F53 Suspension Upgrades

[Pol6]

Well your story is pretty similar to mine. Had a 2012 30’ HR vacationner on F53 chassis and did many upgrades to both the house and chassis. Mine was on 19.5 wheels, last one for sure for me as these will contribute even more to a harsh ride.
After all the usual sway bar, track bar, shocks, steering damper, etc. upgrades I was still unhappy so I went with the Kelderman 2 stage with onboard compressor and leveling valves. Road handling was much better and somewhat improved comfort on smooth roads. The F53 chassis has it’s limits.
Last winter we went all the way to the west coast and drove about 10,000 miles in 3 months through Midwest’s windy plains and steep mountains. That trip convinced me, sold the gasser and now have a nice DP and could not be happier while on the road. For the rest, my gasser was as good or a better option for a lot less money.

[uchu]

I'm quite certain that drivability of the F53 chasis depends a lot on the design of the "house" part of the MH. In my old 99' GBM, I've never experienced scary, white-knuckled episodes. Yes, semis passing by can be felt, but nothing terribly noticeable. The centre of gravity must be lower as well.

Cross winds do have an impact, and usually I can feel them clearly when gusts are over 50-60 km/h. When the forecast calls for stronger winds than that, we usually plan accordingly and avoid driving under such conditions.

My point is that the fact that our coach is slightly more aerodynamic at the front (less "bricky") and overall not as tall as other gassers, these factors makes it less prompt to suffer as much of the driving woes that are common place for this type of coaches.

[DocCD]

Originally Posted by fatsurf

I found on my ride the best handling upgrade is to slow down. It is a scary ride at 70+MPH. It is a great ride and handling at 60 to 65 MPH.

I'd like to do suspension upgrades. But I have also found the adage "don't be in a hurry" true. I maintain 63mph. And even in OK winds, found control challenges not a big deal.