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Old 04-23-2018, 06:42 PM   #41
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Originally Posted by brucev View Post
I am going to have to double check those weights, that RR is either too high or left rear is too low. May have written it down wrong.

Here is an inflation guide off the Goodyear website.

The weight distribtion itself, while not surprising due to large slide over right-rear tires (assuming you have 27K Hurricane), isn’t the main concern. How that weight gets to the ground worries me even more.
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Old 04-23-2018, 07:24 PM   #42
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Chance
The fresh water tank is located under the rear wardrobe closet but it is above floor level so I started traveling with it full to reduce the sloshing and tail wag. What concerns you about how the weight gets to the ground?
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Old 04-23-2018, 08:05 PM   #43
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Chance
The fresh water tank is located under the rear wardrobe closet but it is above floor level so I started traveling with it full to reduce the sloshing and tail wag. What concerns you about how the weight gets to the ground?

What concerns me the most, is that rear axle can be loaded much more on right side while the front axle is higher on left side.

The implication of this data, if correct (and I don’t have reason to doubt your weights), is that chassis and motorhome unit is not stiff enough relative to suspension stiffness. That explains why these motorhomes ride and handle so poorly.

For example, in a modern car or SUV which have much stiffer structure than the suspension’s stiffness, I don’t think you could ever get skewed results like these. With more total weight on right side, a stiff motorhome would lean to right side, and both front and rear would show as heavier on right side.

There are ways to manipulate these side-to-side weight biases, like they do in race cars with adjustable suspensions, but I’m certain these motorhomes use standard OEM fixed springs. Ruling adjustable suspensions out, the only explanation I have (assuming weights are correct and were taken on level scales), is that frame and MH structure is not stiff enough in torsion compared to suspension stiffness.

Every mechanical engineer should know that to have good ride and handling the vehicle structure must be significantly stiff. That’s why OEMs have spent billions to upgrade their lighter-duty trucks. Ford, as an example, claims new Super Duty frame is 24 times stiffer in torsion (if I recall number correctly).
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Old 04-24-2018, 04:47 AM   #44
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Chance, I couldn't read my own writing. The left rear should have been 4920 not 4020 as I originally posted. I am taking it into the shop for a service and I think I will have them weigh it again. I would think the RF should be heavier than the RR since it should carry some of the weight of the slide.


LF 3040
RF 2860
LR 4920
RR 5140
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Old 04-24-2018, 12:03 PM   #45
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LOL We did the same with our former coach....Was one of the many many many reasons we spent the kids inheritance on a Foretravel DP with tag axle....
(They can go fund their own retirement....)
I couldn't agree more! We only had our Challenger a short time. Traveled about 10,000 miles. Started doing all those suspension mods right away. The improvement was maybe 40%. I just didn't look forward to each travel day, especially if it was going to be windy.

Now I could care less what the weather conditions are going to be. I sit back and drive with 2 fingers in all conditions. We can carry on a conversation in a normal voice going up a 7% grade, even with the radio on!
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Old 04-24-2018, 12:08 PM   #46
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I hear what you are saying and pre diagnosis that is what I would have done. But now that I am aware that I may or may not be around long, I am focusing on paying everything off so my wife won't have to worry about it when I am gone.
Again, why not trade down to a TT or small fiver? The reason I suggested it in the first place was because you should still have some value in your 2015 MH. If you get into something a little smaller/cheaper it will smooth your towing experience out some plus it may make it easier on her after you are gone.

Just trying to help you find a solution. The roads ain't going to change in California and you can spend anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 on suspension mods and you will still have an overloaded rough riding bread truck.
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Old 04-24-2018, 01:30 PM   #47
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Tire question. The Good year load inflation guide has weights for singles and duals. Are the weights under duals the corner weight divided by 2? For instance, at 80psi for my tires, I can run 3640 lbs front or 3415 for the rear. Is that 6830 total weight for a corner in the rear? If this is true then I can get by with 80psi all around. Now I am running 82 front and 85 rear.

Thank you
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Old 04-24-2018, 02:01 PM   #48
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Tire question. The Good year load inflation guide has weights for singles and duals. Are the weights under duals the corner weight divided by 2? For instance, at 80psi for my tires, I can run 3640 lbs front or 3415 for the rear. Is that 6830 total weight for a corner in the rear? If this is true then I can get by with 80psi all around. Now I am running 82 front and 85 rear.

Thank you

That’s correct. Assuming you have 245/70R19.5 tires, the maximum load rating is considerably higher than your actual weights require. At rear the rating is around 7,000 pounds per corner, versus motorhome weight of around 5,000 pounds. That’s good from safety standpoint, but may add to harsh ride due to tire stiffness.
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Old 04-24-2018, 03:13 PM   #49
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Chance, I couldn't read my own writing. The left rear should have been 4920 not 4020 as I originally posted. I am taking it into the shop for a service and I think I will have them weigh it again. I would think the RF should be heavier than the RR since it should carry some of the weight of the slide.


LF 3040
RF 2860
LR 4920
RR 5140
Im no expert bruce but your weights look good to me.

LF is always heavier than rf due to the extra weight of the steering box.

Also front to rear ratio should be 60% rear 40% front you are there right now

Jerry
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Old 04-28-2018, 09:28 PM   #50
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Here are before and after videos. The before video is the stock Bilstien and after video is with the Bilstien aftermarket shocks. I had trouble editing the videos with GoPro Studio so I used my cell phone. Not great but you can get an idea of the improvement. Both are on the same roadway and approximate same speed.
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Old 04-28-2018, 09:30 PM   #51
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Old 04-28-2018, 09:32 PM   #52
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Old 04-28-2018, 10:23 PM   #53
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And pay for the train to no where.

Jerry
You guys are making me glad that I escaped. Its been 7 years almost to the day and I don't miss anything except In-n-Out, and we are supposed to get them as soon as they build their distribution facility in Colorado Springs. The line is forming already.

As far as the ride issues I've done the following

- Safe-T-Plus - calmed down steering wander a lot
- CHF - I did it before we drove the coach anywhere so its hard to judge improvement
- Alignment - helped a whole lot in keeping it on the road
- Rear Track bar - yes, yes, yes. No more trucks pushing me in to the next lane (or the ditch)
- Koni FDS's - killed porpoising over expansion joints, etc. and made for a softer ride, but I don't think anything will get rid of the jarring ride when hitting seams in concrete.

Still sitting on when to add Sumo's. I had planned on this year, but swapping out the sofa with RecPro recliners, adding solar and swapping the Mini for a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk (sold the dolly in 2 hours) have eaten up the budget and then some. The kids don't need to inherit anything...I didn't.
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