Community Forums

flohr · 12-25-2011, 07:13 AM

After having pulled a fifth wheel for a number of years, I figured driving a motor home would be a piece of cake..wrong.Our first trip to Florida was a white knuckle experience to say the least. I am now contemplating the addition of an auxillary sway bar to my Ford f53 chassis. I'm looking at the 1 3/4 tube by Road master. Has anyone had experience with this add on?

bobwalter · 12-25-2011, 10:08 AM

I just finished reading all 16 pages of this thread. Sounds like it might be an answer. I don't have the F-53 chassis but if I did, I would certainly try this easy fix.

Cheap Handling Fix

Let us know if and how it works for you.

Bob

Hipshot · 12-25-2011, 11:48 AM

flohr what year and model is your MH? If you have not already done so weigh each corner loaded for travel. There are weight charts published by the tire manufacturers, find yours on the internet. Use your weights to determine your tire pressures iaw the tire chart. I found my MH was a little mushey feeling at the manufacturers pressure, I went 10 psi higher in the rear and 5 in the front, it handles much better. Next get the front alignment checked by a truck alignment shop, not by a dealer. I had trouble driving my MH first few times out then I read on this forum about looking several hundred yards down the road, this helped a lot. My F53 has a front track bar, I think 2006 and newer chassis do. My 2008 Bounder handles pretty good now with the exception of some pull and push from passing trucks and wind. I am installing a rear track bar to elimate some of that.
I am shure others will chime in with more advice.
Welcome to the forum. Good Luck and Merry Christmas.

Steve N Sal · 12-25-2011, 12:02 PM

Before you do any mods I would post the year of your chassis along with what the motorhome was actually doing while you were driving it. A few here may be able to input on what fix they may have for the situation that you describe. It may save you a few $$$$ before you just throw some mods at it. JMHO

toneumanns · 12-25-2011, 12:13 PM

I have a 2011 F53 chassis & although I have not white knuckled it I do find that you have to stay with it a bit more than other vehicles that I have driven especially in the wind. Don't like windy days at all. I agree with others that you give the characteristics of your a little time to settle in before making major changes.

DriVer · 12-25-2011, 01:00 PM

Before any aftermarket suspension equipment is added an owner needs to rule out air pressures, loading and alignment. Absent assuring that the above 3 chassis properties are WNL, one could be throwing money at a problem that may or may not exist.

LVJ58 · 12-25-2011, 02:08 PM

It appears he has a 28' Fleetwood Storm, year unknown...

milham · 12-25-2011, 02:51 PM

We recently sold our 34 ft 96' Winnebago Vectra and purchased a 2008 Tiffin 34TGA but only made one trip prior to winterizing it and I didn't find the handling a problem compared to the P30 chassis. Next Spring I will be weighing our coach on all four corners so I can balance the load and adjust tire pressures to see how it handles prior to any added upgrades. I'll be following this thread for ideas. Thanks.

Ron

flohr · 12-25-2011, 04:54 PM

My fleetwood is a 2011, 28ms. I am running 95 lbs in the font and 100 lbs rear. The biggest problem experienced was the pushing when eighteen wheelers passed, if not aware they were approaching, they could literly blow you off the road. Same was true of some wind shears. Thanks for all the suggestion.

OSP1268 · 12-25-2011, 05:32 PM

We have a 2011 F53 chassis. I put the Brazel's rear trac-bar on & also "Steer-Safe". The rear trac-bar was first and made a world of difference. I put the Steer-Safe on after about another 6,000 miles and I am now very satisfied with the overall handling.
Prior to the trac-bar I had it weighed, adjusted the tire pressure and had an alignment. None of which made a lot of difference.
Also I moved the front and rear sway bars back to the closer hole. That made a world of difference in the body roll, but did not help in the handling.

Mr_D · 12-25-2011, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flohr

My fleetwood is a 2011, 28ms. I am running 95 lbs in the font and 100 lbs rear. The biggest problem experienced was the pushing when eighteen wheelers passed, if not aware they were approaching, they could literly blow you off the road. Same was true of some wind shears. Thanks for all the suggestion.

You must be extremely heavy in the rear for those pressures to be right, usually it's more air in the fronts, even on our DP it's that way.
Have you weighed it and checked against the weight/pressure charts for that brand and model of tire?

LVJ58 · 12-25-2011, 10:01 PM

If your coach didn't come equipped with a front trac-bar, I would highly recommend having one installed. We had one installed on our 2000 coach and it significantly reduced the sideways push from overtaking semi's passing us.

Good luck & safe travels

Nick-B · 12-25-2011, 10:42 PM

DriVer has is spot on!

Before spending money on additional hardware, make sure the chassis is set up properly as is. Many are not. Just because it is new doesn't mean it is right.

Weigh it and adjust tire pressures accordingly. Then have the front alignment checked. If it is still "white knuckles" then track bars are the next logical step - rear one FIRST.

DriVer · 12-25-2011, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-B

DriVer has is spot on!. Then have the front alignment checked. If it is still "white knuckles" then track bars are the next logical step - rear one FIRST.

That's exactly where I started. Rear track bar first!

Now that said, I liked the rear TB so much that I installed one on the front including a Safe-T-Plus.

Koni FSD Shocks finished up my suspension mods. I can do one hand steering all day long with no white knuckles. I feel that I don't have to drive this thing so much but just point it.