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Pudgy Camper

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Pudgy Camper last won the day on June 13 2023

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  • FirstName
    Jason
  • Make
    Monaco
  • Model
    Windsor
  • Year
    2004
  • City & State
    Queen Creek AZ

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  1. Wanted to give an update on my leaning issue. I replaced both rear ride height valves along with the connecting rods and set the ride height to 9" all the way around (front and rear). I dumped and let the system refill up to travel height multiple times and everything seems to be working fine now. My guess is the old RHV had a dead spot in it or was starting to wear out. But one thing I noticed is that even when the air is dumped, the coach leans to the right slightly. Could that be my bump stops inside the bags are worn out on that side? Anyhow, I'm going on a short trip in a few days and I'll see how she does. Thanks everyone for the input and help fixing this!
  2. Thanks Ivan, All 3 other corners raise as normal but the right rear only raised a little bit, probably less than half of what is normal. It's possible the left side is raising higher than it should, but everything looked pretty normal after I raised the right side by manually moving the vale's arm. I'll keep that in mind when I spend some more time on it today. Thanks Bill, I plan to spend some time looking at everything later today. I'll check the ride height and adjust as needed. I agree, the 6 pack seems to be working, I'm leaning towards the ride height valve has an intermitted issue. Thanks Ray, I'll look everything over again today but I didn't notice anything broke or loose the last time I was under there. Thanks dl, yeah I agree. I think I'll just go ahead and replace the ride height valve, maybe even both of them on the rear.
  3. Hi everyone, I need some help figuring out what's going on with my coach. I've searched and read countless threads about this issue but haven't been able to diagnose my problem. I started it up the other day and after the system aired up in travel mode, the coach was sitting low at the right rear. I dumped the air and started it up again......same thing. My first thought was that one of the rubber connectors on the ride height valve connecting rod had broke. But all of them are still intact and look good. The second thing I wanted to check was the ride height valve itself. According to the Hadley instruction manual, they can be tested by manually raising and lowering the valve's arm. After turning the key to the on position to activate the HWH system, putting it in travel mode, installing jack stands (for safety of course) and removing the lower connecting rod mounting bolt, I was able to manually move the valve arm up/down and raise/lower the air bags and the coach at the right rear. So this tells me the ride height valve is working.....right? I've studied the HWH text book and now have a better understanding of how the system works, and all symptoms point to a faulty ride height valve. But I'm confused that it works when I test it manually. Maybe it's an intermittent problem? Am I on the right track here? Any other suggestions on how to trouble shoot before I start throwing parts at it? I have a trip planned in a couple weeks and it would be a shame to have to cancel it because I can't figure this out! I feel like it's probably something pretty straight forward. Thanks for any input!
  4. Thanks guys, that makes perfect sense that it's the trans down shifting giving me that extra braking. Don't know why I never thought of that, I just assumed it was another stage of engine braking. I'll play with the hi/low switch on the next drive too. I learn something new every time I drive my coach, I guess I need to go on more trips!
  5. Sorry to revive this older thread, but after reading the wealth of info here, I figured it was the perfect place to ask a few questions and try to better understand how my engine brake works. I love my engine brake and I think it's one of the best features about owning my coach, but I'm unsure if it's operating correctly. I've only been on a few trips in my (new to me) 04 Windsor with the 400 ISL. During the last trip a couple weeks ago in the mountains of AZ, I tried to pay close attention to how my engine brake was operating. Like others have mentioned, I only feel a slight (if any) difference between the hi and low setting. After really paying attention on the long descents coming off the Mogollon Rim down to Phoenix, this is how my EB behaved. When approaching the descent at about 62mph, engine brake switch in the ON position, hi/low switch in what I think is LOW - the coach descended the mountain perfectly and held about 55mph for most of the descent. Once speed drops to around 43/44mph the engine brake engages what seems to be another stage, drastically slowing the coach down almost too much and forcing me to accelerate a little to maintain speed in some places. I tried the hi/low switch in the other position in what I think is HI and noticed maybe a little more braking power but nothing crazy, and performs the same when I get to that 43/44 mph, really slowing the coach down. So my question is...... is this how these engine brakes operate? Or is my hi/low switch not working properly? Is the braking power I feel at 43 mph the second stage (high)? From my research the LOW stage should be engaging 2 cylinders of braking and HI engages all 6. From my experience it feels like all 6 are engaging automatically at the 43/44mph range. Just trying to get a good understanding of how this thing should be operating, and if it's not working right I'd like to fix it, being that we do a lot of mountain travel. Thanks for any input!
