The possibility of a softer smoother ride on rough roads

[George Bist]

I own a 2013 Newmar Dutch star. Has anyone with a similar motorhome and year improved their rough ride on freeways.

[dezolen]

I have always been informed all DP,s ride so wonderfully? Is this not the truth? Are tire pressures too high at upper limit.

[George Bist]

The drivability is excellent in a DP. Particularly with tag axle. My concern is specifically with the expansion joints in California freeways not to mention the pot holes etc.

[dezolen]

Then the best advise is to stay off those roads. Sorry not of any help.

[Mr_D]

Even my 45', 50,000# rig rides rough on CA freeways, the '02 DSDP was even worse since it didn't have a tag axle.

[dhwgulf]

Don't drive on CA freeways. Sorry - California's freeways lead the nation, but they are now old and in need of repair - certainly not top of the line anymore.

[RayChez1]

The reason is you have too much air pressure on your tires. I have the Neway air ride and it rides very good. Had a F-53 chassis on my previous motor home and it road rough.

[MOD EDIT]

[Hgrace56]

It's the expansion joints on Californian concrete highways.
Lowering front wheel pressures can smooth much of this out.
We live and travel mostly in Southern California and have found that traffic permitting you can often find an optimal speed/rythum to lessen the impact

[FIRE UP]

Well folks,
As much as I too am not a fan of CA freeways, even though I grew up on them, CA is not the only state with BAD ROADS much less freeways. We've been all over the west since I retired and, there are BAD ROADS in every state. We just about had to re-install the windshield after running down some of Nebraskas roads. And, Colorados 76 out of Denver to the NE has been one of the worst we've EVER been on.

Scott

[Sandy Swede]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well folks,
As much as I too am not a fan of CA freeways, even though I grew up on them, CA is not the only state with BAD ROADS much less freeways. We've been all over the west since I retired and, there are BAD ROADS in every state. We just about had to re-install the windshield after running down some of Nebraskas roads. And, Colorados 76 out of Denver to the NE has been one of the worst we've EVER been on.

Scott

Agree; every state has rough roads. As posted above, the killer is the older concrete highway with expansion joints, or blacktop where cracks have been filled. There is no cure or getting around it. All you can do is make sure your suspension is in tip-top condition and roll back to 50 mph till you are past it. On the positive side, many miles of roads have or are being rebuilt and are a pleasure to cruise over. Even I-90 through southern Minnesota and South Dakota have nice rebuilt sections. This stretch was notorious for years as a heavy vehicle basher. Fortunately, one of the few issues on which political consensus seems to have been reached is rebuilding our nation's infrastructure.

[Dutch Star Don]

George.....There is a fix. I've been trying to improve the harsh ride of my Dutch Star since new. I loved how the Koni FSD's work on my Diplomat, so I ordered them for the DS. They didn't have a listing for the tag, so I measured it for them. It ended up being the same as the drive axle.

They didn't offer the FSD's for the front of the DS, so I bought their original shocks, Koni Adjustables for the front. The FSD's improved the ride and handling on the rear, but the Adjustables did nothing to improve the front end. They didn't ride any better than the OEM Sachs. I asked Koni why the FSD's were not available for the front. It had to do with the short throw of the IFS front end. Not enough room for a long shock.

A couple of months ago, Koni came out with a new shock, Koni EVO. They have a larger diameter piston then their Adjustables or FSD's. I decided to give them a try. Finally, some improvement over the harsh ride. They were at least 50% better than stock. They quieted down the coach cab. No more shaking MCD shades on rough roads. Now when I hit potholes, I can her them, but not feel them.

I won't say it's like riding in a limo, but I would equate the ride to lowering your front tires by 10-15 psi.

Just for info, I run my front tires at 110 and use Centramatics. There was really nothing else I could do to improve the ride, until someone make some better shocks.

[Ray,IN]

Some suggest lowering air pressure in tires, that is not a solution. Read what Goodyear RV tire care says about lowering tire pressure:
"IMPORTANT: It's a common practice for RV owners to lower tire pressure in their search for a smoother ride. This is not only dangerous, it's relatively ineffective, as the difference in ride quality is not significant"

IMO, the suggestions to replace shocks are the best solution. Another solution_slow down to at least the maximum speed limit of 55 for trucks, bus's, MH's.

[docj]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Some suggest lowering air pressure in tires, that is not a solution. Read what Goodyear RV tire care says about lowering tire pressure:
"IMPORTANT: It's a common practice for RV owners to lower tire pressure in their search for a smoother ride. This is not only dangerous, it's relatively ineffective, as the difference in ride quality is not significant"

With all due respect you are taking this Goodyear quote out of context. The previous paragraph on the Goodyear webpage instructs the reader to weigh his coach so that the inflation of the tires on each axle is appropriate for the actual loads. With my MH inflation of tires for the actual load is significantly less that the maximum allowed cold pressure shown on the sidewall. The vehicle's ride is markedly improved by inflating to the correct pressure.

Yes, MH owners who reduce tire pressure to improve ride without knowing the actual axle weights are risking a lot, but that's not what any knowledgeable MH owner would do.

[pcurt23]

I replaced my oem shocks with Koni FSD's and put Michelin tires on also. This improved my ride 100%. Not the same chassis, I know, however the reported driving difference is the same for many users.