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Old 09-23-2017, 05:43 PM   #1
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tire alignment

is it necessary to get an tire alignment before you take a trip on a new 2018 vega or wait until you get home after a trip of a couple hundred miles ?

thanks

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Old 09-23-2017, 06:26 PM   #2
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My 2017 class c did not feel right as soon as I drove it off the lot. On the first outing I checked the tires at a rest area and the passenger tire was warmer then the drivers. When I returned home got an alignment Sure enough it was out of specs. Ford does an alignment check when leaving the factory. Then Thor adds the body. Thor doesn't re check it On ford class c's. You want to have it aligned with as much. Caster as possible and still be in specs. Not sure about your unit being on a f53 chassis ( I think).
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Old 09-23-2017, 06:31 PM   #3
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If you are talking about the front end alignment you're probably ok with a few hundred miles (unless its really noticeable--e.g. it pulls left or right).

You'll want to get it done before any really long trips, however.
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Old 09-23-2017, 07:27 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by JamieGeek View Post
If you are talking about the front end alignment you're probably ok with a few hundred miles (unless its really noticeable--e.g. it pulls left or right).

You'll want to get it done before any really long trips, however.
Where are good places to get an alignment? Our dealer is not dependable. We are in Michigan right now.
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Old 09-23-2017, 07:30 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by edanddonna View Post
Where are good places to get an alignment? Our dealer is not dependable. We are in Michigan right now.
We took ours to a Goodyear Commercial Tire Service Center for the alignment.
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Old 09-23-2017, 07:31 PM   #6
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Thank you I appreciate the information.
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Old 09-23-2017, 07:35 PM   #7
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Find yourself a reputable truck alignment/RV alignment shop in your area. Most of our Ford dealers in SoCal cannot handle alignments on RVs. By the way, I can almost guarantee your new Vegas needs an alignment and I would not wait to get it done. It is just a sad fact that most RVs seem to go to the new owner with suspension needs including the alignment so that they are comfortable to drive. I see brand new rigs at our local RV service shop getting new shocks, sway bars, sumo springs, Saf-T-Plus, etc., etc.... Just imagine if the auto industry sold new cars that way....
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Old 09-23-2017, 08:21 PM   #8
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Go ahead with your trip if you can't get the alignment done before. Most have noticed a marked improvement in handling with this service.

It is suggested that you load the coach as you would travel, with your "stuff" and water and fuel.

Few dealers are equipped to do alignment. That your dealer is "not dependable" is not a huge surprise. You need to know that you can take your Thor coach to a different Thor dealer for warranty work. The dealer that gave us the best deal on our new Vegas from was a thousand miles from our home. We had warranty work performed by three different dealers during that first year. Let your fingers do the walking to find one that will work you in, most service departments seem to be overwhelmed.
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Old 09-23-2017, 11:47 PM   #9
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We took ours to a Goodyear Commercial Tire Service Center for the alignment.
Glad to hear you say that. Goodyear I'd where we take ours.
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Old 09-24-2017, 06:32 AM   #10
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I thought I'd wait with our 2017 Axis...went from southern California to Minnesota and the alignment went from good, to really bad. Took it to a truck center who specializes in alignments and it was well worth the money. Drove it about another 4,000 miles with no issues. I didn't realize how difficult it was to drive prior to the alignment (I just thought it was wind/road conditions/large vehicle) now I drive it one handed with ease. So my recommendation it get it done as soon as you can 👍
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Old 09-24-2017, 01:09 PM   #11
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I have to agree. You're going to get one done sooner or later if you get it done first at least you'll know if something else needs attention other than the alignment.
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Old 09-24-2017, 03:06 PM   #12
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For Axis / Vegas give your alignment specialist the exact spec for optimal handling. The factory spec is a range and you'll have better handling at a specific setting in the range. If I recall correctly you want to have 2 degrees positive caster. There have been past threads on this so check out what has been posted for the specs previously.
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Old 09-27-2017, 01:51 PM   #13
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if it makes you feel any better.... your coach would have been driven from Indiana to your dealer, so a few more miles won't likely matter all that much except for driver comfort.
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Old 09-27-2017, 04:07 PM   #14
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I lived this experience in person. Dealer never told us about getting it re-aligned after purchasing it and ended up having to buy new front tires and get an alignment while 1,500 miles from home. Good thing I caught it though. Its funny how when you call the dealer back and they say ford aligns the chassis from the factory but no one at Thor re-aligns the coach after the finish putting the motor home on top of the ford chassis. Then proceed to drive from Indiana to California with the coach never being aligned with all the weight on a chassis that was only aligned a basically just a frame and no weight on it. Long story short get it aligned asap.
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Old 09-27-2017, 05:48 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by rcmark View Post
I lived this experience in person. Dealer never told us about getting it re-aligned after purchasing it and ended up having to buy new front tires and get an alignment while 1,500 miles from home. Good thing I caught it though. Its funny how when you call the dealer back and they say ford aligns the chassis from the factory but no one at Thor re-aligns the coach after the finish putting the motor home on top of the ford chassis. Then proceed to drive from Indiana to California with the coach never being aligned with all the weight on a chassis that was only aligned a basically just a frame and no weight on it. Long story short get it aligned asap.
Totally agree. Don't think those contractors that drove mine from Indiana to CA gave a rats behind about anything other than collecting their money, let alone how it drove....
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Old 09-27-2017, 06:34 PM   #16
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Where are good places to get an alignment? Our dealer is not dependable. We are in Michigan right now.
Bill Brown Ford in Livonia is a fleet truck service center. They did my alignment on 2018 Vegas 24.1 and they do great work, very trustworthy and I highly recommend them. (They service RVs, DTE service trucks, school buses etc.
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Old 09-27-2017, 07:04 PM   #17
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Bill Brown Ford in Livonia is a fleet truck service center. They did my alignment on 2018 Vegas 24.1 and they do great work, very trustworthy and I highly recommend them. (They service RVs, DTE service trucks, school buses etc.
Thank you! That is where I will call!
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Old 09-28-2017, 12:29 PM   #18
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Before going to the trouble of finding a shop and getting an alignment, check your air pressure. This was brought home to me on my last trip. The rv had been in the shop at CW and drove fine when I picked it up. Leaving a few days later the steering wheel was not centered and it pulled to the left. Not terrible but tiring and aggravating. Front end alignment? Did I hit something? This is going to cost me! That was my first thought as the Axis is out of warranty. Checking the air pressure I found one front tire 5lbs lighter that the other. Evened out the tire pressures and problem solved. Drives like a dream once again. Sometimes it's the simple things.
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Old 09-28-2017, 12:43 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Wonderdog View Post
Before going to the trouble of finding a shop and getting an alignment, check your air pressure. This was brought home to me on my last trip. The rv had been in the shop at CW and drove fine when I picked it up. Leaving a few days later the steering wheel was not centered and it pulled to the left. Not terrible but tiring and aggravating. Front end alignment? Did I hit something? This is going to cost me! That was my first thought as the Axis is out of warranty. Checking the air pressure I found one front tire 5lbs lighter that the other. Evened out the tire pressures and problem solved. Drives like a dream once again. Sometimes it's the simple things.
If its never had an alignment it should get one regardless of the air pressures in the tires.
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