Chassis

Air Brake Test

Foretravel Recalls 

Quick dissertation on air systems: Air for the air compressor is taken from the induction system downstream from the main air filter, compressed by three air compressor. Pressure is regulated by the governor on top of the air compressor. Discharged air is sent to the air dryer, which should remove almost all the water. From there air goes to the wet tank were remaining moisture should drop out as the heated air cools (warm air will hold more moisture than cold). From the wet tank air is sent to a front and rear dry tank for use by the air brakes and leveling system.

On my coach the wet tank is in the rear and front and rear dry tanks are up front. You should check the wet tank (rear) on a regular basis and if it blows moisture you have a dryer problem. Water in the wet tank doesn't mean the system is contaminated. Air in the dry tanks is a bad sign. Part of your pre trip check should be to make sure the system pressures up and the dryer relieves at regular intervals. This insures it's purging itself.

Haldex's maintenance recommendations are probably very conservative but periodic maintenance can save you a lot of trouble. No one likes trouble on the road.

Water and air brakes are bad news, especially in cold climates (ice). There is actually a lot more to air brakes but that's a basic overview. Hope this helps.

I had the misfortune of having an air problem last year and spent some time on the side of the road. These coaches don't go anywhere without air.

On each of the manifolds, the 6 valves are separated vertically in that the 3 left valves control one side and the 3 right valves control the other side. One of the 3 valves dump air from 2 bags around one tire, another of the 3 valves fill the same 2 air bags. These 2 valves are under control of the HWH leveling system and only open when the level system calls for raise or lower of that wheel. This leveling is only when parked. HWH will always raise 2 wheels, never one wheel. (2 front, 2 rear, 2 left side OR 2 right side. The 2 air bags around each wheel are always connected together via the same air line.

The last of the 3 valves is closed during leveling and always open when ignition key is on and the travel lamp is on. When this last valve is open it directs air to the ride height valves (2 in rear, 1 in front). The ride height valves open and close to keep the coach in ride height. They are responsible for bringing the coach to ride height after the level system is turned off. Ride height valves also are constantly adjusting the air bags as the coach moves down the road. These adjustments can use a lot of the air from the coach air tanks.

I assume the U270 has the same 4M air disk brakes used on almost all Foretravel's. You can get the service instructions from Arvin Meritor's web site. (This page may load slow)

Once the wheels are removed use the brake retraction tool on the side of the air cylinder to retract the parking brake. Back off the slack adjuster (refer to service instructions), disconnect the airlines then remove the upper slide pin while supporting the assembly. Once the upper pin is removed gently pivot the assembly down so the pads are accessible. Reverse to assemble.

Make sure the slide pins are clean and do not lubricate them. Grease causes dirt to stick. Once the upper pin is back in place you can remove the lower for cleaning. You will probably need a slide hammer to extract the pins.

Very important to follow the service instructions, properly lubricate and adjust slack adjusters. Use the proper clay based or synthetic grease from Arvin Meritor, it's not expensive.

I purchased the pads from a local truck supply store. Don't remember the exact price but believe it was $200 or so per wheel. About half of what FT wanted.

Doing it yourself will save a pretty good chunk of change. It was cheaper to buy a 1" impact from Harbor Freight and do it myself. Now I have the impact for future use, already had a good air compressor. The 1" impact takes a lot of air. The 1" impact from Harbor Freight isn't professional quality but works ok for my limited needs. May make sense to rent one.

My change to Fleetguard ES Complete Extended Life for our Cummins C 8.3

1 1/2 yrs ago we replaced our antifreeze. Did the job our selves. Filled and drained four times before adding new. Bought Fleetguard ES Complete Ethylene Glycol 50/50 premix. 50% is de-ionized water. DCA is already in mixture. We put in 14 gallons for about $6 gallon. We check DCA regularly with Fleetguard strips. Antifreeze and DCA levels are always near the top of the range. Have not added any DCA. Fleetguard says this antifreeze only has to be changed when their special test strip (which I have not been able to find) indicates that antifreeze is not good. This antifreeze is compatible with DCA additives and filters. There is a new water filter that is recommended to use annually that has slow release DCA pellets. We have not done that yet. We use Quaker State Low Silicate antifreeze in generator. DCA products are not needed in generator.

