I own a Holiday Rambler Alumalite 1986. I have owned it since 2012. Only put about 2,000 miles on it since purchasing. The other day after taking a turn as I accelerated hard steering started to wobble, like death wobble. I let off the gas and the wobble went away, I repeated heavy acceleration and wobble was immediate, I stuck to low-mid acceleration for the rest of my trip. I have inspected all tie rods and ball bearings and can't find anything loose. I did have a lot of extra weight in the vehicle, about 600 lbs batteries plus full water tank (empty gray and black tanks) food, the generator she came with plus a little Honda, and various other things. I am PRAYING I just had to much weight on the rear end (almost all the weight was on or behind the rear wheels.)Anyway, anything else anyone can think of to check? The last 2 trips were 500 miles round trip and no problems, other then a blown tire. I haven't driven her in 4 or 5 years before this trip, could sitting for such a long period throw the tire balance off?Thank you guys!

Certainly the other factors you mentioned could be in play, but I would also recommend checking out your steering stabilizer(s) if equipped.

Find a hard level surface, chock in front of, and behind, both front wheels. Have a helper try to move the vehicle fore and aft while you watch every suspension and steering pivot point. Or even better take it to a good truck shop for a 4 wheel alignment. They will tie it down, use jacks and rams to find any problems. Or, you can take extra stuff out, drive a little, decide to treat it like a mule. Put a sick mule in a pasture, it might die, or it might get better. But your vehicle may die, but will never heal itselfLittle problems are worse than a loan from the bank. You know when the loan is due.

If it's sat for that long I would lean hard towards it being the tires - they don't like to sit that long without moving. Once they start wobbling and/or bouncing they normally don't stop until you slow down, as you noted.

Holiday Rambler Alumalite 1986, came as a Travel Trailer, class C & class A.Assuming you have a class A MH, it would be on a Chevy P32 chassis.That chassis has a bell crank in the steering linkage that was not the best when new. Have some one shake the steering wheel and see if the bell crank moves up and down. If so, replace it with a Bell Crank from Super Steer.Richard

RLS7201 wrote:Holiday Rambler Alumalite 1986, came as a Travel Trailer, class C & class A.Assuming you have a class A MH, it would be on a Chevy P32 chassis.That chassis has a bell crank in the steering linkage that was not the best when new. Have some one shake the steering wheel and see if the bell crank moves up and down. If so, replace it with a Bell Crank from Super Steer.RichardReally? I didn't know there was a bell crank, I don't have anyone around right now to do anything, but I checked and there sure is a bell crank. Thank you for the link also. Ill ask a friend if they can come over tomorrow and we will yank a bit on it see if there is anything loose there. I am also going in for a tire inspection tomorrow so hopefully whatever it is is found out!

Steering wobble. | Good Sam Community

Nakinto
Explorer
Jul 23, 2023
SuperBus wrote:
Certainly the other factors you mentioned could be in play, but I would also recommend checking out your steering stabilizer(s) if equipped.

I wish there was a stabilizer! That thing really helps with hitting bumps or potholes with only one wheel!
Nakinto
Explorer
Jul 23, 2023
RLS7201 wrote:
Holiday Rambler Alumalite 1986, came as a Travel Trailer, class C & class A.
Assuming you have a class A MH, it would be on a Chevy P32 chassis.
That chassis has a bell crank in the steering linkage that was not the best when new. Have some one shake the steering wheel and see if the bell crank moves up and down. If so, replace it with a Bell Crank from Super Steer.

Richard

Really? I didn't know there was a bell crank, I don't have anyone around right now to do anything, but I checked and there sure is a bell crank. Thank you for the link also. Ill ask a friend if they can come over tomorrow and we will yank a bit on it see if there is anything loose there. I am also going in for a tire inspection tomorrow so hopefully whatever it is is found out!
RLS7201
Explorer II
Jul 23, 2023
Holiday Rambler Alumalite 1986, came as a Travel Trailer, class C & class A.
Assuming you have a class A MH, it would be on a Chevy P32 chassis.
That chassis has a bell crank in the steering linkage that was not the best when new. Have some one shake the steering wheel and see if the bell crank moves up and down. If so, replace it with a Bell Crank from Super Steer.

Richard
Bruce_Brown
Moderator
Jul 23, 2023
If it's sat for that long I would lean hard towards it being the tires - they don't like to sit that long without moving.

Once they start wobbling and/or bouncing they normally don't stop until you slow down, as you noted.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Jul 23, 2023
Find a hard level surface, chock in front of, and behind, both front wheels. Have a helper try to move the vehicle fore and aft while you watch every suspension and steering pivot point.
Or even better take it to a good truck shop for a 4 wheel alignment. They will tie it down, use jacks and rams to find any problems.
Or, you can take extra stuff out, drive a little, decide to treat it like a mule.

Put a sick mule in a pasture, it might die, or it might get better. But your vehicle may die, but will never heal itself
Little problems are worse than a loan from the bank. You know when the loan is due.
SuperBus
Nomad
Jul 23, 2023
Certainly the other factors you mentioned could be in play, but I would also recommend checking out your steering stabilizer(s) if equipped.

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