Rough ride

[W4MBG]

for the $1300 i paid for the rig, i can afford some new shocks (konis). and maybe a rear track bar. would love an air suspension too, but thats not gonna happen. :(

[Camping4fun]

Sorry if I took it the wrong way but I've been in Decatur & Elkhart, IN. for the last week doing plan tours of Fleetwood, Newmar, & Thor. While at Fleetwood There was a older man there doing the tour with us and all I heard from him all day long was if your Motorhome was not a Diesel then all you had was a wannabe motorhome. Come to find out he had just retired and they had sold there house to by a 2011 American Eagle and was at the Fleetwood service center for warranty work. His wife told my wife that they had a list with 184 items to be fixed and had been there for over a month and the list was getting long everyday. After my wife told me this I let him know that our wannabe motorhome was there to for repairs, but my list only had 1 item on it.

[Mr_D]

Cheaper to upgrade the '02 DSDP we now have than to spend $325,000 for a new one!! In fact just the savings in sales/use tax will pay for what needs to be done.

[TAZ]

I miss my old diesel's but the deal I got on my gasser I can swap the engine, tranny and all the extra gas. I have had no need for any upgrades and wonder what a sway bar would do. Air ride on my last rig didn't do much more than level the rig.

I agree some people expect a sports car ride. It takes some experience but a little bit of play in a house on wheels is compounded by wind and passing trucks more so than a car.

And ifi run out of things to upgrade I may start lookin to add suspemntion upgrades. I too can't help but tinker. I always have a project.

[Papa_Jim]

People that have never owned a motor coach do not realize how poor they handle. They look at the size, and the price, and assume that the manufacturers have designed the coaches properly.

In truth, they have not. Every coach out there weighs almost its GVWR, EMPTY!! Disgraceful.

So of course, the coach rides and handles like a truck that's overloaded to the point of almost exceeding it's GVWR.

[az bound]

Just for the sake of discussion I will take the side of a chassis builder. As the builder I have no control over what the coach builder puts on the chassis. I build a chassis and state its GVWR. What the coach builder does I have no control over.
Then the consumer comes along and wants every convenience known to man and enough slide-outs to have 600 sq. ft. of living space on a vehicle of 45ft. or less in length, all of which adds weight.
The coach builder endeavors to supply the consumer with all their desires while not exceeding the chassis GVWR and stay within what the consumer is willing to pay. Quite a ballancing act. So where do we place blame? Chassis builder? Coach builder? Comsumer?
Did not mean to hyjack the thread, just thought it should be noted that when approaching GVWR ride and handling are going to suffer.

[RovinOn]

I'm sure that when the chassis builder makes the chassis for a motorhome they know what it's for. Of course the coach builders knows of the ride problems encountered, In my opinion the problem is between both of them.
I'm going through a problem with my coach, that due to rough ride and I have to say shoddy construction, my dashboard keeps getting bounced loose. I have installed the Koni's which has helped dramaticaly, but a pot hole is still a pothole and my dash is loose again.
Manufacturerers on both side of the fence know what problems exist, they need to be addressed and resolved.
Just my thoughts...........

[Benny367]

Originally Posted by az bound

Just for the sake of discussion I will take the side of a chassis builder. As the builder I have no control over what the coach builder puts on the chassis. I build a chassis and state its GVWR. What the coach builder does I have no control over.
Then the consumer comes along and wants every convenience known to man and enough slide-outs to have 600 sq. ft. of living space on a vehicle of 45ft. or less in length, all of which adds weight.
The coach builder endeavors to supply the consumer with all their desires while not exceeding the chassis GVWR and stay within what the consumer is willing to pay. Quite a ballancing act. So where do we place blame? Chassis builder? Coach builder? Comsumer?
Did not mean to hyjack the thread, just thought it should be noted that when approaching GVWR ride and handling are going to suffer.

That's EXACTLY how I look at the situation too!

[az bound]

Originally Posted by RovinOn

I'm sure that when the chassis builder makes the chassis for a motorhome they know what it's for. Of course the coach builders knows of the ride problems encountered, In my opinion the problem is between both of them.
I'm going through a problem with my coach, that due to rough ride and I have to say shoddy construction, my dashboard keeps getting bounced loose. I have installed the Koni's which has helped dramaticaly, but a pot hole is still a pothole and my dash is loose again.
Manufacturerers on both side of the fence know what problems exist, they need to be addressed and resolved.
Just my thoughts...........

