Hey Everyone, I have a 2015 Challenger 35HT with about 5,000 miles and wanted to share my handling experience with this coach.
I flat tow a Jeep Wrangler or tow a 16 foot enclosed trailer.
My Experiences:
1. Wind shear when driving on the highway that rocks the coach side to side and major steering wheel correction are needed to keep it straight
2. When a Big Rig passes or when I pass a big rig major corrections to the steering wheel are needed to continue straight
3. Driving in general is a workout to keep the RV Straight
4. When turning on highways or just making a turn on the street the sway is so apparent you have to go at a snail’s pace to make the turn.
5. Highway curves and off camber presents a serious unsafe feeling and major sway.
Did a lot of reading on forums and of course the dealer wanted to sell me everything but this is what I did to start to deal with the issues above.
Purchased
Front
Amazon Prime free 2 day shipping
1.
Roadmaster 1139140 1-3/4" Front Sway Bar $526.47
2.
Roadmaster RSSA Reflex Stabilizer Unit $241.97
3.
Roadmaster RBK9 Bracket Kit $79.10
Installation Free- 1 hour install time with air tools, 2 jack stands, 1 lowprofile floor jack to lift the sway bar
Rear
Cheap Handling Fix
Installation Free-1hour--I did it
When I got under my RV I saw that the OEM sway bar was not secure. 3 of the 4 bolts that hold the saddle brackets were missing, and the fourth about to go as well. Before doing the CHF I inspected the poly bushing and found no grease in the bushing. I greased the bushing added Loctite to the bolts then torqued to 65ft/lbs the 4 bolts (I used 3 from the front) through the saddle brackets, and then did the CHF.
Check Your Sway Bars Mounts
1 1/2 Hour Road test
First thing that was apparent was when leaving my driveway the coach did not rock from side to side emptying cabinets and throwing my Wife into my lap.
Second thing I noticed was that when making a turn on residential streets, the coach stayed upright with no sway…All I could say is Wow and that was 500 ft away from my house.
I proceeded to get on the Fwy and immediately noticed the ease and stability of the coach and the ability to almost drive with 1 finger.
The true test was driving at speed with cross winds of about 20 miles an hour(android app for area), uneven road, passing big rigs or being passed. All of these conditions were present during the test.
First thing I wanted to test on the Highway was a Big Rig passing ….Wow it was like night and day, I did not have to over steer to compensate for the turbulence caused by the Big Rig. During the test, I noticed there was heavy cross winds as well. I really could not tell that there were crosswinds; because there was very limited sway….I just could tell from the sound of the wind hitting my Rig. At this point I was excited that my RV was stable and fun to drive with little effort.
Downhill gradual turns on the highway presented challenges previous, now with the changes I could confidently go into the turn and give the minimal response to the wheel to get the turning results to make the turn. Unlike previously where you had to turn and hope the coach followed.
Conclusion:
Cost total with Tax and free shipping (Amazon Prime) $915.35
The absolute best upgrade you could do for handling wind shear, Big Rig Turbulence, cross winds, Turn sway, driveway sway, straight line tracking. The outcome from the changes made is not subtle, but are huge and make all the difference. The result of the changes eliminates driver stress and fatigue and gives you confidence your rig will track down the road with ease.
With the confidence I have I will not need to add the rear sway bar.
OEM rating- 3 out of 10 stars
Thor Shame on You!
Rating after mods- 9 out of 10 stars
Linear Mode
