Popping Noises

[wanderingwingers]

We are fulltiming in our 2010 38rssb with Trail Air suspension. From time to time after getting set up and level we will hear popping noises coming the axle area. It pops when no one is walking and it will also pop when we do move about. It is getting very annoying.

Since it pops when no one is moving I do not believe it is the floor. The rig is level and tires are still on the ground. Not sure if it is the jacks or the air suspension cooling off or heating up causing expansion.

Just curious if anyone else has an annoying popping noise.

[RickandJanice]

Could be air in the hydraulic system. We had this when our rig was new and then again right after Level-Up was installed. As long as you extend and retract the slides in recommended order every time, If it air, it will work itself out. I did this about 6 cycles on ours each time we had the problem and that stopped the popping both times.

[George D]

Sounds like you had better have that Lippert frame checked!!

[47hook]

Again with the Lippert frame, George?

My 07 36TK3 that we have traded for an on order 2013 38RESB3 had popping noise that would come from the area of the pump and bedroom slide area if I would raise or lower the landing gear with the slides out and occasionally with the slides in. Can't recall exactly who told me it was possibly air in the system, might have been Paul Cross of Interstate RV, but as time went on the popping went away. These hydraulic systems are self bleeding and that may be your issue. If there is air in the rams for the slide outs that may be what causes the noise as the air compresses/cools?

Also, as the tires/airbags cool there could be noise from the suspension repositioning itself. If you use chocks between the tires as everything cools down and retracts the chocks could be slipping on the tires. I have rotochoks and when I install them on hot tires nice and tight they become loose to the point you can just about remove them after the tires cool down.

Do you grease the wet bolts periodically? Maybe you could vary your set up procedure to see if that makes a difference. Can’ t say exactly how to vary it but maybe after leveled, chocks in place, if you use them, after everything has cooled down try resetting the chocks, moving the slides in and back out again. Maybe if you do run the slides in, try raising the tires off the ground, if you have the level up system, then lowering again and see if the tires are resting in a different spot; maybe raise the coach off the tires to begin with to eliminate tire shift/suspension shifting as the problem.

Good luck on your issue and let us know if you find out what it is.

[wanderingwingers]

I am pretty sure it is coming from the suspension. I think the air is expanding as the temps rise and then decreases when it gets cooler at night. We will be sitting outside and will hear it pop from time to time.

We are going to start placing a few "Lego Pads" under the tires to make sure that the tires are not off the ground. I will make sure all the bolts are tight and then we will see if it improves any.

[Jimfla]

We had the same problem it was the left rear jack you are right it wil drive you nuts. I found if you run the jacks up and down a few times some times it will stop. I had the jack replaced

good luck
Jim

[berghild424]

we had that noise too. but we have big foot leveling, so I don't think it was the jacks. But I am betting on the air in the lines...we still have a little problem with that but nothing as bad as it was...we need to the slideouts in order a few times and think that will stop it.
everything else is working great...just that popping noise for awhile after we stop...for awhile and then it goes away

[wwc]

We have a 2006 and it pops when it is on a concrete pad. Never pops unless on concrete. It use to be it sounded like it was only popping around the kitchen area, maybe a little left of the refrigerator. Now it also sounds like it is popping near the door area also. Like others, mine will pop sometimes when there is no movement, that I can detect. Some days it hardly pops at all, then again, it sounds like an entire pack of firecrackers going off. Not that loud but continuous. Now you cannot make it pop, by shaking or jumping up and down. Most of the time, just a little movement in the living area or the bedroom area, will start the poppin. We were on the same concrete pad for 2 months, and the poppin never stopped. All I can figure out is that the sound is under the floor and above the underbelly. I had an RV tech come to listen to it, but of course it would not pop one time, then when he left, it started again. I do not believe mine is air in the lines, since I think it would worked it self out before 2 months. I wish it were air in the lines, not something worse. I believe trying to fix this problem is going to be expensive.
wwc

[porkchop]

I had a similar sound in mine when it was new. Both of us looked & looked. I thought it was down low, she thought it was up high. By accident (figures) we discovered that it was the molding that is behind the slides where they make contact with the wall when out. What I did to test this was to but a small piece of material over the edge of the slide before it made contact with the wall. Complete silence!! When we got home from that trip I used a coping saw to adjust the trim in a few places and now it is quiet. Bring your slide in about 1 inch and see if the noise goes away. If it does you will be able to see the marks where they are making contact so you will know where to adjust.

Bill

[ponch]

Ggeorge REALLY??? Give it a break!

[AMA2054]

Could be air in the hydraulic system. We had this when our rig was new and then again right after Level-Up was installed. As long as you extend and retract the slides in recommended order every time, If it air, it will work itself out. I did this about 6 cycles on ours each time we had the problem and that stopped the popping both times.
I have read all the manuals that the previous owner left for me, and have not seen anything about extending/retracting slides in a recommended order.
Is this required for my 2003 36CK3?

[Stripit]

Could be air in the hydraulic system. We had this when our rig was new and then again right after Level-Up was installed. As long as you extend and retract the slides in recommended order every time, If it air, it will work itself out. I did this about 6 cycles on ours each time we had the problem and that stopped the popping both times.
I have read all the manuals that the previous owner left for me, and have not seen anything about extending/retracting slides in a recommended order.
Is this required for my 2003 36CK3?

No you have electric slides not hydraulic. Your able to open any one you want in any order at any time.

[rv'n]

We have had the same popping problem on our current Suite and our last SOB. Friends of ours had the same problem on their SOB and worked with Dale Fenner (Trailair) to try and figure out the why, when where the noise was coming from. Trying everything and changing jacks and other things out did not help. One day our friend noticed that the ods jacks were extended a little farther than the ds jacks which is what should happen to level the rig. She thought of putting the lego blocks under the ods jacks to even the length of all jacks. Problem was solved for them so we tried it and problem is solved for us.

[BlueSkyRanch]

We have had the same popping problem on our current Suite and our last SOB. Friends of ours had the same problem on their SOB and worked with Dale Fenner (Trailair) to try and figure out the why, when where the noise was coming from. Trying everything and changing jacks and other things out did not help. One day our friend noticed that the ods jacks were extended a little farther than the ds jacks which is what should happen to level the rig. She thought of putting the lego blocks under the ods jacks to even the length of all jacks. Problem was solved for them so we tried it and problem is solved for us.

Are the jacks made by Lippert?

[rv'n]

Are the jacks made by Lippert?[/quote]


The jacks on our last coach were from Trailair which was sold to Lippert. As far as I know they are the same jacks.

[wanderingwingers]

We added the blocks to the leveling jacks so the jacks would not have to travel as far. This seemed to help a lot. We are now parked an a perfectly level concrete pad. We have the jacks even from ods to ds and have not had any popping for two weeks now. This must be the secret.

[Motor31]

Acronyms are nice as long as everyone knows what they stand for. What do you mean when you use ods and ds in regards to the jacks?

[Walt]

Off door side and door side.