First trip out hauling our CRV. We have a Winnebago Aspect 26a on an E450 chassis. Just got it setup for hauling the CRV with a Blue Ox tow bar and Patriot braking system. Like usual, bumps and wind gusts and semis cause a little steering change. Typically this was one or two minor adjustments and then straight again. With the toad it took 5-6 minor adjustments, and really felt like the sway you get from hauling a trailer that is overloaded or tracks poorly. It's not terrible, but noticeable. Anybody notice something similar? Any ideas on the cause and how to fix? Thanks much for the help.

Mine does not sway. Course it's a bit bigger with the engine in the rear. Might have the front alignment checked on your MH.

Didn't have any sway or alignment type issues before I start hauling the toad.

If it feels like the steering box needs to be tightened up (which results in wandering) then it could be not enough front end caster. (Particularly if it is a Ford E350/E450)

Vach wrote:Didn't have any sway or alignment type issues before I start hauling the toad.If it didn't happen before towing most likely a rear track bar will help.

What W_T said. Rear track bar keeps the chassis centered over the axle. You said "sway" which I'd say is more a rocking motion than the squirm a toad usually causes. I looked up specs for 26A, and you have a wheelbase around 56% of the coach's length. This is actually pretty good for a Class C. Still, I'd like to know what your Front and Rear AXLE weights are, coach loaded and occupied as for travel. The shorter C's sometimes don't have enough weight on the front axle. My friend Harvard is in fact a gentleman and a scholar. He has figured out the significance of front end alignment, specifically the inadequate caster most Fords have, and freely offers his research. Cheapest thing you can do is weigh the coach at a truck stop CAT scale. Then adjust tire pressure (especially FRONT!!!) to what a Load-to-Pressure Chart says you should have. Will cost you $10 + what you pay for a gauge. If you don't have 1/3 or more of total weight on the front axle, it may be hard to get it to track, even at proper air pressures. Do that and report back.Aligning front axle to at least 5-deg caster left and 5.5-deg right, camber just a fraction positive, and toe just a pinch in, will help.A rear track bar will help, and so will upgrading your front and rear sway bars to bigger ones like Hellwig. I like Hellwig because they have the same specs as Roadmaster at half the price.But start with basics. Learn the weight distribution and get the front tire pressure right. Then we'll know what we're working with.

Motorhome sway | Good Sam Community

Vach
Explorer
Mar 06, 2015
Back with another up date. The latest trip to the scale shows 82% of capacity load on front axle and 86% on rear. Adjusted tire pressure to 65 psi front and 75 rear. Air bags loaded at 62psi. Drives really nice. Can't say it drives like a Porsche but comfortable one hand driving at 65 mph (only as a test, two hands on wheel at all times). :)

The Michelin load tables say I could drop air pressure even more all around but am reluctant to mess with success. I'm not sure there is much to gain by lower pressures and not sure it's worth the risk.

Thanks everyone for your input and help. Hope this helps you other Aspect drivers also.
j-d
Explorer II
Mar 09, 2015
Great news. We're here to help and you will be too,soooner'n you'd think.
Toot_Mc
Explorer
Mar 11, 2015
If you have air bags on the rear pump them up to about 85# that helps mine quit a bit.
you can go all the way up to 100# but you can start getting a harder ride out of your Motor Home.
Vach
Explorer
Sep 20, 2015
I decided to do the recommended front end alignment with the 5 degree castor change. Improved handling even more. I used to get a big bump when a semi passed, pulled in then pushed out. That is almost completely gone now. Really happy driving my Aspect now. Thanks again to all who helped. Great work!

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