Newer gas class A ride quality

mike brez wrote:
I took out a 2013 with a V10 with I think was called a power platform chassis. Seemed to ride pretty good but that motor screamed.

Depends on the quality of the MH and its doghouse insulation. I added $150 of sound deadening materials to the inside of my doghouse and it made a world of difference. Only hear the engine when it's above 3500 rpm, and then not bad.

I took out a 2013 with a V10 with I think was called a power platform chassis. Seemed to ride pretty good but that motor screamed.

Hbrown wrote:
Suggestions would be appreciated. We purchased a 2012 Allegro 34TGA and did so from an individual in FL. So, the test drive was benign on flat roads. Since then we have taken it to and through a lot of curvy roads and it sways like crazy. Tire pressure is where it needs to be. It is a Ford V10. What can I do to improve handling and where should I go to do it?

Thanks,

Get some Koni FSD shocks. That plus 4+ degrees caster and air bags on the rear axle made our old F51 comfortable and easy to drive (for a 35' long, 12' high box on a truck chassis).

Our '02 Georgetown is an 11-ton box truck underneath the home section and it rides like one. We've put 5000 miles on it in four years. Am I going to spend thousands of dollars trying to turn this sow's ear into a silk purse to make 1250 miles a year marginally more comfortable? No way! I'd rather spend the money on gas and CG fees.

To each his own, but that's my take.

We have a 2014 Tiffin Allegro Open Road an it drives like a dream and is quiet

Did the CHF on front and rear of my 2013 Coachmen Encounter and the results were way better than I had hoped for. Ford truck center charged $228.00 to do it. Best investment yet.

pkunk wrote:
CHP = Cheap Handling Fix

On a Ford chassis do the CHP, install 4 air bags and remove the factory shocks and put on Monroe RV shocks they are a softer ride, and run air pressure at 80 psi if that is what the specs say.

I did this and my ride quality improved from harsh to smooth..

Also don't forget to sound proof doghouse and under floors in front of RV this will make it quieter, most gas motorhomes don't have sound proofing in those areas.

I recently experienced the huge difference that wheelbase can make. I shuttled a 2011 Newmar 29-ft with a Ford V-10 on a 190-inch wheelbase some 1,200 miles from BC to the Yukon, and found it to ride hard and choppy. Then 2 weeks later I brought a 2007 Fleetwood 31-foot from Arizona to the Yukon with an 8.1 Workhorse on a 208-inch wheelbase, and the difference is quite dramatic - it's both smoother and more stable.

Funny, and here i thought you just pack up a class a ad go. LOL. I know it took me a few thousand miles to get my current combo set up properly. Ya i know on the GVWR, one class C had a low CCC of about 2k lbs. that would be over weight without people in it! I will check on the wheelbase issue, because the same is true with a truck/suv. The shorter the axle to hitch the better it will tow when set up properly.

Thanks for the advice, keep it coming!

Before you buy anything, look at the wheelbase numbers and the total length of the coach. Many makers of gas motorhomes will use too short of chassis and end up with a coach with a huge rear overhang. Buy the coach with the shortest distance between the rear cap and the rear tires. It will handle better, without any modifications, than the coach with a long overhang.

Also look at GVWR ratings. Many manufactures build coaches on too light of chassis. A 37 ft gas motorhome should be on a minimum of a 24,000 lb chassis.

And lastly, before you do any chassis modifications, get the coach weighed and the tire pressures adjusted. Then get a few thousand miles of driving experience and you will then be able to decide if anything else is needed.