Newmar Dutch Star XE need separate dump valve for front and rear
Hello folks I just purchased a 2000 39-40 foot Dutch Star with 36,000 miles (showroom condition) Freightliner XE Chassis with HWH 310 levelling jack controller/with air dump, Big Caterpillar 3126B(I think), Allison 6 speed Automatic, 7.5 Onan diesel generator (322 hours) This Coach had been stored inside a bus barn all of its life, so it still looks and drives like absolutely new. Now I would like to try to get it in my 80 foot concrete driveway, but it drags the heel of the big trailer hitch. I unbolted the massive lower hitch and had 4- 3 inch solid steel American made wheels welded on the bottom of the hitch bar. This looks like it will do the trick of getting the coach up the driveway, but I noticed that if the front suspension was dumped, then the back would rise up enough to allow the hitch to clear the street asphalt approach to the driveway. There is a large amount of clearance in the front height going up the driveway. I know to keep the wheels in the straight ahead position for as long as the front suspension is dumped, although even when dumped, the front suspension will still clear the front 22.5 Michelins in the front wheel openings. I had planned to mount a pair of (front/rear) momentary (on/off) dump switches, using the HWH 310 w/dump feature (white wires going to the dump controller terminal screw connector. I thought that I would apply 12 volts to the solenoids here (white wires). Then when I want to go up the driveway, I would get the front wheels 35 feet up the driveway, then slowly dump the air in the front (with assistant watching from outside) (making sure not to scrape under frame girder that protects Onan 7.5KW generator). When the back wheels are off the asphalt street and going up the incline of the concrete apron, I would let go of the momentary front air-dump switch to let the air bags fill back up to normal
height.
I think that this procedure is do-able without the use of any ramps, but I need to get your opinions, since many of you have done this before. I am a master mechanic and electronic technician, so you do not have to worry about me as a nubie to these kinds of tasks. I will use my FLUKE VOM meter to see whether the dump terminal screw provides the 12 volts or just relays it, when the HWH manual dash controller dump button is pushed and held down. I have the HWH 310 service manual.
Is this the best place to tap into the dump valve controllers? I only need to apply 12 volts to the front dump valve(s) for a few seconds...and then let it fill back up after I move up the driveway 6-10 feet.
What do you folks think about this momentary dump switch? Who has done this before?
Thank you in advance for your expertise,
LWilson (DutchStarCat) lwilson@rmemail.com
Fort Worth, TX
