Road steering

gemert wrote:
When I first started to drive mine that sucker loved to go towards the ditch on the right side of the road. I was afraid to blink! Now, a year and half later it feels like it drives like a limo! Maybe it's just you. Maybe not! Check the tires first, then try it again. Next would be an alignment shop. After that, I don't know. Good luck.

I had the same experience with mine. It took me 10,000 miles to get used to it but no trouble now unless there are strong side winds. Then all bets are off.

Just finished installing a Roadmaster stabilizer on my Freightliner chassis. It cuts down on the amount of steering needed. Pavement drop offs, pot holes, rough pavement don't make you work nearly so hard. I love it. Easy install. Also check out the Safe-T-Plus brand.

Road crown is why you have MORE CASTER on the right wheel than on the left.

Generally 1/2 to 3/4 of a degree more on right than left.

randallb wrote:
I have a few questions that relates to road crown. How does a manufacturer of a bare chassis or any vehicle accommodate for road crown with their alignment or suspension geometry? Since they can not do this please explain how a non-engineer, your alignment specialist, can set up your alignment to offset road crown. In the Pacific Northwest the roads have a pretty heavy crown to get the rain off as quickly as possible. In drier parts of the country the roads are pretty close to flat. Remember it costs more to crown a road. So once more I ask, how do you manufacture or align to compensate for road crown?
Using a vehicle line I worked on as a mechanic for close to 40 years as an example of differences in roads; the PNW cars wore out RR tires much faster than the other three tires and our cars in CA liked to wear out LF tires. Can you figure out why?
Randy

As you probably suspected, they take a guess between no road crown and maximum road crown. No matter what setting they choose, it will never work perfectly for every crown, but assuming a zero crown would be worse. So yes, they compensate for road crown, but it isn't perfect.

randallb wrote:
I have a few questions that relates to road crown. How does a manufacturer of a bare chassis or any vehicle accommodate for road crown with their alignment or suspension geometry? Since they can not do this please explain how a non-engineer, your alignment specialist, can set up your alignment to offset road crown. In the Pacific Northwest the roads have a pretty heavy crown to get the rain off as quickly as possible. In drier parts of the country the roads are pretty close to flat. Remember it costs more to crown a road. So once more I ask, how do you manufacture or align to compensate for road crown?
Using a vehicle line I worked on as a mechanic for close to 40 years as an example of differences in roads; the PNW cars wore out RR tires much faster than the other three tires and our cars in CA liked to wear out LF tires. Can you figure out why?
Randy

They don't , but a after market product can correct it. Just my opinion of course

I have a few questions that relates to road crown. How does a manufacturer of a bare chassis or any vehicle accommodate for road crown with their alignment or suspension geometry? Since they can not do this please explain how a non-engineer, your alignment specialist, can set up your alignment to offset road crown. In the Pacific Northwest the roads have a pretty heavy crown to get the rain off as quickly as possible. In drier parts of the country the roads are pretty close to flat. Remember it costs more to crown a road. So once more I ask, how do you manufacture or align to compensate for road crown?
Using a vehicle line I worked on as a mechanic for close to 40 years as an example of differences in roads; the PNW cars wore out RR tires much faster than the other three tires and our cars in CA liked to wear out LF tires. Can you figure out why?
Randy

bazdad wrote:
I test drove a 03 40 ft Newmar Dutchstar with a Freightliner chassis yesterday and constantly had to correct the steering to make it go straight. It seamed that I was always over steering.Is this a problem with a Spartan chassis also and what year was that problem corrected

Welcome to club :B This MH is much different driving than our dually and fiver, just wait for a windy day :W
I haven't had it on a straight road or interstate yet but on the small country roads its been a hand full for me. Can't wait till I'm not a rookie at it. I only have about 700 miles driving it so I'm sure the newness will wear off at some point.

My experience as a driver training/testing person for our fleet operations in my past employment suggests the if there are no mechanical issues with the vehicle the driver has several ingrained habits that usually cause them to over steer in their first few thousand miles.

They tend to drive in a highly tense state and over react to each input they feel through the seat of their pants. Experience usually overcomes that.

They also tend to drive too close to the front of the vehicle and this adds to the overreactions experienced. It is a proven fact that we tend to steer where we are looking so looking further ahead cures many issues. Here again experience and becoming more relaxed usually corrects that behavior.

The seating position of larger vehicles tends to enhance the feeling that the vehicle is moving around on the road causing the driver to steer when the reality is that the body is moving on the suspension while the chassis is actually tracking true. This is more prevelant in softer suspended vehicles like motorhomes rather than large commercial trucks with stiffers suspensions This causes us to use steering input that is not required and causes us to make the vehicle wander when it would not do so without our input.

Most drivers adjust quickly and become good drivers. Unfortunately there are some who never adapt and will always be that driver who is hunched over the wheel and hanging on for dear life. Any driver who can't relax will rarely become a good smooth driver. That's just life.

Bill.Satellite wrote:

holstein13 wrote:
I'm a bit discouraged by the quality of the responses written above so I'll try my best to give you good information.

All the posters telling you that you are wrong and don't know how to steer a coach are projecting and could be completely wrong.

Don't consider the road crown too much either. If the suspension is properly adjusted, it should take into account the road crown as well.

Finally, I can drive my coach with two fingers without wandering at all in most moderate wind conditions. Windy isn't much harder either. Unless you've driven a well adjusted coach, you just can't believe what's possible. Most folks have no frame of reference.

I am pretty sure I have been insulted (along with everyone else). There are a lot of "could be" and "too much" in this post. You may be the only one here who knows what they are talking about, but I doubt it! Suggestions of all kinds are welcome and the OP can use the information as he sees appropriate.

Nope, I thought your post was right on the money and good advice. I didn't want to single anyone out, but I certainly didn't want to discount your post at all. I agree with what you wrote above. I simply felt as if some of the comments were too quick to judge the OP and not point out the high likelihood that there are mechanical issues that can be resolved.

holstein13 wrote:
I'm a bit discouraged by the quality of the responses written above so I'll try my best to give you good information.

All the posters telling you that you are wrong and don't know how to steer a coach are projecting and could be completely wrong.

Don't consider the road crown too much either. If the suspension is properly adjusted, it should take into account the road crown as well.

Finally, I can drive my coach with two fingers without wandering at all in most moderate wind conditions. Windy isn't much harder either. Unless you've driven a well adjusted coach, you just can't believe what's possible. Most folks have no frame of reference.

I am pretty sure I have been insulted (along with everyone else). There are a lot of "could be" and "too much" in this post. You may be the only one here who knows what they are talking about, but I doubt it! Suggestions of all kinds are welcome and the OP can use the information as he sees appropriate.