Community Forums

VocalVirgo · 01-03-2015, 12:42 AM

I know I'm SuperNewbie here, but I was hoping you guys could help me out. With all the experience you guys have with your motorhomes... and after the hours of searching around on here and other forums (this is the best RV forum, BTW), I was hoping to not be asking too much if I ask what the final consensus was on a fix for the terrible steering/tracking/groove-seeking problems you all (and I) are having or have had. I need to put mine back on the road, but am dreading the H*llish driving. The actual driving. It's so bad. I know it will never drive like a car, but I can barely keep it in a straight line sometimes. It's downright scary. I'm sure if I knew what parts could fix this, it would be an amazing ride. I have a mechanic who does amazing work on the cheap, but I need to know what parts to get. And it's not the rear end at all that gives me trouble, only the front. It's only 26 feet long, but it is visibly sagging in the front more than looks right. I think there is way too much air in the tires and I'm wondering how much that may be affecting the handling...
BTW, the 7th digit in the VIN is a "3" and the 10th is an "X". But I still can't figure out what chassis this is on so I can maybe order some parts.

wa8yxm · 01-03-2015, 03:03 AM

I am assuming you have a motor home...

Three things help with steering,, well 4 really

First: Alignment, if that's out of wack there is no hope.

Now: Improvements

Motor homes have a few major issues

Sway, (Side to side rocking like fans at a rock concert with their Bics Lit up).. Sway bars address this, some motor homes come with good ones, some do not, some they wear out.. But sway bars help.

WAG Thin of a dog's tail wagging side to side, IN this the body moves a bit to the right or left,, Often the front moves right while the rear moves left, this causes you to think you are going down the road like this /\/\/\/\/ (ok not nearly that bad, more like ~~~~ but you get the idea)

TRAC BARS (also called pan hard bars) cure this, Most people say a rear one is the best, I put a front one on (What did I know then) actually two of them (Front and rear) together will cure this 100%, I mean stop it dead in it's tracks. This is caused by leaf spring suspension and solid (one piece) front axles,, This is why Independent front suspenson was such a big thing on pickups in the 60's (Makes them drive like cars, which usually have coil springs in the front).

Finally we have steering stablizers.. They do help.. Even though there is not often a deficiency here, these really improve things, Mine is a Blue Ox.

How much difference can it make.
Left Detroit on 2-Jan-2006 for Las Vegas, when I got there the towed was nice to drive. I mean it was a RELIEF to drive it instead of the Motor home.
Returned home end of Feburary, had the Trac Bar and Blue O Tru Center stablizer installed over the summer and on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving left again for Lost Wages towing the same towed.

When I got there and dropped the towed,, Man was it hard to drive.. I mean squirrely as all get out. Same exact towed. NO change.

Doggy Daddy · 01-03-2015, 03:19 AM

I highly recommend installation of a Steering Stabilizer. I have the "Safe T Plus" The Steering Control Specialists | Safe-T-Plus Blog | Helping motorists' vehicles steer safer, less, and with peace of mind. which comes with a life time warrantee and there is a U Tube Video available to show how to install it. https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ry=Safe+T+Plus
The next thing I recommend for your WorkHorse chassis is front and rear Anti-Sway Bars. Roadmaster Inc. - Tow Bars, Braking Systems & RV Accessories That will make a big difference handling sharp turns, wind blasts, and passing truckers..

paz · 01-03-2015, 04:58 AM

VocalVirgo,

The 6th digit of the VIN indicates the type of chassis. If it's a 5, you have a P32. If it's a 6, you have a W20 or W22. There should be a sticker somewhere near the drivers seat indicating GVWR. A GVRW of 20,500 is a W20 chassis and a GVWR of 22,000 lb is a W22 chassis. With a 32' motorhome, you likely have either a P32 or a W20.

