Community Forums

RVdumas · 01-21-2023, 08:33 PM

Hi,
New to motorhomes and currently in early stage of shopping or purchasing. For a number of reasons we are looking at Class C models.
This last weekend we rented a Thor class C and while we were pleased with how things worked while parked or camping we were very disappointed in the drive ride and noise.
This unit had just over 50,000 miles and I was curious if the sounds we were hearing were normal. Besides what seemed like door and/or blind/window rattles I swore I was inside a styrofoam cooler. This was a constant squeaking sound that hindered any conversation at highway speeds.
The vehicle seemed to wallow all over the road, not so much to feel dangerous, but as far from precise as I could describe.
This was a friend of a friends unit and not a full time rental, from what I was told 75% of the use was by the owner.
Are these problems normal ? if so, are there fixes that don't add substantially to the cost ?
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Sal

Raines · 01-21-2023, 09:37 PM

Well I have a Jayco Redhawk 29xk and it squeaked and rattled and felt like I was driving a boat in the open seas when I bought it brand new. There is a ton you can do to get them to drive better. I upgraded my sway bars, shocks, and steering stabilizer. Adjusted my helper springs properly. Got it aligned properly. Added a rear trac bar and sumo springs. It drives like it's supposed to now.
We fixed the squeaking and rattling by slowly pinpointing the noises as we went. It still will have some noises but definitely quieter now and can easily hold a conversation. Best of luck to you and do your research when buying!

PlanBig63 · 01-22-2023, 07:49 AM

That is the model I have like the most froma floor plan perspective. Glad to read about the changes you made. Were the changes expensive?

Old-Biscuit · 01-22-2023, 08:55 AM

"This was a friend of a friends unit and not a full time rental, from what I was told 75% of the use was by the owner."

What kind/frequency was maintenance done?

Rent another one from commercial rental and compare

DJ in Mich. · 01-22-2023, 03:52 PM

Hi, Sal.

I went through the same thing with a 2022 Entegra Esteem I bought new last April. The first thing I did was get a front-end alignment. That made a major difference in preventing the sway while driving. Our unit came with add-on anti-sway bars in the rear, so I may add some to the front this year.

My wife and I have also slowly found out the things that squeak and rattle. First, we must have found about two dozen screws and nails from the factory that were sitting underneath the slide outs and inside the crevices under drawers and under the refrigerator. It seems that when the unit was built, no one cleaned it before sending it to the dealer, and the dealer didn’t bother either.

We also learned to remove the glass tray from the microwave while driving. That really squeaked. Putting shades all the way up helps, too.

Oddly enough, the driver also hears a high-pitched noise when driving between 64 and 67 miles per hour. The passenger does not hear this. At 63 or 68 miles per hour, no noise. We have yet to figure out what that’s all about. So we can’t drive at 64 to 67 miles per hour because the driver can’t hear the passenger.

I hope this helps. We were first-time buyers of any RV, so it’s been quite a learning experience for us. Make sure you test drive your unit and get the front-end aligned before buying. (Our dealer ended up reimbursing us, but the dealer could have just done it in the first place.) A Class C will be a bit noisy and will sway, especially in the wind, but if you test drive — on a highway — you’ll learn a lot about each unit.

Finally, I highly suggest you hire a competent RV inspector to go through your unit before buying. I did not do this, and my wife and I regret it.

Once we got the unit home, we had to fix a leak, repair an AC unit, have a new WiFi booster installed, get a door repaired, get a few storage bay doors repaired, among other things. This was a new unit, too. It would have saved me time and headaches to have an inspector find these problems before I bought the unit so I could demand the dealer have them all repaired before I bought it.

On a positive note, my wife and I have enjoyed the RV immensely during our first summer, and we already have several trips lined up for this coming summer.

Good luck!

RVdumas · 01-22-2023, 08:19 PM

Thank you for the replies, we are not owners yet, only rented the 1 motorhome.

To the best of our knowledge it is a well maintained unit and only had a few rentals by people who know the owner.

I just didn't know if this was normal or not as it was our virgin experience with a motorhome.

