Information, training, and questions

[Koja]

So having been a cab over camper guy for years and years then one brief stint into a Ford Class C, I have now moved into the big kid club of a Class A pusher(04 Whinni) 40 footer. I'v been browsing post after post, I know like all motorized vehicles shocks and sway bars are important items best if in good condition. Having rode big gray ships for 20 years a bit of pitch and roll goes with normal, unless in a motorhome. So I have read in several threads about SupperSteer motion controllers, Blue Ox TruCenter steering assist. some one please explain so this old retired sailor can understand. As for balancing im not sold on powders and beads they melt and glob up I know because they do it in my Jeep tires.

 

[SueW]

I'll pipe in on your beads question. We went with Centramatics for our front tires and really like them. We were near the factory so had the install done there. Took about 30 minutes.



We have a Class A gas and by far the most effective thing we added was the rear track bar. Suspension still a little mushy so we are looking into an additional rear spring and better shocks(Koni probably).

 

[Koja]

on my camper hauler I went with air bags, made a huge difference in it feeling like it was sagging and swaying

 

[BCam]

My advice is to make sure your existing suspension gear and tires are in good shape. If you don't have new shocks, it's probably time. Proper tire inflation based on your actual traveling weight is important and can make a huge difference. This site will give you some good info on this:

https://www.goodyearrvtires.com/tire-inflation-loading.aspx

You can go broke adding suspension upgrade after upgrade, but deal with the basics first and then carefully proceed once you've accurately diagnosed your issues.

 

[creativepart]

The steering stabilizer is just a big shock absorber and helper spring to reduce steering shock and to return the wheel to center. It works great and smooths out all the seasawing steering wheel while driving, especially in crosswinds and around semis.

 

[sbryan5500]

Roll in a 40' DP

So having been a cab over camper guy for years and years then one brief stint into a Ford Class C, I have now moved into the big kid club of a Class A pusher(04 Whinni) 40 footer. I'v been browsing post after post, I know like all motorized vehicles shocks and sway bars are important items best if in good condition. Having rode big gray ships for 20 years a bit of pitch and roll goes with normal, unless in a motorhome. So I have read in several threads about SupperSteer motion controllers, Blue Ox TruCenter steering assist. some one please explain so this old retired sailor can understand. As for balancing im not sold on powders and beads they melt and glob up I know because they do it in my Jeep tires.

We have an '05 Winnie Vectra 40' DP and experienced the same unsettling roll in the front end. I bought a kit from Ultra RV that included a steering shock but ended up returning most of it because our Evolution chassis generation from Freightliner has an independent front end and won't accept the aftermarket parts. They work great on gassers with truck frames but are not compatible with our chassis.
I did replace my old shocks with Koni shock absorbers (big improvement) and had to replace my steering ball joints. Freightliner decided to install these without grease fittings so naturally the boots wear out and the ball joints get loose. I had a heck of a time finding replacement parts but eventually got them from Ft Myers Freightliner and had my local truck repair shop install them. Felt the difference right away.
Also had all six tires trued and balanced. There are a lot of opinions about truing tires but it makes a huge improvement in ride quality by reducing vibration. The tires age out after 7 years so removing a small amount of tread will not be noticeable when it comes time to replace them.
One new air bag on front that wouldn't hold air when engine was shut off and we had a much better ride.
The roll in a 40' DP with this chassis configuration is unsettling at first but I have become used to it and after a couple emergency maneuvers around cars and road hazards I can say it handled it fine.
Not sure what has been done to your 'o4 but hopefully this is a starting point. We love our Vectra and plan to keep it as long as we can.