Thor 28A E-450 Suspension Upgrades?

[rick h]

I've been driving big box trucks for years. I used to have to haul furniture from our factory in Indiana to High Point NC twice a year for furniture show. Plus drove locally to pick up items about every day for years. Driven overloaded trucks from A to B & back. But never have driven anything that I have felt so insecure with while driving, as I have with driving my motorhome. Especially driving on the interstate & when a semi passes me. It feels like they are going to blow me off the road. My wife & I are planning on going out West next summer & I will have to make some changes on our 28A before I will feel comfortable enough.

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by rick h

I've been driving big box trucks for years. I used to have to haul furniture from our factory in Indiana to High Point NC twice a year for furniture show. Plus drove locally to pick up items about every day for years. Driven overloaded trucks from A to B & back. But never have driven anything that I have felt so insecure with while driving, as I have with driving my motorhome. Especially driving on the interstate & when a semi passes me. It feels like they are going to blow me off the road. My wife & I are planning on going out West next summer & I will have to make some changes on our 28A before I will feel comfortable enough.

All the more reason to start with the alignment. It shouldn’t be that bad stock. My 26HE went to the Grand Canyon and up through Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska with only an added steering stabilizer and it was fine. There were wind advisories in Arizona and trucks flying by us at the 80mph speed limit.

[Harvard]

Originally Posted by rick h

.......
But never have driven anything that I have felt so insecure with while driving, as I have with driving my motorhome. ......

Is your unit "noticeably" nose down in attitude?
If so, you definitely have a caster problem. IMO.

[Hugh.vines@att.net]

How can you tell

[Harvard]

Originally Posted by Hugh.vines@att.net

How can you tell

There is a outside seam at floor level from the front of the box to the rear of the box. Use a tape measure to measure from the seam to ground at the front and the seam to ground at the rear of the box. Compare the 2 readings.

OR

When you park on what seems to be a level lot do you need make adjustments to make the fridge level?

etc
etc


The key word being a "noticeable" nose attitude!

[ador]

Newbie question here. So, do the alignment first? And add upgrades as needed?

As you add the steering stabilizer, Sumo Springs (front and rear) and Front/Rear Sway Bars, will you be needing another alignment after installing those upgrades???

[DavidEM]

None of those additions affect the steering geometry, so no you do not need another alignment.

Be sure and discuss with your alignment shop that you want to maximize caster and if it has keyed bushings that prevent caster adjustments, replace them with those that adjust.

David

[Judge]

Originally Posted by ador

Newbie question here. So, do the alignment first? And add upgrades as needed?

As you add the steering stabilizer, Sumo Springs (front and rear) and Front/Rear Sway Bars, will you be needing another alignment after installing those upgrades???

I installed the Roadmaster Steering Stabilizer, Hellwig Sway Bars and Sumo Springs at 3000 miles on my Outlaw 29H. The difference in handling and ride quality was so dramatic I did not take mine in for an alignment. Had no issues with tire wear or the steering pulling to one side or another.

[rxsleeper]

2018 28Z here. I did the Bilstein steering stabilizer and Hellwig sway bars my self. Having the alignment done soon, but just those mods increased my driving comfort by 100 fold. Only have 12k miles on the MH, 3rd owner and I'm not sure how comfortable the previous owners were driving the MH. I race SCCA sports cars and first drive I knew I was upgrading Sways and Stabilizer. Don't think I'll need springs, but will wait and see.

[rick h]

Has anyone put a Saf-T Plus Steering Stabilizer 31-140 Silver on their Class C MH? If so do you like it? Kinda pricey, but if it helps, I am ok with it. Thanks

[aaurbanelli@aol.com]

I have a 2020 Thor Vegas 27.7 on an E450 and went with all of the enhancements that people have advised improved ride and handling. First thing was to get an alignment. Then I installed the following: Roadmaster Reflex steering stabilizer RSSC, Reflex kit RBK24, rear sway bar 1139-147, front sway bar 1139-176; Sumo springs front SSF-106-47 and rear SSR-130-54. Owner experiences recounted here and on elsewhere, my test drives and the 200 mile drive from dealer to home convinced me to do it all. The intelligent thing would be to start with steering stabilizer, and then either add springs and/or sway bars, but I had someone do the install and wanted to get it over all at once.

