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odieboy · 09-08-2019, 08:52 AM

We have a 2011 Coachmen Mirada and are having quite a few maintenance problems. The first major problem is the ride of the coach. It rides really rough!!!!! Every time we hit a bump or bad pavement which most of the interstate have it sounds like the whole coach is coming apart. We have had the shocks checked and the sway bar and there aren't any problems there. We have had new tires put on and balanced. We are not happy with the new tires . They are Goodrich truck tires not RV tires. We are going to replace with Michelin. But we were still having the rough ride before the tires were replaced.The other issues we have had we can't seem to find a RV service in our area that can fix anything. We live in North Georgia. We even made a trip last week to Middlebury Indiana where Miradas are made . They weren't much help. They have to send you to other contractors in the area to work on different problems. The passenger slide window the black plastic strip panel that has the lock on it keeps coming off.We have had RV World in Buford work on it and still not fixed. Just want to find a reputable dealer we can go to to have work done.

Kahoona · 09-08-2019, 09:25 AM

You have an F53 chassis if I am correct. I had a 2002 Mirada and although the coach manufacturer is different the mechanicals are all Ford F53. Think UPS truck. There are two ways to go. You can either make as many incremental corrections as you can or go scorched earth and install a new front suspension. Incremental would be weighing the MH front and rear or 4 corners when loaded for a trip then getting the tire manufacturers inflation chart and inflating to the correct pressure (+5lbs for safety.) Looking at your weight balance and, if the front is light, move heavy storage up front to load the springs properly. Travel with a full water load. Either empty wastes and full fresh or somewhere in between. The weight helps. Research the shocks. Stock are often harsh, Koni's are expensive and may be no softer. Monroe are often the softest. Get a can of spray grease and soak the front leaf springs especially between the leaves.

The scorched earth part is in getting a kit that replaces the springs with lighter, more progressive leaf springs and a small set of air bags. You need to do both (as a kit) one or the other won't help. This is what is done during assembly on the upper end coaches that ride so well but cost so much more. You will spend 2-3 thou.

So far as other repairs go best to ask as many people as you can. Look for one that is family owned, not part of a chain. Smaller is better. I generally use shops that repair cars and light trucks. They will have better prices, better parts availability and since they deal with businesses, may jerk you around less.

Someone here will know where to send you in your area. You will get the hang of it.

emcee · 09-08-2019, 09:59 AM

Read every word of Kahoona's response - it is an excellent summary of advice for this longstanding issue.

The only thing I would add is that you are on the right track with the tires. You will want to find tires that have the most flex in the sidewalls. As Kahoona said, weigh all four corners and inflate per the tire manufacturer's load chart. The tires are your first line of defense in softening the blow from imperfections in the road. You won't be happy with truck tires that have stiff sidewalls.

emcee · 09-08-2019, 11:30 AM

One other thing: You may be better off with a mobile RV tech for repairs. Check Yelp for reviews: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_des...Savannah%2C+GA

Teamfoxy · 09-08-2019, 04:43 PM

We have a 2011 Mirada 32DS. The advice on loading is spot on. We weighed everything we load in the coach, put as much weight forward as we could and then checked the axle weights on the CAT scale to make sure we were not overloading an axle. We have Bilstein shocks and they are fine. We run Ironman commercial truck tires inflated to 82 psi per the Ford sticker on the coach. We did have the bolts work loose on the rear sway bar and replaced the bolts and used locktite on them. There is a pinned notice about that on the Ford Chassis forum.
All this said this is a truck chassis which is never going to ride like a luxury sedan. However compared to our class C Winnebago or even our F150 pickup, the ride is more than satisfactory to us.
I can't advise on service outside of our Florida area. I do most of my own maintenance and repairs as it is difficult to find shops when traveling. You Tube and Amazon will get you through a lot.

Kahoona · 09-09-2019, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emcee

One other thing: You may be better off with a mobile RV tech for repairs. Check Yelp for reviews: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_des...Savannah%2C+GA

++ on that. Except in a jam I always do that. Any campground will have numbers for mobile RV folks who have proven themselves.