Class C

You have a lot of weight behind the rear wheels and that takes weight off of the front axle. If you do not have at least 80% of the maximum weight on the front axle you will have handling problems and you will not be able to correct them till you get the weight back on the axle. Weigh your rig loaded as you would be for trip including the jeep hooked up.

I agree with Desert Captain on minimum cruising speeds. You need to maintain the speed limit at a minimum or you are a hazard to yourself and the people around you. There are different speed limits depending on if you are towing or not. When on flat terrain straight interstate highways, I pretty much cruise 5 mph higher than the posted limit, just to be less a hazard to the people around me. But my personal limit is between 65-70 mph. I could go a lot faster but I have fuel efficiency on my mind.

You really need to be able to comfortably run at 55 especially on the interstates which often include long 6 per cent grades. Driving 40 on some sections of the interstate is illegal as the minimum speed limit can easily be posted at 45 mph.

The 6.0 Chevy and certainly the 6.8L V-10 Ford have more than enough power if the Class C and its TOAD connection are properly matched. A lot of folks seem to fear letting the V-10 do what it does best, rev. They make their max HP at 4,250 rpm and you can run them at 5,000 all day long and the only damage will be to your wallet as they get thirsty.

I cannot imagine going down the interstate at 40 to 50 as that is simply a disaster waiting to happen but with either the 6.0 or the 6.8L this should never happen unless you have waaaay too much TOAD {and it does sound like that is the case}. Time to start looking for explanations, methinks there are mechanical issues that desperately need addressing and correction.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

OP, not the same setup but similar experience. We have a Coachmen 28QB that is literally 32' bumper to bumper. It's powered by a 6.0 V8, We currently tow a dolly/car combo weighing about 3800lbs.
On our recent adventure out West, we encountered several long "hills" on the interstates that had us running 40-50mph! (We normally try to run about 65.) As someone noted, I had to learn to enjoy the journey. LOL It still bothers me to run that slow but, I realize that is reality for this type of vehicle.
Good luck,
Gary

A little ot but did you go to Maine East HS?

Bordercollie wrote:
Claims of Class C's handling like SUV's are usually exaggerated.

Uh....that would be me.

There is no way our rig handles the same as an SUV, but after the suspension upgrades, our rig went from handling like a drunken sailor to "more like" an SUV.

Keep in-mind that our rig is lower profiled (9'-10" to the tippy-top of the a/c unit) and only 23'-8" long.

As you describe it, your rig has normal power and handling for a stock class C 30 footer. Put 65 psi in fronts and 75 psi in rear tires. Sounds like this is the first class C you have driven. It is not surprising that you are going 40-45mph pulling a toad up a grade. Use the lower gears for climbing and to save brakes from overheating on downgrades and accept slower speeds for driving in hilly country. Class C's are heavy and top heavy and have slab sides. Big rigs passing on the left will suck your rig to the left, you'll develop reflexes to control that. Take frequent rest breaks, get feet on solid ground for 10 minutes. Try to enjoy the scenery at 55 to 60mph instead of trying to keep up with car and truck traffic, and do 500 miles per day. Don't let yokels push you to take curves too fast for safety. Make lane changes with great care to avoid side swiping cars and motorcycles in your blind spots. Interstates often have cupped concrete sections which give a rough ride. Secondary blacktop roads are often smoother and scenery is better.

After you get familiar with suspension and steering upgrades, and talk to other class C owners about their efficacy, decide on what you need. Claims of Class C's handling like SUV's are usually exaggerated.

Not sure but doesn't sound right. We have a 2003 Itasca 30 footer with 2 slides with the Ford V-10 and tow a 2700 lb. Chevy Sonic. It sure doesn't drive and track like a car and I need both hands on the wheel all the time. But then it is really a big truck with a top heavy box. It has air bags on the suspension but I don't know if that helps or not. I've been told that the feel is pretty typical for a Class C. It pulls the little Chevy pretty well but I certainly know it's there. How much does your Jeep weigh? Probably hundreds of pounds more than my Sonic? When I had a failing spark coil replaced that helped a lot with power.

If you encounter a dealer who will not let you thoroughly test drive the motorhome... {and this is the first time I ever heard of such a policy. :h}
"Run Forrest Run!"

I can see them objecting to hooking up a Toad, lots of gear that needs to be in place. If the test drive {that did not happen}, had gone fine you would have no problems towing your Jeep. Perhaps a little tweaking to get your TOAD set up dialed in but everyone goes through that.

Not surprised the dealer is "willing" to talk about trading up. :S

handlinranch,

The topic of "Handling Issues" is extremely popular. You are not alone. There are things that can be done to improve the handling by replacing some inferior Ford suspension components with heavy duty versions.
- front & rear stabilizer bars
- shock aborbers
- rear trac bar (this is added item, not replacing an inferior one)
- front steering stabilizer
- have a wheel alignment done with the rig as loaded on a trip with a full tank of gasoline, propane, fresh water, empty waste tanks, gear, clothing, food&drink, tow bar, and weight to represent the people who are typically in the rig in specific locations while in-motion. What you carry and where it is, affects the alignment. Our rig was so out of wack that the truck suspension shop doing the front wheel alignment had to use offset bushings to get it corrected.