2016 Fleetwood Storm transmission shifting points

[TomMiller]

I am about to take delivery on a new 2016 Fleetwood Storm. During test drives the RV seemed to stay in 1st gear a lot longer before shifting into 2nd gear. At one point it did not shift until I had accelerated to 45 mph. None of the class A RV's I've ever owned seemed to wind out that far, so it felt a bit strange to me. This is a 32' class A on a Ford chassis powered by a gas Triton 6.8L 10 cal motor. Anyone have any experience with this RV. The dealer says this is how they are setup by Fleetwood ??

Thx,
Tom

[336muffin]

Could be cooler temp of the day . Did it improve after the trans warmed up after several miles?

[Dennis Dean]

Originally Posted by TomMiller

I am about to take delivery on a new 2016 Fleetwood Storm. During test drives the RV seemed to stay in 1st gear a lot longer before shifting into 2nd gear. At one point it did not shift until I had accelerated to 45 mph. None of the class A RV's I've ever owned seemed to wind out that far, so it felt a bit strange to me. This is a 32' class A on a Ford chassis powered by a gas Triton 6.8L 10 cal motor. Anyone have any experience with this RV. The dealer says this is how they are setup by Fleetwood ??

Thx,
Tom

YOu might want to post on this thread as there a few storm owners on there:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f107/adde...rs-271254.html

[z3406]

Look at the vin for the coach. If the 10th digit is the letter G it is on a 2016 6 speed chassis. If it is the letter F it is a 2015 5 speed chassis. I would not at this point in time take delivery of a new coach with the 2015 chassis. There are quite a few posts in the Ford chassis section of this forum concerning the differences. Fleetwood has nothing to do with how the chassis is set up in regards to shifting that is done by Ford. The transmissions have adaptive learning curves they need some time to see how you drive and adjust themselves accordingly. I would question the integrity of a dealer that did not make the differences in the chassis known to you.
This is a link to one of those discussions
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/game-changer-270352.html
BTW if your in MI your close enough to the Fleetwood factory service center in Decatur IN to use it for warranty issues. I would be very surprised if the dealers service dept is as competent as the Fleetwood service center.

[TomMiller]

The 10th digit is an F....

[Triker56]

Originally Posted by TomMiller

The 10th digit is an F....

[z3406]

That means the chassis is a 2015 5 speed. The link to the other post will explain the differences. Ordinarially the year of the chassis not being the same as the coach is no big deal. This year the chassis has received a very large upgrade and it's in your best interest to know what the difference is.
Tom if you have not taken delivery I would at the very least renegotiate for a lower price or wait until a coach with the 2016 chassis is available. The price of the coach did not increase with the introduction of the new chassis. If you go to the Fleetwood web site you can look at your dealers inventory and MSRP build sheets and determine what year chassis each coach has. Also look at surrounding dealers and see what they have on hand. I did exactly that when looking for an upgraded coach. here is the link to the Fleetwood site
http://fleetwoodrv.com/locate/

[TomMiller]

Brenda & Al,
I can't thank you enough for responding to my post. Your knowledgeable reply and references you directed me to has kept us from making a choice I believe we would have regretted. After following up on the info you supplied, I contacted my dealer, which is Lazy Days in Tampa, FL. I had a deposit on a 30L, but had not taken delivery yet. They checked and only had two Storm 30L models on their lot, the one we chose and another... both coaches were on the 2015 "F" chassis. I expressed my concerns and desire to have a 2016 coach with a "G" in the VIN. They immediately stepped up to address my issues and make me a satisfied buyer. They located us an exact duplicate 2016-30L coach on a "G" chassis and I have agreed to take it. Coming off a 37' Bounder DP, I was really concerned about the noisy engine wailing and the lengthy shift pattern. Without your assist and Lazy Days stepping up, I am sure I would have been disappointed.

[Rider99]

Originally Posted by TomMiller

Brenda & Al,
I can't thank you enough for responding to my post. Your knowledgeable reply and references you directed me to has kept us from making a choice I believe we would have regretted. After following up on the info you supplied, I contacted my dealer, which is Lazy Days in Tampa, FL. I had a deposit on a 30L, but had not taken delivery yet. They checked and only had two Storm 30L models on their lot, the one we chose and another... both coaches were on the 2015 "F" chassis. I expressed my concerns and desire to have a 2016 coach with a "G" in the VIN. They immediately stepped up to address my issues and make me a satisfied buyer. They located us an exact duplicate 2016-30L coach on a "G" chassis and I have agreed to take it. Coming off a 37' Bounder DP, I was really concerned about the noisy engine wailing and the lengthy shift pattern. Without your assist and Lazy Days stepping up, I am sure I would have been disappointed.

Congratulations! Enjoy your new coach.

[z3406]

That's wonderful. It's nice to see a dealer step up like that. Enjoy

[TomMiller]

I am planning to add SUMO Springs (by Super Springs), Safe-T-Plus Steering stabilizer and Tyron's for the front tires. Since this isn't a DP, I want to eliminate the rock & roll as much as possible and reduce the sway from passing trucks and crosswinds. Also for safety in the event of a front tire blow out... And, since I'm no longer riding on air suspension, I was hoping to reduce the harsher ride when road bumps occur ???

[Rider99]

Originally Posted by TomMiller

I am planning to add SUMO Springs (by Super Springs), Safe-T-Plus Steering stabilizer and Tyron's for the front tires. Since this isn't a DP, I want to eliminate the rock & roll as much as possible and reduce the sway from passing trucks and crosswinds. Also for safety in the event of a front tire blow out... And, since I'm no longer riding on air suspension, I was hoping to reduce the harsher ride when road bumps occur ???

Consider a rear track bar and Centramatic wheel balancers. A number of owners have a very positive result from both. The balancers worked wonders for my '16 32' coach. Happy motoring.

[z3406]

Tom
I would drive the coach before adding anything. Be sure you test drive it and that the wheel is straight going down the road before you accept it. Fleetwood alignes all coaches after they are built but I'ld check it. My prior coach was an FR3 on the 19.5 wheels and it was great with only the cheap handling fix done to it. See Cheap Handling Fix in the Ford Chassis section here on IRV2. I think that other stuff most likely will not be necessary. My 2014 Bounder is a dream to drive with only the CHF. These coaches have power steering I don't understand why everyone thinks a stabilizer is required to recover from a blow out.
BTW my 2014 Bounder will be a 2016 Bounder tomorrow assuming the Pre delivery Check goes well. I am attaching a copy of the PDI I use.

[TomMiller]

Thank you again for your insights... Very much appreciated !!!!