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Old 05-04-2019, 08:58 PM   #1
Almost There
 
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Floor Sounds Like It's Caving In

Heyyy Everyone!

Wife and I are on the road... Just drove from VT to PA and the drive went pretty well. We are parked resting and all the sudden the bus is making these loud creaking and tapping noises from underneath, it almost sounds like the floor is caving in or something. I pressed the brake pedal down and that seemed to remedy the situation for about 10 minutes and it started again. I thought it may be residual air in the air brake system. Has this issue happened to anyone else before? Kind of freaking out since we're on the road driving to Montana lol. Any help is highly appreciated.

Thanks!

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Old 05-04-2019, 09:08 PM   #2
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it may be your air bags going down if its soon after you shut it off
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Old 05-04-2019, 09:16 PM   #3
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Hey there.

No need to worry. Simply the suspension air bags leaking down. Ours does the same thing after a few hours after shutdown. They will fill right back up when you start it up again...

Where in Montana you going? We just got to Glacier for our summer jobs...

John
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Old 05-04-2019, 09:25 PM   #4
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I drove a Volkswagen Quantum years ago. I would get off work at 2-3am, drive home, park, be super-tired, roll down the windows, my cat would hop in my lap, and I would pass out. And wake up to the car bouncing up and down. I think I remember weird noises coming from the suspension, but that was 30 years ago. I investigated may times; the only thing I could think of was the compressed air in the struts either leaking or internally balancing.
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Old 05-06-2019, 11:27 AM   #5
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Thanks for the help, I think you guys hit the nail on the head. Hahaha it was crazy my wife and I were laying in here thinking we were going to fall through the floor

Johnbloem: We used to live in Whitefish and are heading back there for a finial destination to finish our build! Ironically enough I spent most of my life in the Dallas/Austin area (saw you live in TX as well.) What are you guys doing out in Glacier? We had friends out there that would run the raft tours. My wife teaches yoga so if you guys are into that you should check out one of her classes!
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Old 05-06-2019, 11:39 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinDarcy11 View Post
Thanks for the help, I think you guys hit the nail on the head. Hahaha it was crazy my wife and I were laying in here thinking we were going to fall through the floor

Johnbloem: We used to live in Whitefish and are heading back there for a finial destination to finish our build! Ironically enough I spent most of my life in the Dallas/Austin area (saw you live in TX as well.) What are you guys doing out in Glacier? We had friends out there that would run the raft tours. My wife teaches yoga so if you guys are into that you should check out one of her classes!
You will be in good Skoolie company. Asetechrail moved to Whitefish last summer.
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Old 05-06-2019, 01:34 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinDarcy11 View Post
Heyyy Everyone!

Wife and I are on the road... Just drove from VT to PA and the drive went pretty well. We are parked resting and all the sudden the bus is making these loud creaking and tapping noises from underneath, it almost sounds like the floor is caving in or something. I pressed the brake pedal down and that seemed to remedy the situation for about 10 minutes and it started again. I thought it may be residual air in the air brake system. Has this issue happened to anyone else before? Kind of freaking out since we're on the road driving to Montana lol. Any help is highly appreciated.

Thanks!
Rear air bags slowly deflating sound like that.
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Old 05-07-2019, 12:21 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinDarcy11 View Post

Johnbloem: We used to live in Whitefish and are heading back there for a finial destination to finish our build! Ironically enough I spent most of my life in the Dallas/Austin area (saw you live in TX as well.) What are you guys doing out in Glacier? We had friends out there that would run the raft tours. My wife teaches yoga so if you guys are into that you should check out one of her classes!
So, I manage the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier, and my wife works for NPS at the St. Mary entrance...

John
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Old 05-07-2019, 10:27 AM   #9
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So, I manage the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier, and my wife works for NPS at the St. Mary entrance...

John
Right on! We are trying to figure out our final route so maybe you could give some advice. We left through East Glacier moving out to VT and I remember the roads being pretty tough in a 4Runner. We are considering going up through Missoula instead... Do you think a T444E could make it through East Glacier, or better bet just taking the big highway?

Thank you!!
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Old 06-01-2019, 07:44 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinDarcy11 View Post
We are parked resting and all the sudden the bus is making these loud creaking and tapping noises from underneath, it almost sounds like the floor is caving in or something.
Thanks!

Okay, so we're experiencing the same thing. Only difference is this is the first time it's happened on any of our trips, and it's been going on for the past 2 days. Definitely sounds like it's coming from under the bus, and it only happens when the sun is down. It's intermittent, maybe every 5-15 minutes or so. It's kinda creepy
I got to wondering if I had somehow damaged the air bags on the rough road in or something? I took a peek and they look inflated and they don't look damaged or cracked or anything. Could they be leaking down that slowly? Is the nighttime temperature change affecting the pressure somehow? This is confounding, but at least it seems like it's the same thing going on. If I depressurize the tanks it should collapse the air bags, right?
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Old 06-01-2019, 09:05 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Drew Bru View Post
Okay, so we're experiencing the same thing. Only difference is this is the first time it's happened on any of our trips, and it's been going on for the past 2 days. Definitely sounds like it's coming from under the bus, and it only happens when the sun is down. It's intermittent, maybe every 5-15 minutes or so. It's kinda creepy
I got to wondering if I had somehow damaged the air bags on the rough road in or something? I took a peek and they look inflated and they don't look damaged or cracked or anything. Could they be leaking down that slowly? Is the nighttime temperature change affecting the pressure somehow? This is confounding, but at least it seems like it's the same thing going on. If I depressurize the tanks it should collapse the air bags, right?
hot days, cool nights - a lot of expansion/contraction going on - l get the same thing on the southwest corner of my house when day temps exceed 100f and night temps drop to 45
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