Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
Got a question for you seasoned drivers with older rigs. I have a 1999 F350 Dually Quad Cab Long Bed. I've been driving it for thousands of miles and for the most part, it's been fine. However, while ...
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I have added an air dam to the front of my Bigfoot overhang, it is within about 2 inches of the cab right at the top of the windshield. This makes any motion very obvious. There is a fair amount of motion, more so when the frame twists due to uneven roads (for example exiting a service station ramp at an angle) but also just up and down over bumpy roads. It never hits or comes close to hitting, so less than 2" of motion.
There are many flexible parts in the system: the camper itself, the camper sitting on the rubber mat or bed spacer, the bed, and the frame. The overhang is about 7' from the front bulkhead, the bulkhead 4' from the middle of the bed which we might guess is the center of rocking motion. If the ends of the box rock 1/4" (4' away) then the front of the overhang will rock nearly 3/4 of an inch (11' away). "Everything is made of rubber", some parts (like steel) are stiffer rubber than others (like fiberglass). You might remember back when some campers had cowl braces from the overhang down to the hood cowl to try to control this.
I think I would ignore it, unless excessive.
There are many flexible parts in the system: the camper itself, the camper sitting on the rubber mat or bed spacer, the bed, and the frame. The overhang is about 7' from the front bulkhead, the bulkhead 4' from the middle of the bed which we might guess is the center of rocking motion. If the ends of the box rock 1/4" (4' away) then the front of the overhang will rock nearly 3/4 of an inch (11' away). "Everything is made of rubber", some parts (like steel) are stiffer rubber than others (like fiberglass). You might remember back when some campers had cowl braces from the overhang down to the hood cowl to try to control this.
I think I would ignore it, unless excessive.
