New class C partial remodel
I don’t post very often, but I sure spend a lot of time reading here. Sort of like cheap romance novels I guess;) DW and I have a new Thor Four Winds or something like that about 22 feet long. They s...
Forum Discussion
Dairyman John wrote:
There has been much talk here about steering stabilizers and brands that I cant recalll. What are some good ones? Also have any of you made any mods to front axle stabilizers? This is on a typical F-450 chassis, V-10 etc.
John,
It appears that you have a small Class C coach (22 feet) on the heavy duty Ford E450 chassis (assuming your "F-450" is a typo). Unless Ford changed it in model years later than ours, the E450 chassis - unlike the E350 chassis - comes stock with anti-sway torsion bars in both the front and back (stock E350 is/was front only with a sway bar). I believe that both the E350 and E450 also may come stock with a front steering shock absorber (our 2005 E450 Itasca Class C had a front steering shock absorber - as delivered from Winnebago).
The E450 chassis is overkill for only a 22 foot Class C - meaning that it should very likely in stock form deal with your Class C coach's weight and size like a piece of cake. You should not have to change the stock front and rear sway bars to anything from what they are. They are designed by Ford to handle up to a 14,500 lb. coach + chassis weight, which is way above what a 22 foot Class C RV will weigh.
Our 24 foot Class C on the E450 chassis has driven like a van since day-one in stock form EXCEPT FOR ONE THING: The E450's rear leaf springs are so stiff that they really pound the rear of a light coach hard on highway cracks and sharp bumps. We had to eventually install special high end dual-action shocks in just the rear positions to take the worst of this away. Our front shocks are the original stock ones and still performing well after 11 years of ownership. Our Class C tracks rock solid down the highway using one-hand on the steering wheel, and the brake pads seem to last year after year due to the E450's brakes having to stop way less coach weight than what the chassis was designed for. We take our 24 foot Class C off-highway and it handles tipped and rutted gravel/dirt surfaces just fine if driving slow and careful. We just came off another long trip along a wild part of the Colorado River on gravel and sandy roads and the rig never flinched. Strong highway cross winds do not present any problems.
You should like how your E450(?) in stock form handles a small RV coach.
