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Old 09-17-2018, 04:42 PM   #21
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Jim--does the spoiler go all the way across in front of the ladder? I couldn't tell from either roof photo.

Here's the other roof pic...

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Old 09-17-2018, 09:02 PM   #22
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Ahh, good question. The answer is no, they aren't blocking the ladder opening. I left that small area open so my old knees wouldn't have to dodge the spoilers or crush them while climbing on the roof.
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Old 09-24-2018, 07:57 AM   #23
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jk, if you are still interested in the hwh active air system, there is an excellent section on the hwh website that covers a lot of the questions. there are several other systems that do the same thing, but hwh is the only one that is aftermarket. i have driven several coaches before and after, and the difference is amazing. ask anyone who has driven one.

.the cost, as many have said, is 8 to 10 thousand. its a large investment in an older coach, but lots of people do that instead of buying a new coach. there are pro's and con's to this, so i suggest you read all you can before making any decision.
im not here trying to sell you anything, thats your decision, but i do suggest you read the reviews. and talk to the owners.
as many have also said, there are lots of ways to improve the ride and handling without spending that amount of money. i installed koni shocks, and it made a major difference.
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Old 09-24-2018, 08:27 AM   #24
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Last week I worked on the coach.
Weighed coach and adjusted tire pressure accordingly. Looking to have all four corners weighed. Adjusting the tire pressure made a difference.
I swapped the SS air baffles for the Source Engineering version. Hard to tell if there’s a difference.
Took the Koni’s off and put the Bilstiens on. Took it for a test drive and put the Koni’s back on the next day, enough said.
Adjusted the front ride height, it was 1 1/2” to high. Haveing rears adjusted also.
I’ve ordered a set of the vortex generators.
That’s all I can do to the suspension to help the ride.
I’m having an alignment front and rear done and will have every component of the steering evaluated.
I can’t think of anything else I can do to help at this time.
I still think the steering is squirrley. I’ve even sent Safe-T-Plus a note asking for suggestions.
JK
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Old 09-24-2018, 09:49 AM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdkskyking View Post
Last week I worked on the coach.

Took the Koni’s off and put the Bilstiens on. Took it for a test drive and put the Koni’s back on the next day, enough said.

JK
Interested in this. Can you flesh out the info a bit more? What was the ride difference that made you put the Koni's back on? Did you get the RV with the Koni's or add them yourself? Are they OEM or aftermarket Koni's?

I was looking at the Koni web site and wow, so many choices for my Freightliner chassis. And then the adjustments. If I don't like the ride, I have to remove the shock to adjust it? (At least the front shocks). Not fun.


So wondering what you think about the Koni's overall, worth the trouble and expense? Even though they haven't solved your stability problems?
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Old 09-24-2018, 06:32 PM   #26
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Today I drove from Little Rock AR to Bentonville AR. Three ish hour drive. When I got home I immediately took the Safe-T-Plus off of the coach.

We just finished a test drive... HUGE difference. The folks at Safe-T-Plus feel it’s possible I have a malfunctioning dampener.

I’m looking forward to a longer drive without it to verify that’s my problem.

To answer a question concerning Koni vs Bilstein. We stayed with Konie because they provided a quieter and smoother ride. The Bilsteins seemed to transmit road vibration through the coach. We also experienced a rapid hammering during the ride. I don’t know what else to call it but my wife knew immediately the Koni was smoother.

I don’t know what to think about the Safe-T-Plus. They’re offering a discount on a new one.

I’d like to know other’s thoughts on the Safe-T-Plus system and experience driving with it.

JK
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Old 09-24-2018, 07:57 PM   #27
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I don't even know what a dampener is on a large vehicle. So keep us posted on how things go. This thread is really interesting.

So the Koni's were quieter and smoother riding. Hmmm. But didn't do anything to make the ride more stable I take it?
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Old 09-24-2018, 08:10 PM   #28
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I call it a dampener or a shimmy dampener. It’s designed to assist the steering system for side winds, blowouts, road abnormalities etc.

https://supersteerparts.com/product/motorhome/class-a/workhorse-chasis/safe-t-plus-blue/

I’m sure the Bilstein shocks provide a higher degree of stability than the Koni. However... my DW would constantly be reminding me how stiff and noisy the ride is which quickly becomes tiring and hazardous... DW input that is...
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Old 09-24-2018, 08:36 PM   #29
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15 years ago when I first got into RVing, had no experience what-so-ever with large vehicles so I wandered around like an idiot and talked to truck drivers, bus drivers, and other RV owners. One thing I was told really struck me. "You have a HUGE I-beam as your front axle [and sure enough I did]. If you're wobbling down the road, look at other things first before assuming it's the front suspension".

After several thousand miles of travel, I decided that that guy was right. Winds, especially quartering winds, had much more to do with the wobble than the front suspension did.

Along the way, had new tires installed (great improvement), checked the front end alignment (perfect), adjusted my tire pressures upward (giving a slightly harsher ride), and installing Bilstein shocks (big improvement in suppressing the porpoising).

