Holiday Rambler Neptune Shocks

[GatorTravler]

I have a 2009 Holiday Rambler Neptune that will knock the fillings out of your teeth when you hit a bump in the road. I think that I need to replace the shocks at the very least. Any suggestions as to brand of shocks or anything else I can do to smooth the ride?

[Pds47]

check tire pressure and your ride height REK from source engineering new bags shocks really helps. mine ride height was off by at least 2 inches. just the tire pressure and ride height helped greatly.

[flynnwalter]

GatorTravlor
If your coach has not had the trailing arms replaced, check here and get it done:Source Engineering Inc | Custom RV Chassis | Eugene, OR You probably will need their Ride Enhancement Kit, too. Stock, our Cayman was dangerous. After Source products, the awful bouncing was stopped. We went to Josams in Orlando for a realignment (new trailing arms) and got a four corner weighing done. RR4R chassis just keeps on giving! Passenger rear was 2700 lbs heavier, meaning the tires needed max psi and, at least on the passenger rear, were at max weight rating. Without the four corner weighing, we would have been seriously underinflated=blowout. Still, the ride was harsh as you say even after the two Source changes. The OEM tires were so loaded/inflated that they rode about like solid rubber tires. The answer was to change the size of the tires. We went from 255s to 295/75R Bridgestones. Got the shop to re-set our speedometer because the tires are 3.9" taller, and learned from Allison there was no need to change anything on the transmission. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news ($). But it worked very well indeed. Good luck.

[flynnwalter]

GatorTravler
Correction: the answer was changing tires to one that would hold more weight at a lower psi. for a better ride. That required larger diameter tires. Thankfully we had a great adviser with plenty hands on knowledge for a friend. He cautioned that we should not purchase some brand that would not be available immediately in case of a blowout.
Also I did not make it clear that IMHO you need both Source products at a minimum. The REK includes new airbags, new larger diameter air lines, Bilstein shocks specially designed for this application, and a ping tank. It definitely works to stop the awful 'porpoising' from ever starting. If I were you, I might also look at Source's custom ride valve kit to aid in reducing the top heavy roll feeling. Source Engineering Inc | Custom RV Chassis | Eugene, OR
If your tires are original to the coach, its time to buy new ones. 5-6 yrs regardless of miles, looks, etc. How to Find Out How Old Your Tires Are - Popular Mechanics
Also, we did cut about an inch off the rear fenders off the recurve lip where it extends inboard. It came close to touching the sidewall of the rear tires when the airbags were dumped when parked. While the coach always fills the airbags for travel, we felt it could cause the fender to rub a tire if an airbag failed on the road and we needed to limp to a repair shop. You probably would never notice the cut if you did not know about it. While you are looking at some serious money, I can only tell you that we now have the coach MCC should have built. We could not have afforded a new 8 bag MCC coach, so perhaps all is well that ends well?

[ProudPapa]

flynnwalter,
I'm sure that installing tires that were two sizes larger than the originals, that all the measurements (width and height) were checked - but, just curious - was there sufficient spacing between the rear duals with the larger tires? And, with the extra height - are there any clearance problems on the front when making a turn?
I am getting ready to replace my original tires, and had planned on going with 275-75-22.5, but glad that I read your post. If there are no clearance issues, I would love to go with the 295-75-22.5.
Thanks for your input.

[flynnwalter]

Proud Papa
We were not in love with larger tires and would have bought 255 if they held enough weight at lower psi. Bridgestone 295/75 was the first tire that met all our requirements. No problem with clearance at front. We did shave off an inch from rear fenders where the 'lip' curves inboard came close to tires only when air bags were dumped--out of abundance of caution. When traveling, airbags must be inflated, but if an airbag failed and it became necessary to limp to a shop/etc for replacement, it might rub on the tire. So now that isn't a problem. If you did not know the Fiberglas was shaved you would never recognize it had been done. We used Dynabeads, highly recommend them. So, it works great-the more we travel to places we've been before, the more I note the improvement. I just don't know how/where you will find a shop willing/able to do the things for you that my friend did for me. You need to ensure that if the tires do not fit, you are not stuck with them. Software to change your speedometer. Shop must be willing to mount tires w/o Dynabeads first to ensure no rubbing, then dismount install beads and remount. You must have a 4 corner weighing especially since the rr4r has known propensity for large weight imbalance at rear, and therefore all four rear tires must carry that psi needed for heavy side. And you must know what that is before researching tires or you are just guessing. Do not guess!
Yes it worked great for me, but mostly because of a really knowledgable and good friend--who owns a tractor trailer repair shop. I hope this helps you.

[ProudPapa]

flynnwalter,
Was there sufficient clearance BETWEEN the duals on the rear to prevent the tires from rubbing against each other? Thanks

[flynnwalter]

Proud Papa
Sorry for the delay, got into a mess buying a new phone. Old age--ugh.
Yes plenty of room between the duals.