Barry & Cindy 1997 Foretravel U270 36 5/10/10
Check the single front ride height valve for leaks. It is located high under the coach between front tires. The valve is mounted to frame and has a small bar connected to the suspension. When the suspension moves up and down the ride height valve’s function is to add or dump air from all four front airbags. The valve control only rotates a small amount between add & dump, with the center being the place that valve is supposed to be closed to keep the air in airbags.
Most ride height valves have a bottom dump muffler/filter and a rubber ‘hat’ cover to keep filter material inside the dump part of the valve. Meritor valves have a poorly compounded rubber hat that often disintegrates and falls off letting muffler filter material fall out. This may not be a problem, except dirt and water may now be able to get into the valve. The front valve is so high up in a protected area under the coach, if the filter falls out, it may be OK for a while.
Many have made their own valve bottom protector with a vinyl hose extension held in place with a hose clamp as a rubber hat is not a replaceable item and it is a waste to replace valve just to get a new hat, as the new hat may also disintegrate.
When a valve leaks the airbags will leak down. When the ignition key is on and HWH is in travel mode, the top two solenoids on the HWH 6-pack manifold are open, to allow the coach’s ride height valve to control leveling. When front airbags are manually raised with HWH panel and then HWH power is removed, the top two solenoids remain closed and keep the ride height valve from managing the leveling. This also keeps the rear ride height leveling system from functioning. Another way is to remove the front ride height mechanical linkage and find the sweet spot on the ride height valve that does not leak any air, then tape it in that position. Another way to disable the solenoids is to pull specific fuses within the HWH control box.
Since your travel mode light goes out, this could indicate a different problem, but It sounds like your ride height valve could be leaking. One can drive for days and weeks with the front ride height valve out of the picture until a replacement ride height valve is found.
Single front ride height valve controls coach driving leveling from front to back. Two rear ride height valves control driving leveling from side to side. Rears are more important than the front.
The Front air regulator supplies air from the front brake tank to the front air suspension manifold. Pressure should be 50-60 lbs.
They put a regulator in the front circuit so that when we go into travel mode, the front end (which is lighter) doesn’t rise faster than the rear and confuse us into thinking we’re ready to travel before the rear is at travel height!