Road steering

[bazdad]

I test drove a 03 40 ft Newmar Dutchstar with a Freightliner chassis yesterday and constantly had to correct the steering to make it go straight. It seamed that I was always over steering.Is this a problem with a Spartan chassis also and what year was that problem corrected

[Groover]

gemert wrote:
When I first started to drive mine that sucker loved to go towards the ditch on the right side of the road. I was afraid to blink! Now, a year and half later it feels like it drives like a limo! Maybe it's just you. Maybe not! Check the tires first, then try it again. Next would be an alignment shop. After that, I don't know. Good luck.

I had the same experience with mine. It took me 10,000 miles to get used to it but no trouble now unless there are strong side winds. Then all bets are off.

[mikestock]

Just finished installing a Roadmaster stabilizer on my Freightliner chassis. It cuts down on the amount of steering needed. Pavement drop offs, pot holes, rough pavement don't make you work nearly so hard. I love it. Easy install. Also check out the Safe-T-Plus brand.

[wolfe10]

Road crown is why you have MORE CASTER on the right wheel than on the left.

Generally 1/2 to 3/4 of a degree more on right than left.

[holstein13]

randallb wrote:
I have a few questions that relates to road crown. How does a manufacturer of a bare chassis or any vehicle accommodate for road crown with their alignment or suspension geometry? Since they can not do this please explain how a non-engineer, your alignment specialist, can set up your alignment to offset road crown. In the Pacific Northwest the roads have a pretty heavy crown to get the rain off as quickly as possible. In drier parts of the country the roads are pretty close to flat. Remember it costs more to crown a road. So once more I ask, how do you manufacture or align to compensate for road crown?
Using a vehicle line I worked on as a mechanic for close to 40 years as an example of differences in roads; the PNW cars wore out RR tires much faster than the other three tires and our cars in CA liked to wear out LF tires. Can you figure out why?
Randy

As you probably suspected, they take a guess between no road crown and maximum road crown. No matter what setting they choose, it will never work perfectly for every crown, but assuming a zero crown would be worse. So yes, they compensate for road crown, but it isn't perfect.

[et2]

randallb wrote:
I have a few questions that relates to road crown. How does a manufacturer of a bare chassis or any vehicle accommodate for road crown with their alignment or suspension geometry? Since they can not do this please explain how a non-engineer, your alignment specialist, can set up your alignment to offset road crown. In the Pacific Northwest the roads have a pretty heavy crown to get the rain off as quickly as possible. In drier parts of the country the roads are pretty close to flat. Remember it costs more to crown a road. So once more I ask, how do you manufacture or align to compensate for road crown?
Using a vehicle line I worked on as a mechanic for close to 40 years as an example of differences in roads; the PNW cars wore out RR tires much faster than the other three tires and our cars in CA liked to wear out LF tires. Can you figure out why?
Randy

They don't , but a after market product can correct it. Just my opinion of course

[randallb]

I have a few questions that relates to road crown. How does a manufacturer of a bare chassis or any vehicle accommodate for road crown with their alignment or suspension geometry? Since they can not do this please explain how a non-engineer, your alignment specialist, can set up your alignment to offset road crown. In the Pacific Northwest the roads have a pretty heavy crown to get the rain off as quickly as possible. In drier parts of the country the roads are pretty close to flat. Remember it costs more to crown a road. So once more I ask, how do you manufacture or align to compensate for road crown?
Using a vehicle line I worked on as a mechanic for close to 40 years as an example of differences in roads; the PNW cars wore out RR tires much faster than the other three tires and our cars in CA liked to wear out LF tires. Can you figure out why?
Randy

[45Ricochet]

bazdad wrote:
I test drove a 03 40 ft Newmar Dutchstar with a Freightliner chassis yesterday and constantly had to correct the steering to make it go straight. It seamed that I was always over steering.Is this a problem with a Spartan chassis also and what year was that problem corrected

Welcome to club :B This MH is much different driving than our dually and fiver, just wait for a windy day :W
I haven't had it on a straight road or interstate yet but on the small country roads its been a hand full for me. Can't wait till I'm not a rookie at it. I only have about 700 miles driving it so I'm sure the newness will wear off at some point.

[hipower]

My experience as a driver training/testing person for our fleet operations in my past employment suggests the if there are no mechanical issues with the vehicle the driver has several ingrained habits that usually cause them to over steer in their first few thousand miles.

They tend to drive in a highly tense state and over react to each input they feel through the seat of their pants. Experience usually overcomes that.

They also tend to drive too close to the front of the vehicle and this adds to the overreactions experienced. It is a proven fact that we tend to steer where we are looking so looking further ahead cures many issues. Here again experience and becoming more relaxed usually corrects that behavior.

