Community Forums

mike337 · 03-31-2016, 10:03 AM

Several years ago I rented a Class-C RV to try out a stay at the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, OH. I had a great time using the RV, but noticed the vehicle tended to wander on the road a lot, and took constant adjustments of the steering wheel to keep it going straight down the road. At the time, I attributed it to the excessive miles on the rental unit.

Fast forward to this year, and a purchase of a 2005 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager 8377. The RV has brand new tires, and only 22,500 miles on it, yet has the same wandering tendencies I noticed on that Class-C RV in the past.

Is this wandering tendency evident in most RV's? Could it be because of sail area, or size? Any ways to improve the steering?

Mike

BFlinn181 · 03-31-2016, 10:21 AM

There are many adjustments that can be made to improve handling.
You might start by loading up the RV as for a trip and taking it to a truck scale. Getting the weight load on each axle, even better if they can give individual corner weights. With that information you can look up the tire manufacturer's website and adjust tire pressure for your actual tire loads. Often tires are over-inflated upon mounting. The sticker next to the driver's seat is a WAG and only true for maximum loading, a condition few of us actually experience.

After adjusting tire pressures, you could look to better shocks and alignment. You could then investigate steering stabilizers and the many handling fixes available. If your RV is on a Ford F-53 chassis, check out the LONG thread on 'Cheap handling Fix' for some ideas.

An RV will probably never handle like a sports car, but it shouldn't bounce and wander down the road. There are many improvements that can be made, some for little expense.

Rorytug · 03-31-2016, 11:45 AM

I think is is inherent to class C motorhomes fye to the lihht chasis they are on. My Winnebago Outlook had the same issue. Highway driving was an aerobic excercise. Put a SteerSafe stabilizer on it and the problem disappeared. Best $500 bucks I spent on that coach. Less if you do it yourself instead of like me at Camping World.

BFlinn181 · 03-31-2016, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rorytug

I think is is inherent to class C motorhomes fye to the lihht chasis they are on. My Winnebago Outlook had the same issue. Highway driving was an aerobic excercise. Put a SteerSafe stabilizer on it and the problem disappeared. Best $500 bucks I spent on that coach. Less if you do it yourself instead of like me at Camping World.

The OP's RV is a 37' Class A RV. Yes, a SteerSafe will improve some issues, but why not start with tire pressures and other cheap attempts?

Cabinhill · 04-05-2016, 02:36 PM

I just installed a Steer Safe on my 1994 Scenic Cruiser and it completely changed the way it drives. Best money I have spent on this coach.

kkeever · 04-06-2016, 05:54 AM

We had the same issues with ours, see below for the corrective actions we took for our coach. Drives like a long car, LOL.

ronjhall · 04-06-2016, 07:12 AM

I have to keep reminding myself to keep front tires at 85 psi. While rears are set at 95 psi. Good advise getting MH weighed and setting tire air pressure per manufactures inflation chart. Makes a big difference in handling of mine.