[Mlarrabee]

My 2018 Thor Quantum PD31 has heavy duty sway bars front and rear. When I first got it, it was ok but experience told me Ford aligns the cut always before leaving the production line, but RV builders seldom re-align their products after completion. The weight distribution can change the alignment characteristics. I had mine re-aligned and it has been great ever since. Just 2 cents from my foxhole. Hooah!

[photogent]

We have a 31W and have made a few mods that fixe the handling problems. 1. Front stabilizer by Roadmaster 2. Antisway bar by Helwig 3, Had the frontend aligned at a GOOD truck alignment service center. This made the 450 handle like a sportscar almost. We have been around the US several times and very satisfied with the addition. We tow a Smart Car without any problems. The blowing around has been eliminated but if the wind gets too high we get off the road just for safety sake. We have been caught in 50+MPH winds while coming down the Pacific Coast Highway in Oregon but got off as soon as we were able.

[Okiejoe]

You can do the alignment thing BUT THE BEST THINGS I DID WAS,
1) Helwig sway bars, front & rear
2) Bilsien shocks, all four
3) Safe T Plus steering control
4) Sumo Springs, front & rear
5) Super Steer Rear Trac Bar, THIS WAS OVER ALL THE BEST ADD ON IMPROVEMENT OF ALL FOR TOWING MY TOAD. NO MORE TAIL WAG TOWING OR NOT.

With those Mods I have on occasion been up to 80 MPH to pass and in full control. Very little movement if any from large trucks.

Good luck

[MLP]

Originally Posted by rick h

I purchased a new 2020 Thor 28A Class C Motorhome about 5 months ago. It sets on a E-450 chasis. My wife & I love it. We had a pull behind camper for 20 years so not new to the camping world. We have gone on a few small trips so far. Longest trip being about 4 hours & mostly driving on the interstate with semis trying to blow me off the road & me white knuckleing it & almost pooping myself a time or two. I have driven big box trucks before on long trips for my work & I have my chaffuers license. So been driving big trucks for a long time. My question is, what kind of upgrades can be made on the E-450 to make this thing easier to drive?

Had the same problem with a Class C Itasca Spirit. I had a front end alignment, put Steer Safe on (not Safe-T-Steer), and Air Lift. I could drive it with one finger after that. Before, like you, a semi would make me have to turn the wheel quick about one quarter to one half turn.

RV manufactures do not align or do anything about the chassis. Ford does do a proper alignment on the basic stripped chassis which is what is being purchased by the RV manufacture. So do not blame Ford for the changes caused by the box and weight added by your RV manufacture.

[devnul@timmade.com]

Like a lot of other responders to this, suspension upgrades are important. We recently bought a Thor 26HE and the handling was abysmal. Wandered all over the road and even cars passing at higher speed caused sway. We had heavy duty RoadMaster sway bars and steering stabilizer installed and what a difference
, no more wallowing around turns and steering tracked straight
and true. I spent about $2k on these, purchase and installation and no more white knuckle driving and no more pooping in the seat. :-)
Tim

[yoyo877]

To much tongue weight from the camper in the back? I have a 2013 E450 28A Majestic, and it drives like a dream. Now maybe because it was in the CruiseAmerica fleet prior to my owning it and maybe they reworked the suspension, I don't know but I don't tow so that's my guess. something to look at anyhow.

[Pete'sMH]

Some people have problems and some don’t. It’s a puzzle. Just a question here....I often read about people putting Bilstien shock absorbers on but aren’t they standard from Ford?

[Roadking]

Read my posts. My rig now handles like a suburban. Wife drives it with confidence

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by ducksface

I'd probably drive it a bit first.
My bet is 1:10,000 rv's have mods like you mention.
99+% find their rig to be OK to drive.

I doubt big box trucks have the mods and there's a bazillion of them on the road, overloaded as a regular day thing. Many, maybe most, are minimum wage totally unskilled folk. They're doing fine with the stock suspension on the same roads we drive.

Get an alignment, get 5,000 miles on it.
Then decide.

Mine was terrible, I got rid of it and got the F53 chassis, It has none of the problems my E450 had.