Comfort Drive Steering instructions

[CoyoteFlatz]

Originally Posted by KenSherwin

It really depends on what you mean by the term "effective". Turning CCW ought to make the steering efforts lighter so the CD is more effective at reducing efforts. Turning CW ought to make the steering firmer or heavier so the CD is more effective at holding the coach on center. Remember that all this pertains to highway driving and not to tiptoeing around in a campground.

Ken,
Thanks so much for that info...I was backwards in my thinking and I'm now set straight. Pun intended.

Cheers,
Don

[KenSherwin]

Originally Posted by countrypair

Can comfort drive be added to older motor homes? My unit has the comfort drive encoder in the electrical compartment up front & all the fuses in place!

Good news. Countrypair and I were able to discover that the components and fuses he was looking at in the electrical box belong to the steering wheel itself, not the Comfort Drive, which is self-contained.

Puzzlement over. Yay!

[vsheetz]

Originally Posted by KenSherwin

By the way, the system automatically turns itself to the very lightest setting when stopped or moving very slowly. You don't have to turn it down because I do it for you under the theory that nobody wants to work hard when parking these houses.

On the other hand, if you feel like doing that, go right ahead. That's why it's there.

does the non-adjustable CS do this also? Such as in a 2008 Kountry Star.

[Miramichi]

Great post and read. I truly enjoyed the fruits of CD's labour as I drove our newly acquired dsdp (or any RV) for the first time about 4000miles home.

Ken, if you would be so kind to answer; is there anything specific that needs technical know how if I have my coach aligned? I was driving and found that it was pulling significantly so want to ha e things looked at but the commercial shops in my area havent heard of CD so I am reluctant.

[KenSherwin]

Originally Posted by vsheetz

does the non-adjustable CS do this also? Such as in a 2008 Kountry Star.

The non-adjustable CD has the same speed-proportional efforts as the adjustable version.

[KenSherwin]

Originally Posted by Miramichi

Great post and read. I truly enjoyed the fruits of CD's labour as I drove our newly acquired dsdp (or any RV) for the first time about 4000miles home.

Ken, if you would be so kind to answer; is there anything specific that needs technical know how if I have my coach aligned? I was driving and found that it was pulling significantly so want to ha e things looked at but the commercial shops in my area havent heard of CD so I am reluctant.

If the shop goes to www.trucksteering.com/diagnostics, they can download a free diagnostic program and its instructions to prove the correct operation of the CD. The program itself requires a hardware adapter that nearly any shop will have but I suspect that virtually no coach owners will have. There's just no need to spend the money for one. The instructions are a simple PDF, though, and you might get some insight about the system by looking it over. Should you choose to do so, I would appreciate any feedback you can give.

You can also see that diagnosing the CD is rather simple and should not give a technician any trouble as long as they follow the script. (Do you have ANY IDEA how hard it is to get some people to do that? )


Now to answer your question: The CD does not affect the alignment in any way. They just have to make sure the CD is centered along with the steering wheel, steering gear, and road wheels. Should there be any question about it, or if they try to blame the CD for their inability to set thing up, they can pull the 5A fuse to disable the CD, then the steering system is back to the way it has been since 1964.

[Miramichi]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your prompt reply!

[Farmer Steve]

Thank you Ken for CD, love it on our new coach. The LE buyers appreciate it being made available for our model!

Question 1: when are you going to make it available to commercial vehicles, I spend a lot more time in a tractor trailer than an RV?

Question 2. We have not covered many miles (800) with our coach yet but I feel like on a few gentle turns the CD wanted to keep the coach straight for a short while. Is that not happening? If I'm imagining this how does CD know when a crosswind causes a driver to gently steer into the wind rather than a turn? Maybe I'm over thinking this! Anyway I never felt unsafe just different than most trucks.

[KenSherwin]

By commercial vehicles, I assume you mean semi's. We have several thousand of them in transit buses where the drivers appreciate the CD even more than RV folks. Bus drivers are using it ALL the time, after all. We will be in semi's when the OEMs give us money. My general manager is funny that way. We are doing some prototype work but truck OEMs are the most unwilling-to-change bunch I have ever met in the 46 years I've been in the business.


As far as you having to hold it in a bend, that is exactly what it is supposed to do. It wants to pull you back to straight ahead all the time. If the curve is gentle enough and you are in it for a long enough period of time, it will think that is the new straight ahead and will remove the handwheel torque. Today, I can't tell the difference between a long gentle turn and a crosswind or road crown. I'm working on it, though.


For your last comment, yes it does feel different from most trucks. To me, the best thing I can say about what we call conventional steering today is that we're used to it. We had the same discussion in the late 1960's about power steering. "It just doesn't feel like most trucks !" was a typical response.


I suggest to every new owner that he play with the efforts control as he gets used to the rest of the coach to find what feels the best when.

[Ron & Kerrie]

Will it work on my motorhome? And is it something I can install myself?

[lady puffin]

Ken, when did the adjustment know show up? We have a new to us 2007 Essex 4508. The brochure says it has comfort drive,but there isn't any adjustment know that we have been able to find. She drives great,but wheel at times seems a bit loose. Just curious. Great information.

[lady puffin]

Darn phone and auto correct. That is knob, not know.

[Route 66]

Comfort Drive adjustment on the dash.

[spinn]

Originally Posted by lady puffin

Ken, when did the adjustment know show up? We have a new to us 2007 Essex 4508. The brochure says it has comfort drive,but there isn't any adjustment know that we have been able to find. She drives great,but wheel at times seems a bit loose. Just curious. Great information.

Don't think out was adjustable until after 09. Our 08 Essex is not adjustable
Steve