  6. Hi Tom, thanks again for the input and great explanation! I never thought of trying to track down the signal wire like you explained. I'll give it a shot as soon as I have some time. Thanks again, Jason
  7. Tom, I have tried to explain in the simplest way I can and also posted labeled pictures of my findings to help others that may come across this. But I have been unable to find this 'negative' wire that others have used. Previously I thought I found it, but it turns hot 12v when the brakes are pressed. (see my pictures from 9-22). That is the wire that I'm currently using for a brake signal to my brake controller. I'm not going to start snipping wires and actually I'm thinking about just leaving everything how it is and not using trailer brakes at all. After my trip last week, I realize with the light load I tow I don't need them. All other lights and flashers work as they should on the trailer. Eventually when I get a toad I will venture down the path of a toad brake system. Right now the issue is brake lights coming on with engine brake and activating my trailer brakes. I still want to track this down but I'm not going to put a lot of effort into it. Seems like there are a few fixes for this....some guys remove a fuse, some remove a wire and others have changed it with Cumming Insight programming. If I can correct this, I'm hoping that it will also prevent the trailer brake controller from activating with the engine brake. I know my findings aren't typical of what others have found and used in the past. But I have put my tester on the EXACT wire that Richard and others have used coming out of the grey harness of the Monaco #2 and discovered mine is different. Trust me, I had my fingers crossed hoping everything would be the same and match up to what others have done in the 100's of posts I've researched. I don't know if the previous owner fiddled with something, or this is just how my coach is built. After seeing the installation quality of the old UTB system, I don't have a lot of confidence in whoever installed it! That is one reason I chose to remove it and start from scratch.
  8. So I just returned from 500 mile trip up to the White Mountains in eastern AZ. Everything went well, however, I discovered that my brake lights DO come on when my engine brake comes on and at the same time activates my trailer brakes. I ended up just turning my trailer brake controller to 'No Boost' mode and everything went fine. We climbed and descended numerous steep mountain grades and my tandem flat trailer towed perfectly. In hind sight, I guess I didn't even need to install the trailer brake controller because my engine brake works great on the downhill mountain sections. Granted, I was only towing about 4500-5000lbs (18' flat trailer and a 2000 lb. UTV, plus gear), but I'll leave the trailer brake controller in case I ever end up towing heavier. So I guess now I need to figure out how to dis-able the engine brake lamps. I know it's a controversial topic, but I personally DO NOT want them coming on when I let off the gas pedal and engine brake is activated. I've looked for the fuse that when removed dis-ables the brake lamps, but I don't see it in my front drivers electrical bay. If I can't figure out how to dis-able, I'll just have to live with brake lamps coming on with the engine brake. Any clues on where to look on an 04 Windsor for this engine brake lamp disable?
  9. I haven't yet, I will verify with a test drive this weekend that everything is working the way it should. From what I know, my brake lights don't come on with my engine brake. This wire activates the brake lamps, but keeping my fingers crossed its NOT tied into the engine brake!