My radiator was replaced in Kodak TN. The radiator was $1300 plus shipping and labor and parts (antifreeze) Rotella ELC was $895.00 and I get the 10% discount from the number so about $800 dollars labor and parts other than the radiator to have it installed. The tech there believes it is the fans that cause a lot of vibration with the hydraulics and light plastic setting up harmonics. I think this has merit and now the new MHs have electric fans with much less vibration. The company is Atlas Radiator in Corpus Christi Texas. They are easy to deal with and will ship out to individuals sooner than they will to FT.

BAR'S RADIATOR STOP LEAK

A number of Foretravel owners have experienced persistent small radiator leaks that do not show on the ground. Foretravel has had some success using Bar's Stop :Leak C16. As can be seen from the following information from Pat Ellerholz, the product is safe to use in diesels and is factory installed by several OEM's.

"Thank you for your letter, please let me know if our product helps solve your coolant issue! Bar's Leaks has been the only factory installed stop leak product at the major OEM's GM, Ford, Chrysler, International Truck, etc since the 1950's. You should have no issue in a Diesel or Gas powered vehicle or with standard Ethylene Glycol or Extended Life Antifreezes. We have no problem with you sharing our information with the other Foretravel owners, with the data we provided to Mark.

If you need additional information, please let me know and we will be happy to try and provide it for you. (I have attached a couple of our OEM ads, it has some additional information them.)

Thanks again,

Pat Ellerholz
OEM Accounts Manager
800.521.7475 X 305
248.634.1505 fax
pellerholz@barsproducts.com                  Bar's Products

My coach has leaked from the day that I bought it six years ago and I am on my 3rd radiator. I recently put the stuff in my radiator. I will let you know how it works.

Cummins C 8.3 new oil filter LF9009

Fleetguard has a new & improved engine oil filter to replace LF2000. It is the LF9009 and has some improved filtering capability. We just used it when we changed our own oil yesterday. Price is about the same, about $25.

If your coach has the Winn/Racor 200200 integrated fuel filter/water separator (outboard primary fuel filter) system, the filter is no longer available. To solve the problem purchase a Racor 12963 Retrofit Kit (includes the new style filter and necessary parts). You may be able to get one from Foretravel, or whoever services your coach can get one for you.

I found a location that you can purchase the kit for 50.00, check it out. Filters.

Hydraulic system filters.

Nelson 84101-b. Nelson is a
division of Cummins.

"Stop Engine" light triggered by low oil pressure, or high temperature (and low coolant on U-320)..

"Check Engine" light is usually a voltage problem as in low batteries after a prolonged storage period

Whenever you call Cummins for help (1-800-DIESELS), always have Engine Serial Number and your Engine O&M Manual available.

If coach will be sitting unused for any period of time, he advises "exercising" it at least monthly.

Let the Engine warm up 3-5 minutes before putting it under load (did not discuss whether "warming up" could include slow speed operation rather than sitting still).

Idling - not over 10 minutes.

Electronic engine - never let anybody do any chassis welding without disconnecting the batteries.

Air Cleaner - believe the Filter Minder gauge; don't take the filter out to "check it". That dumps dirt into the engine. If you take it out, just replace it.

Belts - transverse cracks are usually harmless, but linear ones, along the run of the belt, mean replace it.

"Run the overhead" - adjust the valves - after 120,000 miles, not at 2-yr interval as found in the manual.

Cummins has started a "Coach Care" service - bumper-to-bumper coach care. Houston has this program; San Antonio next year. This system includes "Quick Serve Bays" where you get a quick assessment and estimate of time and cost.

Horsepower upgrade on ISM from 450 to 500HP: easy to do on "Post-˜02" engines which have the increased cooling capacity, but not easy and full of problems, mostly related to cooling, on "pre -"02" engines (also known as "pre-EGR" engines.

Oil Consumption: engine "specs" allow up to 1 Qt per 500 miles.

Oil change: here he gave 2 sets of criteria and wasn't very clear: 6 mo/5,000mi, and 15,000 mi/1 yr.

On our 1997 U270, our 147 rated-gallon tank computes to 132 gallons of diesel useable when full. When the generator runs out of diesel, we have 12 gallons left for the engine or 94 miles left to find fuel before we run completely out.

