Just brought home our new Forest River Forester

[LarryDel]

Hello Fellow Rv'ers....

Well we picked up our new Class C Forester last Monday. Drove 3 hours to Manassas Virginia to get it. Well, I guess everything changes and not always for the good. In 2003 we purchased a new Winnebago Brave motorhome. Had very little issues with it. None at all when we picked it up. And for the 6 years we used it nothing major at all. Ok so then we sold it and took a break from Rv'ing then 3 years later purchased a Coachmen Travel Trailer. 24 ft. Not a problem ever!!!!! Nothing fancy but everything worked. We just used it as a trade in. We looked for 1 1/2 years and found the perfect floorplan for us. Its absolutely beautiful. When we went for the walkthru we were very tired and very excited and many of the items which needed to be checked or shown us how to use were just omitted. Naturally once we left and went to a local campground we took a deep breath and then started looking carefully at our unit. So here is the first list, nothing earth shattering.....TV in bedroom sync at all. Door was almost impossible to open, small stripping on ceiling needed regluing and sink spigot (water came out very slow). OK, before we left we brought it by and then said everything was fixed. NOT-----we went out to our yard where we have an RV pad and my husband said it probably works but I'll try it out anyway.....well, it still doesn't work. In the meantime everything is controlled by two control panels.....SCARY! So we opened the awning and you would think if you held the plus + sign it would open and the - sign it would close....WRONG! It's the reverse... one additional item I forgot to mention. We ordered stainless steel appliances but did not receive them.....The dealership apologized and said once the new doors arrive they will send an RV Doctor to our home to make the necessary correction. I guess we were spoiled in the past. Doesn't seem like there is too much quality control anymore. I often wonder if we had a million dollar motorhome....would they have the same problems. My husband told me to relax and that everything would be taken care of......he is very patient. I am not.....So....anyone experience any of this....Thanks so much for reading this lengthy note.....Lou Ann

[Harvard]

And lets not forget about the front tire pressure. It sounds like the bigger the wheels (ie DPs) the more noticeable the beneficial effect.

[pnichols]

Harvard and j-d,

You're both hitting at an important issue that would affect caster in Ford's E-Series Twin I-Beam geometry.

My E450 MH has never had a tracking problem in it's steering .... BUT it does sit just a tiny bit high in the rear due to it's rear suspension being plenty stiff for the weight it's carrying back there.

That slight forward rake may point to my caster effectively winding up a bit higher than on some Class C motorhomes that sit either level, or lower, in the rear.

[j-d]

Harvard wrote:
Another part of the equation is the relative nose up/down/level attitude of the final assembly. A nose down reduces runtime caster while a nose up increases the runtime caster.

Seems this is not so. The Radius Arms are bolted solid to the Axles. The Axles have the Steering Knuckles at their ends. Caster is set at the Knuckles. Raising the front ride height, raises the rear ends of the Radius Arms. This tips the upper knuckle Forward, just like lowering the ride height of a different suspension design (like double wishbone). Seems raising the front end tips the knuckles and that Caster Angle forward, toward Less.

[Harvard]

Another part of the equation is the relative nose up/down/level attitude of the final assembly. A nose down reduces runtime caster while a nose up increases the runtime caster.

[pnichols]

Desert Captain wrote:
The blanket statements I keep reading here that all E-350/450's handle badly and need thousands in improvements are ridiculous. Properly set up they ride, drive and handle just fine.

Right on ... they are ridiculous as general statements.

Our E450 has handled and driven "like a van" since we bought it new in 2006. I did finally have it's alignment checked after owning it for several years and the mechanic showed me examples of beveled shims that he installed. Our Class C handled the same - extremely well - before the alignment and after the alignment.

The only thing I can figure out is that EITHER it must be that right off the assembly line a stock E450 chassis under a small Class C presents no handling problems due to the coach's small box size and light weight ... OR it's the way the RV manufacturer's design distributed the coach's weight versus the chassis wheelbase such that a stock E450 chassis could deal well with the whole coach package. :h

[ConnieP]

Hi Lou Ann. My husband and I also have a Forester. It is a 2017 and we previously had a Holiday Rambler Atlantis. The HR was great - no problems and easy to drive. We sold it to "upgrade" and are having the same type of issues you mention. I can not get used to the "tablet" and find it annoying to have to use it to turn on the lights or put out the slides and the awning. We are also having such issues getting any digital channels on the TV when connected to cable. Molding is crooked and saw dust was under the couch and in the cabinets - probably left there from the cuts made at the factory. Today when driving down the road the seal from one of the slides was hanging down and flopping against the side of the rv. My husband was able to climb on the roof and pull it back into place but said it must be missing something. We will have to take it in to get checked. I am really feeling discouraged and hope it will get better - for both of us!

