Which Bilstein shock is best for my RV?

[dperkinstx]

I have a '94 28ft Minnie Winnie. I think it's more like 30ft bumper to bumper. I see Bilstein offers two shocks - the HD and the Comfort. They say the comfort is recommended for RV's under 30ft and the HDs are for over 30ft. I'm right on the cut-off line.

I'm new to RVing (bought it Jan, 2015). I have no idea how old the current shocks are. I feel like I get blown around a lot while driving. I don't want to buy the Comfort shocks just to find out I'm still getting blown around. I don't want to buy the HD shocks, then get bounced around because they're too stiff.

Any recommendations?

[SCVJeff]

I'm not sure any shock will eliminate that vibration, thats not what they really do

[ron_dittmer]

I had read up on FSDs years ago and recall inside they have a mechanical limiting check valve that allows hydraulic fluid to pass thru to make the shocks soft under normal conditions, but kick into heavy duty mode on demand. The end result is that you get a soft ride except when road conditions change which require heavy duty shocks.

I have the other Koni RV shocks, the red colored adjustable model. They are set highest, so I would imagine they are comparable to the HD Bilsteins. As an experiment with my wife driving, I laid on my back on the floor over the rear axle. There really is a lot of road vibration felt there laying on the floor. It would be great if the FSDs can reduce that. It sounds like that is what they are designed to do. A soft and heavy duty shock, all in one.

[tpi]

Thanks.. sounds good. That is one specific area I'd like to improve.

[SCVJeff]

tpi wrote:
Driveway wallowing meaning rocking side to side when entering driveway at angle? I think if we could tame that, other handling aspects also would improve.

yep.
I've driven class C's that are pretty bad in the past. My 85' Pace Class A had Bilsteins and it really didn't dampen that driveway thing much, but FSD's on this Freightliner work well. These Bilstiens may be different but the ones I have installed in the past are single action. FSD's resist force on both directions. When wallowing back and forth that dual action makes all the difference in the world.
This was a popular discussion several years ago and there are folks on here that have prettymuch tried them all. Hopefully one or two will pop up here.

[fortytwo]

Put the Koni FSD's on my Class A due to lots of enthusiastic posts. Minor improvement, but nothing to get excited about.

Had a 2005 E450 with 5k miles that was having tracking problems after 3 alignments. Bought Monroe Magnums for the front. A front end shop was set to install them, but determined the installed shocks were good and not the problem. Replacing the front tires with steering design fixed. The shop did say that the front shocks were a real bear to install. Didn't sound like replacing the fronts would be a DIY job unless you're prepared to sacrifice a good bit of skin and blood. Lots of exposed screw ends and difficult access.

May be easier in later year models - don't know.

[tpi]

Driveway wallowing meaning rocking side to side when entering driveway at angle? I think if we could tame that, other handling aspects also would improve.

[SCVJeff]

I put FSD's on the front of a Freightliner and it made an amazing difference in the driveway wallowing. I cant possibly imagine they wouldnt work great on a class C

[tpi]

J-D I think I'll do the same-try a couple of the HD Bilsteins on the rear. That I think I can still manage as DIY. The rear should be the end which does the most good, and I can see what happens to ride without too much investment.

It pops out at me how broad the applications are for these shocks. E200-E450 class C. I understand the Koni FSD also have big application range. Weight is just one control factor for the shocks. Center of gravity is additional factor. At any rate I think anything to control the rocking/rolling is going to be beneficial to the handling-as these motorhomes tend to roll steer. I'm coming to conclusion that you almost cannot have enough control with these high center gravity, heavy with lot of rearward weight vehicles.

[j-d]

Koni FSD... I wish there were more reports out there on how well they do on Class C's. But I don't want to be one of the "early adopters" spending those big dollars on something without very many reviews. Hendersons LineUP in Oregon is a major player in the RV chassis/handling area, and they've weighed in, favoring FSD.

I recall exactly one OP here, with a Class C, who'd had FSD's installed. By Hendersons as I recall. Didn't seem all that impressed, but we don't know the circumstances/expectations involved. My personal belief is that NO SHOCK is going to be Transformational. NONE will change a box truck to a limousine. To me, it's more a matter of degrees, and for most OP's here, Bilstein delivers more incremental improvement than most.

I'm like tpi and some others here, would get Bilsen in the HD flavor. Would be willing to accept a little harshness in favor of tighter control. Right now we have 40,000 on OEM rear Ford shocks so replacement is probably overdue. Less than 5,000 miles on new OEM Ford front shocks that came with our axle upgrade, definitely not due. Think I'll order a pair of HD Bills for the rear. There's another factor at work here: How many miles on j-d... I'm starting to work toward getting major projects done while I'm still strong and flexible enough to do them...

[tpi]

Has anyone installed the Koni FSD? It would be great to have a report.

On my '11 E450 11300 lbs I feel the Ford shocks are underdamped. Still get rocking at times and feels floaty at higher speeds, especially on winding roads (55-60 MPH winding country roads bring out worst). Have Roadmaster HD sway bars and track bar. Impact harshness as mentioned earlier-but ride is not my issue.

At least in theory this shock could be on target. I certainly would want it to control the rocking better than the Ford shock. If it also softened the impacts all the better...

[ron_dittmer]

I understand the best shocks will be the Koni-FSD. They have been around for a long time, but recently made available for the E-series.

If getting blown around in a 1994 chassis, I advise you first install a heavy duty rear stabilizer bar for unless one was added by a previous owner, you don't have one. I would also install a heavy duty front bar.

[ksg5000]

My recollection is that my Bilstein's are HD - I have a 92 28' Jamboree - probably similar to your rig in size/weight. Nice upgrade.

[CloudDriver]

Replacing the shocks isn't the first thing to do to resolve an issue of getting blown around when driving.

Get the RV weighed - at least individual axle weights, but preferably 4 corner weights. Set the tire pressures based on the load/inflation table for your tires. If you get 4 corner weights, remember that all tires on an axle are inflated to the pressure required for the heavier side. Proper tire pressures make a big difference in ride and handling.

Over inflation of the front tires for the load reduces the tire contact area with the road, reducing the friction that keeps the vehicle from being blown around in crosswinds.

Have the front suspension and steering components checked for looseness and once worn parts are replaced, have the front end aligned.

Lots of posts here about adding steering stabilizers, track bars, sway bars to help with handling.

Do the cheap/easy things first before throwing $$ at items than may not resolve the handling problem.

BTW, I replaced the OEM shocks on our 24 ft MH on the Ford E-450 with the Bilstein Comfort shocks and my wife says it rides better. It still rides like a light truck though.

[IAMICHABOD]

Cant give you much advise on the HD or Comfort, mine is a Chevy and I had only one choice.

The advice I can give you is to Buy them at E SHOCKS they beat every ones price,and have been around a long time and if you have any questions they are ready to help. I have been buying Bilsteins from them for more than 30 years.

[tpi]

I've talked to a lot of people about the Bilsteins and have pretty much concluded to go with the HD when I change my stock Ford shocks. I have a 24'. I've had more than one person tell me the comfort shocks are valved similarly to the stock Ford shock.

But...I'm willing to compromise ride a bit for more buttoned down feeling. I also think some of the E450 ride deficiencies are due to impact harshness and not completely under the control of the shocks (any shock is going to allow some of that through due to it being more of a tire/suspension issue).

There are several other shocks people may bring up. Certainly worth keeping an open mind on them too. Wish I had the resources to try them all on my motorhome and choose my favorite!