Factory should add Safe-T-Plus or something else

[rek]

We just bought an 09 Monico Monarch 35SFD and it wanders all over the road. Mainly on the highway. I am thinking of adding Safe-T- Plus Stabilizer. Would this be the best solution for the money? Why doesn't Monico add these at the factory so you don't have to address this problem on a brand new Coach??? I know some of the problem is my getting used to driving it and not over reacting every time it wanders but it could be much improved.

[TXiceman]

First things you need to address which often will solve driving problems are:
Weigh the coach and adjust tire pressures accoring to the tire loading. Next, get a front end alignment with the coach loaded fro travel.

Once these items are taken care of, you may need to look at an after market solution to the handling probelms.

Good luck on the problem.

Ken

[Ken Roberts]

rek, did it wander like that on your test ride or did it come about after you loaded your stuff. If it wandered like that on a test ride I think I would have considered wandering myself. There is no point in starting out with a known problem. BTW, when I test drive I pick the route not the salesman and I try to pick a route that has varying conditions, interstate, back roads and the bumpier the better. And it sure isn't too hard to find horrible roads anywhere in the country today. If a test ride proves to be not to your liking it definitely isn't going to get better after you are the owner, good luck and I hope you can solve your problem, Ken....

[RickO]

I agree that the factory should consider installing these as standard equipment. I had a similar situation with our new Winnie 40dp. I had never even driven a coach before my test drive so really didn't know what I was looking for until I got a few thousand miles under my belt. During my first service, I paid the tech at Freightliner for a half hour of labor so he could test drive the coach and tell me if what I was experiencing was "normal" or if I needed work. He simply shrugged and said it was "pretty much normal" but I should get an alignment and that would probably fix it. He said that if steering stableizers were a good thing the factory would install them. IMHO.... BS.

TXiceman gave you good advice on what to do first. I did those things and still had the problems so I took a trip to Henderson's Lineup in Oregon for their Road Test Assessment. About $2500 later my coach handled like a dream but it shouldn't have been this hard. I was also finally able to get a four corner weight while in their shop. They istalled a Safe-T-Steer, motion control units, and a new steering bell crank.

Welcome to the forum and happy travels.

[GaryKD]

Hi rek,
Welcome to the club. To get the coach to be the best it can be, complete what TXiceman mentioned in his post. One needs to have a good foundation before moving on to after market solutions. Please consider:

1. For the front end alignment, go to a shop certified by the chassis manufacturer. They need to have the factory specs.
2. Make sure all the chassis components are solid and working as advertised.
3. The steering stabilizer is a good place to start with the after market devices. Consider only those that you can re-center from the driver's seat. This is important because if you are bing hit with a cross wind all day long, you need to hold the steering wheel off center to keep the coach straight. If the device does not allow for re centering, you'll be fighting the cross wind and the stabilizer as it tries to being your steering back to the preset straight ahead alignment. Super Steer (via Henderson out in Oregon) and Blue Ox make steering stabilizers that can be re centered from the driver's seat.
4. If you remain unsatisfied, consider a rear anti sway bar. Yep, I did say rear. Keeping the rear of the coach stable has a lot to do with keeping the wandering to a minimum.
5. If you remain unsatisfied, consider air bag restrictors (via Henderson out in Oregon) (air suspension coaches only).

For me, I ended up installing all the above mentioned items. Now my coach handles very well and I am very pleased.

As to why coach manufacturers don't install these components right out of the factory, it will never happen. If they did this, they are making the statement the chassis/coach setup is not what it should be. There is also an additional cost. All manufacturers must remain price competitive.

[Gary RVRoamer]

I would recommend a Davis TruTrac bar or Henderson Supersteer rear track bar over a steering stabilizer. But first get the alignment and set the tire pressure correct for the actual load (requires weighing the coach).

Is this your first motorhome? Many newbies have wandering problems due to constant over-correction of the steering wheel. Look further down the road rather than focusing on the center line near the coach and then "steer small", making gentle adjustments. You might be amazed at the difference.

[nbounder]

Say Rek - is this a brandy new unit? If so, I'd call the mfr first to find out if there are any known problems, then visit the dealer, and don't take it home til it's right. I bet you paid a box of bucks, and they must make it right!

[rek]

This is our first Motorhome. We had a 5th wheel before this. I spoke with a man who was a retired trucker and he said I would get used to driving it and stop trying to make over corrections every time it wanders. We bought the motorhome at camping world near Canton, Ohio which is over 100 miles north of us. I noticed that the wandering got less as I got closer to home gettin a little more used to driving it. Going around 60mph on a highway, it is most noticeable. Not much problem on back roads going 40mph or less. I just know driving to Florida as it drives now will not be pleasant. My wife tells me how to drive our car so I am sure this will not be good unless this problem gets mostly corrected.

[Richard S.]

What chassis is your coach built on.

[Ed-Sommers]

The KISS answer would be that driving a long wheelbase vehicle takes a little practice.

Ed

[rek]

The chassis is a W22 workhorse with 8.1 chevy engine. I believe it is a W22.

[rek]

The long wheelbase may not be long enough for highway driving. When you stand and look at the MH from the side you see that 1/3 of the length is behind the rear wheels. I guess they have to be built that way to maneuver. Our wheelbase works out to that 54% number that I read about on other posts. I had no idea that this could be a problem until I bought and drove this Coach.

[Richard S.]

Get your coach weighed, adjust your load for balance and adjust your tire pressure to the manufactures specification by weight. Then see what you need to do.

http://www.michelinrvtires.com/michelinrv/index.jsp


http://www.goodyear.com/rv/

[Richard S.]

The Workhorse chassis forum has good information.
This member has a web page for workhorse chassises with all kinds if information and tips. Oemys Web Site -