Wind & your MH question

[jastinjr]

We went to the dealer to pick up our MH and drive it home (our first one, had 5th wheel before). Not to much problem driving it home, but the question is the wind. It seem I was having a hard time not to weave back and forth. My wife said she heard that some recommend having your fresh water full as it adds weight and help steady the MH. I know driving a MH this is just one thing I'm going to have to learn compare to pulling a trailer, but will this help or not? or does anyone have some better tricks?

[no3putt]

It takes some practice for sure. Be sure to look futher down the road than you do in your car and you will find out you tend to no over steer so much. What kind of HM? when windy, just slow down and take you time.

[1ciderdog]

Suggested first step is to make sure tire pressures are correct for the weight of the RV.

[Zoafan]

How does one calculate tire PSI and weight?

[njs42]

Weigh your MH at a CAT scales (available at many big rig fueling stops) big yellow sign. Go into a closed unattended Interstate weigh station, if the zero is showing on the scale it is on and you can use it w/o charge. Do not go into an operating weigh station. Or call a moving company, they may weigh for a fee.

It is best to weigh all four corners to get the end of the axle weight. Most people do not but it is best. Weigh completely loaded as you travel including passengers. If not a four corner weigh then weigh your entire axle and divide by two and add a bit for safety.

Using the heaviest of these end of axle weights then get the manufacturer reccomended tire pressure guide (usually available on line) and fill your tires cold to that reccomendation per axle, per tire. The will break it down to per tire single and dual axle weights. Same psi in tires both sides of the axle.

[njs42]

Total weight, tire pressure, wheel alignment,driving experience, force of the wind and wind direction and the natural inclination of your rig to waunder (some more than others) all figure into how your rig behaves in the wind. If it gets too busy up there driving and you are in good mechanical shape and tires are ok then slow down or even stop and wait it out.

Once in a quartering wind over the starboard bow and a long reach (my rig does as well as any) I was concentrating so hard I never looked at my gas guage until the very last minute. My consumption probably went from 7.5 mpg to five at best. Fortunately I caught it in time and lucked into a small station at the next off ramp.

"Be careful it's a jungle out there".

[Conquest102]

Wind is a trouble maker as well. You will notice a lot coming out from underpasses. Until you get used to the handling watch the weather for wind speeds where you will be driving. Be very cautious when they say high wind advisory/warnings.

[DeWat]

Once you've done all of the routine measures (weight, tire pressure, alignment, etc) and if the problem doesn't seem to cure, you might have a tail wagging the dogs issue. In short, that is where winds (also from passing 18-wheelers) pushing on the side of the MH behind the rear wheels somehwhat torque the chassis on the suspension and cause frontal changes in direction. Correction for this would be a trar track bar, such as, the Henderson SuperSteer Track Bar. Not an endorsement, just giving an idea on the product.

[Oscar Mike]

Originally Posted by no3putt

It takes some practice for sure. Be sure to look further down the road than you do in your car and you will find out you tend to no over steer so much.

Good advice, this advice was given to me when I bought my first MH just over 3 months ago...it works...

[topdownman]

It's not mentioned the year, make and model of the motorhome. My first motorhome was a 1989 Holiday Rambler on a P30 chassis. I was all over the road in that until I replaced the front air bags, installed a steering stabilizer and Bilstein shocks. Some motorhomes just don't drive very well without some help.

[GaryKD]

Hi jastinjr,
When I first got my coach (new) it was like a dog hunting rabbits. I had all the stuff previously posted checked out. Made corrections where the need was shown. It still wandered very badly. I added:
1. read stabilizer bar (track bar was installed at the factory)
2. steering stabilizer
3. air bag restrictors
4. Koni shocks
5. Centramatic dynamic balancers
All the above helped tremendously. While I could still feel some wander, the coach was well in the acceptable range.

The first quarter of 2012 I got new front tires. Same brand, model and size as installed by the factory. The tires even had the same tread design. What a difference. Now the coach drives like a car. One just never knows what will fix the wander problem.

The moral of the story is go slow and add the after market stuff one step at a time. I do not regret adding the after market devices. I like the way the coach feels and drives.

[Gormleys]

If your MH is on a Ford chassis, be sure to check out the Cheap Handling Fix thread under the Ford User's Foreum here at iRV2. It's a free way to improve Ford handling in the wind.

[ArveeBama]

I have to second the Cheap Fix option. I bought my first MH a year ago and was nervous about the handling. The slightest wind seemed to push me around. I made the Cheap Fix and all of my concerns disappeared in an instant. No problems after a full year and 10,000 miles! Good luck.

[Tom-NC]

Hi,
It seems everyone wants you to spend money to correct your problem. That is not neccessarily so and filling your fresh water tank does help. I travel with a full water tank all the time. Number one my fresh water tank is in the middle of the RV giving me stability and number two in case there is an emergency or I decide to stop at Wal Mart I have enough water on board.

Stabilizer bars do help if you have sway or tail waggin. But it sounds to me that you need a little experience driving the RV and to drive with a full water tank.

If the wind is a problem after all is said and done, then pull off the road for the night or until the wind subsides.

Good Luck