2017 Winnebago Aspect 30J Suspension Upgrade- Going For It

We recently decided to upgrade our suspension on our OEM Used Winnebago Aspect 30J we purchased in August 2019.  RV Trader - Used out of Detroit, Mi, Motor City, USA. Private Party Sale.

Actually the winds near Badlands National Park encountered on our first real trip out of Texas in September 2019 locked in the desire to upgrade, ASAP.

As of Today I paid for Parts ordered by the repair facility.  I am farming the work out to a local business.  His Guesstimate of Labor costs seemed more than reasonable to me.  I have no desire or the tools to tackle this project. 

In August we did a Fly from San Antonio, TX \ Buy \  Business - Quick Drive Home back to Texas 1300 miles inaugural voyage in Blazing Hot temps. 

The deal we wanted, presented itself.  A little early but we had to go for it.

Prior to Aug 2019, I had only been camping with the US Army.

I have driven the 30J 5000+ miles since purchase.  We hope we are just getting started on our adventure. Nothing is taken for granted.

My Odometer has a bit over 7000K total miles as of today.

We have longer Yellowstone and Florida trips planned from TX in the next 12-18 months.

Today I had the Local RV crew provide me a quote on Roadmaster Rear Sway Bar, RSSC Front Stablizers, mounting hardware, and Bilstein's shocks on all the corners.

I have driven my 30J, 2000 miles no tow (9 ish MPG) and 3000+ with a Stehl Tow Dolly and 2018 Mazda CS-5 (7+ ish MPG)

I drive 60 MPH Max with Tow on, Maybe 65 without tow. 

To me the house on wheels feels lumbering and bouncy with the OEM "Van" suspension holding up the "House."

The V10 is a Beast.  I am never in it over 3K on the TAC.  I know getting up over those mountains out west will bog it down though.  We have been up around Denver but not over the Big Mountains yet.

I love adventure, but am not suicidal.  I keep my foot out of the accelerator on purpose.

I like to travel the Farm to Market Roads. They tend to have a few issues/ holes here and there also. 

My blood pressure gets up too high on the Major Interstates.  The only thing you see it McDonalds, Subways. 

So much more to soak in cruising thru small town USA. 

I based my decision to upgrade purely on what I have read here and A FB forum and the feel I get gripping the steering wheel. 

The Badlands Trip with the Gale Force winds is still real. 

I can still feel the, Rodeo Bull Ride (Gotta Hold on for 8 seconds) Grip on that Steering Wheel.

I went ahead and bought the parts thru the RV guy here in my beloved one horse town in the middle of no where, West Texas Desert, USA.

I support local business.  His prices were slightly marked up over Roadmaster prices they quoted me over the phone.

Amazon is Great.. I get it, but... who doesn't support the guy with Gung Ho ambition..and competitive pricing? 

So it is fixin' to be February.  Here in small town Texas, the Pro Rodeo is in Town, so things tend to take a back seat to well the, Professional Rodeo.  Cowboys Riding in San Antonio tonight and San Angelo Tomorrow. 

My RV repair is taking a place in line to the .....Kind of similar to the Domini, Italian approach...Capiche? 

I get it...No need to rush to failure. 

Hope to get my upgrade completed in the next 30 days + or -. 

Business has a couple customers in the chute before me.  We drew up the contract and shook hands. 

I told him I wanted the Judge Judy Blurb on there. 

He knows this is not my First Rodeo.

We hope to do a couple quick trips AFTER UPGRADE prior to our Yellowstone trip later in 2020.

Our Class C, is a 2017, 32'.5"

I will come back and update this post to share....experience and help others form opinions and take action.. + or - 

Are there any other Winnebago Class C owners who have upgraded their Suspensions who care to share their 1st hand account, Pros-Cons?

Stay Tuned..... I'll be back...

JD

No amount of suspension upgrades can compensate for some of those winds. When it is like that you have to stop. We have pretty much ruled out travel in Wyoming lately because of the wind. Not only is it dangerous it can take a heavy toll on awnings and even the roof.

John Hilley said:

No amount of suspension upgrades can compensate for some of those winds. When it is like that you have to stop. We have pretty much ruled out travel in Wyoming lately because of the wind. Not only is it dangerous it can take a heavy toll on awnings and even the roof.

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Thanks for Your $0.02.  I recognize your name I think from FB Aspect Cambria group. 

Reliving the experience it probably should have have been in, pull the vehicle over and wait category. 

I still need to remind myself, I am in no hurry, and have no place I really need to be. 

I was traveling Interstate 90  thru Rapid City over that day. 

When I saw the grass near the highway bent at 90 degrees and laying on the ground, and the trees thrashing around violently like they had a pecan shaker on the base "should have been" clear writing on the wall.

Monday Morning QBing it now.....the writing was on the wall.   

John Hilley said:

No amount of suspension upgrades can compensate for some of those winds. When it is like that you have to stop. We have pretty much ruled out travel in Wyoming lately because of the wind. Not only is it dangerous it can take a heavy toll on awnings and even the roof.

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JH,

I am not ruling out anywhere, yet, but I hear you Brother!  It does get a bit windy up north.  Coming out of Custer to Badlands a bit over 100 miles was attention getting to say the least. 

I finally got Eagle-1 in for Roadmaster Sway Bar, RSSC Stabilizers and Bilsteins x4 upgrade.

I have no prior RV experience except the little over 5000 miles I have driven my Class C. 