Obviously a lot to learn.

dvspl · 01-23-2023, 03:05 PM

Driving feel and interior noise are both very subjective as they depend on the prior experiences of the reviewer. Many people describe driving/handling issues of their motorhomes. Most of these can be fixed (or at least improved), though this typically takes some work. I thought my Class C handled fine upon delivery and my wife nor I have ever had an issue driving it...except in high crosswinds! It is noisy inside while driving and I don't think there is anything that will get the noise level similar to even a low-end passenger car. We installed additional soundproofing in the engine doghouse and under the floormats. We also spent some time tracking down noises and quieting them while driving. It's still noisy but we don't have any trouble conversing while we're on the road. YMMV.

TandW · 01-23-2023, 03:26 PM

Welcome aboard!

Is there any chance you are familiar with ASROC?

Flyer15015 · 01-23-2023, 03:43 PM

This is probably the wrong thread to post this, and I may get a lot of flack, but here goes.
Now you've driven a class "C", take your bride out and drive a class "A".

Notice the leg room for her and you? Notice the swiveling captain's chairs? Notice the panoramic view? Notice the interior roominess? Notice the larger bathroom?

There are some really nice older class "A's" out there at prices that would amaze you. You just need to look.

I did.

Mike in Colorado

MtCamper · 01-23-2023, 03:51 PM

That's one reason we are trailer people. We've owned all types and the B's were more car like, the Class C and gas As were both too loud for us. We liked out DP for travel, but prefer the fifth wheel when parked. DP was over complicated for me to maintain and too costly to have someone else do it. IMO, the best driving experience comes from DPs and towing trailers. The Bs are too small for us but may be an option as we get older, they give a good ride and are easy to handle.

Raines · 01-24-2023, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlanBig63

That is the model I have like the most froma floor plan perspective. Glad to read about the changes you made. Were the changes expensive?

Well for me it was worth it for the results I obtained. It was a little pricey but I did all my changes before everything skyrocketed, so I am sure it costs more now, plus I did them all myself. I just bought the parts. We love the floorplan as well as the extra exterior storage.

Piney2 · 01-29-2023, 05:28 AM

x2 on the reco to pay for an RV inspection prior to purchasing. Most inspectors have varying levels of inspection with a cost that matches the level of inspection effort.

If you are new to motor homes, as Donald Rumsfeld said "you don't know what you don't know". Your costs can go anywhere from $300-400 for a basic inspection to $900 for a full blown, 6-8 hour inspection w/ photos and a full printed report. Pricey yes but you are going to spend a good amount of money and you do not want your RV to spend time in the shop vs. your campground.
Since I am familiar with Class C's I bought my inspector "by the drink" and he spent two hours going over the RV for major anomalies. Well worth the money.

Here is where you can find a local inspector:
https://nrvia.org/locate/

Mark_K5LXP · 01-29-2023, 09:15 AM

I think I paid $700 for my inspection, and it didn't reveal even the most obvious of problems (like a disconnected house battery and an inoperative entertainment radio). It's probably not a stretch to think an inspection won't reveal the presence or proper function of any chassis equipment, much less squeaks and rattles.

We discovered that the interior quieted quite a bit once we put all our stuff in the cabinets. Sometimes just adjusting a catch on a cabinet door cures an annoying rattle, my TV mount squeaked to beat the band and stuffing some shelf liner foam behind it tamed it down. Just gotta play whack a mole with identifying the sources and knocking them out.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Ron Dittmer · 02-07-2023, 03:44 PM

Hi RVdumas,

Motorhomes rattle and squeak a lot. One thing about a rental is that the rental companies put 80 PSI in all the tires regardless of the load. Too much air in the tires makes the rig shake and squeak even more than normal, and it also makes the rig handle worse.

Like in other replies, I made a lot of effort in quieting down the noise in our rig and am very pleased with the results. From susension upgrades as others mentioned, drawer and cabinet liners, paper towels between pots, adding stick-on pads in many places (including inside the TV), placing silicone pot holders on the stove grates, replacing the front coil springs in our E350 to one rating lesser, all in combination has made a monumental difference for the better. Not having a slide-out nor a large frontal over-hang also helps along with the aerodynamic shape of our rig for less wind noise.

No shouting required.