Community Forums

Txaggies · 05-07-2018, 11:14 AM

Alignment
We drove our 2018 Ventana home Friday from Lewisville, Tx. My husband has pulled horses trailers, fifth wheels and travel trailers forever. Driving the motor
home was a pain, he had trouble keeping it between the lines. He said it was pulling and that was with the comfort drive on. The wind was not blowing that bad. I know we are newbies but this did not seem right. Could a new coach be out of alignment ? If so, could someone recommend a good freightliner place in Waco or Bryan Tx area.

Massparanoia · 05-07-2018, 12:01 PM

Can’t help you with a place in Texas, but yes they don’t align them when they build them. I took mine to a local alignment shop and had it aligned and then sent the receipt to Newmar customer service and they reimbursed me for it.

Carefree · 05-07-2018, 12:13 PM

First thing I would check is tire pressure. You need to get the RV weighted and then look up your tire pressure in the tire manufacturers inflation table. They can be found online.

sheridany · 05-07-2018, 03:59 PM

We could offer more insight if we knew what model Ventana you have. I agree with other poster who said tire air pressure. That's a critical component to getting them to drive right and give a comfortable ride. Would not surprise me at all if you are over inflated for the weight you currently have. Mine was filled to the max tire pressure all the way around when I picked it up and I got the tire pressure gauge out and set it to a number I knew would be more realistic.

You can read other posts on the forum about getting your coach weighed after you load it up. A very good thing to do.

txcpl · 05-08-2018, 06:12 AM

I would check with my dealer first before I had anything done to a coach that is under warranty. They may take care of the alignment.

I can say that an alignment really made a difference on how our coach handled. The difference was like daylight and darkness.

photopilot · 05-08-2018, 06:27 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the Comfort Drive is a system that lets you adjust out the exact issue you are describing. For instance, if you have a crosswind that makes you hold steering pressure to one side, you can adjust the Comfort Drive to relieve that pressure. The fact that your coach is pulling to one side would seem to me that you just need to adjust the Comfort Drive. If the Comfort Drive is supposed to take out that pressure automatically, then I would suspect it isn't working correctly.

Walt

FLJOE · 05-08-2018, 06:58 AM

If it was only "pulling" to one side, then my first guess would be a tire inflation issue and possibly front end alignment needed.

If it was pulling and wondering, then I would check my tires psi of course, but also get it scheduled for a front end alignment.

The chances of a 2018 being delivered all the way from Indiana to Texas with the CD broke and then the unit being sold is pretty remote IMHO. Rule out the obvious simple things first.

BBelanger · 05-08-2018, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photopilot

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the Comfort Drive is a system that lets you adjust out the exact issue you are describing. For instance, if you have a crosswind that makes you hold steering pressure to one side, you can adjust the Comfort Drive to relieve that pressure. The fact that your coach is pulling to one side would seem to me that you just need to adjust the Comfort Drive. If the Comfort Drive is supposed to take out that pressure automatically, then I would suspect it isn't working correctly.

Walt

The comfort drive would not correct the way you described Walt. I can’t really explain it, but once you drive it, you’ll have a better understanding.

KenSherwin · 05-08-2018, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Txaggies

He said it was pulling

It sounds to me like it's not assembled correctly. A shop needs to put the free diagnostic program on it to check it out.

Even that would not make it difficult to keep between the lines. A CD can't compensate for misalignment, incorrect tire pressures, or loose components. Those need to be checked too.

Txaggies · 05-09-2018, 10:25 AM

Well looks like may need alignment, just gotta find a freightliner place nearby.
Dealer is not close. We will also check tires.

Stuart W · 05-09-2018, 11:13 AM

It is my understanding that Newmar does check the alignment as one of the final QC’s, thats not to say that it couldn’t change as things settle, I’m two for two Newmar’s that came aligned. 🤞🏻

10 fan · 05-09-2018, 07:10 PM

I just finished reading the digital owners manual I got from Newmar. It states you should get it aligned after you load it with all your stuff and it is not a warranty item.

ptw · 05-10-2018, 04:43 AM

My tag axle was not aligned correctly. Freightliner did an alignment on the 6 month (1 yr maint) inspection under warranty. The front wheels were off slightly also.

FLJOE · 05-10-2018, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptw

My tag axle was not aligned correctly. Freightliner did an alignment on the 6 month (1 yr maint) inspection under warranty. The front wheels were off slightly also.

Thank you 10Fan and ptw. I am only familiar with two brand of Class A coaches, and neither one aligns them prior to leaving the factory.

In my previous brand coach it did not have CD so the fact it needed an alignment was obvious, or at least to me it was. I think many of us that purchase new Newmars with CD find that they drive so great that we never even consider they may need an alignment.

It is too bad for the kind of money we pay that the dealer's don't automatically align these coaches prior to selling.