Rough Roads in 2014 Vista 26HE

stevenplongo · 07-22-2023, 06:35 PM

Just came back from our first adventure in our new to us 2014 Vista 26 HE. Had a great time with the exception on the road conditions in NY & NJ - Has anyone ever tried the Bilstein B6 Shocks on this chassis ? Does it improve the ride over stock on rough roads ? The unit only has 19k on it so everything else is tight .

**Eagle5** · 07-23-2023, 09:46 AM

Hi Steven,
Searching on this forum for:
Bilstein
shows a number of results. Here are two example threads of interest:

Thanks, Eagle5

**creativepart** · 07-23-2023, 10:51 AM

Here's the thing... your motorhome is built on a 30-year old dump truck chassis. There are many things that will make it drive better and be less "tippy." But almost nothing that will improve the ride.

There is a $25,000 mod called Liquid Springs that is a real fix, as it should be for that price. But most don't want to do that on a 2014 motorhome.

About all you can do to improve the ride is weigh the coach and set your tire pressures according to the weight charts put out by your tire company. That helps some because the tire pressure on the motorhome's placard is usually around 100 psi all around. It works fine, but it's higher than what's really needed. BUT don't lower your tire pressure without getting accurate weights and checking the charts.

I have a larger, heavier version of your motorhome and I put Koni FSD shocks on it a few years ago. We "think" it helped a tiny bit, but its so tiny we're not really sure.

We made all the other usual suspension mods- steering stabilizer, Sumo Springs and heavy duty anti-roll bars. All in all about $3,000. Nothing helped the ride but all helped driving with more control.

People will tell you to do the CHF (Cheap Handling Fix) and claim it will restore your hairline and take 10-years off of your body. But all it does is firm up the body motions and body tilt.

In short, there's really nothing you can do.

We find what works best for us is to drive shorter distances each day. We limit our days to under 300 miles. So, the bad roads don't wear us out so much. But we're retired and have plenty of time.

One last thing with a 2014 motorhome... unless you know the tires have been replaced previously it's past time to get new tires, regardless of how much tread is left or how few miles you have on the RV. Check the DOT date codes on all the tires this will tell you how old they are. Motorhome tires age out between 5 and 7 years. And a blown front tire in a motorhome can be deadly.

Scotty B · 07-24-2023, 10:57 AM

Agree with all of the above...really the only thing you can do is slow down.

Horse54 · 07-30-2023, 04:38 PM

I have a 2014 Vista 35B that when I bought it and headed home, I almost turned around and took it back to the seller. Before I picked it up, I had a new set of Michelins put on, knowing the tires had aged out. The tire shop (one of the best in this city) had inflated the tires to the maximum. As soon as I realized this I made to a CAT scale and adjusted the PSI as best as possible. Can't find the elusive 4 corner weighing service. This made a huge difference in the ride. I since put on a Steering Stabilizer and added Sumo Springs. Both of these helped with the handling quite a bit.
If you want to really improve your ride, get OFF the interstate highway system. Take the back roads and enjoy the journey. Just make sure you use a GPS that takes into account your RV size.

Rossi6998 · 07-31-2023, 11:50 PM

I have a 2013 Itasca Sunstar 26HE. I have done several upgrades such as Hellwig front and rear anti-sway bars, Firestone airbags, Ultra Trac-Bar, Safe-T Plus steering stabilizer and I am still disappointed when driving it. Don't get me wrong, the upgrades helped and I don't regret doing them, but it still drives like a box going down the road. The slightest wind knocks me all over the place and I am constantly adjusting the steering wheel to stay within the lane. I had a friend (who is a mechanic and used to work on the bigger electric company trucks) drive my motorhome one day for his opinion. He said it handled okay and did not drive bad. Maybe I just expect too much....

Ray,IN · 08-02-2023, 09:55 PM

Here's the thing; shocks are designed for one purpose, to keep the tires in contact with the road. Making the ride a bit more smooth is a side-effect, so the bottom line is what creativepart replied.

Ray,IN · 08-02-2023, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossi6998

I have a 2013 Itasca Sunstar 26HE. I have done several upgrades such as Hellwig front and rear anti-sway bars, Firestone airbags, Ultra Trac-Bar, Safe-T Plus steering stabilizer and I am still disappointed when driving it. Don't get me wrong, the upgrades helped and I don't regret doing them, but it still drives like a box going down the road. The slightest wind knocks me all over the place and I am constantly adjusting the steering wheel to stay within the lane. I had a friend (who is a mechanic and used to work on the bigger electric company trucks) drive my motorhome one day for his opinion. He said it handled okay and did not drive bad. Maybe I just expect too much....

What you describe are the symptoms of "dog-tracking", which means the thrust angle is incorrect. I recommend having a total alignment performed to correct the thrust angle too.
The tell-tale sign of incorrect thrust angle is the steering wheel spokes not level and having to saw the wheel to stay in a straight line.

reference: https://www.brakeandfrontend.com/ali...e-and-setback/

EverettO · 08-09-2023, 11:48 AM

My 2008 Itasca 26P has a bunch of aftermarket suspension items thanks to a prior owner. But the ride was still very hard. After reading these threads, and after weighing the vehicle to know I was within the weight limits, I reduced my pressures to what my sticker says (85 lb on the front and 70 lb) on the rear. The prior owner kept everything at 90 lb. What a difference! Our trip this week was much smoother and much more quiet. Thank you all for this discussion.

Morich · 08-09-2023, 01:18 PM

A lot of the discusion of how rV ride or handle is related to what we are used to driving. If we grew up driving cars in the city, we expect different than if we grew up driving old trucks on the farm or on the job.
I drove line trucks pulling poles or generators behind and that set me up to think RV are just a bit wild but nothing unusual if I keep my speed down!
Nothing like you get at 40 MPH with a 30 foot pole wagging the tail!
Getting the tire pressure right is a big thing for keeping it smoother and keeping the dishes quiet!

ACB · 08-09-2023, 05:22 PM

Lots of replies and different opinions, which is to be expected as each coach rides a little different but none are GOOD. I have a 2022 Vista 29V, purchased new. We went to a trusted truck and RV tire shop n town. They suggested to upgrade a little at a time. We added Koni shocks and a heavier steering stabilizer. The ride did improve a little and steering had less vibration. Three months later added a track bar. It cut down on some backwash sway from semis . 3 months later added Sumo Springs and those helped take some of the bounce out. So in my opinion each of these added costs helped control and improve the ride. My coach , which is only an 18K chassis has 19.5 Goodyear tires. The tire shop said to LOWER my tire pressure a few pounds because my chassis is light. 32,000 miles in 2 years and no safety or wear issues running at 80psi, 65 mph max, and weighing my coach so as to never exceed the weight.
For me, I would spend the money again, but it’s never going to ride like my F250. It rides rough but better than before.

If you’re going to make changes I’d start with the shocks and Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer. But that’s only my opinion.