play in steering wheel '07 Dutchmen Freelander

[Bjasont]

Just purchased my first RV. Husband made me "practice" driving. It was horrible!! Seems there's an awful lot of play in the steering wheel, more than I am comfortable with. Anyone else have this problem or is this the way it's supposed to be? Have never driven one so don't have any comparisons.

[Harvard]

This link explains a relationship between the effective runtime caster and tire inflation pressure, among other things.

Topic Caster, see para "Trail or Trailing"

[Harvard]

Bjasont wrote:
Just purchased my first RV. Husband made me "practice" driving. It was horrible!! Seems there's an awful lot of play in the steering wheel, more than I am comfortable with. Anyone else have this problem or is this the way it's supposed to be? Have never driven one so don't have any comparisons.

Here is a link to my experience, circa 2011

[j-d]

Good Morning and Welcome to the Forum! You found a good one!

Please describe Make and Model of the RV and of the Chassis that it's on. The chassis' wheelbase if you know it, and how many miles on the clock.

Since you posted in Class C and the majority of Class are on Ford E350 or E450 chassis, our best guess is that's what you have. If that's true, they're better known for vagueness than tightness when it comes to steering.

Here's a Quick-Hitter: Check the Tire Pressures. If this is a Ford, you NEVER need more than 65-PSI in the Front Tires, and probably Less. If somebody looked at the sidewalls and saw "max load of xyz pounds at 80-PSI" and aired the Fronts to 80, that's a big problem. That much pressure reduces the tread's contact patch (where it meets the road) to about the size of your foot. 80 in the rears will make it ride harder if you can do with less but won't make for vague driving. Just make sure all four are at the same pressure. Just start at 75 or 80. But make sure Front's not over 65!

Sure it could need work, but please gather the information, check the tire pressures, and get back to us.

[navegator]

Some RV's have tendency to wander "tail wagging" but if you turn the steering wheel and there is no response until you turn more then definitlly go to a front end shop and have that taken care off, steering wheel wander is not normal today, it can also be an improperlly aligned steering box and/or it is hunting or worn.

navegator

[offgridman]

Mandalay Parr wrote:
Take it to a shop and have the front end and steering checked. Not normal like it is.

Look for a roll pin connection pinning two shafts together.
I once had the shaft splines so short that the only thing holding it together was the roll pin. It worked its way around the shaft wearing a groove around the shaft. It eventually wore all the way around and I lost my steering ability at fifty miles and hour. I stomped on the brakes and the wheels locked to the left spinning us onto the median. Had they gone the other way we would have gone into a huge concrete drop off and most likely died. This was in 1975 and I still remember it.
use pliers hold one shaft while someone wiggles the steering wheel to check to see if the shafts are slipping.

[Mandalay_Parr]

Take it to a shop and have the front end and steering checked. Not normal like it is.