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Old 06-20-2017, 06:16 PM   #1
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Angry Tiffin 33AA, wind pushes all over the road!

Help

We have a new 2017 Tiffin 33AA with under 6,000 miles.

The wind is absolutely terrible as it pushes around. We installed a Blue Ox True Center and it is still bad.

Through El Paso Yesterday, winds were 6 to 11 MPH. I could barely do 45 to 50. What concerns me is other units were doing OK.

The worst thing was three yellow school buses passed me! They really were school busses with the school name on the side.

Is Tiffin just a dangerous product?
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Old 06-20-2017, 06:26 PM   #2
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.....I don't have a dog in this race, my NeXus diesel class A does very good in the wind and with other trucks passing us by without having done anything too it but an owner of the same type vehicle now had a Tiffin 33 2016 and he said he had the same problem and it frightened him to death. His words were that he thought the wheel base was not adequate enough meaning the distance from the front wheels to the rear, and control for him was horrible as well.

WDK
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Old 06-20-2017, 06:30 PM   #3
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I looked at a couple pictures and would have said the same. Short wheelbase and a lot of surface area to blow it around. We had a Class C like that many years ago. Wind and trucks would push it all over the road. We just road it out and got used to it after awhile.
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Old 06-20-2017, 06:37 PM   #4
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First chassis? Ensure tire oressures are set properly by weight. Ensure alignment is good. Ensure no damaged steering it suspension components. Then consider aftermarket devices to improve. Notably the CHF rear track bar.
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Old 06-20-2017, 06:53 PM   #5
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Have you considered calling Tiffin and tell them of the handling problem you're having? If not I would call them and perhaps they can come up with a solution to resolve your problem.

Best of luck and safe travels...
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Old 06-20-2017, 07:30 PM   #6
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Sounds like you might be a bit new to this mabey...I own a 28' Tiffin Allegro motorhome and find it is less of a problem in the wind than towing a travel trailer with a van like we used to have. I have towed most of my life one thing or another and I am quite used to it. Our MH is an older shorter wheelbase (1994) and I hear all kinds of hair raising stories but have not experienced any of that. Now does it track perfectly straight like your automobile?? Heck no you have a big box in the wind but I have no issue keeping it in my lane and I have driven in 30+ mph winds. One thing I do notice is when people feel their coach rock from side to side in stronger winds they feel the need to correct with the steering wheel which is not always the case, a rock from side to side needs only slight correction but a wander from one side of the road to another is probably overcorrection. If your coach is properly setup then my guess is you might need experience driving a bigger vehicle. Most people when getting started overcorrect trying to keep it in a tight line like there car, but that only happens on extremely nice days with no traffic and no wind. Best of luck !!
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Old 06-20-2017, 07:45 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cvretis View Post
Help

We have a new 2017 Tiffin 33AA with under 6,000 miles.

The wind is absolutely terrible as it pushes around. We installed a Blue Ox True Center and it is still bad.

Through El Paso Yesterday, winds were 6 to 11 MPH. I could barely do 45 to 50. What concerns me is other units were doing OK.

The worst thing was three yellow school buses passed me! They really were school busses with the school name on the side.

Is Tiffin just a dangerous product?
Yup, its a dangerous product, better get rid of it ASAP.

On a serious note, maybe have someone else drive it, and see if they have the same problem.

I have a 37' and semis pass me and can hardly notice, I also have the blue Ox true center.

Are your tires properly inflated? How are your axle weights?

I live close to EP and drive all the time in winds of 20-30 mph with no problem.
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Old 06-20-2017, 08:35 PM   #8
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Sounds like a lot of advice above, but no specific help. You need to get an alignment first. My last F53 chassis came with 6 1/2* of caster. I assume you have 19.5" tires so the caster needs to be 3.25* and total toe at .04*. Get a printout to show they actually did the settings, they'll probably try to talk you out of it. Take the True center off before the alignment and then do the CHF, search the forum for this. The vertical links need to be extended for best results on the CHF. Take it for a drive and enjoy. I've done my last two F53's like this and they were a joy to drive. I am currently doing my Freightliner XCM chassis this way, only larger tires needs less caster and am getting it dialed in about right. I just the scale weights and tire pressures yesterday.
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Old 06-20-2017, 09:40 PM   #9
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The OP's coach is a diesel coach, not an F53 chassis which is gas, correct?