They know they designed it as a motorhome platform with a certain GVWR but have no control over how the coach builder distributes the weight or how much weight the consumer adds with all the stuff they think they need.
I have see 35ft. + coaches with only 300HP engines pulling 6,000 lb. toads and every compartment loaded to capacity and had owners complain about the poor performance and terrible ride quality. How can that possibly be a design flaw by the chassis or coach manufacturer?
I could not find in your profile or signature what chassis model you have. There are some pretty savy members on the Workhorse forum that may be able to assist with your ride issues.

[Photo001]

Originally Posted by jimkate

People that have never owned a motor coach do not realize how poor they handle. They look at the size, and the price, and assume that the manufacturers have designed the coaches properly.

In truth, they have not. Every coach out there weighs almost its GVWR, EMPTY!! Disgraceful.

So of course, the coach rides and handles like a truck that's overloaded to the point of almost exceeding it's GVWR.

Not every coach. True, there are some but not all.

My 1999 Fleetwood Southwind 34N is on a Ford F-53 chassis with 20,500 lb GVW (25,500 GCW). I weighed it shortly after I got it and got the following:

Front: Left - 2860 lbs, Right - 2860 lbs (5720 lbs / 7,000 Rated)

Rear: Left - 6138 lbs Right - 6314 lbs (12452 lbs / 13,500 Rated)

Total: 18,172 lbs / 20,500 Rated - 88.6%

And yes, it was nearly full of fuel and water at the time. I do have a little wiggle room for weight yet.

Oh, and I also tow a 4800 lb toad. It's not a Corvette or Viper and I don't expect it to handle, accelerate or brake like either.

Lane

[Papa_Jim]

Some, but not all coach manufacturers build their own chassis. That means that they know exactly what they are building their chassis for. Yet, the end result is a coach that, when empty, often weighs only 2000-3000 lb less than the GVWR.

I'm afraid it's an issue of profit. If the manufacturers built them properly, they just wouldn't make enough profit. To be properly built, the chassis and suspension would probably have to be 25% heavier. That means if your coach weighs 30,000 lb., the chassis should be built to have a GVWR of 40,000lb. Then the vehicle might possibly handle properly.

It's the same as driving a fully loaded truck. If your vehicle is loaded to the maximum GVWR, then it is going to ride and handle the way it should when it is loaded to its absolute maximum load carrying capacity. That means poor handling and ride.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by jimkate

In truth, they have not. Every coach out there weighs almost its GVWR, EMPTY!! Disgraceful.

You haven't looked at new rigs lately have you, especially the DP's? They are FAR better at being under the ratings than they used to be.

[az bound]

Originally Posted by jimkate

Some, but not all coach manufacturers build their own chassis. That means that they know exactly what they are building their chassis for. Yet, the end result is a coach that, when empty, often weighs only 2000-3000 lb less than the GVWR.

I'm afraid it's an issue of profit. If the manufacturers built them properly, they just wouldn't make enough profit. To be properly built, the chassis and suspension would probably have to be 25% heavier. That means if your coach weighs 30,000 lb., the chassis should be built to have a GVWR of 40,000lb. Then the vehicle might possibly handle properly.

It's the same as driving a fully loaded truck. If your vehicle is loaded to the maximum GVWR, then it is going to ride and handle the way it should when it is loaded to its absolute maximum load carrying capacity. That means poor handling and ride.

GVWR is how much a vehicle is designed to carry. The GVWR includes the net weight of the vehicle, plus the weight of the passengers, fuel, cargo and any additional accessories. It is a safety standard used to prevent overloading.
In that respect any vehicle built 2000 to 300o lbs. under GVWR is well within acceptable limits.
I would challenge you to reference any manufacturer that is not building within those safety standards.
The GVWR is the absolute maximum load carrying capacity.

[RovinOn]

az,,,

I could not find in your profile or signature what chassis model you have.

I have W22 under a 38' long coach,,, Now how does the manufacturer justify putting that length of a coach on that chassis and then put a 32' on a 24 ?
My coach is not overweighted and all compartments are not stuffed to the hilt and I'm not pulling a toad. Most the time I do not even carry water unless it's a very long trip and I limit that to about 20 gallon.