The Isuzu 3LB1 requires the following filters: Oil - 2-94456-641-0 Fuel - 2-90654-910-0 These are Isuzu part numbers. 

TIPS FOR OPERATING YOUR FORETRAVEL

There is a reason for a wait to start engine light on the dash panel. There is a heater in the intake manifold to preheat combustion air for ease of starting when cold. Once the engine is warm, you can ignore the light and just start back up after fueling or lunch, etc.

When shifting from drive to reverse or visa versa, ALWAYS push the neutral button first. This allows the torque to be relieved from the entire driveline. The shaft and differential, for example, have clearances in them that need to change direction a partial turn. If you push the shift button without neutral it slams the gears back and forth under tremendous force and, as you can imagine, not doing any good to them.

Each morning, before a move, you need to check to make sure one of your dual tires in the back has not gone flat. You see truckers hitting them with a club of sorts. They can tell by the thump if one is much lower than the others are. If they used a tire gauge, air loss would change tire pressures each time and you would then need to add air. I know that most of you realize this, but I have been noticing fewer tire thumping lately and safety always comes to mind.

I try to tell as many of you as I can to get in the habit of looking at your filter minder gauge every time you check the oil and zero it, so you are aware of what is normal for your rig to register and work properly.

When taking your rig in for service, it is important to tell the service writer in detail exactly everything you want done or checked. Mention anything on your mind that has concerned you. They can better serve you if you give them enough information to fix or maintain it as thoroughly as possible. I am writing this because so many of you keep saying, "why didn’t they check this or that". The 1999 and newer coaches have a maintenance/warranty book that tells service to be done and when. That makes it a lot easier to remember.

This is an excerpt from an article, written by Steve & Jackie Jones, Motorcade Club Service Representatives., which appeared in the July, 2001 issue of the Motorcader.

Advises to level with engine running - speeds up the process.
Foretravel system "levels down" - lowers corners, end or sides to reach "level" before raising anything.
If, after start-up, the compressor does not build up pressure, gave 2 choices:
a) bleed the system down to zero, then restart.
b) put in "Drive" and move just a little bit, then slam on the brakes.

All HWH hydraulc systems use Dexron ATF, not true hydraulic oil such as you would use in tour car's hydraulic brakes..HWH now sells their own "HWH" oil which is Dexron without any red dye - if there is a leak inside the coach, you can clean the oil out of the carpet, but don't have to deal with Dexron/ATF's dye which will stain permanently.

HWH LEVELING SYSTEM

I have had several questions about the HWH Computer-Controlled Leveling System and how it works. It seems as though the "BIG" question is about the "travel" light. When the travel light is on steady green, it is the operator’s responsibility to check that the vehicle is at the proper ride height for traveling. I do two things to accomplish ride height, first, with my parking brake engaged, I start my engine, allowing it to warm up. Second, I push the off function on the control panel for the leveling system. This allows for two more functions to take place. First, the bell or warning system, which should never be altered because of its importance for indicating low oil pressure, low air pressure, turning signals on, and the TV antenna is in the up position, will "HUSH" if all is well. Secondly, it gives my air pressure time to build up to a minimum of 90 psi and I am in riding height and ready to go. I hope these suggestions will be helpful and answer some of your questions about the "green light".

We also installed inside our coach two level gauges that can be a help, but are not used very much. I once sprayed the 6-pack wires with a can of waterproof stuff, I found for automotive ignition wires. It seemed like an oily substance.

If only one front side leaks down, it probably is not the ride height valve. We carry a spare 6-pack valve to help fix or diagnose similar problems, but have never had to use it. It seemed like a good spare part to carry as we have 12 of these valves on our coaches and a bad one could keep us down. Do anything to keep from being towed, which is hard on our coaches.

Foretravel Torsilastic Suspension.

REVISED 4/4/03 (Revised section are in Italic and underlined)

This is a discussion of maintenance, adjustments and changes to the Torsilastic Suspension found on the 1991-1995 Foretravel U225/U240. With these enhancements, the ride and handling of the Torsilastic-suspension Foretravel rivals that of air coaches, while maintaining the mechanical simplicity of the original suspension.  Noted improvements were made to overcome body sway, bounce, vague steering and harsh ride over small bumps. These changes were made with the assistance of engineers at Goodrich, Bilstein, Koni, and especially Wayne Wells at IPD.

