Disappointing test drive

[RetiredRealtorR]

My wife and I are shopping for a new gas Class A. We drove a 2020 Winnebago Sunstar yesterday, and, from a driver's standpoint, it was quite a disappointment.

Bearing in mind that our last Class A was a 2003 Winnebago Journey DP with a 5.9-liter 300hp Cummins, I had expected the engine noise level to be a good bit higher -- it naturally was, but not as bad as I had anticipated.

The real disappointment was that I had to continually correct the steering to keep the rig in the lane, minor corrections, but still irritatingly continual. Also, I felt every little bump in the road through the steering wheel, and the bulk of the test drive was on a 4-lane divided highway. By the time we returned from the drive my fingers were actually a little tingly.

Please tell me all Class A gassers do not drive like this. It was our first test drive this time around, and I'm hoping subsequent test drives in other makes don't end up feeling the same way.

[Hikerdogs]

carringb wrote:
FWIW - Ford's warranty includes an initial alignment on motorhomes, because the RV makes don't do it after the build-out.

Unless things have changed in the last couple years Ford does not include an alignment as part of the warranty. Back in 1999 Ford stopped paying for alignments and alignment related problems. They do align the bare chassis before it leaves the Ford factory, but leave the responsibility for the final alignment of the completed motorhome to the body builder.

In addition almost all body builders recommend an alignment once the vehicle is loaded for travel. Here's an excerpt from page 1.2 of the 2020 Vista owners manual

Front Axle Tire Alignment
We recommend you have the front suspension and steering alignment checked and adjusted after you have fully loaded the vehicle according to your needs. Thereafter have the alignment checked periodically to maintain visibility

[irishtom29]

My 34" Tiffin 32SA gasser goes down the road fine. Maybe it's the 228" wheelbase, no coach its size has a longer wheelbase and most have one significantly shorter. No long rear overhang either.

[dougrainer]

carringb wrote:
FWIW - Ford's warranty includes an initial alignment on motorhomes, because the RV makes don't do it after the build-out.

They do alignment after build out. The problem is, most Motorhomes are driven Hundreds if not thousands of miles to the Dealer. Who knows what road hazards the delivery driver hit that would cause the alignment to fail. Doug

[dougrainer]

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
Thank for all the great responses. I agree that once I buy something I shouldn't immediately have to spend money to 'fix' a drivability issue.
I've done some reading on the new V8 engine/chassis, and will definitely give them a try when available. I'd certainly think that literally upon arrival any dealer would check all tire pressures and alignment, as this is apparently an issue many buyers face. Our test drive was literally close to an hour long, so I think we gave the coach a good chance. Again, thanks for the input!

1. Dealers do NOT check Tire pressure until they are sold and the PDI is done
2. Alignments are not done unless the delivery driver mentions a problem which they NEVER do.
3. Alignments can be done with the factory paying for it. Before the delivery to the customer. I would tell the Dealer if the test drive was bad, to get the Alignment done and the Tire pressures set to Factory specs. I would also want to see the Alignment sheet from when the Alignment was done. Then I would test drive the Motorhome and if this was to spec, Then I would start the buy process.
4. "spending" money after buying is a personal decision if the unit drives to spec. I personally would have a Safe-T-Plus installed on any Motorhome I owned. This is good piece of Mind. Doug

[Mommalu]

We had a 2014 Jayco Precept, the only time my husband and I raised our voices was driving in the motorhome. Even in tow haul mode the transmission was down shifting for every hill, and the engine screamed all the more. It was a nightmare to drive, we added $4000 in improvements, alignment, steer safe, anti sway bars and sumo springs and it still was pushed by larger vehicles passing and all it was all over the road with wind gusts.
We traded it in for an older diesel pusher with the tried and true Cummins 5.9, the first thing we noticed hitting highway speeds was NO MORE SHOUTING at each other, and no constant bang from expansion joints.
Love our new to us 2007 diesel pusher. Granted we're busy bringing it up to date with LED lights, new driver and passenger chairs, new fantastic fans and sinks, faucets etc. But its worth it to us, it drives and handles like a dream compared to the F53 with the V10.
A new diesel would have been nice, but we wanted to pay cash and well our pockets aren't that deep.
Good luck on the search!

