W22 Problems

[rwelchsd]

We purchased a Fleetwood Fiesta brand new in July of 2010 it handles horribly it is all over the road trucks move us around and when you steer it over-corrects. We have installed a Tru Track bar on the front which helped a little but it is still pretty bad we can only travel about 200 miles without being really tired. We are just wondering what if anything we can do from here. We have a rather long overhang on the back it is a 36ft but the actual measurment is around 38 ft.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwelchsd We purchased a Fleetwood Fiesta brand new in July of 2010 it handles horribly it is all over the road trucks move us around and when you steer it over-corrects. We have installed a Tru Track bar on the front which helped a little but it is still pretty bad we can only travel about 200 miles without being really tired. We are just wondering what if anything we can do from here. We have a rather long overhang on the back it is a 36ft but the actual measurment is around 38 ft.

I would have recommended a rear track bar initially however since you have the Tru-Center on the front that will help. The rear track bar will be the money, I guarantee!

UltraTrac Rear Trac Bar

Call Brazel's RV Performance.

[Dixieray53]

This sounds like another thread.."tail wagging dog"....I owned a Bounder on the W22..I loved it ....has your MH always driven this way? The day you picked it up I mean ...I would take it to the dealer and have him ride with you...Is this your first MH..They do not drive like a car...
Good Luck...Safe Travels....D

[wa8yxm]

They do recommend the rear track bar first...

Like you I put a front Trac bar on my Workhorse,,,

But I also put a Blue Ox True Center (Steering Stablizer) on the rig

The result: In 2006 I drove to Las Vegas twice,, the first time leaving in Jan and the 2nd time in November (From Detroit, MI both times)

The first time it was a relief to park the house and drive the towed.

The second time.. MAN did tht towed get hard to drive all of a sudden.

Same car,, Same motor home,, Just the changes I'd made summer of '06 (Trac bar and stablizer)

You decide if they made a difference.

Recommendations:
1: Steering Stablizer
2: Rear trac bar
3: Have somene chech for the rig rocking side to side, that's a SWAY issue and yes, they make upgrade sway bars too.....

NOTE: On my rig, no noticable sway... Yours may be different.

[Dixieray53]

"They do recommend the rear track bar first..."

Sorry I don't know who "they" are...I want my MH the best it can be..Peace D

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixieray53 "They do recommend the rear track bar first..." Sorry I don't know who "they" are...I want my MH the best it can be..Peace D

Dixieray53, I stand as one of the "They" (actually sitting at the moment)

[jfran304]

Have the front end alignment checked and also your tire pressure. Our Tiffin Allegro 35 TSA is on the W22 chassis and we don't have any problems with sway or wandering. I run 95 PSI in the front tires and 85 PSI in the rear duallys.

Good Luck,
Jon

[JohnRR]

As already asked was it like this when you picked it up? If so did you take it back to the dealer to be checked out? Again as already mentioned has the alignment and tire pressures been checked?

Have you had it weighed yet? Preferably four corner.

You need to eliminated what may be wrong with it and when your satisfied everything is correct with it then start spending money for the add on systems to try and improve it's handling, don't expect much when using them to cover up a symptom rather than as an improvement for sluggish handling.

[ron55]

nothing will work unitil you get the 5 degree caster wedge under the front springs

[scenic route]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwelchsd We purchased a Fleetwood Fiesta brand new in July of 2010 it handles horribly it is all over the road trucks move us around and when you steer it over-corrects.

Classic...our W-22 did the same thing. Yours, being a '10 model, I doubt you'll have any front end component wear problems.

I too join the ranks that suggest the rear track bar installation. I installed a BlueOx...simple installation and it cut the 'tailwag' symptoms by at least 80%. Kinda makes me wonder why the manufacturers of our gas'rs, with the long rear overhangs, don't intall these things in the first place??

I was also getting some deep porpoising at bridge expansion joints and concrete slab sections. As suggested by iRV2 members, I installed the Koni FSD shocks and that was that! These guys know their stuff! These two upgrades worked so well that we've forgone all upgrades to the front.

Toward the end of our 10K mile tour last summer, we were getting some short oscillation in the front end causing the front TV to slightly bounce. The tires were showing some cupping and signs of uneven wear(not bad though). We just had Josam in Orlando align the front end and install those 5 degree shims ron55 mentioned to increase positive caster. We also had the coach 4 wheel end weighed and we were carrying 10psi too much pressure all around. The alignment also revealed that the tires were toed out almost 3/4 of an inch...the tire wear just didn't indicate that degree of toe out. That kind of toe out can cause some of your 'drifting' as well. At any rate, after the alignment and shims were installed, the coach handle well but now that the tires were running parallel, we were getting heavy lateral movement in the steering wheel. Two new tires on the front solved that and the steering now takes a lot less effort...I would have never believe it.

All that said, I'd recommend getting that front end alignment done w/the 5 degree shims installed. I know you'll see the benefits of the added positive caster will bring in helping with 'front end wonder' and the alignment could possibly save the added expense of new front tires. Bob

BTW, I found if I loosened my grip on the steering wheel and looked further up ahead, it cut down on my 'over corrective' steering...hope that helps.

[Davel]

rwelchsd,

Another vote for the rear track bar, four corner weights and tire pressure adjustment, and the castor change. Josams in Orlando did my alignment and castor change and it put the finishing touches on an already well handling coach. I have the Tru-Center and Koni's as well. We have driven from Florida to California on I-10 with all the semi's passing and very high cross winds and it's been well worth the time and expense.

Good luck with your coach,

Dave

[bruceh]

Do the easy thing first, get the front end properly aligned. Mine was 'aligned' by an incompetent dealer and the handling was horrible. I thought that I had a tire problem (I did both at the same time) but Redlands fixed me up with a correct alignment.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceh Do the easy thing first, get the front end properly aligned.

bruceh, I agree. Do the least expensive things first that are easy to do. Alignments, air pressure, weights and loading.

Add no hardware until an issue is clear and present.

Only install equipment that resolves the immediate problem.

Run the mod for a month or something like 500 miles or so and see if the situation is improved. If not, continue to identify the problem and only buy what you need.

[wa8yxm]

One other thing... Tire pressure.. There is, of course, a pressure mentioned somewhere on a sticker inside the coach.. It is the WRONG pressure for your tires.

And there is one molded into the sidewall fo the tires... Likewise it is very likely wrong (Happens to be right in my case)

And Welcome to RFsafety.com can send out someone who can weigh the rig and tell you the CORRECT pressure.