Over the years, I just got use to the less than perfect ride, though after my fixes it wasn't bad. (The V's came later on my Winnie).

Quote:
I’m sure the Bilstein shocks provide a higher degree of stability than the Koni. However... my DW would constantly be reminding me how stiff and noisy the ride is which quickly becomes tiring and hazardous... DW input that is...

HAH! Made beer come out my nose. Thanks for the laugh! Subtle.
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Old 09-24-2018, 09:05 PM   #30
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Thanks for the advice. I think I’ve just about got it figured out. It’s easy to overlook the basics and focus on items that have no effect.

My tire pressure is spot on.
We’re happy with the shocks.
Getting front end alignment (again) from a professional shop.
Adjusting ride height to Freightliner specifications.
Using reputable Suspension enhancements.

Safe-T-Plus suggested my unit may be defective. It appears that is the case based on how it handles without it. I’m certain a unit that is operating properly is a great enhancement to the steering system.
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Old 09-25-2018, 07:58 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdkskyking View Post
Last week I worked on the coach.
Weighed coach and adjusted tire pressure accordingly. Looking to have all four corners weighed. Adjusting the tire pressure made a difference.
I swapped the SS air baffles for the Source Engineering version. Hard to tell if there’s a difference.
Took the Koni’s off and put the Bilstiens on. Took it for a test drive and put the Koni’s back on the next day, enough said.
Adjusted the front ride height, it was 1 1/2” to high. Haveing rears adjusted also.
I’ve ordered a set of the vortex generators.
That’s all I can do to the suspension to help the ride.
I’m having an alignment front and rear done and will have every component of the steering evaluated.
I can’t think of anything else I can do to help at this time.
I still think the steering is squirrley. I’ve even sent Safe-T-Plus a note asking for suggestions.
JK

You are doing all you can to fix what you can. Do you have IFS? My '05 Vectra did and I fought the wheel all the time. On this coach, I beam front axle, I put the Blue Ox TruCenter on. I can adjust this on the fly. It helps to keep the road hump pull and cross wind effects under control.
What was your objection with the Bilstein shock?
When stopped on level ground with the engine running, how much steering wheel play do you have?
Rick
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Old 10-02-2018, 10:14 AM   #32
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I removed the Safe-T-Steer unit and sent it back to the manufacturer for evaluation and testing. They called today to inform me the unit is defective (rare occurance).
They are replacing it with the Heavy Duty unit that can be installed on the Freightliner XC chassis. They were great to work with and only charged me a nominal fee for the upgrade.
I’m looking forward to getting back on the coach and dialed in.
I’ll report back after I test drive it.
JK
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:46 AM   #33
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Getting closer to a solution

Follow up to my original post about my endeavor to improve how my 2008 Winnebago Journey 39Z (75000 miles) rides and handles. My biggest issue is how hard I work the steering wheel at highway speeds. Does ok at slower speeds. My most recent discovery was a defective Safe-T-Plus unit. It will be replaced with their heavy duty unit. The Safe-T-Plus factory stepped right up and took care of the four year old defective unit.

And now the rest of the story....

Last week we drove to Belton Missouri where Transwest has a facility for trucks, trailers, and RVs. On the way up I still experienced handling problems with the coach. I called ahead to request that an experienced tech drives the coach before we pull it into the service bay for a general inspection and a front end alignment.

When we arrived we put lead tech Jason in the left seat and off we went on a test drive at highway speeds. It didn’t take long for him to recognize there was a problem. His first thought was we were chasing the rear end. Back to the shop for a quick inspection.

It didn’t take long to verify his diagnosis on the Holland Neway ADL 120 Rear Suspension with 75,000 miles on it. Bushings are worn and deteriorating allowing play in the components (transverse beam). I’ve decided to have all associated busing or life limited parts replaced at the same times (track and torque rod bushings). They estimate 14+ man hours to repair the coach. I’m sure many of you are familiar with shop rates. $140+ in this case. I don’t want to pay in the future to disassemble the unit again. Might even pop in a couple of new air bags.

While we were at Transwest I decided to drive a few new coaches so I had something to compare to. First was a Thor Aria and then a Newmar Dutch Star. Very interesting experience. DW loves the Aria but was very disappointed in it. It made our 10 year old coach look and sound pretty good. Every time it squeaks or rattles I don’t think I’ll hear the same old stuff... “That’s what we get for buying a coach with 75,000 miles on it”...
Dutch Star... well... nice...

I’ll pick our coach up in a few days and hope I have a different experience driving it home. The only thing left to do is rebuild the front end... I guess...
So why am I posting all of this information? To get help solving my problem. In addition I hope this experience will help someone else that may be experiencing ride and handling problems OR is considering purchasing a used rig. And yes I did have a inspection completed by a Freightliner service center before the purchase... 😡

I’ll provide my last thoughts after I drive it home next week...
JK
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