[Gjac]

I wonder how much of the handling problems are subjective. I have an old P-30 chassis with IFS and when I first bought it, it was a white knuckle ride home, after several months of driving I drove it like a car with one hand even with passing trucks. When looking for a newer MH all were on the Ford chassis with the straight front axle and other than getting used to the higher revving engine noise the ride was fine. I test drove about 8-10 over the years and never noticed a white knuckle ride. Having said all that all the Fords were 2-3 years old and only one was brand new. I felt the cracks in the road in each MH as well as DP's and HD trucks I drove in. I read on here about all the add ons of track bars, sway bars etc. that are needed to tame the ride of the F-53 chassis and wonder if we expect too much from a spring suspension truck chassis.

[RetiredRealtorR]

Thank for all the great responses. I agree that once I buy something I shouldn't immediately have to spend money to 'fix' a drivability issue.
I've done some reading on the new V8 engine/chassis, and will definitely give them a try when available. I'd certainly think that literally upon arrival any dealer would check all tire pressures and alignment, as this is apparently an issue many buyers face. Our test drive was literally close to an hour long, so I think we gave the coach a good chance. Again, thanks for the input!

[wa8yxm]

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
The real disappointment was that I had to continually correct the steering to keep the rig in the lane, minor corrections, but still irritatingly continual.

Several things can affect this
First. Believe it or not often Motor Homes are NOT factory aligned. Yup so step one is an alighment. Truck size alighment

Step two. I added a steering stablizer. IN my case a Blue Ox Tru-Center because at the time it was the ONLY one that had a driver's seat adjustment button (I can re-center without unbuckling my seat belt at the push of a button) Warning below. All the others to re-center you needed a wrench, hammer and crawl under the RV.

Pan-hard bars I put one on the front but I'm told the rear helps more (Trac bars is another name for them) These "lock" the body over the axle so the rig can not Wag like a dog.

additional suspension upgrades or repair may also be indicated (Shocks, Sway bar bushings and such) depending on the age of the rig.

The promised warning:
Ever watch a TV show where a novice pilot has to take a plane off Auto-Pilot and land it.. he flips the auto-pilot button and dang near looses it.

Well the instructions say DO NOT PUSH that button while driveing.

IF you do push that button.. YOU WILL BELIEVE THOSE MOVIES.

Not that said I re-center in motion... but Forewarned is forearmed so like the EXPIERENCED pilot. I know what to expect.
But the first time.. IT was dang near time to change my undies.

[Devocamper]

We test drove a few gas A’s a few years ago and all handled like that and the salesman advised me there were aftermarket solutions, I said for the price I shouldn’t have To add equipment to a brand new motorhome! We then went to entry level pushers and with the 300 to 340 hp motors they felt like they couldn’t get out of their own way so we stayed with our fifth wheel for few more year and ended up in a TC are are very happy.

[carringb]

FWIW - Ford's warranty includes an initial alignment on motorhomes, because the RV makes don't do it after the build-out.

[garyemunson]

X2 on what Doug said. F53 chassis drive best when toe in is set to the max value of .14+. This will result in faster wear on the outer edges of the front tires but almost all of us replace tire due to age, not wear. My 36Y Vista goes down the road like an arrow. As Doxiemom says, the CHP is also a help. Still doable on F53 chassis.
The new V8 chassis comes with much bigger sway bars and would not need it.

[azdryheat]

When I'm moving coaches between dealerships I find them all to be rough riding and steering's a little squirrely. Mostly this is from sitting on the lot and not being driven. Once I get 30 or so miles on them the tires settle down and steer normally. Take a longer test drive.

[doxiemom11]

We have an older F53 and the cheap handling fix along with a steering stabalizer made a world of difference. Don't know if the fix can be done on newer ones or not. There was also a big difference between unloaded and loaded.

[mikestock]

After driving my used Tiffin Phaeton for a year and dealing with the all-over-the-road problem I added a Roadmaster stabilizer and found that it made a world of difference. I only do about half the steering I did before and am not pushed all over the road by bumps and road imperfections. My MH is a diesel pusher and I can say the problem is not unique to gas models. Most of the high end motor homes today come with a stabilizer system.