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12-27-2018, 04:36 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Florida
Posts: 392
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Ride quality - 37 vs 40 ft.
We just sold our 37 ft., 2005 Beaver Montery. Great coach, 400 Cat, etc.
Looking for a newer coach, DP only. We always had 40 or 42 footers, tag and single axle in real. I have loved all my Monacos. Our 37 Beaver was a little darty, or busy when driving. My other coachs were all nicer to drive.
Am I just nitpicking, did my 37 need some alignment work, or what. I am thinking about a 34 ft Berkshire, but I am just looking for other opinions.
I know short coachs are busier, but what is to busy??? Very annoying, but I may end up with another 39-40 footer.
Just looking for input on short coach drivability.
WE had a 32 Breeze, drove ok, but the space was horrible.
Please input opinions, thanks, the Muffin Man( that's the long and the short of it )
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12-27-2018, 09:44 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 175
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I have a 34' Palazzo. I'm happy with the ride. However, I've never driven anything else. So, I can't give a comparison.
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12-27-2018, 09:46 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Colorado
Posts: 354
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Overall length doesn’t really matter. Wheelbase matters.
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12-27-2018, 10:00 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 194
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Two feet?
Can there really be any noticeable difference in two feet (38 vrs 40)?
I’m sure going from a tandem to a single rear axle would be.
__________________
Mark & Crystal Arbogast, Benny, Sonny and Daisy.
2007 Sportcoach Cross Country 38' DP, 2008 Detonator Jeep Wrangler, Readybrute Elite,
100w Marshall Plexi Stack, 1958 Les Paul R8,
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12-27-2018, 10:03 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Colorado
Posts: 354
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Quote:
Originally Posted by markarbogast
Can there really be any noticeable difference in two feet (38 vrs 40)?
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Not if the wheelbase is the same.
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12-27-2018, 10:49 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,655
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RiverBurt
Overall length doesn’t really matter. Wheelbase matters.
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A total wheel alignment, all axles, really reduces the "busy" part of the OP's question.
__________________
2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
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12-28-2018, 08:42 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Nine Mile Falls WA / Arizona City AZ
Posts: 1,066
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One of the alignment angles that needs to be checked is Caster... in simple terms Caster is the forward (-) and rearward (+) tilt of the king pin.... this is a angle that does NOT contribute to tire wear.... the more + caster your vehicle has the better it holds the road and goes straight down the road.... this is what causes the wheels to go straight when you turn loose the wheel..
If the caster is close to 0 or negative than the vehicle will wonder down the road...
You would recognize caster on the front wheels of your shopping cart at the store... that caster helps the cart go straight....
__________________
Retired Business Owner, Re-manufacturing HD Clutches, Brake Shoes, Air Compressors, Sales & Installation of PacBrake and other Industrial Friction
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12-28-2018, 09:05 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Posts: 1,392
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If your Beaver had a Roadmaster chassis they are known to have some issues. Read the two posts shown here http://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/mona...on-249622.html
__________________
2012 Monaco Knight 36 PFT
Towing either a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland or a car in a 20' enclosed car trailer.
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12-28-2018, 05:55 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Springfield, IL
Posts: 1,070
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I'm driving a 35' Itasca Meridian 34H. My first DP but have had several gassers. The ride is great and I don't find it busy at all; very stable.
Wish you the best in your decision - Richard
__________________
2011 Itasca Ellipse 42QD; 2012 Buick La Crosse; Retired US Army MSG (20 years AFS); Retired! Retired!
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12-28-2018, 07:33 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Georgia
Posts: 477
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I'd have to say yes, there can be handling differences between a 37 and a 40 coach. The overall length of our old coach was a 36, the new coach is 41, so 5 feet of difference in length. The wheelbase on the new coach is 4 feet longer than the old coach so it rides better at highway speeds. (the new Freightliner V ride also contributes to the better ride.) There is some validity to the total length/wheelbase ratio to ride quality.
__________________
Steve & Margo
Bonaire, Georgia
2018 Fleetwood Discovery 40D LXE "Alice"
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12-29-2018, 05:42 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 8,638
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It’s all in the chassis manufacturer not just the length.
__________________
2007 Fleetwood Revolution LE 40V
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12-29-2018, 10:13 AM
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,563
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Agree - the length itself is not a factor. It's how well the chassis is configured for the size of the coach. Generally, the longer the wheelbase is with respect to the overall length of the coach, the smoother the ride. Handling, though, includes other factors beside wheelbase, e.g. suspension, alignment, fore/aft load balance, tire size & pressure, etc.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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