New shocks- Koni or Bilstein?

I installed the Koni FSV shocks. Parts alone were $600 but IMO they are great. My OEM shocks only had 10K miles and were like new. But the Konis completely changed the character of the MH. They greatly reduced the wallowing, pitching, & rolling that occurs when turning through the depressed trough of a parking lot entrance/exit. And the highway ride is much improved. I cannot say the handling was changed in any big way, the improvement was probably more subtle. But our MH already handled nicely for a Class C. The things mentioned above were the weak spots, and the Konis helped a lot. I would definitely buy them again.

I will have to go along with others here and recommmend the Bilsteins also they did not make the ride any harsher and stopped the porpoising and the ride is smoother and cornering has lot less body roll.

I have used Bilstein shocks on all my vehicles for many years from These Guys and have been pleased with their performance. Their staff is knowledgeable and helpful and most times have the best prices.

I put Bilstein's on my 28ft Class C - been very happy with them. I was patient and waited for Camping World to have a special which offered free installation. The combo of new shocks and alignment made a world of difference in how the rig handled on the road.

I replaced the original shocks on my 2012 E-350 {Nexus 23P}, at 30,000 miles. Day to day driving you tend not to notice/appreciate just how bad your shocks are getting as the deterioration is so gradual. Put new ones on and Wow! Why did I wait so lo ng becomes the question of the day.

After a lot of research I went with the heavy duty Bilstein's and after 11,000 miles could not be more pleased. I spoke with the folks at Bilstein and Shock Warehouse{who had the best prices on the internet along with excellent customer service}, several times seeking their input. Since we typically run close to our 11,500# GVWR and I often tow my Harley {bike and trailer are 900#}, the consistent recommendation was to go with the heavy duty model.

I am so pleased that we did as the ride improvement and additional stability and control are off of the chart wonderful. The rig always handled well and the ride seemed comfortable enough but the improvement was nothing short of amazing.

A word of caution for you DIY guys.... installing the Bilstein's is a serious PITA. I took the coach to a commercial truck repair center for the install. Two of their biggest guys worked for nearly 3 hours to get them on. The rears were no problem but getting the fronts compressed sufficiently try to permit the install was a serious struggle.

I have made no other changes to the coach other than the new shocks and it drives a like a large SUV. Passing trucks are simply not an issue and in winds up to 35 mph relaxed one handed steering is the norm. Along with the Bilstein's a lot of this ride quality is a reflection of the fact that my tires are properly inflated for the loads they carry and the CAT scale confirms that my weight is properly distributed and within spec.

:C

I know you didn’t ask about Rancho’s. But I will toss this out for your consideration anyway, since its fresh for me and I just went through it. I had pretty much decided to go Bilstein myself based off prices and I have had them a couple times in the past and liked them. Instead I replaced my shocks on my 2008 Ram ¾ ton with Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks. Each shock has a dial with 9 or 10 adjustments on them for ride comfort and application choice. I have them set on #3 for an empty truck and the ride is far better then what I had. I ordered them from RockAuto and they had a real good price on them. Then couple that with Rancho has a $120 rebate on them if you order 4 of them. In the end the cost was about the same prices as Bilstein and gave some selection in ride quality. Also I had some question on the correct part numbers and a couple other things and Rancho tech support was fantastic. Not sure if they have them for your application and the rebate applies for you but it might be worth a third consideration. I added them and Timbrens to my suspension and I am very pleased so far, but I have only had them on a few months.

Koni has a recent development (at least for Class C's) called FSD for Frequency Sensitive Dampening. Those are the ones I'd read about. Cost is about 2x a Bilstein.

Disclaimer: I do NOT have those installed. I base this on many reviews here and promotion of the FSD's at Hendersons Line Up near you in Grants Pass OR. Our crew here has had only good to report about FSD.

I left the computer and a couple votes came in for Bilstein. That's a Name that Needs no Introduction, anywhere in the world, and a great product.

What FSD is supposed to do, is probably more noticeable in the rear. Guys who have them, jump in if I'm wrong. E450 rear axle just pounds its way down the road, every expansion joint. Then you hit The Big One and want your shocks to react to it and control movement. Both brands'll do that. What FSD does, is de-emphasize its response to that constant high speed drumming by not being as tight as on a big bump. Frequency Sensitive = Majoring on the Major.

I ended up with two new Ford shocks on the front because they came with a new axle I bought. I have old Brand ??? on the rear. Might just spring for a pair of FSD's for that end... If I needed all four... sure tempting to buy four Bilstein for the price of two FSD...

I just installed a set of Bilstein HD's on our GM chassis 28QB. The one thing we noticed was the reduction of "porpoising". The OEM units had 16000 miles and seemed to still be okay, just not as capable of dampening as the new Bilsteins. Although I read that they are more harsh then the Koni's, I can't say that they added any harness to the ride on our unit.
As for holding up, it's my understanding Bilstein will rebuild them for you. We do have about 30k miles on a set on our Tahoe.
If your shocks are worn, I suspect either brand you mentioned should result in an improvement in ride and/or handling.
Gary

I had Bilsteins I stalled on my C about 4 years go and have never regretted it. I also installed a Bilstein steering damper. So much improvement over stock stuff.