IFS - Motorhomes - Boondocking

[cucotx]

Hi Saddlesore,

I had a 34' motorhome for many years. I bought that one used to experience the RVing lifestyle. That's how my wife and I decided that this is something we would want to do fulltime. Now, I have a Casita TT for use partime.

How do you like your Foretravel. I have always loved those. My budget could afford a 15 year old Foretravel. But, it may be difficult to find the right floor plan on a coach that old.

[Finance]

More an issue of the stiffness of the antiroll bars than whether independent suspension or not. Roll resistance is a good thing on the road, a coach that rolls side to side on the highway is unpleasant. Roll resistance off road is a bad thing, the stiff response to uneven terrain rolls the coach with the uneven ground.

That's why hard core off roaders use sway bar disconnects. Roll control for the highway(when connected) and more suspension articulation for the trail (when disconnected). Impractical for a coach, just go slow as prior post suggested.

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by cucotx

Hi Saddlesore,

I had a 34' motorhome for many years. I bought that one used to experience the RVing lifestyle. That's how my wife and I decided that this is something we would want to do fulltime. Now, I have a Casita TT for use partime.

How do you like your Foretravel. I have always loved those. My budget could afford a 15 year old Foretravel. But, it may be difficult to find the right floor plan on a coach that old.

We LOVE IT, and it does what we want ...WHEN we want....PM sent)
Happy Hunting

[Rotis]

If you are serious about boondocking look at Renegade coaches. Very large holding tanks and very high quality build. I've owned a lot of class A's and the drive is far superior in the Renegade.

[blang]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

It depends on your budget and what year coach you'll be buying in 5 years. If you plan on buying used, you typically won't see IFS until around 2010 or so.

I can tell you that the coach listed below has Neway independent front suspension. Not correcting Dutch Star Don, just advising OP.

[Dutch Star Don]

Yeah, I kind a of took a guess at what year the IFS was popular, not available. The OP really needs to know what year it pretty much became standard equipment.....maybe someone knows that year. If the OP is going to go back five years for his purchase, in five years, pretty much everything he looks at will have IFS.

[Muleroper]

Originally Posted by cucotx

I have 5 more trips to the Hershey RV show before I buy. So maybe a better boondocking motorhome will be designed.

Take a look at Phoenix Cruiser they are ifs and they will build on a four wheel drive chassis. Great wheel base to overall length ratios.

[Gary RVRoamer]

While I like an IFS and drove one for 10 years, I don't think it makes all that much difference vs a good solid axle. We are talking the better (more upscale) models of diesel pusher (with air suspension) to get any IFS, so the ride & handling is already going to be superior. The overall quality of the suspension is going to be the main factor, not IFS vs solid front axle.

The primary value of an IFS is on pot holes, where one tire can drop & rebound while the other stays level. Uneven surfaces like rutted dirt or gravel roads have a lot more suspension challenges than that. Further, a lot of the roll & lurch that happens on uneven surfaces is caused by the rear axle, which is not independent. That isn't gonna change. Nothing is going to help much except very slow & easy.

Pre-2010 Monaco coaches on the Roadmaster raised rail (RR) chassis used a solid axle on a floating subframe with an airbag at each corner (4 bags instead of 2 per axle). That design gave the solid axle a little additional freedom of movement that some felt was as good as an IFS. I don't have an opinion on that, but it gives a good ride overall.

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

While I like an IFS and drove one for 10 years, I don't think it makes all that much difference vs a good solid axle. We are talking the better (more upscale) models of diesel pusher (with air suspension) to get any IFS, so the ride & handling is already going to be superior. The overall quality of the suspension is going to be the main factor, not IFS vs solid front axle.

The primary value of an IFS is on pot holes, where one tire can drop & rebound while the other stays level. Uneven surfaces like rutted dirt or gravel roads have a lot more suspension challenges than that. Further, a lot of the roll & lurch that happens on uneven surfaces is caused by the rear axle, which is not independent. That isn't gonna change. Nothing is going to help much except very slow & easy.

Pre-2010 Monaco coaches on the Roadmaster raised rail (RR) chassis used a solid axle on a floating subframe with an airbag at each corner (4 bags instead of 2 per axle). That design gave the solid axle a little additional freedom of movement that some felt was as good as an IFS. I don't have an opinion on that, but it gives a good ride overall.

Yup, that is what the Foretravels had up until they were forced to utilize the Spartan designs.
FT's still have the outboard air bags on the drive axle but only 2 bags on the steer now due to it being ISF.

[Cat320]

IFS is not an option you can order. It will come standard in the higher end coaches...like these features: Aqua Hot, side radiators, bigger engines, etc.

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by Cat320

IFS is not an option you can order. It will come standard in the higher end coaches...like these features: Aqua Hot, side radiators, bigger engines, etc.

Along with those options, my Camelot came on a non-IFS RR10-S chassis, and I am ever so grateful for the premium ride and handling.
To the OP, don’t worry about any rig for boondocking. Just follow the tracks of the folks before you.