The original 15,000-lb rear springs were replaced with 19,000-lb springs from Goodrich (Goodrich PN: 06-81-6015).  The late model U240’s rear wet weight is over 14,200 lbs.  With the original spring, we were out of adjustment shims and could not achieve ride height specs of 32-33’.  With the new springs there are 5 shims on the right and 6 shims on the left @ 32 ½”ride height. Ride quality has not suffered, and there is slightly less body lean on bumps and corners. Particularly if you are out of adjustment shims, get 19k springs when replacing the rear springs.

A more accurate way to measure ride height IN FRONT is to measure the clearance: bottom of spring to the stop on the body.  3 ½” is spec. The suspension has a total travel of about 7”.  3 ½” puts the suspension in the middle of its travel. If ride height is too low, the suspension can bottom out over bumps causing very poor ride and potential damage.  Removing one shim from both in front of and behind a wheel raises the body at that position ¼”.  Before attempting ride height adjustments, verify that the 32 nuts on the shackle arm to frame bolts are 2X normal length to width. Normal style nuts will not torque to spec (110-120 ft lbs.).

In 2002 Goodrich sold the Torsilastic division to Lord Corp –800 458-0456.

Our front springs are original. At a ride height of 32 ½”- spring to stop clearance of 3 ½”, there are 6 shims on both sides and actual weight is well within the 9,000 lb capacity. I agree with Rob Lovegrove @ Goodrich about not replacing springs without a reason-- I have seen Dina buses in Mexico with over a million miles of rough use on their torsilastic suspensions.

Shock absorbers are a real problem, as those specked by Foretravel are too short and the valving is not optimized for the Torsilastic Suspension. In the rear, at a ride height of 32.5”, there is only 2.48” of travel on extension with the Foretravel specked Bilstein AK1241.  On extension greater than 2.48”, the rear axle “hangs by the shocks” risking broken shocks and broken shock mounts. If the lower shock stud breaks, it is obvious.  The upper mount can break at the upper or lower weld holding it to the  “C” channel frame member.  Normally the lower weld breaks.  This break is less obvious, but prying with a screwdriver will reveal the break.  This can be re-welded and a reinforcing angle can be added.  As with any electric welding, follow all the proper electric disconnect procedures to prevent problems with computers, PC boards, alternator, etc.

If the upper shock mount (bushing welded to plate welded to frame “C” channel) is wallowed out, the ¾” bushing hole can be tapped and shock bushing drilled/reamed to 20mm (.0374” oversize) or to 7/8” (.125” oversize).

The Torsilastic suspension tends to ride stiffly, particularly if the front axle is not loaded close to its GAWR. ADDITIONALLY, the Torsilastic spring is TOO efficient, causing excessive bouncing and sway.  These two opposite factors really challenge the shock manufacturer—Koni’s philosophy of soft on compression and stiff on extension really suits this suspension best.

After trying many alternatives from Bilstein and Koni, the best shocks for the Torsilastic suspension are: Front Koni 88-1547-SP1 (adjusted 1 turn firm).  Rear Koni 90-2256 (adjusted full firm).

In front, the Koni 88-1547-SP1 gives .16” more travel on extension than the OE Bilstein B46-1868 (@32.5” ride height 3.27” on extension Vs 3.11”).  Valving on compression is 52% softer than the Bilstein for a much softer feel over bumps.  It is 330% as stiff on extension, so the overall control is much better. 

In the rear, the Koni 90-2256 gives a critical .75” more travel on extension than the OE Bilstein B46-1868 (@ 32.5” ride height, 3.23” on extension Vs 2.48”).  Travel on compression with the Koni’s is still a more than adequate 4.45”.  Valving on compression is 58% softer than the Bilstein for a softer feel over bumps.  It is approximately 40% stiffer on extension when adjusted full firm, so the overall control is better.

Loading the front axle to near GAWR (full fresh water and fuel and carrying heavier gear forward) helps soften the ride and lessens the effect of side winds.

