What to do about this clanky Chieftain

[Rkh]

Hi all,
New RVer..1998 Winnebago 34 ft Chieftain...53k miles..Ford V10
Just took off for my maiden voyage after a couple very short rides..Traveled 250 miles through Indiana and KY..Hot as hell outside but the coach's engine performed great..HOWEVER, this old girl makes a ton of noise..Meaning, any bumps at 58 mph rattle the cabin and generally feels like quite a "jarring" whenever I hit bumps...These bumps I wouldnt even notice in my car..
Is this just normal for a 13 year old coach? It feels safe...just rough..
Also, the cruise control disengages often after hitting a little turbulence..
Would shock resolve this? I see no leaking..Would air bags soften the ride?

[bsinmich]

It seems the Ford chassis is known for a hard ride. The noise is partly because you have the whole house in there with you. You basic chassis is a truck chassis so you could say it rides like a truck. Someties shocks can help. Air bags will only help if you have weak springs, which is a possibility on that age vehicle, and be sure to check the tires and tire pressure. Check the date code on the tires to determine their age. RV tires generally do not wear out the tread but will age out and then have blowouts that take part of the MH with them when they blow. If the tires are over 7 years old, or have cracks in the sidewalls they are due for replacement. The cruise control normally disengages when you touch the brake pedal. Hitting a bump could cause the brake pedal to bounce enough to release the cruise. Get it weighed by wheel weights on all 4 corners and then go to the tire manufacturers chart to see what pressure to carry in each axle for that weight. Stamped weights mean nothing. Use your loaded weight, as you would for a trip, to determine weight.

[John Hilley]

A lot of it is probably the tires. Could be the tire themselves or the pressure. I have a 35' Brave and new tires made a tremendous difference in noise and ride. Shocks probably need replacing also. I went with Monroe RV shocks and was very pleased for the price.

[Rkh]

Thanks guys..Tires are Michelin XRx...The four rears are date code 1111...New I guess.
Fronts are 3306...Several years old but look very, very, good..

Where do I weigh the coach? Sorry, if this is dumb question as I know I can get this on line, but you all are much better...Is there a chart on line I should refer to when inflating tires specific to axle load?

[Jackm]

In all probability, your shocks are old. Lots of folks like Bilsteins and Koni FSDs. I's focus on the shocks after confirming that the tire pressures are properly set and that the chassis is in reasonably good condition. It'll never ride like a Mercury Marquis but you certainly can get some relief from the worst bumps. Best of luck.

Jack

[Nick-B]

Two words - Tire Pressure.

While V10 Fords do have a hard ride, before you start throwing money at it, make sure your tires are properly inflated for the load they are carrying. If you have them pumped up the Max number on the sidewalls it is probably too high and will definitely be harsh riding.

Try to get your coach weighed at each wheel if you can. if you can only get front and rear axle weights then at least get that. See how much weight the tires are really carrying then go to the tire manufacturer's web site and find the load pressure charts. If you can't find them or they don't post their charts, the Michelin web site has their own chart and it should be close enough.

Michelin North America RV Load & Inflation Tables

[Rkh]

Where do I weigh the rig?!

[ga traveler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rkh Hi all, New RVer..1998 Winnebago 34 ft Chieftain...53k miles..Ford V10 Just took off for my maiden voyage after a couple very short rides..Traveled 250 miles through Indiana and KY..Hot as hell outside but the coach's engine performed great..HOWEVER, this old girl makes a ton of noise..Meaning, any bumps at 58 mph rattle the cabin and generally feels like quite a "jarring" whenever I hit bumps...These bumps I wouldnt even notice in my car.. Is this just normal for a 13 year old coach? It feels safe...just rough.. Also, the cruise control disengages often after hitting a little turbulence.. Would shock resolve this? I see no leaking..Would air bags soften the ride?

I am a big fan of airbags. Some of the posts don't agree with me but I have installed many sets and my customers were pleased with the results. Big potholes will still be felt, but the small things like cracks, cement seperaters, bridge edges will smooth out.

[micd]

We had two things making noise over bumps after we bought our coach. I had the shocks replaced because they looked old and one was leaking. When they went to replace them they found the attachment point for one of the rear ones had broken off. A little welding fixed it and they attached the new ones. They had not found the break during the inspection and had only recommended replacing two but I opted to do all four and was glad I did.

The second item was a clanging when I went over bumps up front. During an inspection they found a problem with one of the front end components where it was separating and coming together when going over bumps. I know they replaced the idler arm but can't recall what else and my receipts are in the RV on the storage lot so I can't be more precise. You may want to have your suspension system inspected to see if they find anything amiss.

Michelle

[Nick-B]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rkh Where do I weigh the rig?!

• Truck Stops like Flying J / Loves have scales
• Highway Weigh Stations
• Places that sell rock & gravel (usually)
• Some County Maintenance shops
• City/County Dumps and transfer stations

Call around and see
Some cost a little money, some are free

[DAN L]

in oregon and washington, when the highway weigh stations are closed for trucks, they leave the equipment on so you can see how much you weigh either on a display in front of your moho or on a display inside the weigh station. the lanes are not wide enough in washington to get an individual wheel weight. i did get a front axle and total weight on my moho. other states may be similar.

[Steve N Sal]

We had a Ford chassis on the previous coach and though older than yours the original owner had installed Monroe Shocks. They had a pretty stable and pleasant ride. Not a Cadillac but tollerable. The other thing you have to monitor is the air pressure. Just make sure you DON'T underinflate to get a ride you like. By the way we did have rear airbags. My take on those is they leveled the rig and stabilized it but can't say they made the ride any smoother. Just my take on the situation. Good Luck hope you find some comfort. By the way, you can't get rid of all the noise. When someone comes up with that remedy, they better patent it and get it on the market. Be safe and Happy Motoring!

[Rkh]

Ok, here's what I've got on the tire pressure..I have Michelin 245/70/19.5 XRV, (LRF) on the front...XZE (LRH) on the rear..
Front tires have 90lbs cold, rears have 105lbs....
I stopped at Love's Travel Stop and sat on their certified scale for $9.50. There was no way I could weigh each axle end.
The front axle total is 5880 lbs....rear axle total is 11600 lbs....
Using the Michelin pressure chart for these tires, I don't even make the minimums on the charts.....confused....
Before I make any pressure changes I thought I would consult with Michelin and this forum...

[John Hilley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rkh Ok, here's what I've got on the tire pressure..I have Michelin 245/70/19.5 XRV, (LRF) on the front...XZE (LRH) on the rear.. Front tires have 90lbs cold, rears have 105lbs.... I stopped at Love's Travel Stop and sat on their certified scale for $9.50. There was no way I could weigh each axle end. The front axle total is 5880 lbs....rear axle total is 11600 lbs.... Using the Michelin pressure chart for these tires, I don't even make the minimums on the charts.....confused.... Before I make any pressure changes I thought I would consult with Michelin and this forum...

Just go with the minimum pressure in the charts. What model motor home do you have?