suspension on dodge 3500 based class B campervan

[briangt]

I have a 2003 Leisure Travel Van Freedom 2A, Anniversary edition. We just came back from a long trip but were very disappointed at the performance of the rear suspension on dirt roads. We tried low inflation or high inflation of the rear air-bags but it made no difference we could not go above 25mph on any roads with bumps it was as if the rear suspension was solid. Has anyone else experienced this behavior on dodge 3500 based campervans?

[steveh27]

My 1997 Xplorer has to go slow on washboard roads. I have done some improvements: Bilstein shocks, new ball joints, idler arm & drag link. The shocks helped the bouncing & the others tightened the loose steering. I keep the front tires at 55-60, rear at 70, and the rear air bags around 70, or higher if I'm towing my boat.

[Islandman]

I always slowed down our PW on the 3500 Dodge chassis on dirt or gravel roads, sometimes only 10-20 mph on dirt 'cause the roads were usually rough and I didn't want to shake things up or do any damage to the undercarriage. Usually had 55psi in the air bags, about 70 in the rear tires and 60 in the front tires

[ScottG]

You have to understand that just because it has a truck chassis doesn't make it an off-road vehicle. It's more of a delivery van than a jeep.

[Arizona_Kid]

Just go slow, the bumps are not good for the gas/water lines, and connections. It will also loosen screws that hold the cabinets, and electrical connections. Rough roads or not, I suggest tightening all the ground connections on the bus bar, and connections to the breakers at least once a year. I have seen melted wires, bus bars, and fried breakers from wires vibrating loose. One of the causes of fires in RV's.

[arm]

Sorry..forgot to mention that it also has new Monroe shocks, new Michelin tires, and front and rear spring travel was checked and declared good by certified suspension shop.

[arm]

To answer your question....YES! We have 1996 Roadtrek 190 Popular on Dodge 3500 chassis with rear air bags. I have tried it every which way with little success. GVW rating is 8510 Lbs. Fully loaded ready to roll( full fuel 35 gal, full water 31 gal, full propane 7 gal, hot water 6 gal, empty black&grey, 2 people and the wife's "STUFF") it weighs in at 7702 lbs. Front axle 3190 lbs and rear axle 4512 lbs. I have settled on 50 - 55 PSI front...65 - 70 PSI rear and air bags at 65 lbs.

For me ...this provides the most consistent ride for almost all normal road conditions. When you hit a bad bump it feels like the van is welded to the axle.

When we travel on wash board & bumpy roads or off-road, it is painful, and SLOW is the only way to survive, and keep cupboards attached.

They DEFINITELY are not for extended driving on questionable or rough roads, although we have gone to some out of the way places, but we are retired and have LOTS of time.

Good luck!

[Bob_N_]

Hi,
We have a 2002 LTV Freedom 2a on the 3500 Dodge chassis, and while we have limited experience on dirt roads, we find ours handles best with the air lifts at 30 to 40 psi, and the tires at 65 psi front and 80 psi rear. If the roads you are travelling are very rough, I would think you may be bottoming the spring travel if you have the air bags at low pressure. With the air bags at 30 --40 lb psi the ride is firm.
At lower air bag pressures handling is very poor with considerable side to side rolling and difficult steering. We also have the wheel spacers on the rear to make the rear tread width the same as the front, and that has helped handling some. These are heavy vehicles at best, and it is very easy to load them beyond their design limit. I suggest you get the unit weighed loaded as you plan to travel and check the weights against the listed load limits. We try to travel light----it's very easy to take more stuff than you need. Most class B units have a limited payload as the coach additions put the chassis close to the design weight limits.

[midnightsadie]

we have a 2007 freedom serenity II ,sticker says 10,000# I think 25mph is fast enough. ours is on the 3500 series sprinter chassis. just my opinion ,