Ride quality is sensitive to front tire pressure. Following the tire manufacturer’s tire guide recommendation for our actual weight, we carry 90-PSI front (factory specs at max GAWR: 95) and 85-PSI rear (factory specs at max GAWR: 85) on good roads. On roads with harmonic strips or on freeways like I-10 in Louisiana, we decrease front pressure to 82-85. OE tires are Michelin 9R22.5’s. Replace tires after 6 years, irrespective of tread.  The last three digits (on tires built before 2000) of the DOT… number molded into one side of the sidewall indicate the week and year of production (DOT ….347 was built the 34th week of 1997 and is due for replacement.).  If buying new tires, consider a wider tire such as a 255/80R22.5 or 265/75R22.5’s (be sure to verify dual spacing in the rear). They have almost exactly the same rolling diameter, but are wider and will carry the same weight with slightly less air pressure. When installing front tires, initially tighten several lug nuts.  Check tire run out.  Rotate the tire to place the most run out at the top.  Loosen and retighten the lug nuts.  There is several thousandths of an inch of play hub to wheel—use them to your advantage. If run out is still excessive, have front tires trued. Spin balance front tires ON THE VEHICLE after minimizing run out.

Tie rod, drag link and front track rod boots were replaced. The ends were mechanically good, but the boots were age cracked, allowing dirt in.

Front end was aligned to factory specs--- caster angle of 4.7 degrees left and 4.9 degrees right, and toe in of 1/16”.

A Safe-T-Plus steering cylinder was installed.  It is a steering dampner AND exerts over 200 ft lbs. of centering force on the wheel.  This was installed early in the process.  In hindsight, I would probably wait until other changes were made to verify the need for it before spending the money.

Front wheel turning angles were checked and set to Rockwell (axle) and Sheppard (steering box) specs.  For a quick check to see of you may be able to increase your turning angles, look at the two small stop adjusting screws (top and bottom) of the Sheppard steering box (A good picture of this is in the Sheppard manual that came with the coach.).  If the screws are not screwed out almost flush with the surface, you might be able to gain some turning angle.  Our coach was misadjusted at the factory, and by adjusting we gained 14 degrees of turning angle! 

Draw key nuts (2 on each side in the middle of steering knuckle) are torqued to 30-45 ft-lbs with front wheels off the ground. They hold the king pins in place! Check these about every other lube job with wheels off the ground.

To check for kingpin bushing wear, with the front wheels off the ground, have someone push-pull HARD on the wheel at 6 and 12 o’clock.  Look for side-to-side play at the upper and lower king pin bushings.  Max play is .010”

The rear part of the protector bar under the engine drags the ground on steep departures, particularly if the ride height is not toward its highest setting.  The oil pan on the Cat 3208 is low enough to require the bar as it is.  The oil pan on late model U240’s with the Cat 3116 is several inches shallower in back.  We got the same heavy gauge, unseamed pipe from Foretravel and had a local shop reweld it.  The lowest point on the rear bar is now ¼” ABOVE the bottom of the side plates resulting in an increased ground clearance of 2.0”.

Per Rob Lovegrove with Goodrich, when storing the coach, use the jacks to take half the weight off the wheels.  This helps the tires and torsilastic spring (and is actually a good idea on any coach irrespective of suspension).

Engineering assistance from Goodrich and particularly from Wayne Wells at IPD lead to some MAJOR suspension enhancements.  IPD was commissioned by Safari in 2000 to do a major redesign of their torsilastic suspension (the redesign was called Velvet Ride 2—the 2 denoting the changes from IPD), so Wayne was already familiar with the Torsilastic Suspension.  At IPD’s suggestion, an IPD front custom 1 ¾” sway bar with Urethane bushings replaced the OE 1 ½” bar. A rear 2” sway bar with oversized Urethane bushings replaced the original 1½” bar. Together, they materially reduce side to side body sway and allow for an increase of 8-10 mph in a curve with less lean and much less under-steer. Little increase in ride harshness or noise level (the two possible negatives) was noticed.  Note:  There are some 1994 and 1995 coaches with NO REAR SWAY BARS from the factory!

