Johnny_Dearborn
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Re: How to Fix a Squirrelly Front End?
Thanks for all of the advice! All of this is going to help when I take it to the repair shop and they tell me what they think is going on and how to fix it. My rig is a 23 foot camper with about 85,000 miles. I changed the tires about 15,000 miles ago. No change in behavior. I've ruled out the brakes as the culprit. The master cylinder has been cleaned out. The brake lines were swapped from one side to the other. New rotors and calipers etc. I had new shocks put on awhile back. Wanted Bilstein but they were too expensive. Got the next best thing (which now I don't remember). I'd like to get this right. Afraid how much this is going to hit the wallet!721Views0likes0CommentsRe: How to Fix a Squirrelly Front End?
Plturne wrote: My suggestion is to research local RV shops and try to find one that specializes in suspension work that has a stellar reputation. Our Class C handled poorly when purchased so I made an appointment with Henderson’s Line-Up in Grants Pass OR (I’m in NorCal). They complete a test drive under various conditions with you riding along. They write up recommendations and discuss with you. I agreed to upgrade shocks, sway bars, steering stabilizer and perform a very exacting alignment. I would estimate handling improved 40+%. Of high importance is it’s now safer and less fatiguing to drive. Just drove through Grant's Pass in my RV earlier this week. Nice little town. I drove through a lot of those Oregon and Washington mountain passes on this trip. Was white knuckle with my sloppy steering especially at night when a semi would pass in the opposite direction. Would be much more relaxing if I had tighter steering.342Views0likes0CommentsHow to Fix a Squirrelly Front End?
Ever since I bought my 2001 Ford E350 chassis class C, the RV has pulled to one side or the other when I brake. I've had the brakes redone. New brake disks put on. Tested out everything brake related. It still pulls fairly hard, mostly to the left. The problem definitely isn't the brakes. I did get the RV aligned - though that took some work. Took it to three different shops before one guy got it right. He had a helluva time. Not sure on the details but he had to put in a lot of whatever they put in to get the vehicle aligned. I don't know if the alignment is tied to the steering issues I'm having. Right now though the vehicle drives straight (on a windless day on a perfect highway). The steering has also gotten fairly sloppy - I can jiggle the wheel considerably without it affecting the wheels. I've been told the problem is the "front end." What exactly does that mean? Where do I take the RV to get it fixed? It's beyond what my local mechanic can do. Not sure where and what to do at this point. Suggestions and insight appreciated.6.8KViews0likes25CommentsRe: RVing in the winter
Just got back from a month long RV trip up into Washington state. Got down into the 20's at night. Two things I'd recommend: a small $30 space heater. Plug it in at night and keep it on. Keeps the RV interior from freezing (so much nicer when you get up in the morning or in the middle of the night to pee) and you don't have to rely purely on propane. This assumes you'll be in a campground with full hookups. The other thing that helps is to buy a heated hose. Your interior plumbing won't freeze until the temps drop way down, but your outside hose will freeze up pretty quickly. Camping World sells a heated hose for not too much. If you're only going out for a few days, you can disconnect at night. But if you're out for a long time, that quickly gets old. All of the long term campers have heated hoses. They know... Camping World also sells insulated pillows designed to fit into the air vents in your RV. Keeps all of your warm air from escaping through the thin plastic coverings. You might also consider draping a blanket over the entrance to the cab of the RV. That's another big heat loss area and one that you're not using unless you're driving. If you're moving around a bunch, insulated waterproof gloves are a big help when connecting late at night and disconnecting early in the morning. If you're going anywhere near the mountains or snowy areas, buy chains in advance. Don't do what I just did which is drive half way over the mountains and then turn around to get chains back at the base before heading over the pass, again. The great thing about winter RVing is that you're the only one out there besides the long term campers. Easy to get a campsite. Enjoy!356Views0likes0CommentsCarrying a Motorcycle with my 2000 Shasta Sprite?
