Safety precautions when adjusting ride height

[Stonehands]

Hello.

Want to check and if needed adjust ride height on our 2013 Diplomat 43DFT with the 10 bag Roadmaster chassis. The passenger side rear leans a bit and I want to check and adjust if needed. I found the measurements and the how to but nothing listed in everything I searched on the site stating any safety measures or precautions you have to do prior to getting under coach to make adjustments. 

Does anyone have an advice on this aspect of the adjustment process please. 

[vito.a]

You want to prevent it from crushing you if something comes loose.  You can drive it up on boards (three 2"x12" screwed together), or set up heavy jack stands to keep it from coming all the way down,  

The front only has a single adjustment, so it does not affect right to left.  The rear has both a left and a right height adjustment.  

If you only need to raise the passenger side it should be quick and easy.  

Good luck!

[dandick66]

15 hours ago, Stonehands said:

Hello.

Want to check and if needed adjust ride height on our 2013 Diplomat 43DFT with the 10 bag Roadmaster chassis. The passenger side rear leans a bit and I want to check and adjust if needed. I found the measurements and the how to but nothing listed in everything I searched on the site stating any safety measures or precautions you have to do prior to getting under coach to make adjustments. 

Does anyone have an advice on this aspect of the adjustment process please. 

Where did you find the ride height info for your coach?  I have a 2012 Diplomat 43DFT and have been unable to locate the settings.  My coach has started leaning to the passenger side after a couple of days and I’m thinking it’s probably a ride height valve issue.  I just need to get under there and investigate. 

[Stonehands]

Hi Dan. Rev Group whom owns Monaco has not returned my calls as to ride height on my 13 Diplomat 43DFT. I was planning on using the information from 2009 model. Front 8"-5/16. and Rear 9"-3/16. Over several years these measurements have not changed. Its a shot. my first thing to identify is the body lean to the passenger side. 

Thank you Vito.

[dl_racing427]

The safest and easiest way to adjust ride height is to drive it onto ramps or blocks high enough to provide room to prevent injury if the coach falls to the bump stops.

This allows the weight to stay on the bags, and you can easily measure the height and adjust the ride height valves to the proper setting.

[Tom Cherry]

2 hours ago, Stonehands said:

Hi Dan. Rev Group whom owns Monaco has not returned my calls as to ride height on my 13 Diplomat 43DFT. I was planning on using the information from 2009 model. Front 8"-5/16. and Rear 9"-3/16. Over several years these measurements have not changed. Its a shot. my first thing to identify is the body lean to the passenger side. 

Thank you Vito.

My gut tells me that the Diplomat is actually a “badged down” Camelot.  One would have to look at the sales Brochures….looks like they had two different chassis for the 42 & 43.  One was 261” WB & other was 273.  Neither was same as 09 Camelot tag.  Axles the same.

Barry at Josams or service manager at Hendersons’ would know….REV couldn’t tell me my 2009….said “Legacy” models were incomplete and they had no knowledge or details were sketchy…..the beat goes on….

[RoadTripper2084]

Ironically, your rigs are too new, the Downloads section on this site has a document listing ride heights from 1991-2008 models (635157635_1991-2008RideHeightChart.pdf).

 

[Tom Cherry]

12 hours ago, RoadTripper2084 said:

Ironically, your rigs are too new, the Downloads section on this site has a document listing ride heights from 1991-2008 models (635157635_1991-2008RideHeightChart.pdf).

 

BUT…The 2008 was thevsame for 2009. I THINK that Navistar didn’t do much redesign of the chassis….just build ‘EM like they were when bankruptcy shut down.

NOW… This is my THEORY.  i know that the 2009 specs for the Camelot is a carryover from 2008….or that is what Josams uses.  Verified that.

Never tried this, but was told it was (by which learned authority….Source Engineering….I think.

if you measure the distance between the air bag plates…..at MAX and MIN….DIVIDE the difference by TWO (2), Then add that to the MIN.  That is your RIDE HEIGHT.  I installed a rear Source sway bar.  My driveway was slightly, OK, MORE than slightly sloped.  The sway bar was to be installed at “RIDE HEIGHT”.  That ain’t gonna happen….why RIDE HEIGHT?  Once all the parts were in, on one side you bolted the clamp tight and on the other side…drilled the mounting holes.