The first thing is check alignment, then check for proper inflation pressure in the tires. Refer to the tire manufacturers website to find the proper psi AFTER weighing the coach as you would normally travel (full tanks ?).
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Old 06-21-2017, 05:45 AM   #10
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Short DPs have been a subject for years. It is not the make of the rv, it is the length vs wheelbase with the weight hanging over the back axel. Handling a 208" wheel base vs 232" is very different. I have a short DP too and have made several western trips and experienced the winds. There are ways to improve your drive as mentioned. Alingment and castor, axle and corner weight with proper tire pressure, Load front heavy and low, keep heavy items in basement, keep fresh water tank and fuel tank as full as possible if near front axel, check ride height...this is critical on a short DP. I have a Safety T Plus. Those type of steering aids have to be centered exactly correct or they will not help handling and may make it worse. Fact is, sometimes you just need to get off the road in the wind. We have discovered some great places and people during "wind breaks".
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Old 06-21-2017, 08:10 AM   #11
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I have a 2015 33aa, and drives fine, wife also drives it. Just came across Wyoming yesterday and had 15+ knot winds on ps quarter for a couple hours.

Get 4 corner weighed, and adjust tire pressure appropriately. My min pressure is 80 fronts, and 90 rears. I have tst tpms set at that pressure, and i run 5 psi more in each (85/95).

You may find you are 500 lbs heavy front ps due to door/propane/kitchen. That can be tweaked with adjustment to ride height arm, still within freightliner specs. Easy 20 min job.

On a 16 state 3 month trip now, just pulled in to SLC last night. I last fall put on safe t steer for tire blow out assistance. I was worried it might mess up our steering, but it actually improved it slightly, so should be same as your blue ox.

If you're still having problems, I'd suggest getting to freightliner gaffney, perhaps an alignment is needed.
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Old 06-21-2017, 08:29 AM   #12
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If you are still in the area, I'd be happy to take a look at it and test drive it for you. The biggest factors with wind handling issues (in no particular order) are driver experience, tire inflation, loading, and what the weather is really doing.

Our Phaeton 36GH, was a relatively short wheel base unit and it handled great in the wind and for that reason, I think other things might be in play.

We have not had particularly high winds in the past month and certainly not this week (unless you were driving through a thunderstorm). If you were having issues in 6-11 mph winds, then you have other issues. Start with your weights (use the CAT scale at the truck stops), figure your tire pressures, and get the pressures adjusted.
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Old 06-21-2017, 10:44 AM   #13
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Tiffin 33aa, wind pushes all over the road!

First of all, a hearty WELCOME on your first post! There's certainly enough expertise and experience here to work out most anything you may encounter.

Now,... when I first read your post I assumed you were driving a gasser on a Ford F53 chassis. But no-- the specs I pull up indicate that your 33AA is a DP actually about 35 ft long, built on a FL XC chassis. Is this correct? According to these specs, with an overall length of 422 in, and a wheelbase of 198 in, your unit has a W/L ratio of only 46.9%. This is likely the source of your handling problems.
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Old 06-21-2017, 10:52 AM   #14
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First of all, a hearty WELCOME on your first post! There's certainly enough expertise and experience here to work out most anything you may encounter.

Now,... when I first read your post I assumed you were driving a gasser on a Ford F53 chassis. But no-- the specs I pull up indicate that your 33AA is a DP actually about 35 ft long, built on a FL XC chassis. Is this correct? According to these specs, with an overall length of 422 in, and a wheelbase of 198 in, your unit has a W/L ratio of only 46.9%. This is likely the source of your handling problems.
I am currently researching DSP units and have been reading these forums for insights and was intrigued by your W/L ration, I assume you divide the length of the unit by the distance the tires are apart.Would you mind sharing what your optimum M/L ratio would be for a DSP, as you obviously have some depth of experience here, thanks
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