The seating position of larger vehicles tends to enhance the feeling that the vehicle is moving around on the road causing the driver to steer when the reality is that the body is moving on the suspension while the chassis is actually tracking true. This is more prevelant in softer suspended vehicles like motorhomes rather than large commercial trucks with stiffers suspensions This causes us to use steering input that is not required and causes us to make the vehicle wander when it would not do so without our input.

Most drivers adjust quickly and become good drivers. Unfortunately there are some who never adapt and will always be that driver who is hunched over the wheel and hanging on for dear life. Any driver who can't relax will rarely become a good smooth driver. That's just life.

[holstein13]

Bill.Satellite wrote:

holstein13 wrote:
I'm a bit discouraged by the quality of the responses written above so I'll try my best to give you good information.

All the posters telling you that you are wrong and don't know how to steer a coach are projecting and could be completely wrong.

Don't consider the road crown too much either. If the suspension is properly adjusted, it should take into account the road crown as well.

Finally, I can drive my coach with two fingers without wandering at all in most moderate wind conditions. Windy isn't much harder either. Unless you've driven a well adjusted coach, you just can't believe what's possible. Most folks have no frame of reference.

I am pretty sure I have been insulted (along with everyone else). There are a lot of "could be" and "too much" in this post. You may be the only one here who knows what they are talking about, but I doubt it! Suggestions of all kinds are welcome and the OP can use the information as he sees appropriate.

Nope, I thought your post was right on the money and good advice. I didn't want to single anyone out, but I certainly didn't want to discount your post at all. I agree with what you wrote above. I simply felt as if some of the comments were too quick to judge the OP and not point out the high likelihood that there are mechanical issues that can be resolved.

[Bill_Satellite]

holstein13 wrote:
I'm a bit discouraged by the quality of the responses written above so I'll try my best to give you good information.

All the posters telling you that you are wrong and don't know how to steer a coach are projecting and could be completely wrong.

Don't consider the road crown too much either. If the suspension is properly adjusted, it should take into account the road crown as well.

Finally, I can drive my coach with two fingers without wandering at all in most moderate wind conditions. Windy isn't much harder either. Unless you've driven a well adjusted coach, you just can't believe what's possible. Most folks have no frame of reference.

I am pretty sure I have been insulted (along with everyone else). There are a lot of "could be" and "too much" in this post. You may be the only one here who knows what they are talking about, but I doubt it! Suggestions of all kinds are welcome and the OP can use the information as he sees appropriate.

[gemert]

Realistically I would imagine very few people are going to jump through all those hoops you mention. Maybe you will call me reckless and maybe even stupid but! I bought an 11 year old coach last year, my first. I had a hard time keeping it on the road, mostly drifting to the right. I almost went off the road a bunch of times when trucks past me and my steering wheel was going from side to side trying to stay in my lane. Someone on-line said all the things above about over steer and to just sit back and rest one hand on the wheel and it will be fine. 18 months later with none of that mechanical stuff done to the coach it rides and drives like a Limo (almost.) no more oscillating back and forth when a truck passes, I hardly notice. So some of us that are not as smart will continue to blunder along until we teach ourselves how to drive. We will come to Forums like this for advice that won't cost us 100s of dollars getting all that stuff checked until we follow all the good advice here and still have a problem. Then we will spends 100s cause you know were going to spend it on something!

[bazdad]

Thanks to all who replied. The unit had 37,000 miles so i would think the front end was still in good shape and not worn out. I do not know whether I make the jump to motor home or not. I have been looking at Monico and Newmar.
Thanks again

[rgatijnet1]

Given enough time behind the wheel, most drivers will be able to keep their coach between the lines, no matter how bad the set up is. That is a given.
We have all driven a new vehicle and naturally it feels different. A self diagnosis that said "feels like I was over steering" may be factual, OR it may mean there is some slop in the steering box, idler arm, or tie rod ends. Which one it is depends on a complete inspection of an 11 year old vehicle with an unknown history.
ALL empty coaches will handle different than a fully loaded coach. The only right answer to this perspective buyer is to have a complete inspection of all aspects of the suspension, steering, alignment, loading, etc. Then, and only then, will he be able to get a true experience of how THIS vehicle handles.

[Ivylog]

Granted there could be a toe in/alignment problem BUT he pretty much summed it up when he said "It seamed that I was always over steering". At least I did not use "the nut behind the wheel" that I've been know to post.

I have helped several friends transition from pulling a trailer with a PU to a MH. I go for a ride with them and all three have started their turns too soon (sitting in front of the axle takes some getting used too) and they have fought the steering wheel... over steering it. By kneeling besides them and and stopping them from turning the steering wheel too much plus having them look 200-300' out front they get the hang of it fairly quickly.

Sometimes on a windy day I have to make myself stop fighting it as it's easy to start over steering it. I'm amazed how nice my MH handles... even when passing 18 wheelers on a windy day and it's a 04 with 70K miles. I've been tempted to have the DW that a video of how little movement it really takes to keep it straight... less than 1/4" and yes a tag axle coach helps too.