Minimizing motorhome sway

[Fairway9]

Has anyone added anti-sway bars, tracking bars or airbags to minimize the sway in windy conditions or when a semi passes? What kind of devices and are they sucessful?

Thx Art

[J-Rooster]

What really helped me in the wind was pulling a toad!

[Clay_L]

Fairway9 wrote:
My unit is on the Workhorse W22, 2003 chassis

The 2003 chassis (W20 and W22) had a 2 inch front stabilizer shaft. Often called an anti sway bar. In September of 2003 WH changed to a 2.5 inch bar.
If your chassis has the 2 inch bar I would strongly recommend that you have the 2.5 inch bar installed. I did and it made a huge improvement in roll or side to side sway.

This is from an email I got from WH in 2005:

"The part number for the Front Stabilizer Bar with Brackets is: W0005643.

This bar was found to have an advantage over the original 2" bar, and was put into regular production on 9/2/2003.

The installation is very straightforward. Remove 4 retaining nuts whilesupporting bar, remove bar, hold new bar in position, reinstall 4 retaining
nuts, and torque to specification. This procedure is NOT meant to replace the service manual, but is a generalized procedure.

The upgraded stabilizer bar has been shown to provide the following
benefits:
1. Reduced Body Roll when cornering.
2. Reduced "rocking" when passed by or passing large vehicles.
3. Reduced "rocking" when traversing bumps on an angle."


The installation procedure is below- I did not raise the coach, just crawled under it:

Stabilizer Shaft Replacement (Front) (W20/W22)

Removal Procedure
1. Raise the vehicle on a hoist
2. Remove the nuts and washers from the stabilizer shaft clamp and the right front leaf spring.
3. Remove the nuts and washers from the stabilizer shaft clamp and the left front leaf spring, and remove the stabilizer shaft from the vehicle.
4. Remove the clamps from the stabilizer shaft.
5. Remove the insulators from the stabilizer shaft.

Installation Procedure
1. Install the insulators to the stabilizer shaft.
2. Install the clamps to the stabilizer shaft.

Notice: Refer to Fastener Notice in Cautions and Notices in the WCC Service Manual.

3. Install the washers and nuts to the stabilizer shaft clamp and the left front leaf spring.
4. Install the washers and nuts to the stabilizer shaft clamp and the right front leaf spring.

Tighten the stabilizer shaft clamp nuts to
373 N·m (275 lb ft).
5. Lower the vehicle.

[RayChez]

I had the firestone airlifts on the rear and I kept it at 90lbs air pressure. It helped the coach from dragging on dips, but as far as wind goes or trucks on two lane roads, you are still going to get that buffing. The reason is because a gasoline motorhome is thousands of pounds lighter then a heavy diesel coach. I used to love my gasoline coach on everything but the bouncing around with cross winds and buffing on incoming big rigs. So I got rid of it right away. Mine was 36' F-53 chassis.

[sssooo]

I put trac bars on front and back of my 2003 WH chassis big help ,went from white knuckles to one hand when being passed by semi.
they keep the leaf springs from swaying side to side

[rgatijnet1]

I have the W22 and put air bags on all four corners. We travel a lot in the Great Plains where high winds are pretty normal, especially in the Winter months. On SMOOTH Interstate roads, I can crank the air pressure up to around 80 PSI and my body sway is so little that I can handle 50 MPH winds. Once the wind is gone, I drop the pressure back down to 20 PSI. On rough roads, my speed is usually less and I can get by with 50 PSI. Semi push is almost non-existent. I have the air compressor that came with the Air Lift bags and I can adjust the pressure up or down, on the front or the rear axles, as I drive.
I do not have, and I will not buy, a trac bar for this coach. I had one on a previous coach and the air bags work better. The W22 comes with a large anti-sway bar that is very effective since it is rigidly mounted steel to steel with no rubber bushings. It is the large square beam by your axles.

[Fairway9]

My unit is on the Workhorse W22, 2003 chassis

[wolfe10]

Yes, to minimize wrong answers, PLEASE tell us what chassis you have.

Also of interest is what length coach and what wheelbase if you know it.

[allbrandauto]

I own a auto repair shop have 2007 workhorse w22 chasis I bought a roadmaster front sway bar and trac bar for around 800 dollars took 4 hours to install had to drill 2 holes very happy with it less body sway and roll

[Effy]

If it's an F53 try the cheap sway bar fix. Do a search for it. Quick and easy, and free

[Clay_L]

In your profile I see that you have a 2004 Itaska.
If it is on a Workhorse chassis that was built before Sep of 2003 there is something that may help. Note that many 2004 motor homes will be on 2003 chassis because 2004 models go on the market in 2003.
If you have a chassis as mentioned, post it and I will supply the info on the Workhorse fix.