Fix steering wheel off center under warranty?

[dlt]

Got the new RV a week ago, found the steering wheel off 10 degrees while drive straight line.

Went to Chevy dealer today, I was told I will be charged about $170 for fixing this. Anyone know if this should be under warranty?

[HarryS]

Doesn't matter what we think. What does your dealer say? Call several dealers in your area and ask the question.

[m1noel]

Don't know for absolutely sure on your model, but the 3 we have had (2 Fleetwoods and 1 Thor) have stated in the new owners paperwork that they recommend getting an alignment done after you load you coach (on your dime). The chassis manufacturer does a preliminary alignment prior to the house being installed. They cannot set it up for all the weight the coach builder adds, nor what you add. I have had ours all done at a truck shop for about $100-$125.

[dlt]

This sounds make sense, thank you.

Originally Posted by m1noel

Don't know for absolutely sure on your model, but the 3 we have had (2 Fleetwoods and 1 Thor) have stated in the new owners paperwork that they recommend getting an alignment done after you load you coach (on your dime). The chassis manufacturer does a preliminary alignment prior to the house being installed. They cannot set it up for all the weight the coach builder adds, nor what you add. I have had ours all done at a truck shop for about $100-$125.

[dlt]

That is the only chevy dealer around can service my RV.

Originally Posted by HarryS

Doesn't matter what we think. What does your dealer say? Call several dealers in your area and ask the question.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by dlt

Got the new RV a week ago, found the steering wheel off 10 degrees while drive straight line.

Went to Chevy dealer today, I was told I will be charged about $170 for fixing this. Anyone know if this should be under warranty?

My owners manual states that if an issue is reported during the test drive, prior to sale, the manufacturer (Jayco) will have the coach aligned. After the test drive it is the owners responsibility for the alignment. The dealer took my coach to the Freightliner dealer for an alignment, tire balancing and wheel straightening before we accepted the coach.

Our prior Thor, as already mentioned, was Thor recommending an alignment after the coach was loaded. I got my done by the Ford dealer before the end of the first year of the chassis warranty.

I suggest you read your Chevy warranty and see how they treat alignments.

[Bob Denman]

Have you scheduled an alignment yet?
The shop may be willing to re-align your steering wheel after they get done fiddling with the front end...
Good luck!

[standerson]

I thought straightening the wheel was a part of the alignment process?

[Bob Denman]

Agreed!

[dlt]

I did put the RV in chevy dealer service department yesterday for this and "Service StabiliTrak" warning. I thought it was a quick job, but they asked me to go home and I have not heard back from them.

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Have you scheduled an alignment yet?
The shop may be willing to re-align your steering wheel after they get done fiddling with the front end...
Good luck!

[halfprice]

After my alignment the steering wheel was off 45* took tech 3 minutes to fixed. All it is on ford is remove set screw. Pop steering arm out of housing, then me turning steering to proper place, then reinstall steering arm and set screw

My friend who is not mechanically inclined did his in about 1 hour after I explained what to do

Jerry

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by standerson

I thought straightening the wheel was a part of the alignment process?

Yes and no. Minor through tow in or tow out. Major adjustments through steering arm and gear box.

[Travelin' Texans]

Pay now or pay later!
The alignment, which is probably needed once the rv is loaded, is $170 now vs $200+ for 2 front tires + the alignment later.

[waynetaylor55]

I just got off the phone with Chevy and after two months of phone calls, they couldn’t find a dealership that could do the alignment on my FW 28A so they agreed to reimburse me! Yippee!

[dlt]

Did you see "service stabilitrak" warning before you do alignment?
My steering wheel off about 10 degrees, and sometime I see "service stabilitrak" on the dashboard. Also I feel the RV can't stay on the straight line when the speed over 60 or 65.

Originally Posted by waynetaylor55

I just got off the phone with Chevy and after two months of phone calls, they couldn’t find a dealership that could do the alignment on my FW 28A so they agreed to reimburse me! Yippee!

[waynetaylor55]

Originally Posted by dlt

Did you see "service stabilitrak" warning before you do alignment?
My steering wheel off about 10 degrees, and sometime I see "service stabilitrak" on the dashboard. Also I feel the RV can't stay on the straight line when the speed over 60 or 65.

I don't have the stabilitrak error. My FW 28A drifts to the right. Thor refused to do the alignment. Battled with Chevy, kept bugging them. They are going to reimburse me when I get it done. Gonna have a front sway bar and either helper springs or sway bar put in the back, then have the alignment done.

[dlt]

Just got back from chevy, they said they can't do alignment due to RV manufacture incorrectly installed something. Seems there are long way to go to make it right.

Originally Posted by waynetaylor55

I don't have the stabilitrak error. My FW 28A drifts to the right. Thor refused to do the alignment. Battled with Chevy, kept bugging them. They are going to reimburse me when I get it done. Gonna have a front sway bar and either helper springs or sway bar put in the back, then have the alignment done.

[waynetaylor55]

I was happy until I read the email they sent me. They are giving me 5 DAYS to get it done! The place I called is a week and a half out for alignments. The battle continues.

[RadioRanger]

Originally Posted by dlt

Got the new RV a week ago, found the steering wheel off 10 degrees while drive straight line.

Went to Chevy dealer today, I was told I will be charged about $170 for fixing this. Anyone know if this should be under warranty?

I had the same issue with my ACE. I called Thor and the steering gets out of alingment when they are building them at times. It is an oissue they are aware of. They told me to have that fixed and they would cover that. I went to a Ford dealer that can work on the large chassis. It was a simple fix.

Call Thor first to get it approved and get that scheduled. Alingment won't fix it.


John

[thisoldman]

Although the chassis manufacturer performs alignments on the bare chassis before it leaves their factory, they certainly cannot be held liable for alterations to that alignment that occur as a result of Thor adding thousands of unevenly distributed pounds during the coach build-up process. And since newly built motorhomes are driven from the manufacturing facility to the dealership rather than being ferried to their destination via car carrier, there's plenty of opportunity for even a perfectly aligned suspension to drift (or get whacked!) out of spec as the result of hundreds or even thousands of miles of driving over pothole-filled roads -- not to mention the possibility of hard contact with a curb or two along the way.


While it strikes me as unconscionable that Thor would not perform alignments at their plant after building up a coach, it would not surprise me at all to learn that Thor does in fact perform alignments before coaches leave their facility but understandably wash their hands of any responsibility for misalignment via a warranty provision.


In a better world, motorhome dealers would have the equipment necessary to check and perform alignments in their service departments, but dealerships of this caliber are few and far between.