  10. Well I finally got it figured out. I should have used my Power Probe from the start and it might have saved me some frustration. When hooked up it shows if a wire is either positive or negative automatically without changing settings or dials. At first I was using my Fluke meter and I wasn't very thorough in my investigation. However, I finally found a good brake signal but it's different from what others have discovered. I found that the #155b wire coming out of the Monaco #2 box, labeled 'brake lamp' is normally grounded but when the brake pedal is pressed (with engine running), it becomes a 14v positive brake signal. So I didn't need to add a relay. I also discovered that this #155b wire is coming off of the #30 terminal of the brake relay. I ended up keeping the UTB diode gizmo that I showed previously and kept it hooked up just as UTB did, as it didn't seem to make any difference with or without it, but I decided to keep it for now. I removed every other piece of the UTB system. I'm guessing that Monaco changed something in 2004 or someone changed some wiring somewhere on the coach that actually makes this a very simple process if you know what wire to look for. I wanted to share my findings and post a few pictures that show exactly what I ended up with. Thanks to everyone for your help, especially you Tom, for helping me out on this one!
  11. Hi Tom, thanks for all your help, really appreciate it! I agree, it's super confusing. I have an electrical background and have 30+ years under my belt as a Journeyman Electrician but still get confused by 12vdc circuits and automobile electrical systems. That is why I was so confused when I started peeling back the layers of the onion in my rigs brake signal system. The UTB controller is still mounted in the rig, but I disconnected it when I started my investigating. I started with the UTB controller 4 wire connector and started tracing it backward towards the FRB, that's how I confirmed the rectifier/diode gizmo was part of the UTB system. Then discovered the shoddy 2-#14s running under the belly of the coach to the rear UTB receptacle. I really hoped I would find the negative brake signal trigger that others have used and it would have been a piece of cake from there. I'll keep at it and will report back what I come up with after more testing and investigating. I'll take a close look at the Monaco #2 brake relay pin connections like you suggested. As for the 'Blue' trailer brake controller signal wire, I found a bundle of 3-#12 wires (red, white and blue) coiled up near my fuel filters in the engine bay. I put a circuit tracer on one of them and found them up front in the drivers side console area! So I'm good there, I'll use the Blue #12 from my controller to the 7 pin plug on the receiver. I've already tested my 7 pin plug at the receiver hitch and everything works as it should there, just need to hook up that #12 blue signal wire. Again thanks for your help, I feel I'm making progress and getting closer to getting this coach squared away.
  12. Hi Tom, here is a hand drawn wire schematic of what I'm dealing with. The rectifier/diode in my picture and on my sketch is definitely not OEM and I believe it's part of the UTB system that was unprofessionally installed at some point. This aligns with a long list of shoddy work the previous owner did that I've been correcting the last 4 months. The splice points on my sketch (labeled 1,2,3) where done with cheap crimp butt splices, (yellow in fact, the wrong size) and tells me this was certainly something the previous owner did or had done. This is why I want to remove all the UTB stuff and start from scratch with my own wiring. This afternoon I plan to look and test everything again with the rig running and the wife pressing the brake pedal.
  13. Thanks again Tom, tomorrow I will have more time and really dig into the wiring and take a good look at the print you have. Today I had a few minutes and poked around with my Fluke tester and discovered something. Whoever installed the UTB system cut in this gizmo into the 'Brake Sig' wire. From what I can tell from a Google search it's a bridge rectifier. But what's crazy is when the constant negative wire is attached to it and brakes are pressed it sends 12v positive to the green wire doubled up in picture. I'm not sure exactly what's going on or how it gets 12v from a negative grounded wire, but this is what UTB was using to get a 12v positive signal for their brake controller. I'll dig into it more tomorrow after reviewing the drawings, but if needed I'll use this rectifier. But I would really like to get rid of anything UTB and have a wiring system I can understand.
  14. Yep the relay would be energized all the time until brakes were applied then it would just transfer the power over to a different pin, similar to hi/low beams on an automobile. I'm going to see if I can find a signal up on the firewall at the brake switch before I go that route. Also, my coach had a United Tow Brake Controller installed at one time and some of the wiring is still there but it's not wired like the UTB diagram shows, no relay anywhere. But I may revisit the wiring and see if there's something I'm missing.
  15. Thanks Richard, I believe I can use the constant 12v wire and utilize the 87A terminal of a 5 pin relay. So that when 12v power is removed from the relay, it sends 12v to pin 87A which would be the brake signal for my trailer brake controller. I'm going to spend some time looking things over and test everything again just to make sure I'm not missing something!
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