While camping labor day weekend I noticed red atf fluid seeping from the underbelly on the dinette side, under the slide primarily. Yesterday I started popping the underbelly nails out along the camp side. I have a 2ft long pry bar with a curved end that has a nail puller V in it. I hammered that curved in under the coroplast right behind the nail washer and they popped right out. I removed some screws in the middle and the forward aluminum retaining bar. I was able to drop the material down enough to drain the ATF fluid and access the rams under the slides.
Having the mira module and app came in handy. I ran the slides out and in 3 times while sitting under the rig looking for the leak. I couldnt locate it. So my redneck ingenuity kicked in and I decided to hold the button down and let the system build a lot of pressure. Sure enough the fluid started spraying like a scared skunk. I disconnected the line at the ram and at he valve block in the front compartment. I taped a 14 gauge electric wire to the old line and pulled it through with the old line so I can pull the new line back in all the way to the front compartment. It was the black retract line that goes from the pump valve block all the way to the dinette side slide ram. The installer ran the hose through a metal frame at the rear side of the rams and the hose looped back to face the front of rv and went through another hole in the same bracket and connected to the outboard end of the dinette side ram. The hose rubbed on the metal and cut enough to start seeping when it would run in and out. Its probably leaked awhile before I noticed.
Good job tracking down the source of the leaking fluid. Curious where you had the new hose made. I had my underbelly off earlier this year for some tank work and didn’t see any hose leaks. Will keep this in mind in case I see any leaking fluid like you described.
Shawn I am curious as to which holes in the crossmembers on the frame they routed your hydraulic lines. I was worried about chaffing and asked the question during the construction of our unit and they told me they route them through the smooth channel in the crossmember so there is not a problem. I was still concerned about the lines resting on the crossmember or bouncing around during operation. This is our frame and the hydraulic lines ran through the section the normally do - I am wondering if they routed yours through those channels or went through one of the smaller holes. I had to replace two hydraulic lines on my rig this last summer and had them made at MCFP (Motion Control Flow Products) and did the same as you had them wrapped with the protector. I had a few lines “spraying like a scared skunk” however mine were from blistering and not rubbing. I replaced a few sections of pex under the Beacon for chaffing through on the frame however.
@RyanB Great photo. The red line represents where they ran it. The yellow is where it rubbed. My guess is it rubbed on the back edge because it looped back around On yours they looped it on the inside you can see it resting against the frame that mine went through. I will see what i can do to reroute it if i cant it has the rub guard
