Question on how Class A handle on the road

[lincolnmath]

My 2000 Winnebago Adventurer 35' drives very nice, (I think they built them heavy & really engineered everything better back in those days). However I just installed a Safe T Plus stabilizer that with just the short test drives does make a big difference passing big trucks. We wii see when we leave for a few wks coming up. This might be one upgrade you might consider. Good luck

[MSHappyCampers]

I guess we just got lucky! Our 2002 Monaco Windsor handles like a dream, even in windy conditions and meeting 18-wheelers!

[Sweetbriar]

Originally Posted by christenha

,,, My question is do all class A motor homes ride the same? ,,,

No, beyond the DP/Gas chassis differences there are many other configurations, road, traffic and weather conditions what will have an effect beyond what each driver feels is acceptable. My rig being gas on a 18k Lbs. chassis has several post delivery bolt on suspension additions and I find it to be very stable and easy to drive. Very little wind push from weather or passing vehicles. Less than optimum road surfaces will still rattle the pots and pans in the kitchen cabinets but overall the coach is very easy to drive.

[blueridge-fl]

I think those are F53 based RVs. Go take a look here. It will answer your question.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/

[Teamfoxy]

The longer your wheelbase is in relation to overall length, the better your ride will be. 55% or more is desirable. The further forward in the coach and lower you can get your weight, the better the ride will be. If you have tracking issues, see if your shop can increase castor when aligning. I run tire pressure at the numbers on the sticker near the drivers seat, but you can have the coach weighed and use the tire maker's charts.
Our coach rides very well, and does not get blown around by passing trucks.

[Coldjensens]

This thread is a big relief to me. We recently rented a 32 foot Thor Challenger for four days in part to test our idea of living in an RV full time after we retire. Driving it on the freeway was pure hell. It wandered all over the lane at any speed, and when a truck passed or we passed a truck, it was a huge battle to stay in my lane and not hit anyone next to me. Several times I attempted to pass a slow moving truck and started to get pushed around so badly when I got near the front of the truck that I just dropped back and stayed behind him at 60 MPH. Passing him in heavy traffic with really narrow lanes was just to risky. Other times I was able to pass or be passed without too much problem, but that was only where I had some room to correct for the sudden jump away from the truck at the front and towards the truck at the back. Any passing or being passed by trucks was very tense.

While I was driving, I had to remind myself to shake out my hands from clenching the wheel - like you learn to do when driving a nascar car at 165 mph. In Indiana, they had really narrow highway lanes due to construction and I thought I was going to have a stroke. Our mirrors were four inches away from the truck's mirrors in the next lanes and this RV was drifting all over the lane at any speed. I drove very slowly and annoyed a lot of people (sorry).

I was concerned that this might be the normal thing to deal with when driving an RV and I was having second thoughts about wanting to live in one because freeway driving was such an ordeal and left me completely drained.
(The bumps, potholes and porpoising when we went over a bridge approach added to the tension). Alternately I thought that maybe I was just a terrible RV driver because I just could not hold the thing in a lane without constant attention and correction. Although I had no problems driving the RV all over small cities with narrow streets, on the freeways I felt like a beginning car driver with both hands white knuckled on the wheel the whole time. I came away hoping that a big diesel pusher would be much much better. Apparently they are. It also may be that that particular RV had alignment or other problems. Alignment problems are common for any vehicle driven on Michigan roads and there is little point in fixing the alignment. It will not last two weeks.

I am very happy to learn this is not normal.

[mlpeloquin]

A tag axle will handle much better. I have a shorter Thor Palazzo. Bounce, rock, and got pushed around by wind, trucks, and uneven roads. Not to mention turning out of a driveway. I did a lot of up grades and love how it handles.
Safe-T-Steer
Larger Rear Anti-Sway Bar
Front end alignment
Changed to Koni shocks
Then put motion control air bag isolators
The first three, then the shocks, and finally the isolators. Do one or two at a time and see how it drives. You will know when it handles right.

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

This thread is a big relief to me. We recently rented a 32 foot Thor Challenger for four days.........

I am very happy to learn this is not normal.

It should not be normal! You need to try several higher echelon coaches and see how they handle. My 35 foot Fleetwood Discovery does just fine on highways. I enjoy getting out on the open road and drive drive drive.

Lots of things can influence how these things handle from tire pressure, to driver training and experience, and lots of things in-between. If you are going to full time and do a lot of driving from place to place, look at getting a better coach.

