Air Suspension

Warwick Duo. To be honest I've never got to grips with the two black and red control valves and gauges. Particularly what the valves actually do! 

Anyhoo, we are currently touring up in nw Scotland. Near Kyle of Lochalsh in Ardelve campsite just now. Lovely.

En route,  the gauges showed different and quite low readings. Ok splash out 50p at a service station and top them up. Problem! The black side pressurised, the red side started to - then whoosh. Completely de-pressurised! 

What to do? A question - can I extract and replace the Schrader valve just like in a car/bike tyre.

Oops accidentally posted twice. Sorry.

Yes the valve can be replaced like car tyre valves , you should be able to buy the valve and extracting tool at Halfords or the like or any bike shop,

Ideally the bags should be inflated to around 2 bar and should not be left empty as this can damage the air bag, when driving the gauges will show different readings this is normal, this is as the bags compress and elongate as the suspension is working

We ran ours on Warwick duo never below 1 bar, the minimum the bags require to be, even the correct shape. As Chris says 2 bar is probably optimum.
By all means change the valve cores, but that WHOOSH would worry me
Really only 3 possibilities, the valve, unlikely imho if it occured whilst inflating as then the valve core is open. The hose between the fill point and the bag, possible, or the bag itself.

Only way to find out is to try and reinflate the zero pressure one and listen where the bag is. By the rear wheel will do. There should be very little noise. If, after removing the air hose, the pressure returns to zero. Either the bag or hose I'd guess.

To get you home, I'd reduce the "good" bag pressure to 1bar to protect it. The van should be ok to drive like that. Just try it out carefully at first.....

Thanks for the info and advice. It's appreciated. 

My thoughts are that the bag is (was) probably ok since it was pressurised. When I tried to top up by connecting the airline the existing air came out. Guage reading zero. When I re-attached the airline no air was going in at all nor was there any escaping to the side or whatever. Just nothing. The airline was def ok.

I will lower the "good" side as suggested. Ta.

Not many Halfords or motor factors up this way btw.

Should be a push bike shop somewhere as you should be able to buy in there as most mountain type bikes use schrader valves

Now, with that extra info, fairly sure to valve core, easily changed and easy to get

Now, with that extra info, fairly sure to be valve core, easily changed and easy to get

Thanks again and good tip to find a bike shop. :)

Another good tip. I will check.. the gauges and  tubes are under the passenger seat on ours but kinked would certainly explain failing to fill yet no noise of escaping air.

Is this an advisory / modification to the Insurance, resulting in higher premiums? 

BOOMEL

mikeelawson wrote:Is this an advisory / modification to the Insurance, resulting in higher premiums? 

BOOMEL

Sorry, I’m confused. Where does insurance come into it?

Incidentally, it would help us all if you amended your profile so that the model of your van shows in your avatar instead of 'AutoSleeper'. Thanks.

Tinwheeler wrote:
Sorry, I’m confused. Where does insurance come into it?

Incidentally, it would help us all if you amended your profile so that the model of your van shows in your avatar instead of 'AutoSleeper'. Thanks.

You need to advise your insurance company of any significant changes to the van (including decals). If you dont it is potentially another get out clause for them. I had to tell them about my Towbar. 

Regards,

BOOMEL

mikeelawson wrote:
You need to advise your insurance company of any significant changes to the van (including decals). If you dont it is potentially another get out clause for them. I had to tell them about my Towbar. 

Regards,

BOOMEL

The air suspension is a standard, and existing, fitting on the type approved motorhome but a towbar is not. 

In my experience adding a towbar makes no difference to the insurance premium although, as you say, the insurer needs to know about it.

im not suggesting any modification. :)

update.

got home took schraders out and put same valves back in. attached my electric tyre pump. fiddled (!) with the black/red plastic taps and hey, presto, inflation. the problem may simply have been that i had the rhs plastic control valve closed. to be honest i still have a clue what the actually do!

anyhoo, thanks all and the bags seem fine.

Each tap links to a single airbag. Open both to  inflate both or one to inflate that side only. Having inflated close the tap. If there is a gauge fitted, opening taps in turn will show pressure in each side, close afterwards. If you open both, the pressures in bags will equalise.