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Old 12-04-2018, 02:15 AM   #21
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Model: Axis 25.2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JamieGeek View Post
Well the "alignment police" remarks was a reply to "nosticks" and not you.

In addition my other comments were really addressing the original post, not you directly. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

In addition to all that: I'm only saying this is how it is and not how it should be. We can all agree Thor should be selling something that we don't have to spend a year getting right--it should be right out the door.
Fair enough. lol

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Old 12-04-2018, 03:00 AM   #22
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There is an adjustment on the steering box, but if you don't know how to adjust it, you can make the situation worse, so beware of trying the adjustment yourself.
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Old 12-04-2018, 03:36 AM   #23
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Cool

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Originally Posted by dray6935 View Post
I am new to RV'ing. My wife and I bought our 2019 Thor Vegas 24.1 last September. Since that time, we have taken it out 4 times, with the longest trip being for 11 days and about 1500 miles. While we have enjoyed it very much and encountered little in the way of issues, I do have concerns over the excessive amount of play in the steering of the vehicle. Under normal conditions (with little or no wind), I am constantly having to correct the steering to stay in my lane. The vehicle seems to bounce from stripe to stripe even when I make the most gentle corrections. Then there are times when it gets windy. One day driving through central Texas we encountered what I estimated to be 15 to 25 mph gusting crosswinds. These winds would cause the RV to make extreme movements (3 to 5 ft) before I ever had the opportunity to bring the unit back under control. I understand that RV's, especially the smaller/lighter ones like my Vegas, are basically shoeboxes on wheels and that wind does impact the drivability. That said, I don't think it is normal to for the steering to mimic that of a carnival ride. Nor do I think it is acceptable to have to constantly fight the steering wheel to keep from getting killed on a windy day.

I have brought this issue to the attention of the folks I bought the unit from. They have been responsive in that they said they took it to a local shop specializing in RV wheel alignment. The report back didn't identify any issues nor did they offer any recommendations for what could be done to "tighten" up the steering.

My apologies in advance for the long-winded dissertation. But my questions are this: 1) has anyone one else who owns a Thor Vegas, ACE or the like, encountered anything similar to what I describe, and 2) if yes, what, if anything, were you able to do about it?

Many thanks for your feedback.

David and Lisa Ray
As you can see, this is something RV people have disagreed
about for 100 years. And I have only been dealing with it for 1 year.

I did have the Safe-T-Plus Steering Control installed.
And it did help with the push / pull for the BIG rigs when they
go by at 80mpg.

However, I still find myself fighting the wheel often.
When in heavy traffic I'm good until the sun goes down.
Or the wind blows. Or another large truck passes by either way.
And I HATE all narrow bridges. HATE them.
Death grip on the wheel is normal for me.
After driving 300 miles I'm ready to park for a few days. (GRIN)

Seriously, I want to find someone that can tighten things up as well.
It has to be better than this.
I doubt the 18 wheelers are fighting the wheel all day and night.

Good luck.
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Old 12-04-2018, 04:01 AM   #24
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I ain't no "police" and feel that kind of comment doesn't belong on this forum.

My experience with our Vegas, and a Class A on F-53 before was that the alignment made a big difference. Then weighing all 4 corners helped me redistribute my storage weight that helped, too.

It helped enough that I don't feel that additional modifications are justified. But that's just me and I haven't been west of the Rockies with either coach. I'll bow to those with experience out there.

Like with all expenditures for mods, the longer you keep your rig and the more that you use it, the less the cost matters.
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Old 12-04-2018, 03:37 PM   #25
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Installed Safe-T-Plus on my 2016 Vegas. It made a world of difference. Now driving is about the same as my SUV. Costs about $500 installed.
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Old 12-04-2018, 04:31 PM   #26
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Exactly what Mitch S said about steering box adjustment.


Besides, just because a “fix” solves a problem, it doesn’t necessarily mean it should be done. All the unintended consequences of “fixes” can be worse in the long run.

The main problem here is that practically all motorhomes are built for comfort during camping, not while going down the road. Occasssionally a new innovative motorhome is built to be the “Porsche” of motorhomes (as one advertised) but they rarely sell well and go out of production.

In my opinion one of the biggest design “issues” is too high center of gravity and center of wind pressure, but as long as buyers prefer tall motorhomes (and for some reason don’t associate poor handling with that), manufacturers will keep building them.
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Old 12-08-2018, 09:59 PM   #27
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Model: Vegas 24.1
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Lash Adjustment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitch S View Post
There is an adjustment on the steering box, but if you don't know how to adjust it, you can make the situation worse, so beware of trying the adjustment yourself.
Get your RV alignment specialist to adjust the LASH on your steering box.

Also be aware that many of the 24.1s were built on the E-350 chassis while the newer ones are on the E-450 chassis. The 450 has stiffer rear suspension (maybe the front too), so when you read about all the remedies, some may not be applicable to your chassis.
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Old 12-09-2018, 05:12 AM   #28
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Model: 2017 Vegas 25.2
State: British Columbia
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This fall, we had an alignment done, then took the RV to a Ford dealer to have the Safe-T-Plus Steering Damper and Front and Rear Heavy Duty Stabilizer Bars installed.
The unit is now parked for the winter, but we are looking forward to improved handling when we head out in the spring!
Thank you to the forum members for the excellent advice and suggestions!
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Old 12-09-2018, 11:32 PM   #29
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Check your tire pressure. When we took possession is our Palazzo, it came with maximum tire pressure and it made the steering really wonky. Once we had it weighed and adjusted tire pressure, it was a whole different driving experience.
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Old 12-10-2018, 12:18 AM   #30
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steering problem

I added a roadmaster steering stabilizer and changed the steering box to a redhead steering box,drivers nice.
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Old 12-10-2018, 04:32 PM   #31
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Great suggestions. Thanks again.
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Old 12-10-2018, 05:55 PM   #32
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How much different were the new parts to the ones you took off ? I have same problem with 2018 Vegas 24.1
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