Old Age

[leated]

Retired tech for over 4 years now. Owned a 40ft diesel for over ten years. I try to solve any problem I have or a friend has with their vehicles or Rvs. I consider myself to be a good troubleshooter on many problems we have with our RVs. Yes on this fighting the wheel on some of these RVs are a problem or should I say chassis. Yes you need a tight front end and a perfect front and rear alignment. Done by somebody that knows what they are doing. But what happens when you still have a problem with wandering after that? We'll here is what I have diagnosed. Go flex the sidewalls of those Michelin tires and a good set of Japanese truck tires laying side by side off the rims. You cannoy flex the sidewalls on those trucks tires and the Michelins flex like a piece of paper. I kidd you not. Now you have a huge amount of sidewall flex going down the highway. Softer ride, you betcha. Handling? Now if that dosen't help you drinking a hot cup of coffee in one hand and driving your 40 plus footer down the highway, then most likely you have too much frame flex. That right, some of these chassis mfg. sell these raised frame assemblies to the mfg. of your RV and they are not designed for what they are being used for. They blame in on inproper tire pressure or inproper weight distribution. Bull. If your took your frame and had it boxed, your coach would drive like a dream. Right now your frame is considered a C channel frame. If you would weld your frame to box it, you would eliminate a lot of frame flex. I know what i'm talking about. Almost all large trucks (cab & chassis) do not have this wandering problem, carrying heavy loads. Why

[Dave the mnw]

I have driven 2 38 foot DP's with air suspension. They are much less fatiguing than sprung trucks I have driven. Taking a break at a low effort stop at a rest area and using interstate highways are two ways I extend my endurance. In my case the DW tends to set the limit on my travel, and I have learned that she is usually right. Maintaining a lower speed will help with driving effort at highway speeds. I never have driven a front engine class A, I was advised against buying one because of the fatiguing ride and driving characteristics.
The weight distribution is different with a rear engine vehicle. The air suspension is much less bouncy. I suppose the longer rigs may be better, I have never needed the space and prefer the shorter turning radius.

[Ret.LEO]

Question Ladies and Gentleman. I know this thread is primarly a Class A thread BUT.....I am considering a Class C when wife retires in a couple of years. I am in the planning stages now though. I figure better "learn and live vs live and learn" How is the ride in Class C's? I have spinal stenosis, scoliosis, 2 herniated and one ruptured disc. Throw in a knee replacement with extensions, total ankle reconstruction. Had a stroke five years ago with two holes in my heart closed the same week.............other than that I am doing great!
Do Class C's ride decently? I know not close to a Class A DP but they will be out of our budget. Thanks folks!

[pduggs]

I can’t comment on the differences between a gasser and dp. I do know my dp is easy to drive. Really a pleasure. I am 61 and in very good shape. However I do get tired on occasion. I have found that stopping every 90-120 minutes to walk around, relax, or even take a nap does wonders. Since we are retired, I am in no hurry.

[akcampr]

I drove a 35 foot Class A for 7 years. F53 Chassis. I found it easier to drive than the 24 class C we had for 9 years previously. last year we traded for a 40' Diesel. tiffin phaeton. it is definitely nicer to drive than the gasser. it is bigger and 10,000 lbs heavier, but rides and drives better. I don't have to take as many rest stops, and don't feel as worn out when we arrive. i didn't know how much effort I was using until I drove the pusher. first drive home was from texas to alaska on both rigs. there are a lot of nice older pushers out there to be had for a reasonable price. you might be surprised what you can afford.

[OCREF]

Originally Posted by JCM

I have both a 40 foot dp and a 32 foot gasser. There is no comparison, the DP is 10X better in driving down the road. The noise is in the back so you can talk. I still can't get over sitting above 8 pistons going at 4500 RPM. I hope they stay in the motor and not up my ---.
The DP handles better because of the weight (a completely different suspension) better brakes along with a Jake brake.
I am selling my 40 footer as we won't be traveling south anymore as I am 74, diabetic with some loss of toes. I didn't want to give up motor homing so I bought a 32 foot gasser so that my wife could drive it if necessary. It is made by the same manufactures as my first motorhome - a 35 footer gasser and my 40 foot DP -- Triple E.
Go for the DP.

What year is your 40 foot Triple E DP and Floorplan?
Interested in knowing more! Ed
2001 Winnibego

[Kbullwinkle]

In my earlier post i made reference to wrestling my 40 ft coach ... what I was referring too was not the ride or the way our Coach handles .. I was talking about closed roads, small service stations , camp grounds verses rv parks , bad roads , closed roads , construction, and most if all arrogant millenials driving $10 dollars p.o.s's at a hundred miles per hour and changing lanes, crossing all lanes to get an exit at the last moment or jumping on the brakes in front of a 30,000 pound bahimeth going down the road at 65 or 70 miles an hour....i expected our bus chassis to drive like a bus chassis....you put the best tires that you can afford, properly inflated , and a well proportioned cargo....and off you go...millenials be dambed....

[oldbob]

I'm almost 77 and have a 2004 Allegro Bay 36' gasser. I bought it used and it was a wanderer. I had to put a steering stabilizer on it and made sure the tires had the right pressure and it made a big difference. Steering is very light and that takes some getting used to.
I find that most of my fatigue comes from driving conditions. When on open interstate highways I can drive forever, but getting into heavy traffic or congested interchanges can really wear you out. Forget about the crazies.
We travel many days 500+ miles and 10 or 11 hours.
I pulled a fifth wheel for years behind a Chevy diesel and the truck was very comfortable and totally stable. The fifth wheel was hardly noticeable. I'm sorry I sold it. The only reason we got the Class A is because my wife has disabilities and the fifth wheel was more difficult for her because of having to use the stair to get to the toilet and bedroom.