It is glaringly apparent there is a house mounted on a Van Suspension to me. 

Stock Suspension on my  32'5"Class C is very Lumbering and bouncy up, down, sideways with anything but Ideal conditions. 

It takes two (2) hand on the wheel to handle the whopper. 

Luckily our tax dollars go to smart spending projects like fixing crumbling bridges and roads.  : 

The Dogs are like there is something missing in the below photo after I dropped it off with the RV Repair Crew.

// I will come back and find this post after our big summer Grand Daughter trip and let the board know if in my "Opinion" if it was worth the money I spent on doing it.

My mind keeps coming back to a DIY guy on Youtube with big time DIY skill.  He has the same lenght class C.  He said on one of his clips of all the things he has done to his RV which is about everything from Flooring up.  He stated the suspension upgrade was the most BANG for his bucks. RV with Tito dude is on point and worth checking out.  His Drill less solar panel install on the roof etc.


I have a 2500 mile circle booked.  I was going to do Yellowstone but too far and the sights are pretty epic where I have booked.

Carlsbad NM, Albuquerque, Monument Valley, GC, Bryce, Arches, Durango and back home to the Desert.

John Hilley said:

No amount of suspension upgrades can compensate for some of those winds. When it is like that you have to stop. We have pretty much ruled out travel in Wyoming lately because of the wind. Not only is it dangerous it can take a heavy toll on awnings and even the roof.

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This!  )

Even with our diesel pusher chassis, long wheelbase and minimal overhang behind the rear axle we can still get knocked around in high winds. Before you spend money on chassis upgrades, weigh your unit and adjust tire pressure accordingly. Also get a truck shop to inspect your sway bars, bushings, etc.

I knew something was wrong.  Wrong as two boys crocheting.   

Got the Class C back from RV Repair and am Super glad I went ahead and opted to get this done. 

The Rear Drivers side shock, the OEM Winnebago, black one with little to no markings on them failed.  My Aspect as of today has 7000 miles on it 5000 of which I have been behind the wheel. 

The 2017 Aspect 30J shock had No (Zero) Compression.  You could fully move the shock the full range of motion and at any point if you quit pulling or pushing the shock it would stay frozen in place. 

The RV Repair guy Conner told me he saw the same thing with a rig with 14000 miles on it.

I will call back tomorrow and ask him what the MFG was. 

I am still happy with the "box / house" that Winnebago MFG built. 

Poor quality OEM parts are probably the industry standard.  Winnebago produces many parts in house.  I am still very satisfied and I think it is good decent quality and will last years if I take care of it.

I came back from Huntsville, TX State Park a few weeks back.  I was traveling Farm to Market Roads in TX. Typical less than perfect back roads.  I hit a routine patch of bad road and the bouce was a bang. 

Big enough to make me recite a few cuss words. 

This patch of bad should not have made the RV react as it did.

As of today I have the Road Master Rear Sway Bar, Bilstein shocks x4, and Steering Stabilizer.  If needed later I can throw some money at the Front Stabilizers if required. 

The local guy told me when he was talking to the Road Master Tech, the RM Tech stated that the rear sway bar and steering stabilizer usually does the trick on Class Cs of this size I own.  The Bilstein were just something I went for seeing how I was getting the other done, I thought why not.  Turned out to be who knows how great? May have saved my own life?

...I wonder if I was not running 75 LB in the Air Bags how big that bang would have been on that FM road coming back from HSP a few weeks back. 

I have a big Grand Daughter Trip booked for this summer. 

I am thankful I did not roll out with that bad shock on the rear.  I am guessing it has been that way since i bought it.  It was a Lemon only to last 7000 miles.

I love how that Sway Bar looks installed on the rear of the bolted to the Frame looks beefy.  The RV Tech was singing praise to Road Master.  I agree.  I see the quality.  You can see it.

When I pulled out of the RV repair place I wanted to open it up and within a half mile I was High Fiving myself driving down the road.  Big time improvement. 

Felt like going from a Yugo to Ferrari.

When you rolling with a bad shock...and you do the improvements I had done to the MH, there is no way you can't notice the improvement? 

Very good, glad you got it squared away  ) . We're still on our original Sachs shocks, a Freightliner service manager said as long as they aren't leaking they are good to go.

John Canfield said:

Very good, glad you got it squared away  ) . We're still on our original Sachs shocks, a Freightliner service manager said as long as they aren't leaking they are good to go.

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John I don't want to have the last word on your board, but your point rings very true in my ears.

I attempt to look at life as a un-biased realist.  My eyes and ears are wide open. I have no problem sorting out "my perceived" baloney.

You have a DP, Horizon.  Not sure who does the frame but who ever does them also MFG 18 wheeler stuff I'll bet. You own a "Winnebago, Diesel, DP, Horizon" you purchased in a "Very Good, Upscale Neighborhood" metaphorically speaking.

I have a Class C, Aspect 30J.  Ford is building that platform for a very unknown and diverse customer X,Y, Z, WGO.  When WGO orders that "mover" from Ford.  The only real option checked is "Big Motor". 

WGO must be "streamlining" the corners of their business model to keep up with the other particle board competition. My opinion / guess, my view. 

Even though I purchased my Winnebago, Class C, Aspect 30J in a "Semi-Good Neighborhood" nice house, the liquor store down the street gets robbed on my block every now and then.

Bottom Line.  We Get what we pay for in life. 

Quality cost$.