Chassis improvements 34pa

[Mogulite]

I recently bought a 2019 34pa. The previous owners said that they added Sumo Springs, Koni Shocks, Safe-T-Plus, and a Roadmaster rear sway bar.

I’ve put a couple of thousand miles on it, a lot of it in heavy winds. My question is, is there anything else I can add to help stabilize the coach in windy conditions? I’m totally exhausted after fighting to keep it stable. Liquid Springs seems impractical considering the above modifications already added.

Thanks,
Steve

[vsheetz]

Tire pressure by weight.

Ensure all suspension and steering components are as they should be. To include Alignment.

Only then aftermarket items:

1) SafetyPlus steering stabilizer. Highway straight line tracking and turning return to center improvements - big help in windy conditions - and of course safety in case of catastrophic tire failure.

2) Rear Track bar. Fixes tail wag the dog problem. Via Blue Ox, Super Steer, others.

3) Koni shocks - ride and handling improvement.

Rear track bar positively affixes the rear axle laterally to the chassis. In the F53 there is not a rear track bar - allowing the rear of the coach to continually shift to either side. When the rear shifts to one side, the front must shift the other way. Then steering correction is needed. This goes on repeatedly...

Imho. Ymmv.

[SHOCKERRV]

RVs are definitely a hand full if your not ready. I recently purchased a class A DP and it handled poorly. This introduced me to the needs of a better option. Most of the RV chassis are not RV specific. Some need some additional components or upgrades to make them handle better. It seems you are on the right track with some of your upgrades. We understand that shocks play a huge roll in drivability.

Although these items do not change the fact that we are navigating a box down the road and want to do everything we can to make the drive tolerable.

I would agree with vsheets as we need to check everything out with the suspension and steering. An alignment may help.

[HarryStone]

Rear track bar. Made a big difference for us in windy conditions

[Mogulite]

[QUOTE=vsheetz;6145094]Tire pressure by weight.

Ensure all suspension and steering components are as they should be. To include Alignment.

Only then aftermarket items:

1) SafetyPlus steering stabilizer. Highway straight line tracking and turning return to center improvements - big help in windy conditions - and of course safety in case of catastrophic tire failure.

2) Rear Track bar. Fixes tail wag the dog problem. Via Blue Ox, Super Steer, others.

3) Koni shocks - ride and handling improvement.

Rear track bar positively affixes the rear axle laterally to the chassis. In the F53 there is not a rear track bar - allowing the rear of the coach to continually shift to either side. When the rear shifts to one side, the front must shift the other way. Then steering correction is needed. This goes on repeatedly...

So I have the Safe T Plus and the Koni Shocks. Will my rear sway bar inhibit the installation of a Rear Track Bar?

Thanks for the feedback

[vsheetz]

Originally Posted by vsheetz

So I have the Safe T Plus and the Koni Shocks. Will my rear sway bar inhibit the installation of a Rear Track Bar?

The rear track bar can be added - matters not if equipped with oem or aftermarket sway bar.

[Mogulite]

Thanks

[ColdForged]

I'll note I was where you are on my coach, except I had a rear trac bar as well. On a gusty day you're going to still be working, period. I now have 4-corner Liquid Springs and while everything is improved you will still be thrown around by gusty wind. We're still very subject to the laws of physics and a 30MPH gust of wind directly against the ~360 square feet of flat box wall will result in motion.

[RollinTiffy]

Check out this forum string for the ford Chassis (if you have a Ford chassis): https://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/atte...ad-305445.html

My recently purchased 2018 Open Road (Ford F53 chassis) had a bushing and bolt completely missing in the Ford rear sway bar/assembly. The coach was very 'floaty' side to side, especially in wind. As that thread will tell you, A LOT of people are having similar problems on the Ford Chassis.

Last week I went to the Safe-T-Plus factory and had a number of stabilizing items installed (steering control, koni's all the way around, rear trac bar and rear sway bar). The STP mechanic found and repaired the missing Ford bushing as well. Coach stability was day and night different when I left and am sure the repair of the missing bushing was a big part of that (as well as the STP stuff).

If you're ever near Tallapoosa GA I highly recommend going to Sate-T-Plus. Great folks there and you can stay overnight in their yard if you have an appointment the next day. They don't charge you for labor for the installation of components you purchase from them.

All that said, these coaches are big wind blocks so we will always feel the wind to some degree. We draw a line in the sand at around 15 mph w gusts, that we go park it somewhere until it subsides. Retired and not ever in a rush....

[George Schweikle]

I second the recommendation to add a rear track bar (panhard bar).

Many owners like the Safe-T-Plus but, while this adds a "centering" action to the steering, it doesn't really make any change to the basic suspension design of a motorhome. Excessive rear sway during windy conditions or when a truck passes is the classic condition that is helped by adding a track bar. This actually changes the suspension by reducing any side to side looseness in the rear leaf springs that is the primary cause of your handling problem.

Originally Posted by Mogulite

I recently bought a 2019 34pa. The previous owners said that they added Sumo Springs, Koni Shocks, Safe-T-Plus, and a Roadmaster rear sway bar.

I’ve put a couple of thousand miles on it, a lot of it in heavy winds. My question is, is there anything else I can add to help stabilize the coach in windy conditions? I’m totally exhausted after fighting to keep it stable. Liquid Springs seems impractical considering the above modifications already added.

Thanks,
Steve

[TheVardells]

We immediately installed 4 corner LS on our new 2022 34PA. The wife said it was much better. We need to adjust our Safe T Steer (added that by LS while putting 4 corners on) and get an alignment and now fix why the coach won't turn left, but the suspension was better. I agree with other about physics, hard to make a sail boat not move in 30MPH winds.

But we hope our 20K+ investment and our desire to put a lot of miles on this thing pay off.

Anyone else do 4 corners on the 34PA and have more feedback? It would be amazing if folks could share RL experiences.

[mikervet]

2022 32SA. 4 corner LS. If you can afford it I would advise you to research it at least. Nothing is perfect but a big improvement with ride and handling. Test drive one if you can. They are at most of the major RV shows and Wayne Wells is more than happy to talk to you. No pressure sales at all but will try to answer your questions.

[mikervet]

In response to The Vardells post. When LS was installed at the factory the techs encountered a dangerous steering problem while test driving. They found the rubber boot that goes around the steering shaft had been pinched when Tiffin installed the motorhome floor and eventually wrapped up so tight that they could not steer it. Thank God it happened when they had it and not when I was driving down the road. LS techs corrected it and I also had Ford check it. All seems to be OK at this point now. I passed the info on to Tiffin also. It may be worth checking.

[JIMBO34PA]

Steve; definitely a rear TRACK bar, check front toe in. If toed out will cause wander. Should be 1/16"-1/8" toe in. Look at CHF for the front end. I have Konis, steering stabilizer, CHF and rear track bar. Well satisfied