[lfcjasp]

We...well DH made me do the test drive to see if I could drive it. No problems. We've had our class C five years and it's always steered just fine. I know if it ever feels less perfect or starts acting up, DH will be running into our Ford dealership for a realignment. FWIW, we have a Thor Four Winds, 25', on a Ford 350.

[Desert_Captain]

Harvard wrote:

Expyinflight wrote:
Desert Captain is exactly right. I had our E450 Class C properly aligned right away. It is sooooo easy to drive. We have just returned
home from another 3,000 mile cross country trip. No problem at all.

According to Desert Captain you should not have bought the unit because it had a handling problem right off the show room floor. That is unless you had it aligned BEFORE you took possession.

Not hardly...

If you do a proper test drive and encounter ride and handling issues it is time to address them before you plop down your $100K. They will not get better, much less go away on their own. If a simple alignment and proper tire pressures are beyond the dealers ability to perform you are at the wrong dealer.

Instead of investing thousands of dollars in after market modifications most find that PSI and proper alignment can usually solve most issues for a lot less money. Quality RV manufacturers align their coaches after construction is complete as they {and everyone else in the industry} know that it is going to be needed. Is an empty coach going to need some tweeking once you load it up? You betcha but it should have an acceptable level of ride comfort and handling at that point.

The blanket statements I keep reading here that all E-350/450's handle badly and need thousands in improvements are ridiculous. Properly set up they ride, drive and handle just fine.

:S

[IAMICHABOD]

:h The OP has not come back yet,all this debating,gnashing of teeth and disagreement is only relevant if it is on a Ford Chassis.

Who Knows it may very will be on a Chevy Chassis they do make the Forester on a Chevy Chassis,in that case he would never have any of these problems.....:B

[j-d]

T18skyguy wrote:
...Ford wanted an independent front suspension without losing the indestructible features of the I beam(forged beams and king pin). It was an inexpensive way to get an independent front suspension...

True from 1977-1991. Those years had half axles with kingpins. But in 1992, with the new cab styling, Ford discontinued kingpins in favor of ball joints. Only problem, the old kingpin front end handled and tracked pretty well. Ford ruined a good thing with that change. Still Twin-I-Beam, just with crappy ball joints and crappy handling. They also failed with a new front sway bar that eliminated end links. Took them from 1992-2007 to decide to return to end links starting 2008.

So, your 2016 or 2017 Ford chassis under a 2017 coach, has ball joints, so different or adjustable bushings will work. It also has a front bar with end links.

[T18skyguy]

Suspensions, whether A arm or twin I beam, are a set of compromises. The twin I beam was developed because Ford wanted an independent front suspension without losing the indestructible features of the I beam(forged beams and king pin). It was an inexpensive way to get an independent front suspension. The trade off was simplicity and cost, versus front camber issues and expensive alignments. The flip side is A arm suspension gives a better ride but also has it's maintenance issues. I've had Fords all my life, and they can be tough to bring into alignment. Sometimes you can bring them in but they usually won't stay that way. The offset bushing they use can frequently get it close but not spot on. Personally I've never owned a twin I beam that didn't wear the tires on the outside, even after an alignment. I just accept it.

[Harvard]

To make a long story short, Ford should be adding +2 of caster to their current setting right on the assembly line.

[Harvard]

Expyinflight wrote:
Desert Captain is exactly right. I had our E450 Class C properly aligned right away. It is sooooo easy to drive. We have just returned
home from another 3,000 mile cross country trip. No problem at all.

According to Desert Captain you should not have bought the unit because it had a handling problem right off the show room floor. That is unless you had it aligned BEFORE you took possession.

[Expyinflight]

Desert Captain is exactly right. I had our E450 Class C properly aligned right away. It is sooooo easy to drive. We have just returned
home from another 3,000 mile cross country trip. No problem at all.