Monaco LaPalma 2005 wobbler

[howie-2005]

I just purchased this unit with 25000 miles on it and it seems to roll as I drive down the road. It is on a W24 workhorse chassis. I've called different people, and if I call a sway bar person, it needs a sway bar. Front air bag person etc. I'm looking for someone who had the same problem, and what they did to resolve it.

I also took it to an RV shop, and they suggested front and rear stablizers!
Any help would be appreciated, I don't want to put everything on the coach if not needed!

Thanks,
Marty

[EngineerMike]

Howie- Welcome to the best place on the net to get RV Answers. IIWMI'd repost under the Workhorse forum, including the built-on date for the chassis (if you can figure that out). They'll pepper you w/questions like tire condition, date of last alignment... And you should get quickly to the heart of the matter.

You will see a lot of chatter about Workhorse brakes that doesn't involve the W24 (you have Meritor 4-piston calipers, the smaller rigs have Bosch pin slide type). Nice not to have to worry about that.

[DriVer]

Originally Posted by howie-2005

I just purchased this unit with 25000 miles on it and it seems to roll as I drive down the road. It is on a W24 workhorse chassis. I've called different people, and if I call a sway bar person, it needs a sway bar. Front air bag person etc. I'm looking for someone who had the same problem, and what they did to resolve it.

Marty, Before you go and invest anything into your motorhome please know that I always recommend that you get some seat time in your new rig perhaps as much as as a few thousand miles before making a list of things that you would like to improve on.

Time behind the wheel gives you the best insight regarding need.

In the interim you need to rule out, tire pressures, front end alignment and weights and loading. You can not in all cases just begin from a perspective of throwing a lot of money around at a problem that can be easily remedied.

One other thing you need to be concerned about are the date codes on your tires, things like fuel filters and whether or not the transmission spin on filter has been recently replaced. If I were to guess you might have a 2005 W24 since you've reported 25,000 miles but I expect that the previous owner put on an average amount of miles per year, 6 to 7 K per year.

You may want to check and replace your brake fluid, change the engine oil and filters and get a good chassis lube. Check you air filter while you're at it. Get a creeper and crawl around under your rig and check things out. Doing your own work makes you get very familiar with your rig pretty quickly.

Now in the event you wind up needing a track bar, I would start with the rear bar first. Brazels' UltraTrack on their website for your W24. You can install it yourself.

[howie-2005]

Thank everyone for their help. This is our 3rd class A coach, (first workhourse chassis), I guess it will take time to get used to the rolling for now.

[TandW]

Find out if your coach is heavier on one side than the other. If this is the case and you cannot redistribute the load satisfactorily you may find that preloading the existing swaybar such that it transfers some of the weight to the lighter side will often solve the problem. The problem with swaybars is that usually there is no "CRUSH" to the bushings or there are other areas of "LOST MOTION" within the mountings. Try this. Notice the amount of movement there is in a steering wheel before anything happens. Its the same thing with the swaybar if the bushings are worn or simply too loose. Good luck!!

[RickNB]

Originally Posted by howie-2005

Thank everyone for their help. This is our 3rd class A coach, (first workhourse chassis), I guess it will take time to get used to the rolling for now.

Hi Howie and welcome to the forum. I have a W22 chassis and at first thought it might roll on its side and more so my navigator on the left felt we would tip into the ditch on a rounded road. Like Driver has said after 3000 miles I dont even think about it anymore just sit back and enjoy the rocking chair. I did have a front end alignment done and found the toe was badly out. This improved the handling by 99% I can now drive relaxed without the rig having a mind of its own on where it is going to go.

Enjoy your rig and Merry Christmas

Rick

[Davel]

Howie,

One of the first things is to get the coach weighed on all four corners. In the meantime a quick check of the spacing beween the "Like Air" springs (mounted on the frame at each wheel) and the leaf springs will give you an estimate of the loading. It's a good indication if the gaps are close to the same. This should in no way take the place of an accurate four corner weighing. These figures will give you the proper air pressures to use on each axle from the Michelin web site.

Good luck and safe travels,
Dave

[MonacoMama]

Howie-2005 ...You may want to read this thread...it seems you may find some useful information in the posts there, also!

[woodyk]

Howie--Also check your torque on the u bolts on each axle that hold the leaf springs to the axle--two per wheel--they are supposed to be torqued to 140 Ft lbs after the first 500 miles then every 10,000 mile so in your case they should have been torqued 3 times---I doubt that they were--if they are loose you will wobble and roll down the road. Definitely do at Driver suggests about changing your brake fluid. I did mine yearly and lubbed my slider caliper bolts and still had brake lock ups around 37,000 due to the calipers. I'm changing all my calibers now so I can enjoy this summer not having to worry about being stranded along some road all night then having to drive it or have it towed to some WH facilty who knows where.

Woodyk

Woodyk
2004 Allegro Bay
W22 chasis

[offtherack]

We had the very same issue and the same LaPalma coach and decided at the Perry Rally to try the Steer Safe add on the front. Coach definitly handles much better. No more roll and trailor trucks don't blow you around. Offtherack