Concerning the handling, the first thing I would do, especially with an older motorhome, is to have the suspension (shocks, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc.) all checked out and replace anything that is worn. If you need shocks, Konis are expensive, but their performance is tops.

If the wandering still persists, a rear track bar is probably your best investment. It prevents the rear of the motorhome from moving side to side over the axle, which is usually the biggest cause of the "tail wagging the dog."

JFNM · 01-03-2015, 06:34 AM

Only my own experience to draw from but, on my P30, I replaced all sway bar bushings (front and rear), replaced front air bag helpers (inside the coil springs - mine would not hold pressure), adjusted play out of the steering box, and finally tuned the tire pressure. All of this made my rig much, much easier to drive - the tire pressure made the most significant difference. Running at max pressure was not ideal for a straight/smooth ride. These are all very inexpensive things to do before you start throwing more serious dollars at it.

vsheetz · 01-03-2015, 08:05 AM

If P30 / P32 need to ensure the bell cranks and (if so equipped) the front spring airbags are holding air. Either of these can make the coach nearly unsafe to drive handling-wise.

Before doing any add one: Ensure all stock components (bushings, bell cranks, air bags, steering, etch.) are properly functional. Ensure tire pressures set by weight, weight distribution is good, etc.

The stock bell cranks have bushings which wear quickly, there are replacements that have bearings that will last the life of the motorhome.
SuperSteer Bell Crank for Chevy RV & Workhorse Chassis

KJINTF · 01-03-2015, 08:09 AM

Very first thing I would check is the
TIRE PRESSURE
Make sure they are set to match the coaches weight NOT the max side wall pressure

Brazel's RV Performance · 01-03-2015, 11:07 AM

Sounds like you have a 2000 P32 chassis based off what you have told us. If it is riding low in the front, that is a major issue with the handling and can be fixed for good with weight matched coil springs. You will want to get it weighed anyway to set the tire pressures correctly. Next, there are inherent steering issues with that chassis that can be corrected with upgraded steering bell cranks. You will also need to jack the front end up and look for loose steering components as this is very common. Here is a link to our P32 front end upgrade section where you can find all the replacement parts you need to make it drive like a big SUV: https://ultrarvproducts.com/store/in...ory&path=33_77

Of course you can email or call us to consult further on what may be needed in your case.

shiftermania · 01-04-2015, 10:08 AM

I'm new to the site but ive been traveling in rv's for 25 years-most were p30.or p32 whichever-mine were the independent front ends.I just replaced the the airbags with supersteer coils.the airbags were shot when i bought it and 5 years later the firestone bags had a rodent eat through one-so i put the ss265 coils in after weighing the front end @5450 lbs.The coach sets level front to rear and side to side now.I had previously replaced the sway bar bushings on the front.These 2 changes changed the rv entirely-I set toe at 1/32 in.Only 45k on the coach so i havent touched the bell cranks yet.The ride and handling of this rv(damon 3130-34') is day and night difference-steers easier too-tracks better.it took 3 hours to put in both springs-less time then replacing the bags took me.I'm not an expert but this is what i did cause i WAS NOT putting in another set of bags.Even the sway from a semi passing me was reduced.The springs were the best money i have spent on this rv-$291.00 - rvautoparts.com

tomwalt · 01-04-2015, 03:19 PM

I have a 29 1/2 foot motorhome on a 1999 P32 chassis (Chevy 454/Hydromatic). I find that 72 to 75 PSI in the tires and 70 PSI in the air bags did wonders for my RV handling.
My fresh water tank is in the back and 1/2 tank or more of water helps keep the back end sway under control.
There are front and rear sway bars under the motorhome (big 'U' shaped bars). The front sway bar rubber bushings were shot/missing when I got mine (4 years ago) and getting the sway bar bushings replaced/correct helped as well.
With no additional parts, mine handles pretty good just stock and all tire/air bag pressures correct.
My VIN, starting at the 5th digit, is 37JX3. If we match I'll be happy to assist as i'm able.

