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Class C steering stabilizer

marty1300
Explorer
Explorer
Hello,
Inquiring as to what brand of steering stabilizer most choose. I see the two most common are by Roadmaster and Safe-T-Plus. We are getting a new Rv on the E450, chassis length is 31 feet
Thanks Marty
Marty
16 REPLIES 16

Harvard
Explorer
Explorer
Cruisineasy wrote:
Harvard wrote:
Research E450 caster alignment before investing in steering stabilizers.


Agreed. I have a 31'. It was a bear to keep on the road. Did some research and found the tire pressure was the problem. The drivers door has a tag that notes the manufacturers suggested tire pressures. I had them all at 80psi. The tag notes, 75psi front and 80psi rear. After I adjusted, made a complete difference.


Agreed, tire pressure effects the dynamic runtime caster trail.
The caster setting defines the range of effect a change in tire pressure will produce. IMO

Cruisineasy
Explorer
Explorer
Harvard wrote:
Research E450 caster alignment before investing in steering stabilizers.


Agreed. I have a 31'. It was a bear to keep on the road. Did some research and found the tire pressure was the problem. The drivers door has a tag that notes the manufacturers suggested tire pressures. I had them all at 80psi. The tag notes, 75psi front and 80psi rear. After I adjusted, made a complete difference.

rondeb
Explorer
Explorer
We had a Safe T Steer installed on our 30 foot class A and our 33 foot Class A. We did not really notice a difference that was worth the purchase price. A good alignment is the best thing you can do IMHO

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
I found air tabs helped with trucks pushing and also lowered the noise level inside my class c.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II
marty1300 wrote:
It drove nice but a semi would push it every now and then


Regarding passing trucks . You might want to research rear track bars. Experiment with tire PSI too.
After asking about passing trucks, I was advised by the supplier that a rear track bar would stabilize side to side movement of the rear axle, reducing the dancing that we feel from turbulence.

ron_dittmer
Explorer
Explorer
I have been on RV forums for around 12 years now. It seems that owners of shorter rigs with long rear over-hangs, and owners of longer rigs with shorter wheels bases, have handling issues and often consider suspension upgrades to improve handling. Based on that, it is easy to conclude that a long wheel base with a short over-all length is going to naturally handle better. Then add to that, a B+ cap instead of an over-head sleeper, angled transition walls, a lower over-all profile, everything in combination are additional positive influences for a better handling rig. It does explain why some of us say their rigs need help, and others who think the complaints are unfounded.

Our rig has a 158" wheel base and an over-all length of 23-8". I feel we have a lot of rear over-hang when considering the wheel base. Our 2007 E350 chassis from Ford did not include any kind of rear stabilizer bar. Ford started included one in 2008. We invested further in heavy duty front & rear stabilizer bars, heavy duty shocks, a Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer, a rear trac bar, and a front wheel alignment. All in combination, the improvement was dramatic. For my wife and me, adding another $3900 to a $70,000 purchase was one more upgrade, just as we invested in other upgrades. The suspension upgrade improved our over-all safety and driving & riding comfort, which also stabilizes our rig when parked eliminating for the need for stabilization jacks. My wife is very comfortable driving our rig with tow vehicle, a huge benefit all by itself.

Since 2007 when we had all the work done, I learned that I could have saved a lot of money by buying and installing nearly everything myself, saving 1/2 to 2/3 of our $3900 investment.

ron_dittmer
Explorer
Explorer
bobndot wrote:
I operated medium duty ambulances all my working life on highways at 80 mph and never had to add any of this aftermarket stuff. A correct alignment was always most helpful.
Keep in-mind that there is a huge difference between an E450 chassis ambulance and an E450 motor home. Nearly every Ford E350/E450 and Chevy 3500/4500 based motor home has a significant frame extension hanging off the back of the OEM chassis. Ambulances are built and limited to the length of the original Ford or Chevy chassis. The frame extension on a motor home messes with handling and weight distribution, often accompanied by a massive over-head bed that protrudes forward of the windshield acting like a sail in reverse direction. You really cannot compare any ambulance to a class C motor home even though they are built on the same basic chassis.

marty1300
Explorer
Explorer
OP here, the wheel base is 220" (18.33'). Seems the alignment is the biggest factor. So I will drive it first to see how it hanldes. Our old Rv was about 23-25' total and it did have the steering stabilizer . It drove nice but a semi would push it every now and then
Marty
Marty

AJR
Explorer
Explorer
The Safe-T- Plus gives you control if a steer tire blows out. It also minimizes drift on the road. I really liked that addition when I had a Ford chassis.

Harvardโ€™s recommendation is a must in my mind. It made a world of difference in my used Ford class C.
2007 Roadtrek 210 Popular
2015 GMC Terrain AWD

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II
Harvard wrote:
Research E450 caster alignment before investing in steering stabilizers.


x2. When I called the company researching to buy one and explained my class c symptoms, I was told the steering stabilizer had a lot less bang for the buck than the alignment described above.

I operated medium duty ambulances all my working life on highways at 80 mph and never had to add any of this aftermarket stuff. A correct alignment was always most helpful.

BSWS19
Explorer
Explorer
Harvard knows what he's talking about and I appreciate the advice he has provided about the caster adjustment in earlier posts. The "correct" alignment made a huge improvement in the handling of my new MW 31K. Better sway bars in the front and rear not only greatly improved handling but also stabilize the movement in the coach while parked. I don't feel I have a need for a new stabilizer bar, and I just completed my second 4000 mile trip.
2017 Minnie Winnie 31K
2003 Wrangler

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
How many inches is the wheelbase?
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

Harvard
Explorer
Explorer
Research E450 caster alignment before investing in steering stabilizers.

Desert_Captain
Explorer II
Explorer II
Any quality new Class C should need absolutely nothing right off of the showroom floor with the possible exception of proper tire inflation and perhaps an alignment... both of which are the dealers fresponsibility. If it needs anything else it is the wrong Class C... keep shopping.

Think of it this way, would you spend $100,000 or likely much more on a nice Mercedes, BMW or Range Rover SUV if the salesman said "Well it will need a couple of thousand dollars worth of suspension improvements, an alignment and the tires need to be properly inflated"??? :S

A serious, think 1 hour minimum test ride in a wide variety of road conditions to include some freeway time {see how it responds to passing trucks and how much fun merging is or isn't} should be a nonnegotiable condition of sale. If after making your best deal the dealer balks at the test drive Run Forrest Run! Go find a dealer who is willing to earn your business.

As always... Opinions and YMMV.

:C