[Theturboman]

I believe weight is key in my experience. I am on my 6th coach. 2 gas (77 Overland, 92 Southwind) then I went to a DP (90 Holiday Rambler Limited) and the ride changed me forever very heavy machine. I had it for 6 years and bought a new 2002 Diplomat and within 1 1/2 years traded it in because it was much lighter and had small tires and I hated to drive it. I traded it for a 2003 Monaco Signature 45ft tag and thought I died and went to heaven it was so nice to drive. My friends that I traveled with would call me and ask me to slow down (doing 60) because they were being blown all over and I didnt know it was windy. Today I am in a smaller 38ft Alpine but am amazed at the ride quality of the Peak chassis with the 295/75 tires but it is still a nice heavy coach

[RealNiceTent]

Turboman beat me to it about weight being a key factor. The gas front engine coaches are a lot lighter, built on medium duty truck type chassis, where the diesel pushers on the other hand are on commercial duty truck/bus frames. It is like comparing a Chevy Vega to a Lincoln Continental, there is no comparison.
The gas coaches are more susceptible to handling evils, and occasionally they are built in to the coach, the builder uses a frame that isn't suitable for the weight or length, bad weight distribution, etc.. There is also the occasional coach that is just evil for no good reason, (more often than not, the owner is the problem).

Most evils can be overcome by improving the suspension with add-ons, quad shocks, rear load carrying air bags, larger sway bars, improved steering alignment angles, heavier or custom springs, different bushing materials, and so many more. Having worked almost exclusively on motorhomes for a couple years the most important thing is to make sure the base system is solid, don't add anything until the basic system is tight, no worn components and in proper adjustment. It doesn't do any good to put that super duty dual steering stabilizer setup in if the ball joints are shot or the tie rod ends are worn out or the caster is at 0 degrees. Once the base system is up to par then you can start upgrading. The exception I will make to this rule is upgraded repairs. These are basic repairs like shock replacement where better parts or solutions can be utilized while minimizing the additional cost of the upgrade. Examples would be upgrading to better or quad shocks when replacing worn out shocks, replacing tie rod ends and ball joints with top shelf greaseable units instead of sealed factory replacements or having the front springs replaced with axle weight tailored springs when the ball joints are replaced to save paying labor to replace the springs by themselves.



Happy Trails, Dave


P.S. Don't burden your regular auto mechanic with your coach unless you have a serious conversation with him beforehand and he/they assure you they really have the needed tools and equipment, but most important space for your baby.
I encourage you to find a shop that does a lot of motor home work that you can trust. Ask around to the other coach owners in your area, they know who can be trusted and counted on, and who can't.

[Tha_Rooster]

Originally Posted by christenha

Not sure how to present this question. We have owned two class A motor homes now. Pretty pleased with our 38 ft Georgetown but would still like a better ride. My question is do all class A motor homes ride the same? I feel like we are driving a waterbed on wheels. We are kinda all over the road. Big rigs pass and push us. Kinda scary at times. We are 38 foot with a single tandem axel.

No no and absolutely not. It’s all about the chassis. The more you pay the better you ride.

[Ray,IN]

I can't add anything to the conversation other than you should pay attention to the hundreds of previous handling threads in irv2.com. You'll find them using the google search box at page top. By default it will display irv2.com threads only.
IMO the first thing is to have a total alignment performed on your chassis, which most any HDT repair shop can perform.

[HighDesert]

Ask 3 people driving the same rig, and you'll probably get 3 totally different answers as to how it drove / rode. The gasser is just going to be tougher ride, due to the base F53 chassis and whether it has the smaller tires or the 22.5" tires. as an example. But, if you have a gasser, and don't like some of the issues, they can be corrected to a real good handling and riding coach. Comparing a gasser to a diesel is sort of like comparing apples and oranges - both are fruits, but totally different. We looked at diesels, but opted for the Tiffin Gasser and never looked back after we did suspension upgrades.

[ponytl]

Originally Posted by amosnandy

Your question is kinda like asking "do all cars drive the same"

It depends on what chassis it is on, tires, shocks, springs, age, when the last alignment was done.

I had a 36' on a Ford F53 for years. The entirety of its travel was from Minnesota to Mazatlan Mx every year. Each trip was the longest most stressful 7 days each way every year.

I upgraded to a 40 DP on a Freightliner Chassis and life became much easier. Still feel a little wind and if it is from the right direction I can feel some of the semis. But I stopped for fuel in Vaughn NM on my way back, driving across the wide open for hours and damn near got pulled out when I opened the door the wind was blowing so hard. Had not even been feeling it on the road.

So no. They don't all drive the same. You need to decide if you want to make changes to what you have to make it handle better, and there will be a limit to what you can do, or upgrade and then how far do you want to upgrade because there are lots of levels of suspension and chassis. Go all the way with independent front suspension and a tag axel. But just remember, no mater what you do, your still driving a bus. Either a school bus or a greyhound. The choice is yours.

Do you still travel to Mazatlan? I have looked at it but would love to make the trip with someone who knew the lay of the land.... thanks in advance for anything you can share...