Fleetwood Jamboree Rear Spring Problem?

[78RoadRunner]

I have a 2011 Fleetwood Jamboree Sport M31 Class C on the Ford E450 chassis. It now has 2400 miles on the odometer, 1500 when purchased new. I have put 900 miles on the RV. The rear leaf springs are sagging and the motorhome is visibly lower in the rear than when I first purchased it (approximately 4"). The front end feels light when driving it and there is very little down travel left in the rear suspension. The springs have a visible negative arch to them. I found out about this when I went to have air bags installed on the coach and the tech said the springs were so de-arched that he could not install them. He also informed me that this wasn't the first one he had seen. Has anyone else out there had a problem such as this? Jim

[TXiceman]

A 31' class c puts the E450 at or over the axle limits and taxes the heck out of the suspension. Are you carrying water in your fresh water tank, which is behind the axle. This puts load on the rear and unloads the front axle.

A few years ago, Fleetwood was having problems with class C's that were over over weight on one axle or the other from the factory. I would head to the scales and get axle weights and then take it up with the manufacturer.

Ken

[78RoadRunner]

Yes I do carry a full tank of water most of the time as I dry camp about 80% of the time. The RV is at the dealer right now and they are going to take it to be weighed as per Fleetwoods' request. Fleetwood asked the dealer to tell me yesterday that I wasn't supposed to carry water in the water tank! My response was that it is called a water tank not an air tank! I can see where this is going already. Fleetwood will say it's Fords' fault and Ford will say it's Fleetwoods' fault, leaving me in the middle. Jim

[TXiceman]

40 gallons of water will weigh about 330#. That is a lot of weight to dump behind the rear axle.

We had a 31' Minnie Winnie DL without a slide and loaded for travel, 1/4 tank of fresh water and empty waste tanks we were right at 13,950#. Just 100# under the chassis limits. With any more water, we would have been over on the rear axle.

The problem is Fleetwood knows the limits on the chassis and yet they continue to build them right up to the limits, leaving little if any payload capacity.

We did not travel on the road with full water for the weight and weight distribution problem. Travel with less than 1/4 tank and fill up right before you get to your destination.

Oh and it is Fleetwoods fault not Fords.

Ken