New RV owner 06 Dutch Star

[efstewart]

We just purchased our first motorhome (2006 38 foot Dutch Star, model 3817, 16000 miles) and drove it from Virginia to California. Is is a great coach, but I noticed that going over old freeway roads with patches and ruts that the front of the coach rattled and squeaked and I felt some strong jolts. I just read Norms post dated from 2008, where he had his coach upgraded by Spartan under warranty with better shocks, airbags, and tires.

I am just out of the warranty but need advice on what to do to make the ride smoother. After I parked our Motorhome I noticed that the right windshield had a 16 inch fracture in it that led from the upper frame where a lot of shaking had taken place, and also the wood frame that holds the front TV had dropped some small woodshavings onto the dash.

I have Michelin tires, I think they are 305/r 22.5 and they have about 107 pounds in front. Spartan told me to adjust the air bags and that should help, also an RV shop recommended Koni shocks ( I have Bilsteins now) but I read another Post where Motorhome magazine rated the Bilsteins much better in road rides over the Koni's. I have learned a lot already by reading these posts but I am not sure which fix is best for this problem. Any ideas!

[Skipper 05MA]

We had similar ride issues on our 05 Mountain Aire and finally went to Spartan to have them look at it. We had talked to other RV'rs who had suggested this solution. We found Spartan to be of utmost help. They changed the air bags and the shocks as well as aligning the coach...all wheels. Big improvement.

["007"]

Welcome to the Newmar forum and irv2 efstewart.
Congrats on your new DS many safe and happy miles ahead.
You may also want to get coach weight and adjust to proper air pressures for tires, tables are in Quick Tips.
Many tips and mods for your MH in Quick Tips link below, enjoy the forum and do post often.

[Norm4015]

efstewart, your 2006 DS should not have the component problems my 2005 DS had because Spartan / Newmar redesigned the front end between 2005 and 2006 models.

The first thing I recommend is checking and adjusting the ride height. My 05 DS arrived from Newmar with the front one inch too low and one side one-half inch too low. That threw the weights off and made one wheel on the front axle 1,000 pounds heavier than the other side. I was near Spartan so I took it there and they adjusted ride height and rebalanced the motorhome.

After making sure the ride height is in specs I recommend you pack your DS for travel including passengers in the front seats and weigh your motorhome by wheel position. Use Michelin's tire inflation chart to set tire pressures and then take it for a test drive.

If the above solves your ride problem you are good to go. If you still have a ride issue you can look into new shocks and possibly air bags. There is a lot of good information on this site about shocks and which ones will work on an 06 DS and which ones will not work.

Good luck.

[Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43']

I agree with having the coach weighed to determine air pressure. I carry 100 PSI in fronts, 95 in duals and 85 in tag. I switched the shocks from the Bilsteins to the Koni's and the ride difference is remarkable especially transitions for bridges and overpasses. I have the ride height checked at my annual service appointment. I purchased he coach new and now have about 39K miles.

[efstewart]

Thanks for your advice, I am having my first oil change done at Redlands RV service next week. In July we will be going to Yellowstone with some of the grandkids and staying at Grants campground. We are lookinf forward to that. I will have the suspension checked also, and I will check the other Posts for further info. Did anyone see the Motorhome magazine May 2009 issue that rated the shocks? I read another Post that Bilsteins were better than Koni. Is this true?

[GaryKD]

Hi efstewart,
The quality of ride provided by shock absorbers (assuming all else is in good working order) is pure personal preference. One could replace shocks with the same brand and feel a different ride. The FMCA magazine article should allow one to make a decision based on what kind of ride they are looking for.

[tmitchell]

I have a 2004, DSwith 3 slides. my problem is that I don't have enough weight on the front axle. Newmar rates the front axle for 13,200 lbs. but it is tagged at 13,700 lbs. I have less then 12,000 lbs on it when I am fully loaded for an extended trip.
This means that the shocks are over rated for the weight, I carry and the air bags don't need to fill quite as much to bring my front end up to proper ride height. Both of these factors contribute to a harsher ride.
I switched from 70 to 80 series tires, which allow me to carry less air in them. This has helped my ride comfort enough so I haven't bothered to change my front shocks,to ones that would better match my weight.
I was going to go with Koni FSD's, but they don't make them for my Spartan chassis,with Independent Front Suspension. The normal Koni's that I would have to use are stiffer riding then Bilsteins, so if I do switch front shocks it will be to Bilsteins.
Tom

[efstewart]

Now the picture is getting clearer for me. Thanks for your advice about shocks, airbags, and weight distribution. I will have the axles weighed and then adjust the airbags if necessary. I will do these things before I decide whether or not the shocks need replacing. This forum is great, in that on my first visit and posting you have helped me possibly avoid spending a lot of money to diagnose a problem. I will let you know the results after I get it weighed and adjusted. Thanks again!

[Route 66]

See my post, here.