Motor7 · 01-06-2015, 02:27 PM

Vocal, like othere have said, you need to verify the lbs in your air bags, then check the sway bar bushings(2 of my 4 were gone, and the other 2 crumbled when I went to change them out). Tire pressure check all the way around. Mine also has a Safe T Plus stering stabilizer. So with my tires at 70, air bags at 60, I can one hand my MH even when passing or being passed by 18 wheelers.

VocalVirgo · 01-07-2015, 03:16 AM

Hi guys.
Thank you SO MUCH for all your input.
Here's where I'm at:
The tires are old, but before buying new ones, I decided (knowing what I know about passenger cars/trucks, which is a lot) that my Motor Home probably is not like a passenger vehicle much at all. So, I went to a properly equipped truck tire place and had them check all the tire's pressure. Well wouldn't you know it- they were all close to the recommended Max PSI on the sidewalls- 95 PSI. I had them set all tires exactly to what the coach recommended- 65 PSI Front, 60 PSI Rear. Then I drove it to it's destination 40 miles away. Um... practically fixed the problem. Seriously. I could not find a bit or busted up highway that would get it to seek/follow. I was humbly impressed. Now I know when I get all new rubber, to make sure they are the right pressure.
I will also get front and rear anti-sway bars, and have my amazing shade tree mechanic check it for all current steering components to be correctly fitted and solid. I have yet to find anyone who makes a trac bar for my unit... (which is indeed on a 1998 Workhorse P32 chassis... THANK YOU for figuring that out for me!). There is no air suspension.
BTW, I don't have any trouble in back. The unit is only 26 feet long, so there is not a lot of coach past the rear axel.

I'll keep you guys posted! But so far, just with tire pressure alone, this is completely drivable again.

paz · 01-07-2015, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VocalVirgo

Hi guys.
Thank you SO MUCH for all your input.
Here's where I'm at:
The tires are old, but before buying new ones, I decided (knowing what I know about passenger cars/trucks, which is a lot) that my Motor Home probably is not like a passenger vehicle much at all. So, I went to a properly equipped truck tire place and had them check all the tire's pressure. Well wouldn't you know it- they were all close to the recommended Max PSI on the sidewalls- 95 PSI. I had them set all tires exactly to what the coach recommended- 65 PSI Front, 60 PSI Rear. Then I drove it to it's destination 40 miles away. Um... practically fixed the problem. Seriously. I could not find a bit or busted up highway that would get it to seek/follow. I was humbly impressed. Now I know when I get all new rubber, to make sure they are the right pressure.
I will also get front and rear anti-sway bars, and have my amazing shade tree mechanic check it for all current steering components to be correctly fitted and solid. I have yet to find anyone who makes a trac bar for my unit... (which is indeed on a 1998 Workhorse P32 chassis... THANK YOU for figuring that out for me!). There is no air suspension.
BTW, I don't have any trouble in back. The unit is only 26 feet long, so there is not a lot of coach past the rear axel.

I'll keep you guys posted! But so far, just with tire pressure alone, this is completely drivable again.

Thanks for the update.

BTW, Brazel's RV sells front and rear track bars for the P-32 chassis. Jon Brazel is real upstanding guy, and Brazel's has contributed a lot to the Workhorse Forum over the years.

Also check out Oemy's website. He has a lot of info on Workhorse chassis including cross-reference part numbers. See "RV Chassis Parts P Series" in the left column.

Motor7 · 01-07-2015, 07:06 AM

Vocal, I'm pretty sure the P-32 originally came with front air bags inside the coil springs. A previous owner might have ditched the bags and replaced the springs with something like Henderson springs which do not require air bags.

here is a link of the p-32 specs:
http://gmupfitter.com/files/media/ph...242Chassis.PDF

You should also have a oem front sway bar. It should look like this(note the missing bushings on mine):

You can also see the blue air bags inside the coil springs in both photos.....