWH, they're not overly expensive and it takes about a week. I've read where many have had replacements made locally and you may save time and a little money but I prefer to use the HWH parts.

Replacing a hose isn't overly difficult but can be intimidating. I just replaced one yesterday. The most time consuming part can be removing the old hose and routing the new one since they're tied up in big bundles. Fortunately the one I replaced was one of the shorter and more directly routed ones.

My MH had several leaky hoses that I had replaced professionally but they either missed one or it started leaking recently. HWH had a problem with defective hoses in the early 2000s.

[Oldchinahand]

Been out of pocket for a few days. Just closing the loop since you addressed me personally. I can't add too much to Chris and Bob's advice.

My experience is that if it is threaded on, it will thread itself off, if it is swaged on, it will corrode, it it is pop riveted, it will fail. One of the reasons I spend many a satisfying hour, flat on my back, looking up into the belly of beast. (Some would say I am hiding from SWMBO, but that's not true. Mostly.)

Fair Winds and Following Seas

[Chmielowiec]

Thank you to all that replied it made the job so much easier, I found and repaired a couple of different problems that seem to have solved the problem.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Chmielowiec

Thank you to all that replied it made the job so much easier, I found and repaired a couple of different problems that seem to have solved the problem.

Inquiring minds want to know what you repaired. It will also help out future readers searching for a solution to a similar problem.

[Chmielowiec]

What was found and repaired was the 4 nuts on top were loose and one line was in need of snuging up once again Thank You.

[HandyProRV]

Thank you for this helpful info

[Chmielowiec]

At this point in time I have hydrulic oil seepage from almost every fitting swag, talked with HWH about the problem and was told that alot of the installed hydraulic lines of this era coach had lines that were improperly fabricated and thereby will require replacement to stop the leveling jacks from bleeding down and oil leakage

[BobC]

It's a reasonably doable DIY job, especially if you've ever bled a brake line. The toughest part will be running the new hoses from point-to-point, although this can be simplified with an appropriate fitting so you can attach the new hose to the old and pull it through. If you have a shop do it, the labor costs will be significant.

Note that some of the hoses are matched in length and size so as to balance the pressures and fluid flows. Therefore, some hoses will appear to be overly long and tied in hanks to reduce their length. Don't be tempted to shorten them or you may create problems. Your best bet is to order exact replacements from HWH, since each hose has specs that are specific to its location, not just in terms of length and diameter. Each hose has a plastic collar near the end fitting with the appropriate part numbers. If you're going to have a shop do it, I'd suggest getting a recommendation from HWH and get the hoses from HWH. I know that others will recommend local fabrication but I'd rather be safe and order from HWH. They've always been responsive.

Azpete, a Winnieowner, is an HWH employee and has been immensely helpful to me and others. If you PM him he can help you in terms of best replacement order, bleeding procedures, etc. He's also freely given out his phone number in his posts, which you can find with a forum search for "azpete".

Here's a link to a "sticky" with some helpful links to HWH diagrams:

https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/...ams-19250.html