Steering & Sway problem

Check see if you have the REAR air bags. If so put 50 PSI in them to start with. Adjust as needed . Everyone driver is different. I have felt no need for add on handling gimmicks on our E450.

As a new RV driver. It takes a little adjustment to driving. Compared to a car or pickup.

When I drove my Cambria 30C home, it was horrible as you describe. Checked the tire pressure, and it was around 40 psi. Way too low.

derh2o wrote:
this is a very common problem with longer Class C or B+'s due to the distance between the rear axles and the rear of the coach. this problem is often referred to as "tail wag". We experienced the same problem when we bought our 2012 29' B+. Roadmaster figured out part of the problem which was the need for a rear sway bar and a trac bar. that fixed most of the problem, but not all. I then had a front end alignment and that fixed it all. Ford probably aligns the front end when the ship the unit to the RV company, but by the time the RV company is done with their work, everything changes and that is why an alignment is needed again. My RV company (Monaco)paid for the alignment even though the warranty had expired. Do a search on this or other sites and you will see a lot of comments as this is very common. Good luck.

Bingo! derh2o has the correct answer. The rear trac bar will make the most improvement. I had the "white knuckle" experience until I installed a Henderson rear trac bar. Easy to install without any special tools; took me about one hour after reading and studying the instructions. The alignment may help a little, but only if it is drastically out of spec from the factory.

Wishing you the best.

Ray

derh2o wrote:
this is a very common problem with longer Class C or B+'s due to the distance between the rear axles and the rear of the coach. this problem is often referred to as "tail wag".

WIth a 220" wheelbase, their rear overhang is not any longer than the shorter coaches.

this is a very common problem with longer Class C or B+'s due to the distance between the rear axles and the rear of the coach. this problem is often referred to as "tail wag". We experienced the same problem when we bought our 2012 29' B+. Roadmaster figured out part of the problem which was the need for a rear sway bar and a trac bar. that fixed most of the problem, but not all. I then had a front end alignment and that fixed it all. Ford probably aligns the front end when the ship the unit to the RV company, but by the time the RV company is done with their work, everything changes and that is why an alignment is needed again. My RV company (Monaco)paid for the alignment even though the warranty had expired. Do a search on this or other sites and you will see a lot of comments as this is very common. Good luck.

Load it up and go weigh it and then set the tire pressure to the weight. After that then begin to trouble shoot it from there. You are probably running at max air pressure and that will make it move all over.

Are you new to driving a 30-foot class C motorhome? If so, you may need to get used to the feeling of being jerked around by the vacuum of passing big rigs and blasts from crosswinds. You will gradually develop reflexes and become more relaxed driving your rig. It helps to stop at rest stops etc., every so often to recover from the harsh ride, steering effort and road noise Front end alignment with rig loaded, adjustment of tire pressures and minor to major suspension modifications may improve the feel of steering and handling on the highway, but, a Class C is a big flat- sided vehicle with stiff springs, at the mercy of crosswinds and vacuum of passing big rigs. After spending thousands on suspension and steering aids, some claim that thier rig rides like an SUV.

It's a 30J, correct? Your post said 31J and I can't find an Aspect 31J. Given 30J,

First, I love it! What a beautiful layout! That Opposing Slide plan really opens your living space up, and Outside Storage looks great.

Again, given 30J, with a 220" wheelbase and two slides forward, it's my educated guess that your front axle is close to its full rated load of 5000-lb. That's GOOD. Why? Because many C's have such a short wheelbase, mostly to allow for placement of the bedroom without wheelwell interference, that the rear axle gets overloaded. The front doesn't get enough weight and can't steer the coach.

This is why you need to load it as if for travel, then get to a scale and get actual front and rear axle weights. Getting CORNER weights, Right Front, Left Front, etc for Rear, is better but the truck stop scales won't provide that. You'll get Front Axle and Rear Axle weights. This Chart from Michelin is for Single (front) and Dual (rear) weights but it's by Corner, so read the chart instructions for how to use it. Just be sure you use the Tire Size you actually have, and Make/Model of the Tires won't matter. Be sure not to set Front Tire PSI any higher than what the chart calls for. Excess pressure in the Rear makes the ride harder, but excess Front lets it wander.

Drive it Loaded, Weighed, Pressure Adjusted. Then get it aligned. Don't let Caster be set to mid-range, go to the High end, and Toe slightly IN as noted above. Also as noted above, you'll probably need Offset Bushings.

Your coach should drive as well as the best of the larger Class C's, because of the wheelbase. Ours falls in that category and does pretty well, but it requires constant attention. It is not the type of vehicle whose steering drops into a center notch and just tracks along. Also, if you are responding sharply to its wandering, jerking it back onto track, it's possible that the coach is countering you. Smooth and steady can really help.

If your wheelbase was a couple feet shorter, I'd worry. You should be able to get a good ride with a 30J. There are add-on parts like bigger sway bars, track bar, steering stabilizer and more, but do the basics first.

On Every independent suspension, the alignment will change according to the load, Ford, Chev, Dodge. The alignment is set at the factory, but that does not mean that you will not have to tweak it later on for the conditions that you drive.

Weigh it loaded up and then lower the rear tire pressure to what's needed. Too much air in new tires on the rear will make it sway all over the place. Start with the simple things first. Also the nut behind the wheel can over steer it... have someone else who has a similar size rig drive it.