I’m interested in hauling a motorcycle on the back of my 22.5 foot Shasta Class C on a Ford E350 V10 chassis. The bike I’m looking at weighs about 400 lbs (Kawasaki KLS). I can’t find any info online about the vehicle’s towing capacity or the max tongue weight for the hitch. Anyone have any suggestions on how to figure this out? Is 400 lbs within the typical limit for a Class C of this size? Any recommendations for carrier are appreciated as well. Thanks!5.4KViews0likes17CommentsRe: Transmission Overheated on my Ford E350 Chassis Shasta
time2roll wrote: Johnny Dearborn wrote: I was in second gear going up the Whitney Portal grade. Idling was actually the thing that set it off overheating. Once I stopped moving, it began to overheat and the fluid came pouring out. What I should have done was keep driving as fast as I could even if it was around the campground. Unfortunately, at Whitney Portal, once you get to the top, there's no place to really go but down. I did the Lee Vining Canyon/Tioga Pass grade twice earlier that week without any problems. There at least there was enough time for the engine to cool down once I got to the top of the grade. That Whiney Portal is a fairly long and steep climb. I wonder if you were lugging the driveline a bit when in second. If you have a tachometer I think you are looking for 3500 to 4200 rpm when you encounter such a grade. Possibly you would have been better to be in low gear at maybe 3500 rpm and 25 mph when climbing (estimated numbers). More rpm means more air through the radiator, more air through the auxiliary cooler, more fluid flow, less heat from the torque converter. Yes as you reached the top the fluid was already about boiling and as soon as you started to idle you had less cooling and the existing heat pushed the fluid over. If you do need to idle maybe keep the rpm up a bit in neutral/park for a couple minutes. (1400/1800 rpm) I recommend the synthetic fluid for additional heat resistance. FYI I read the grade steadily increases to 9% for the last 5 miles. Beware of Nine Mile Canyon road to the south (395) just out of Pearsonville is a solid 9 miles of 10%. And if you detour to Death Valley there are several areas of long 8%/9% grades not to mention summer heat. Stopping immediately at the summit of Whitney Portal is a killer and hard to compare. Thanks for the insight and tips. I'll look into a synthetic fluid. At least now I know about the issue so I can avoid it in the future. I'm also carrying extra fluid now so if I lose some, I won't be dead in the water.680Views0likes0CommentsRe: Transmission Overheated on my Ford E350 Chassis Shasta
jimx200 wrote: Olddud wrote: jimx200 wrote: We're you on Old Priest Grade? If so, it's a real steep haul up and I have seen cars and trucks off to the side with overheating problems. HD transmission coolers really help. Good luck He may be referring to Whitney Portal, which is paved to the top, at least it was 45 years ago when I was out there. Darn I'm Old, but not a Priest. Whitney Portal road is not that steep IMO, but anything is possible to overheat. You are way overdue for a visit! I climbed Mt Whitney back in the late 70's when we had no restrictions or permit needed. Thanks to social media, they trail and surrounding areas for base camping are clogged. Was there last year for some hiking and photography and even midweek there were lots of people. Yes, I was heading up Whitney Portal. I let the RV sit while I hiked up to Mt. Whitney then dealt with the transmission once I got back. Wasn't going to let the mechanical issues get in the way of a good hike. Managed to get to the top in under five hours. Was quite proud of myself.680Views0likes0CommentsRe: Transmission Overheated on my Ford E350 Chassis Shasta
time2roll wrote: If you were in low gear the torque converter was not locked and was building a lot of heat. If you do this again let it idle in neutral 5 or 8 minutes at the top before you shut it off. OK to pull off half way up and let it idle and cool a bit. I was in second gear going up the Whitney Portal grade. Idling was actually the thing that set it off overheating. Once I stopped moving, it began to overheat and the fluid came pouring out. What I should have done was keep driving as fast as I could even if it was around the campground. Unfortunately, at Whitney Portal, once you get to the top, there's no place to really go but down. I did the Lee Vining Canyon/Tioga Pass grade twice earlier that week without any problems. There at least there was enough time for the engine to cool down once I got to the top of the grade.680Views0likes0CommentsTransmission Overheated on my Ford E350 Chassis Shasta
This past weekend, I took a trip up to Mt Whitney with my 2001 Shasta E350 chassis. The road up starts at about 3,000 feet and tops out at 8,500 after just a few miles of road. The temps were about 90 degrees at the bottom and in the 80's at elevation. Once I got to the end of the road, my transmission started dumping fluid all over the roadway. My mechanic says that the transmission overheated once I stopped moving, forcing fluid out of the top. I called AAA, but they said that they couldn't do anything for me since they couldn't get a truck up the hill to me. (WTF!?) So a few questions: Has this happened to anyone else? How can I prevent this in the future? Any recommendations for roadside assistance that won't leave me stranded in the mountains? Thanks. John3.2KViews0likes17Comments
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