Community Forums

MONTANA RED · 08-07-2005, 05:36 AM

Why are we haveing to install add ons after purchasing a new rv. After what we pay for these rvs' We should not have to add on Safe T Plus and sway bars. IF this is a Safety issue it should be addressed at the factory.. Why would workhorse send out a chassis without a safety bar installed knowing that if you have a front end blowout you will not be able to control the motorhome and could be seriously injured or even killed. I think this is a safety issued that should be corrected at the factory and not passed on to the consumer....

MONTANA RED · 08-07-2005, 05:36 AM

Why are we haveing to install add ons after purchasing a new rv. After what we pay for these rvs' We should not have to add on Safe T Plus and sway bars. IF this is a Safety issue it should be addressed at the factory.. Why would workhorse send out a chassis without a safety bar installed knowing that if you have a front end blowout you will not be able to control the motorhome and could be seriously injured or even killed. I think this is a safety issued that should be corrected at the factory and not passed on to the consumer....

Photog · 08-07-2005, 06:56 AM

Amen!

I agree with you 100%. In my opinion the light duty shocks that came on my MH represented borderline criminal negligence. Workhorse and Winnebago should hang their heads in shame.

Bill

rvten · 08-07-2005, 06:57 AM

NO MFG adds a a steering safty bar. I installed Steer Safe on mine. Just for added safty and it tightens up the steering a little. Some Ford and the old Chevy owners have done the same in the past. Even saw Steer Safe on some high way trucks (Semi's)

Teach · 08-07-2005, 07:32 AM

Red, I couldn't agree with you more. The problem as I see it (just my opnion you factory reps) is that there is not TOTAL ownership of the quality of the rig after it is built. "That's the chassis manufacturer's problem" or "That's the coach manufacturer's problem". We all hear that frequently. The only place where total ownership of the problem comes together is with us, the buyers. Then we inherit the problems, whether they be ride issues, power issues, stability, safety, fit and finish, on and on....

We have had our Bounder (on a W22 chassis) for two months. The day we took it home the rear air conditioner quit working, a wire came loose; next a fender brace came loose; first trip out a water line disconnected at a joint; passenger slide out is hanging up; power line to the starter came loose; house batteries' connecting wire came loose; coach wanders like a wild goose going down the road (to your point about the bars and Safe T Plus and I had to pay to have it aligned); "hood" didn't fit properly (dealer told me there was no adjustment for it, so I fixed it myself); cable to the rear camera came off (again, fixed it myself); doors and drawers were popping open all over the place, so I had to put proper catches on all of them; Zone 1 and Zone 2 temp sensing devices are exactly 4 feet from each other, both behind the rear a/c (now that makes sense, right?) and what really caps it, when I was installing the Bank's system air filter I discovered that there had never been an filter element in the filter housing(luckily there was less than 5,000 miles on vehicle). When I brought this to the attention of the dealer, who is a WH authorized repair center, their comment was nothing more than an harrumph.

My point is, if one entity was responsible for the total quality control of the unit I think we would all see a much better end product. I'm reminded of the auto industry in the 60's and 70's. Give the customer what "we" think they want without really asking or listening to the customer. Then, in stepped the Japanese with their penchant for Total Quality Control. The same could happen for the RV industry.

Just blowing off steam.

George Miklas · 08-07-2005, 10:22 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Teach:
I couldn't agree with you more...
...there is not TOTAL ownership of the quality of the rig after it is built... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Absolutely Right! One of the ONLY motor homes that was built with TOTAL ownership was the 1973-1978 GMC motor home. I have admired these for some time and have done a little bit of research.

Did you know that every part of that motor home has a General Motors part number? Yes indeed! The sink cabinet has a GM part number...the water pump has a GM part number...the sofa cushions have GM part numbers...the holding tanks have GM part numbers...the entry doors have GM part numbers...the toilet has a GM part number. GM built a motor home with TOTAL quality control for some 6 years.

Not only that, but the design was decades before its time. Aerodynamic front end...mid-body and up was aluminum...mid-body and down was fiberglass. No front cap or rear cap to leak. Available in 23' and 26' models. Powered by the Oldsmobile Toronado's front wheel drive 455 V-8 '73-'77, then the Toronado's 407 V-8 in '78.

I know many owners of these vintage motor homes and not one of them boasts of suspension upgrades or after-market enhancements. Afterall, GMC built it with automatic equalizing rear tandem axles, self-leveling air-ride suspension.

George

DriVer · 08-07-2005, 09:58 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Teach:
My point is, if one entity was responsible for the total quality control of the unit I think we would all see a much better end product. I'm reminded of the auto industry in the 60's and 70's. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Point taken! I think that Workhorse is in fact listening to their customers. Please review the post I made regarding the "new" Workhorse PDI Center

You will see that Workhorse is delivering more than lip service when it comes to being "Customer Driven" and achieving customer satisfaction and confidence before the chassis leaves Union City.

DriVer · 08-07-2005, 10:14 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MONTANA RED:
Why would workhorse send out a chassis without a safety bar installed knowing that if you have a front end blowout you will not be able to control the motorhome and could be seriously injured or even killed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Workhorse "is" responding to these customer issues by introducing a new option called the SSC. Stay tuned for all the details coming soon to a website near you!

Answering your question there is also RoadMaster, Spartan, Freightliner, Ford & Workhorse. None of these manufactures includes a Safe-T-Plus as original equipment. Continuing, International, Mack, Sterling, Autocar etc. etc. the list goes on and yet - no Safe-T-Plus.

What I'm waiting for is the 3 inch thick Kevlar roof! I wouldn't want to be taken out by a meteorite or a chunk of "blue ice".

Point is no manufacturer can cover all contingencies regarding what could go wrong at any given time in an driver's ownership experience. Addressing all these concerns would be impossible.

Workhorse by introducing an SSC option will make some of these items available on the chassis and the option will be transparent to the OEM. All the customer would have to do is order the option for their coach.

Gary RVRoamer · 08-08-2005, 05:24 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Answering your question there is also RoadMaster, Spartan, Freightliner, Ford & Workhorse. None of these manufactures includes a Safe-T-Plus as original equipment. Continuing, International, Mack, Sterling, Autocar etc. etc. the list goes on and yet - no Safe-T-Plus. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually the Ford F53 chassis does include a steering stabilizer as standard equipment. It's not a Safe-T-Plus, but it operates on the same principle. It is not as "strong" as an S-T-P and is removed when S-T-P is installed on a Ford chassis motorhome.

Blue Ribbon · 08-08-2005, 07:37 AM

I put Steer Safe on my MH in June & drove 4300 miles to the SW and I did not notice any difference at all! I'm sorry I made the investment.

DriVer · 08-08-2005, 03:37 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Roamer:
Actually the Ford F53 chassis does include a steering stabilizer as standard equipment. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Gary, I was just reviewing my 2006 Ford F-53 literature and although they do show a track bar and a anti-sway bar I am hard pressed to locate a steering stabilizer.

The former P-32 did have a Bilstein steering stabilizer which acted more like a damper than a stabilizer but that's as close as I got to seeing an OEM component on a chassis.