Baystar Sport handling/suspension

[joelminer]

I am a new owner of a 2017 Baystar Sport 2812...never owned or driven a motorhome before but have towed a fifth wheel and travel trailer for more than 20K miles. The 2812 is just under 29" and has the Ford 20,500 lb chassis with a 190" wheelbase and the six speed tranny.

I have only driven the new coach about 200 miles so far, but it feels like my Baystar wanders a little from side to side when at highway speeds, beginning as low as 55MPH and no significant winds. I am not sure if this is typical of this size Class A or not, but I felt much more in control when towing my 30ft fifth wheel with a 3/4 ton Sierra.

Has anyone done any suspension modifications to this chassis to improve the handling. Other than the handling, I love the new coach so far.

[sightseers]

Try the cheap handling fix. It involves moving the mounting bracker for the rear sway bar. The way this mod works is the swaybar has a second set of holes on it closer to the axel in the new F53 chasis. This location creates less leverage so the swaybar is stiffer. The only problem is that the sway bar links and sway bar itself is no longer at the proper angles so some of the stiffness is still lost. Some do it themselves or you have a mechanic do it.

[wildtoad]

Actually the CHF deals with both front and rear sway bars. I just had ours done. I had not had any issues in the 5k miles but having heard good reviews had it done.

Also make sure you check tire pressures and set them based on tire manufacturers recommendations for your weight which may be lower than the placard in your unit.

There are a number of threads in the Ford chassis section.

[Luv2go]

You most likely have a short wheelbase F53 chassis, IMHO they all wander like that unless modified. Here's what I've done and recommend, mine does not wander and is not affected by trucks any more:

Alignment
Weigh by wheel position and set tire pressures accordingly.
CHF
rear track bar (search for f53 track bar for DIY and ready-made versions)

[Dutch Star Don]

"joelminer".....I would first play with your tire pressure. You need to get the coach weighed, then adjust the air pressure. Too much or too little can cause issues. Second, many people who buy/drive a new Class A, tend to look directly in front of the coach and steer to that point. This ends up causing an over steer issue.

When you drive your truck, you're sitting much lower and look out over the hood. You tend to drive (unknowingly) looking down the road farther. With the motor home, you're sitting up higher and looking down at the road. You need to train yourself to look and drive towards a spot about 75 yards away. You'll find that you'll do less steering (constant corrections) by looking farther ahead. This phenomena also causes issues at night, for the same reasons, your headlights will seem less effective because in your truck, you were looking just above them and following them visually down the road.

With all that said, there are a ton, literally, of after market suspension products. My sister and brother-in-law bought a new Fleetwood Southwind last year with the Ford 53 chassis. I didn't know there were so many suspension products available.

On the rear end, you can add a track bar, two sway bars (swap out original for a heavier one and they make a second one that can be added), shocks and Sumo springs. On the front, you can do the cheap handling fix (CHF) which is just a swap of position of the sway bar mounts, a larger sway bar, Sumo springs, shocks and steering dampeners.

You can spend a fortune and sometimes see no real results. Another issue, when you add a lot of these suspension components, you can stiffen up the suspension for better handling , but it also stiffens up the ride.

I've helped many people work on and improve their suspension. My first suggestion is to go slow and add one product at a time. Personally, I think the track bar should be the first addition. It stabilizes the rear rend and keeps the motor home from moving side to side by locking the frame to rear end.

Many like to change the shocks. I've read hundreds of posts on shocks and have found that people have been happier with installing the Bilsteins on gassers and Koni's on DP's.

So......not to scare you, but your coach will work fine and may need nothing more than an air pressure adjustment and some driving changes by you (steering for a point farther away). If you still find it wandering, go with the track bar and see what happens.

[purrin along]

Like what wildtoad said. Check out the ford chassis section of the
forum, for lots of info on handling.

[joes2901]

My 2012 Bay Star was in the same condition 30' with 190" wheel base. Be happy because handling issues can be resolved with enough money. See my signature for the additions that made a rough and wandering ride into a smooth one hand relaxing driver. Then spend time on the Ford forum reading what others have done.

[hillboy]

Originally Posted by purrin along

Like what wildtoad said. Check out the ford chassis section of the
forum, for lots of info on handling.

Good advice for sure.
Read the CHF post, it is way long so take your time. Ford chassis forum has it all for F53 chassis.

[gremlin]

I agree with the poster who said look further down the road and relax a little more, I have a 2015 BSS 2903 and haven't made a single change apart from tyre pressures appropriate to the weight (lowered quite a bit from how it came) and I find it handles great, not scary at all, but it does take a few minutes when I haven't been driving it to relax and remember to look up, it's certainly not a car or a truck.

[15650street]

After 5,000 miles, we took our 2905 in for oil change and alignment. Alignment was significantly off. Since these units are not aligned after build, this is a key first step and at Ford Dealer it was $170 here in MI. Took another trip to CA and back and had big scare when bracket on rear stabilizing bar broke on drive home. Took it in for repairs and then did CHF on front and rear. Strongly recommend new units are aligned before doing anything else other than tire pressures.

Good luck

Lynn in MI
2016 Baystar Sport 2905

[purrin along]

Originally Posted by 15650street

After 5,000 miles, we took our 2905 in for oil change and alignment. Alignment was significantly off. Since these units are not aligned after build, this is a key first step and at Ford Dealer it was $170 here in MI. Took another trip to CA and back and had big scare when bracket on rear stabilizing bar broke on drive home. Took it in for repairs and then did CHF on front and rear. Strongly recommend new units are aligned before doing anything else other than tire pressures.

Good luck

Lynn in MI
2016 Baystar Sport 2905

Did you have any change in driving , since the chf?

[15650street]

Well, we did not get the RV back until early November--and here in Michigan, that is well past time for winterizing the unit. So we only got to drive it the three miles to the storage lot and then we pulled the batteries, covered it, and put it into hibernation. Will have to answer this questions in the spring after our first trip--whenever that may be???? We can't wait to try it though.

Lynn in MI

[purrin along]

Originally Posted by 15650street

Well, we did not get the RV back until early November--and here in Michigan, that is well past time for winterizing the unit. So we only got to drive it the three miles to the storage lot and then we pulled the batteries, covered it, and put it into hibernation. Will have to answer this questions in the spring after our first trip--whenever that may be???? We can't wait to try it though.

Lynn in MI

Thanks for the response.Keep warm, and we'll talk in the spring.

[15650street]

Originally Posted by 15650street

Well, we did not get the RV back until early November--and here in Michigan, that is well past time for winterizing the unit. So we only got to drive it the three miles to the storage lot and then we pulled the batteries, covered it, and put it into hibernation. Will have to answer this questions in the spring after our first trip--whenever that may be???? We can't wait to try it though.

Lynn in MI

Wow, did I mess up. Typo, we have a 2705, not a 2905! Typed it wrong TWICE! I need a vacation for sure. This is a 28 foot Class A! sorry for error.