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08-17-2008, 07:45 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2
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I am looking to purchase a 2005 34 ft Alpine Coach.
I have heard rumors that this length of coach (with the 400 engine) may be prone to porpoising.
Would appreciate any infor on this.-----Is it fact or fiction?
Thanks,
Ron Clarke
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08-17-2008, 07:45 AM
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#2
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2
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I am looking to purchase a 2005 34 ft Alpine Coach.
I have heard rumors that this length of coach (with the 400 engine) may be prone to porpoising.
Would appreciate any infor on this.-----Is it fact or fiction?
Thanks,
Ron Clarke
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08-17-2008, 09:02 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 173
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I have a 2006 34'. Drives like a dream. Has never done any porpoising.
__________________
Ken
2006 34' Limited
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08-17-2008, 12:51 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Home is between Salinas and Monterey, CA
Posts: 241
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Hi Ron, welcome to the forum!
We've got a 2004 34 footer with the 400 Cummins and it also drives like a dream. No porpoising.
Best of luck!
__________________
Mike and Mike (Michele)
2017 Winnebago Tour 42HD
Previously: 2004 Alpine 34 FDDS
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08-17-2008, 03:35 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Northeast PA
Posts: 1,146
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An Alpine porpoising?
An urban legend propogated by Alpine-Owner Wannabees.
__________________
Bob (Squidly Down Under) & Peg - 2013 Ford Focus pushing a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser 2552S
"In God we trust" to preserve our country and bring our Troops safely home.
Carry on, regardless..................
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08-17-2008, 03:58 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Abington, PA
Posts: 1,103
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We have a 2005 - 34 footer that drives as everyone else describes. I changed the Bilstein shocks to Kone's because Danny Gayhart was kind enough to get us a great deal at 17000 miles as a lot of us did and it improved the coach quite a bit but had I not I would have never missed them. I would be more apt to think a longer based coach would have a tendency to porpoise but obviously none of them do.
__________________
Ted & Carol Ulmer
2005 Alpine 34', 34FDDS
2006 PT Turbo pusher
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08-17-2008, 08:13 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,957
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No porpoising on my 36' MDDS with the 400hp engine either. (I know you asked in particular about the 34'.) I agree with Ted, it is better with the Koni shocks in place of the Bilsteins, but was not bad before. Driving it will be the least of your worries.
__________________
Jim A
'04 Alpine Coach 36' MDDS
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08-18-2008, 07:15 AM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Junction City OR.
Posts: 24
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Ron, I Have driven a 34-foot twice over 1000 miles
over Hwy 395 from LA to Junction City Oregon. If a salesman tells you they porpoise. He's trying to sell you something else. Alpines have a 60-40 weight distrubution 40% on the front axel. Most other brands are 80-20 in this length.
The 36 will give you a little better ride the reason is the longer the wheel base the smoother the ride. Alpines 34 has a 217" wheel base versus a 252" wheel base through model year 06 in 07 they dropped it to 242" to accommodate a wider door and smartbeds.
Lindsay Hargett
Guaranty RV
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08-18-2008, 11:13 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Auburn, CA, Havasu, AZ & Mulege, BCS
Posts: 5,385
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We started to get some porpoising on our 06 36 footer. Solved the problem w/new Bilstein shocks on a new coach. Maybe I coulda solved that cheaper w/new shocks on the old coach?? Hmmm... 
__________________
Baja-tested '08 2-slide 36'
Alpine: The Ultimate DIY'er Project
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08-18-2008, 11:27 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 128
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I have a 2003 34 FDDS and have never had a porpoising problem and I typically am towing a boat or enclosed trailer with 500lbs of tongue weight which I would imagine would make it worse if it existed.
__________________
2003 Alpine Coach 34 FDDS
Moorpark, CA
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08-18-2008, 12:16 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 1,100
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Lindsay,
The 34's all have a 217' wheel base, the 36's changed from 252" to 242" on the SE's to accommodate the wider entry door. My 2002 34, did wander some and was blown around in the wind when I got it. I changed the tires and had the caster in the front end increased, which cured these problems. The factory cured those problems by adding weight to the front end. I am not sure what year they started this and think I was told it was about 500 to 700 lbs. For a shorter length coach, the Alpine 36, up to the SE's, have the best wheelbase to length ratio of any coach made. The wheelbase to length is a major factor in handling.
__________________
Dale Gerstel
AMG GTS
Las Vegas, NV
Had: 2007 Limited SE 40fdts
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08-18-2008, 06:52 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 870
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We have a 2006 36 MDDS Limited, before the SE, and I would have to agree with DGerstel, porposing is definitely not an issue with our coach. It is really smooth and sweet handling. We did replace the Bilstein shocks with Konis at around 20,000 miles and now have 30,000 miles. The Konis helped a little, but porpoising was never a major issue, and it's great with the Koni's.
__________________
2019 Winnebago 22M
2015 Jeep JK Rubicon
Former Owner, 2006 Alpine Coach 36MDDS
Former Owner, 2005 Tioga 31M and Arctic Fox 22GQ
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08-19-2008, 05:24 AM
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#13
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 15
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2005 34'Alpine Limited.Absolutely NO porpoising.Great coach, ride,performance,storage and quality.It is disturbing to read about various problems but it is no different than all the other highline coachs.Just read some of the Country Coach,Monaco,etc.problems.
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08-19-2008, 05:39 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Anaheim Hills, CA
Posts: 381
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by work2play:
I have a 2003 34 FDDS and have never had a porpoising problem and I typically am towing a boat or enclosed trailer with 500lbs of tongue weight which I would imagine would make it worse if it existed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ditto, and I have ~900lbs...
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2004 Alpine 34 FDDS
Anaheim Hills, CA
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