[Ret.LEO]

Originally Posted by pduggs

I can’t comment on the differences between a gasser and dp. I do know my dp is easy to drive. Really a pleasure. I am 61 and in very good shape. However I do get tired on occasion. I have found that stopping every 90-120 minutes to walk around, relax, or even take a nap does wonders. Since we are retired, I am in no hurry.

You for sure have the right mind-set. Retirement means to slow down and enjoy all the things we missed in our working years.
With my health condition I will stop every hour religiously and get out of my P/U to walk around it twice when we go out of town. Makes all the difference in the world physically and keeps a person sharper I think.

[Ret.LEO]

Originally Posted by akcampr

I drove a 35 foot Class A for 7 years. F53 Chassis. I found it easier to drive than the 24 class C we had for 9 years previously. last year we traded for a 40' Diesel. tiffin phaeton. it is definitely nicer to drive than the gasser. it is bigger and 10,000 lbs heavier, but rides and drives better. I don't have to take as many rest stops, and don't feel as worn out when we arrive. i didn't know how much effort I was using until I drove the pusher. first drive home was from texas to alaska on both rigs. there are a lot of nice older pushers out there to be had for a reasonable price. you might be surprised what you can afford.

Thanks for the suggestions and sharing you're experiences........very appreciated!

[Dave Dopp]

Just my 2 cents here. DP or gasser doesn't really make a hill of beans difference. The DP may be physically easier but the real challenge is mental. Driving a big rig requires a high level of concentration. Maintaining situational awareness - not just what's in front of you, but what's coming up behind you, what's on the side of you just waiting to jump in front of you, merging traffic, construction zones and on and on - all take a mental toll. Mental fatigue is, in my opinion, worse than physical. I've found that a 250 mile per day target works well for me. I also don't drive more than about two hours without taking a break to get up and walk around. I let my body dictate my time limits. If, like today, I feel especially tired, I stop for the night. (We stopped here at a Flying J after a "grueling" 125 mile day. lol) We start around 9 or 10 in the morning and stop no later than 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Rarely do I get caught on rush hour traffic. As another poster said, the trip is not about the destination, the trip IS the destination! I also find it helpful to not drive more than five days in a row without taking at least two or three days break. At age 73, I can't do those 24 hour driving marathons like I could at age 37.

[lakebuster]

1st Thank You for your service to our Country. I have driven 2 gas coaches that where owned by family members. A gas powered Bounder and a Georgetown both around 35’. Both wore me out due to constant correction of steering, noise from engine and the effects of 18 wheelers passing along with side winds. We now own and drive a 45’ DP with comfort steer. DW is 50 and I am 57 I have driven 12 hours but the norm is 6-8 hours, but we still have to stop every 1-2 hours as I am constantly drinking water and DW will not drive. Saying all that, You and the wife need to go in a bunch of models and see what layout you like and then test drive it at least an hour. We were looking at Tiffin Zephyr, Entegra Cornerstone and Newmar LondonAire. They all had their +/-‘s What sold my wife was a simple door in the bathroom she could get out off in an emergency!

[pduggs]

Originally Posted by Dave Dopp

Just my 2 cents here. DP or gasser doesn't really make a hill of beans difference. The DP may be physically easier but the real challenge is mental. Driving a big rig requires a high level of concentration. Maintaining situational awareness - not just what's in front of you, but what's coming up behind you, what's on the side of you just waiting to jump in front of you, merging traffic, construction zones and on and on - all take a mental toll. Mental fatigue is, in my opinion, worse than physical. I've found that a 250 mile per day target works well for me. I also don't drive more than about two hours without taking a break to get up and walk around. I let my body dictate my time limits. If, like today, I feel especially tired, I stop for the night. (We stopped here at a Flying J after a "grueling" 125 mile day. lol) We start around 9 or 10 in the morning and stop no later than 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Rarely do I get caught on rush hour traffic. As another poster said, the trip is not about the destination, the trip IS the destination! I also find it helpful to not drive more than five days in a row without taking at least two or three days break. At age 73, I can't do those 24 hour driving marathons like I could at age 37.

I agree with you completely. It is a mental exercise driving a large DP and mental fatigue is apparent to me. It is particularly stressful driving in large cities. You must stay completely focused at all times for problems ahead and behind, as you stated.

I drove through Tampa, Atlanta, Nashville and Indianapolis this past Spring. It was white knuckle at times. But then, driving in northern Michigan this Summer with little traffic, it was easy and a pleasure.

I went through school bus training primarily to learn how to properly and safely drive a large vehicle. That training has been instrumental and extremely helpful to me. So glad I did it.

[ghost1750]

Originally Posted by Ret.LEO

Question Ladies and Gentleman. I know this thread is primarly a Class A thread BUT.....I am considering a Class C when wife retires in a couple of years. I am in the planning stages now though. I figure better "learn and live vs live and learn" How is the ride in Class C's? I have spinal stenosis, scoliosis, 2 herniated and one ruptured disc. Throw in a knee replacement with extensions, total ankle reconstruction. Had a stroke five years ago with two holes in my heart closed the same week.............other than that I am doing great!
Do Class C's ride decently? I know not close to a Class A DP but they will be out of our budget. Thanks folks!

I don't own a class C but I did rent one when my class A was in the shop. I was surprised, I found it comfortable and enjoyable to drive. Actually its just a big pick up with a very big box in the bed. Just didn't find it very livable, too cramped but very poor layout inside. Make sure you can walk around the bed and there is storage and closet space and slides in the living area and the bedroom Good luck.