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Old 10-24-2014, 01:44 PM   #1
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Ride height

Can someone please tell me the meaning of the phrase "ride height"? I've seen it on the forums a couple of times in discussions of MHs. Is this something we need to be concerned about in a new-to-us 35-foot 2000 Damon Challenger?

Thanks.
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Old 10-24-2014, 03:01 PM   #2
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Ride height only applies to motorhomes which have air suspensions. It's important that the motorhome sits level in relation to suspension and the road. It also compensates, within reason, for shifts in the load, i.e. a person moving around in the coach.

Ride height can be adjusted to shift weight fore and aft or side to side on the axles if need be.
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Old 10-24-2014, 04:45 PM   #3
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sometimes on highways you might have noticed rvs or rigs tilting to one side even though the roads were flat. that was ride height out of adjustment. it's important to have the heights right, not only for weight distribution but also it affects the angle of driving shaft.

to adjust it, find a "perfect" flat ground, well, when say "perfect", there is no perfect thing in the world but to the degree as close as possible. take a symmetric straight line stretching from rear to front on both sides as a baseline. while engine is running, adjust front height control valve (front hcv), left-rear hcv and right-rear hcv (only three) to make the baseline be equal height to the ground at places of 4 wheels, per manufacturer's spec.
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Old 10-24-2014, 05:04 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by BevRedmond View Post
Can someone please tell me the meaning of the phrase "ride height"? I've seen it on the forums a couple of times in discussions of MHs. Is this something we need to be concerned about in a new-to-us 35-foot 2000 Damon Challenger?

Thanks.
First, what chassis are you talking about?
Ride hight is important for all of them and extremely so on IFS front ends such as the P-32.
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Old 10-24-2014, 05:08 PM   #5
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[QUOTE=luvlabs;2283241]Ride height only applies to motorhomes which have air suspensions. It's important that the motorhome sits level in relation to suspension and the road. It also compensates, within reason, for shifts in the load, i.e. a person moving around in the coach.

Ride height can be adjusted to shift weight fore and aft or side to side on the axles if need be.[/QUOTE
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Old 10-24-2014, 07:08 PM   #6
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I believe a Damon Challenger is a gas motorhome. Therefore, ride height is not something you can easily change and except in the case of your leaf springs getting very weak with age, something you won't need to worry about. Ride height in simple terms is the distance from the frame to the ground although it is measured in different places on different chassis. On an air ride suspension, the air bags will be pumped up or down to keep the ride height the same regardless of weight in the motorhome. With a spring suspension, the more the weight in the motorhome the lower the ride height (front, rear , side to side depending on where the load is placed). Maintaining a constant ride height in a diesel pusher is very important because the drive shaft is so short. When the engine is up front, the drive shaft is long. The shorter the drive shaft, the more sensitive the universal joints are to wearing when the ride height changes.
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Old 10-25-2014, 12:01 AM   #7
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First, what chassis are you talking about?
Ride hight is important for all of them and extremely so on IFS front ends such as the P-32.
It's the Workhorse Custom Chassis, model P31832.
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Old 10-25-2014, 12:10 AM   #8
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I believe a Damon Challenger is a gas motorhome. Therefore, ride height is not something you can easily change and except in the case of your leaf springs getting very weak with age, something you won't need to worry about. Ride height in simple terms is the distance from the frame to the ground although it is measured in different places on different chassis. On an air ride suspension, the air bags will be pumped up or down to keep the ride height the same regardless of weight in the motorhome. With a spring suspension, the more the weight in the motorhome the lower the ride height (front, rear , side to side depending on where the load is placed). Maintaining a constant ride height in a diesel pusher is very important because the drive shaft is so short. When the engine is up front, the drive shaft is long. The shorter the drive shaft, the more sensitive the universal joints are to wearing when the ride height changes.
Yes, it is a gasoline engine, on the Workhorse Custom Chassis, model P31832. I've checked the manual again, not for "ride height" this time, and found the following: "Before loading the vehicle, inflate both suspension air cylinders to the maximum pressure listed for your vehicle After loading, decrease the air cylinder pressure as needed to level the vehicle.......Check the air pressure in the cylinders monthly." Then it goes on to list the psi specs for different weight ratings. Are we talking here about the same thing you've outlined in your first response?
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Old 10-25-2014, 12:35 AM   #9
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On a diesel pusher the ride height has nothing to do with how the house sits in relation to the road. It's measured between parts of the suspension.
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Old 10-25-2014, 12:48 AM   #10
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Ride height

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Originally Posted by BevRedmond View Post
Yes, it is a gasoline engine, on the Workhorse Custom Chassis, model P31832. I've checked the manual again, not for "ride height" this time, and found the following: "Before loading the vehicle, inflate both suspension air cylinders to the maximum pressure listed for your vehicle After loading, decrease the air cylinder pressure as needed to level the vehicle.......Check the air pressure in the cylinders monthly." Then it goes on to list the psi specs for different weight ratings. Are we talking here about the same thing you've outlined in your first response?

I'm not familiar with any chassis other than my own but my guess is that you have leaf springs with air bags to assist them. Sort of the same principle as a diesel, just not automatic. Air bags are also called air springs and just like steel springs, they will compress with more weight added. Diesel chassis usually have height control valves that increase/decrease air pressure applied to the air springs to automatically adjust for the load on them. It sounds like your system requires you to manually adjust pressure for the desired ride height.


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Old 10-25-2014, 05:23 AM   #11
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It's the Workhorse Custom Chassis, model P31832.
My next question is are the front coil springs black or blue in color.
If they are black the chassis is a 1999 model, if blue it is a 2000 wide track model. In 2000 Workhorse made a change in the front spring configuration, with the minimum air pressure being #55. I suggest starting at #70 and adjust from there.
The ride hight is measured at the bump stop, vertically and the minimum is 1-1/2". Anything less will upset the suspension geometry causing excessive wearing of the inside tread.
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Old 10-25-2014, 07:58 AM   #12
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It's the Workhorse Custom Chassis, model P31832.
Add the chassis make model and year to your signature. It helps others to know from the start what you are referring to and you wont get as many wrong answers.
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Old 10-25-2014, 11:31 AM   #13
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My next question is are the front coil springs black or blue in color.
If they are black the chassis is a 1999 model, if blue it is a 2000 wide track model. In 2000 Workhorse made a change in the front spring configuration, with the minimum air pressure being #55. I suggest starting at #70 and adjust from there.
The ride hight is measured at the bump stop, vertically and the minimum is 1-1/2". Anything less will upset the suspension geometry causing excessive wearing of the inside tread.
The cover page in our customized parts book lists our VIN and says MODEL YEAR 2000. When you say "wide track" is that the same as the 102" wide body? That's what ours is. (From what I've read, I think all the 2000 Challengers were wide body.) As for the color of the springs, I have no idea. I have limited mobility and am not able to get under the MH. My husband probably knows, but he's away right now.

I'm still reeling from the huge volume of information I have to absorb regarding the differences between MH travel and towing a TT. I was fairly knowledgeable about my towables, but with the MH it's not how much I know, but how little.
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Old 10-25-2014, 11:46 AM   #14
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All Workhorse P-32 chassis of 2000 vintage and later are the wide track, independant front suspension and will have the blue springs.
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