DLLainson
Upland, CA
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Joined: 02/19/2002
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Good Sam RV Club
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First of all, I know there are a lot of posts here regarding ride quality for class C rigs. I have tried to read through most of them and have gleaned much good information.
However, even after attempting some of the "fixes" on our rig, we still have a fairly rough ride. We have a 2004 Four Winds 5000 28A. I had it weighed... loaded for normal travel, we come in at 11,300. We are on a E450, so we have incredible CCC. If you look at the new 28A models from FW, they are now putting this model on the E350, pulling the GVWR back to 12,500.
My guess is that they realized that this model was fairly light and wanted to try to improve the ride by aligning the typical user weight to GVWR.
So my question is: Are we hosed? How much can I really improve the ride? I guess I could figure out a way to put an extra 1000 pounds over the rear wheels somehow, but that just seems dumb. Not in a hurry to buy another rig; I would just like to figure out how to smooth this ride out.
I haven't seen a true consensus on shocks or other ride treatments. Anyone have some suggestions? Are we simply fighting a weight/chassis dynamic that we can't overcome? Thanks.
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VintageRacer
Dundas, Ontario
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Joined: 04/02/2005
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Make sure your tire pressures are correct for the load they are carrying. If you just pump them up to the max, you get a harsh ride. If you feel the stiffness is just the rear, you can get softer springs installed. Probaby spring from an E350 would fit, worth a check.
Brian
2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab, Hemi, 5 speed manual, 3.73 gears, Tow Beast hitch with 24" extension.
28 ft race car hauler, Lola T440 Formula Ford, NTM MK4 Sports Racer
1980 MCI MC-5C highway coach conversion
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targaboat
sulphur springs, tx, usa
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Joined: 09/20/2004
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Getting positive answers to ride in a RV is difficult and confusing since everyone has an opinion and many of them are not based upon fact. Part of the challenge is to identify exactly the characteristic you are describing as a rough ride. For example some of the issues are:
a.sway in wind or from passing trucks
b.pitching from road imperfections to where the front wheels leave the road
c.road imperfections felt in the steering wheel(buzz)
d.tracking from minor and major ruts in the road
e.lots of motion where nothing will stay on the counters
There are probably others for this list is from problems I have had with four different units. We currently have a Class C on a 450 which is longer that yours with a gross of 14500lbs. I enjoy driving this unit and my wife is constantly napping and we can leave items on the counter without a problem. On another unit which was a Class A on a Ford chassis there was a constant buzz in the steering wheel which put my hands to sleep. It also had a tendency to track and therefore wander back a forth across the lane. Another Class A which was a DP had a pitching problem. A slide in we once owned had a sever sway problem.
I am an engineer and have some understanding of vehicle dynamics. I did not try and fix any of the above problems and simply traded them in. However, I would like to have you explain the detail of your complaint and possibly I could have a better idea of a fix.
Fly Boy
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dobbler98
Ohio
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Joined: 05/01/2005
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My Class C is older than yours but we had the same complaints; rough ride and sway. Bilstein shocks and new, better E load tires fixed the rough ride. I just had new rear springs installed this summer which fixed the pitch and sway. Hope this helps.
1993 Minnie Winnie
Class C 24'
Chevy 350
Usually pulling one of my toys 
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ron.dittmer
Near Chicago
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Joined: 02/26/2007
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DLLainson,
As you say, your rig suffers from too much GVWR margin. I would take it to a specialty shop and let them determine if it is safe and practical to remove a leaf spring or two. There is a huge stack of leaf springs on an E450, but removing them without adequate research is concerning.
If you lived in my area, I would have advised you to take it to Champion Frame Align. Check out their website, then see if there is an equivalent shop in your area.
Bought new in June 2007, Phoenix Cruiser-2350
Fits inside our garage.
Dingy towing a red Toyota MR2 Spyder
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delaware95
Akron, OH
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Joined: 01/29/2007
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Do a search in the Class C section on "MorRyde" and also visit their internet site. I installed the MorRyde RL system on my Class C three years ago and I have really been delighted with the results. It's a very cost effective solution to the hard ride problem. I have no problem with recommending the system to anyone with a Class C (It's also available for some Class A rigs.) Send me a PM and I’ll be happy to discuss my experience with the MorRyde system with you.
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kaagee
Burlington Ontario
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Joined: 06/24/2005
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I posted this several months ago...
My 1999 E450 29ft Minnie thumped on the back end right from NEW.
Every bump felt like a "speed bump" It was awful.
I hooked a friends car trailer (with a 2500lb car on it) and road tested it. it was like a different motor home... nice ride.
I took it to a Spring Shop... had them remove a leaf spring and put in a spacer to keep it at it's original ride height.
That was almost ten years ago...I'm still happy with the ride.
Also.
My unit does not have a slide.
My GVWR is 14050 lbs.
My Actual gross weight heading out for
a long trip with full water tank, full
tank of gas and a small Honda scooter
on the back was 12520lbs with the regular springs.
So, I don't think there was any need for me to
have those massive "cement mixer" springs.
As I said, that was 60000 miles and almost 10
years ago, and it has retained the same ride height.
Ken.
PS. I would suggest taking your motor home to
an actual "Spring Shop" and see what they suggest.
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oldusedbear
Brookings, OR, USA
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Joined: 08/12/2003
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My 23 footer on an E450 had a really rough ride. I removed the entire rear leaf spring suspension and installed a Reyco Granning air suspension.
Big job - - not cheap - - much improved ride which I'm still tuning. I have a 23 page pdf I put together describing the whole procedure. Send me a PM if you'd like a copy - - I'll need your email address too.
oldusedbear
The reason for spelling is so that all of the words don't look the same.
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