Community Forums

jerryjoe55 · 12-28-2015, 06:00 PM

Insist on the Source Arms. If you go to the Source Engineering Site it shows the confirmed failure analysis of the Monaco trailing arms that they modified . If he balks have him reduce the cost by $3000.00 and have them put in yourself.

jerryjoe55 · 12-28-2015, 06:04 PM

The REK system from source engineering.

barmcd · 12-28-2015, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerryjoe55

The REK system from source engineering.

We're looking at the 4-Bag Ride Enhancement Kit. What about anti-sway bars or something like the Safe-T-Plus? Are they applicable?

jerryjoe55 · 12-28-2015, 06:37 PM

Go to the Source Engineering Site they have the finite analysis on the new monaco trailing arms and it identified the heat sink failure as compared to the Source Engineering arms

onechaddude · 12-29-2015, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barmcd

We're in negotiation to buy a 2002 HR Ambassador which has not had the trailing arm upgrade. We're close on price and the dealer has agreed to fix the problem before we take delivery. I want him to use Source Engineering's kit and he wants to use the kit from Monaco. We're only buying the coach if the SE kit is used and the dealer is exploring the impact on their bottom line. Besides the 4-Bag ride enhancement kit, what else should we look at installing?

I would agree with the others. I would want the SE arms. I had them changed on my 07 neptune as soon as I found out about the issue. My families safety wasn't worth the risk.

I've also added the REK (installed myself) and swapped the steering gear. Myself and a few others have made these changes and been very pleased. If you read any of the wandering threads you may have read about our current "project". We 4 baggers still have a slight wander issue when towing on breezy and windy days even after the above mods. Our wander (at least mine) is nothing white knuckle or bad, just enough to not be relaxed and comfortable. A couple of very giving guys are in the process of looking at our rr4r chassis to see if something easily can be done to help with this. We "wanderers" feel like it comes from the rear end.

If I can help anyway please let me know and good luck with your purchase.

Chad

barmcd · 12-29-2015, 07:48 PM

The dealer agreed to use the Source Engineering kit to replace the trailing arms so it looks like we'll be buying the coach. It's going to be a fly and buy so the dealer has made our deposit refundable if we don't like the coach for any reason.

I am mechanical enough to install the ride enhancement kit as it looks like it isn't a real complicated procedure. Are there anti-sway bars available for the rear? I'm intrigued with the steering box swap too. Anything that will make the coach drive better.

onechaddude · 12-29-2015, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barmcd

The dealer agreed to use the Source Engineering kit to replace the trailing arms so it looks like we'll be buying the coach. It's going to be a fly and buy so the dealer has made our deposit refundable if we don't like the coach for any reason.

I am mechanical enough to install the ride enhancement kit as it looks like it isn't a real complicated procedure. Are there anti-sway bars available for the rear? I'm intrigued with the steering box swap too. Anything that will make the coach drive better.

Yes there are antisway bars available for the rear. Source engineering has them. The only caveat to them is they are very time consuming and difficult as I'm told. They are working on an easier non drilling bar but may not have them available for a little while. There is a days worth of reading available on the steering swap. Crazyknight (Craig) is the wonderful guy that pioneered the swap and is also looking into the rr4r chassis to see if something can be done. His thread on the swap is one of the stickies toward the top of the Monaco forum.

Chad

captw3 · 12-29-2015, 08:25 PM

I own a 03 Neptune and had the REK,SE trailing arms and new 275/70/22.5 tires installed this year. I also had the radiator and fan replaced with Source parts. It is now a totally different MH. I am now driving the unit Monoco should have made in the first place.

onechaddude · 12-31-2015, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captw3

I own a 03 Neptune and had the REK,SE trailing arms and new 275/70/22.5 tires installed this year. I also had the radiator and fan replaced with Source parts. It is now a totally different MH. I am now driving the unit Monoco should have made in the first place.

captw3. I agree with you that SE makes some great products. I have their noise reducing power adding fan as well. It makes a huge difference in noise.

