New Motorhome - Front End Alignment

The motorhome already has close to 800 miles on it already since they had to drive it to Jersey. So I'm close to that mark you set just by the nature of it.

As to the Winnie, this Jayco is infinitely more comfortable and appealing from a myriad of perspectives. Everything is more comfortable in it, thought out, and less rental grade than is my current rig. Plus it has the factory installed chassis mods and hydraulic levelers. Fiberglass roof (new for 2016) that is CROWNED with gutters/spouts and the one piece front cap were the icing on the cake for me.

If it all works out, we'll be tickled pink.

From my own experience twice on two different motor homes with THIS Truck/RV/Ambulance/Bus suspension shop. For a brand new rig, you want to put on around 1000 miles before having an alignment done. The miles will "settle in" the suspension. They recommended taking a weekend get-away that is roughly 500 miles away. Upon returning, leave everything inside, drain both waste tanks and fill the fresh water and fuel tanks. Replenish your supplies. All this done to simulate the most common on-the-road scenario. If you want to get it perfect, place the appropriate amount of weight behind the driver and passenger seats to represent the weight of you and your spouse in those seats.

Short of doing that is simply "short" of getting it as best as possible.

About your Winnie, if you loved the rig minus the handling, I would have surely invested in handling improvements. But if you were ready for a change anyway, then you did the right thing and bought something else that happens to handle better. Still you may learn that under certain conditions, even the new rig will not handle so well.

Jopopsy wrote:
I'm doing it because: A. its free, and B. I understand Ford aligns them for the cutaway as it was naked but not for what the end result is.

I'm starting to think I should just have them align it as is.

I tend to agree. Building the coach on the chassis is the big deal. I don't think the last nth degree of loading is going to matter much. Often it changes anyway. Try to get them to dial in as much positive caster as they can. You want it approaching the upper end of the spec range , not on the lower end of the range.

PSW wrote:
Since there is nothing in a new coach, I would fill the fresh, gray and black to capacity. It would certainly not hurt and could help. The problem is most tanks are towards the rear axle and you won't have the weight of the driver and passenger on the front, but I suspect it would (like most things) be good enough.

I was worried about unloading the front axle as well. Maybe I'll just ask them to fill the tanks closer to the rear axle. Avoid any that hang towards the back.

Since there is nothing in a new coach, I would fill the fresh, gray and black to capacity. It would certainly not hurt and could help. The problem is most tanks are towards the rear axle and you won't have the weight of the driver and passenger on the front, but I suspect it would (like most things) be good enough.

ronfisherman wrote:
While you may not have MH loaded with your stuff. You can make sure it is loaded with water and fuel. Some water in black and gray tanks will not hurt.

I was debating having them fill just the fresh water tank. But maybe the black and gray as you suggest instead would be better.

My potential Jayco includes what they call "J-Ride Plus". It already includes a lot of that.

http://jride.jayco.com/

My Class C has about 800 miles on it, and I wanted to have the front end alignment checked prior to a number of longer trips we have planned this summer. Being my first motorhome, and not knowing what to expect on the highway, I sensed a little bit of play in the front end. I paid $170 to have the front end checked out, and was told that it was fine. The shop did, however, "strongly recommend" installing over $3,200 of new shocks and front and rear sway bars to improve the ride -- they told me that it would "drive like a Ferrari" if I let them do the work. Needless to say, I declined -- never really did care for Ferrari's!

While you may not have MH loaded with your stuff. You can make sure it is loaded with water and fuel. Some water in black and gray tanks will not hurt.

I'm doing it because: A. its free, and B. I understand Ford aligns them for the cutaway as it was naked but not for what the end result is.

I'm starting to think I should just have them align it as is.