SO…I measured each side….did the math and then set the air bags to match, it was the SAME.  BINGO.

NOW, for all this precision, take into account….the ride height was calculated or developed by Monaco with brand X shocks.  The Delco and Bilsrein, and probably, Koni, actually controlled the MIN & MAX distances. When my Front Billstein’s went on, I lost maybe 1/4 - 1/2” of travel or lift.  The bottom bolt would not go in.  Had to lower the MH to get the shock on.  A COMMON OCCURRENCE.

[Mark Underhill]

Why not just match the driver's side?  That's what I would do if I felt it was correct. 

[amphi_sc]

After the bankruptcy around 2009, when did the Roadmaster chassis that came from a Chrysler design get to become a Freightliner chassis renamed as a "Roadmaster", but not the 'real' Roadmaster design of the earlier models?

Anyway, back to Jerry's ( Stone hands ) query ... Are you leaning with the engine running in travel mode?  Or after you've been parked for a while?

[Stonehands]

Yes I am leaning when on the road. My system shows level and in the green but I had family following me on the road and they said here was a lean. I can add some height to the passenger with he manual feature on the air system but would rather have them all to spec. I have no air leaks. I can have coach off for weeks and still have 90 to 100 psi in the tanks. Took me a lot of crawling under the coach to identify the leaks when I first got the coach 3 years ago. 

[dandick66]

3 hours ago, Tom Cherry said:

BUT…The 2008 was thevsame for 2009. I THINK that Navistar didn’t do much redesign of the chassis….just build ‘EM like they were when bankruptcy shut down.

NOW… This is my THEORY.  i know that the 2009 specs for the Camelot is a carryover from 2008….or that is what Josams uses.  Verified that.

Never tried this, but was told it was (by which learned authority….Source Engineering….I think.

if you measure the distance between the air bag plates…..at MAX and MIN….DIVIDE the difference by TWO (2), Then add that to the MIN.  That is your RIDE HEIGHT.  I installed a rear Source sway bar.  My driveway was slightly, OK, MORE than slightly sloped.  The sway bar was to be installed at “RIDE HEIGHT”.  That ain’t gonna happen….why RIDE HEIGHT?  Once all the parts were in, on one side you bolted the clamp tight and on the other side…drilled the mounting holes.

SO…I measured each side….did the math and then set the air bags to match, it was the SAME.  BINGO.

NOW, for all this precision, take into account….the ride height was calculated or developed by Monaco with brand X shocks.  The Delco and Bilsrein, and probably, Koni, actually controlled the MIN & MAX distances. When my Front Billstein’s went on, I lost maybe 1/4 - 1/2” of travel or lift.  The bottom bolt would not go in.  Had to lower the MH to get the shock on.  A COMMON OCCURRENCE.

Tom,

Are you saying to fully raise/inflate the airbags and measure plate to plate, then deflate the airbags and measure plate to plate, get the difference and divide by 2, and then add that to the deflated height?  
 

On 6/5/2024 at 11:40 AM, Stonehands said:

Hi Dan. Rev Group whom owns Monaco has not returned my calls as to ride height on my 13 Diplomat 43DFT. I was planning on using the information from 2009 model. Front 8"-5/16. and Rear 9"-3/16. Over several years these measurements have not changed. Its a shot. my first thing to identify is the body lean to the passenger side. 

Thank you Vito.

Jerry, I know what you man about REV not getting back to you.  I did contact Source Engineering several years ago and they told me 8 to 8 1/2 plate to plate.  I have not idea where they got that info and at the time I didn’t realize that they were the Monaco experts.  When I originally mentioned that I was unable to fine the ride height, I meant in any published paperwork.

Also, FYI your signature line says you have a 2021 Diplomat - you might want to change that.

 

[Mark Underhill]

What was the crown in the road like?  Leaning to the ditch is pretty normal.  

[Stonehands]

Thank you Dan for the call out on my coach year. In my profile it says 2013 Diplomat 43DFT. Checking sig line now. My lean is towards the ditch side of the road. I cannot feel it but family behind me said it was noticeable. Also I have noticed since owe have had the coach, the driver side rear bags seem to have the wheel well higher than on the passenger side. I mean to say it looks like the wheel is almost touching the fiberglass ( but its not and no rub marks) compared to the driver side reach there seems to be at least an inch more room above the tires.