An IPD custom rear track rod (panhard rod) was also installed.  It goes from one side of the rear axle to the frame on the opposite side to control sideways movement of the body as it pivots around the torsilastic shackles.  It has made a big difference on curvy roads, again with no negative side effects.  Prior to installation, when entering a corner, you turned the wheel, the rear end “took a set” (inducing oversteer), requiring you to dial out some of the wheel turn, then add wheel turn to continue around the corner. Now you do not have the rear end “taking a set” to contend with. I did all the installations with the exception of the welding of the track bar bracket on the rear axle.

We like the Foretravel U-240’s: high mechanical quality; solid walnut interior; 96" width (particularly on the narrow roads we enjoy traveling); overall coach strength and lower height with good basement storage afforded by the unihome construction; size (36’); maneuverability with the 228” wheelbase and 50 degree front turning angles; and interior layout  (Side Bath Island (queen bed) Dinette). The torsilastic suspension is simple and rides and handles very well when set up properly.  I also like the Cat inline 6 (3116), Allison 6-speed transmission and full sized side mounted radiator on the 1993 models.  We just completed an interior remodel as well as the mechanical upgrades.

Brett Wolfe   F14613

Michelin 275/80R22.5 load range H are sold with a price of about $387 each, $430 out the door with mounting & tax.  Greg Power owner of Herman Power tire in Nacogdoches does a brisk business with Foretravel owners.  936-564-8751.   Camping World also has about the same price. We used Greg and find him very helpful.  I would rather have Foretravel spin-on-the-coach balance the front end.  Foretravel is also the place to have an alignment.  I do not like the bag-in-the-tire balancing technique.

I used Herman's for our two front tires and was not as happy with him. When I called for a price, I wanted tires mounted, balanced and check align. Once he installed tires, he told me he didn't have the equipment to balance and align. Other than that, price was okay compared to what we got at Nac. However, if you are going through Nashville, TN, on I-24 just east of town there is a huge tire dealer there, called the Tire Center. Great prices and you can usually sell your other tires there to either them or one of the truck drivers coming through their shop. Good to know, as that is what I did on our back 4 tires. Sold the 4 for $600, so really helped on total price of new ones.

Before the year 2000, the last 3 digits of a DOT number represented the week (two digits) and the year (one digit) of production. So, if the last three digits are 229, the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 1999.

Tires made after January 1, 2000, have a four-digit date code at the end of the number. The first pair of digits represent the week of production and the last two digits represent the last digits of the year of production. So, 2200 as the last four numbers means the tire was manufactured in the 22nd week of 2000.

From Motor Home Magazine Tech Talk by Ken Freund

We appreciate Foretravel owner Roger Kirk, who showed us his winch pipes at Grandvention. We all hope we never need them, but now we have something to aid us, just in case. I found that I could store the bars on top of the rear tow receiver cross member.

We also made a small bracket to latch the generator door. The latch also secures the rear engine access door in the open position. A friend was injured earlier this month when a wind gust knocked his open rear engine door off the over-center position and it came down on his back. He then made a latch and I copied his idea.

I recently purchased a protection device for my toad from Protect-a-Tow. The installation was simple. The total price with shipping was $185.00. Blue Ox also sell this product under the name of RV underskirt. In my opinion what you get is overpriced but apparently what I hear it does the job. 

Les Repas

Showed a Video which is available from Allison; covered normal operation, diagnostic codes.

If having trouble and in a "limp home" mode where transmission won't shift, it's OK to call out the codes, but don't turn the engine off - you might not be able to start again.

Discussed electronic fluid level check - said this is more accurate than the manual "dipstick" method (unless the temp is <140 degrees).

Discussed retarder operation.

Said that transmission temp up to 350 degrees was OK, but that statement was assuming the transmission temperature sensor was reading in the output of the retarder. [This statement is very much wrong when the temp gauge is reading "sump" temperature - in that case, the do-not-exceed number is 250 degrees!].

A "fault" in the ABS system can shut down retarder function. No further explanation or discussion.

Alcoa Accessory Products
sells the nut covers and other good stuff. I have used them several times.

I purchased Lug and Front Hub covers from Alcoa Accessory Products in Salem OH. 1-800-434-7202. Placed an order on their website received parts in four days. Lug cover with clamp P/N 001881 $2.59 ea. Steer Hub Cover P/N 076100 $25.99