I still have the same 255/70/22.5 size tires that mine came with. Although I did change them 3 years ago to michelin as the goodyears had aged out. I'll be contemplating going to the 275 next time I change but it's still 2 to 3 years out. I had mine 4 corner weighed a while back. I am easily covered by my tires but if the 275 tires are more readily available in case of road troubles I would probably go with them.

Yes these changes should have been completed by Monaco as the coaches left the factory. It is what it is. I'm just thankful we have the companies and knowledgeable folks to make them better. Happy new year.

Chad

flynnwalter · 01-02-2016, 11:54 AM

Chad
Thanks for starting this thread. As you may recall we have made all the chassis improvements from Source Engineering as well as going 'up' in tire size (actually 2 sizes to 295/75) We are pretty happy with the resulting ride/handling, but I will be 'lurking' here hoping to find information about reducing the top heavy swaying on our coach when turning from one banked road/parking lot onto a road/area on a different plane, such as a parking lot onto a banked curve. We really sway back and forth. I looked at the SE Comfort Air Ride Valves, but I am not sophisticated enough to understand if they would help or not. Any suggestions are welcome!

deSanford · 01-02-2016, 03:33 PM

I don't think there is much that can be done for the "rocking" except go real slow. Sanford

ImNuts · 01-02-2016, 07:05 PM

I too will be following this thread. We bought our 2005 Cayman last April. It came with the Source Arms and added Bilstien shocks (purchased from Chad). The shocks alone improved our ride tremendously. I installed them right before our Christmas Disney trip. When I installed the shocks,I found that three of the four Monroe shocks had very little resistance and the fourth was totally collapsed. As a result, I really didn't have any shocks.

The new shocks greatly reduced the proposing and smoothed the ride. I did however, experience a great deal of wind which convince me that I needed to change our the steering gear box. I have far to much play in my steering. I read the swap thread and considered the swap but I'm doing it for sure now. I also will be looking at any other improvements to tame the sway. We tow an Explorer and the wind made things a little too interesting on our last trip.

If you have a 4 bag Monaco chassis, you must, at a minimum, replace the trailing arms and Monroe shocks. The chances are too high that the original trailing arms will fail and the Monroe shocks probably have already failed.

ImNuts · 01-02-2016, 07:17 PM

Also, I will be happy to provide pictures or measurements to help this project. Craig and Van have played a huge role in improving the ride of Monaco RVs. I'm really excited to have them focused on the 4 baggers.

CrazyKnight · 01-02-2016, 07:27 PM

Chad,

Ok so the only thing I did not get to do to Maddog's coach was a tail wag test. I forgot the long hitch bar and remembered it about 1/2 way through my 80 mile, one way, trip to see the RR4 Cheetah.

First, for those of you who have had trailing arms replaced, as Mike (Maddog7) has, I would check to see if all of your hardware is tight. I found loose U bolts on the rear of Mike's coach, nothing too crazy but you could spin 2 of the spacers on the trailing arm to rear axle mount. See Picture.

Second. If Source, or someone, offers a sway bar set up like Mike's coach came with from the factory...WOW. VERY heavy duty and one of the best mounts I have seen. Simple but STRONG, helping stabilize the rear axle.
See Picture.

Third, Bad news for last. There is not much you can cross over from the RR8 to the RR4, MAYBE a front Watts Link, but REALLY not needed as the 4 bag set up is a REALLY stable one.

Last. The only other thing that I found on Mike's coach, besides a REALLY good sway bar mount, that we are going to TRY and improve is bushings. ANY bushing movement that can be reduced will help stabilize everything. ATRO ? or ?
I need to look into this further but again the Sway Bar set up is wonderful. Maybe I could convince Mike to remove the sway bar for a test run ? I am not sure this is possible without more research.

Van and I have discussed changing to ATRO bushings, or custom UHMW bushings on my Panhard Bar (RR8) to see if there is any improvement. There have been instances where coach owners have only changed the Panhard rod bushing and have had noticeable improvement. Would it help RR4 owners ?

Mike has agreed to a "no cost" UHWM custom bushing installation for a test run.
When we can find time in the next month we can get together.

Until next time,

Craig