Steering or Alignment or is this normal?

How much play in the steering wheel is normal?  We own a 2007 Sightseer.  I really WANT to help my husband with the driving.  I had done a bit of practice around town and felt very comfortable but this weekend was my first time on the actual freeway.  At speeds of 50 mph I felt like I was constantly having to re-correct my steering to the point where I just wasn't comfortable on the freeway.  Our old 1982 Southwind was like this but I expected a bit of improvement with a newer model.  It feels like steering an old 80s truck with power steering that is really "loose" if that makes sense.  I got to thinking maybe this is just the nature of driving a motorhome.  It was windy but not super windy.  As my husband was driving I could see he was having to constantly work the wheel as well even though he never complained about it.  I was starting to feel a bit carsick today from the constant pull from one side to the other.  There is no up and down bounce and doesn't feel like it's rolling so not sure if this would rule out improvement from sway bars or steering stabilizers.  From reading here it sounds like checking our tire pressure again would be good.  Any ideas, tips, commments?  I have tried searching the forums here but am not coming up with our exact issue. 

There's a lot of dynamics involved with your handling situation - the suspension, tire pressure, road surface (is it crowned), wind direction and speed for a few.  Always our first recommendation is to weigh the unit and adjust tire pressures according to the manufacturer's chart.  Also if the rear axle is loaded for example to 80% of its rated capacity, the front axle should be loaded to 80% of its rated capacity.

Then have the suspension checked by a good shop.

It may indeed be a bit "loose", but the odds are that YOU are at least part of the problem. The driving position in a Class A is enough different from a car that your well-learned reactions (muscel memory) to what you see out the windshield will literally steer you wrong, leading to further need for correction. You won't notice it at parking lot speeds and spaces, but trying to keep in your lane at 50+ can be frustrating indeed. You are likely focusing close in, watching the lane lines and the rear view to be sure you are staying between the lines, but you need to get your focus much further down the road so that you are aiming toward the middle distance. That will straighten you out and avoid repeated corrections.

To reassure yourself that you are properly in your lane, choose some reference points inside. As you look out the windshield, note where the left white lane edge lines appear to intersect the dashboard, e.g. just above the headlight switch (or whatever). If necessary, put a piece of tape on the dash to mark the spot. Maybe do the same for the right side. This allows you to tell at a glance whether you are in the proper position, so that your attention isn't diverted too long. Surprisingly, this will reduce your fidgeting with the steering wheel dramatically, and reduce fatigue as well.

Gary RV Roamer said:

It may indeed be a bit "loose", but the odds are that YOU are at least part of the problem. The driving position in a Class A is enough different from a car that your well-learned reactions (muscel memory) to what you see out the windshield will literally steer you wrong, leading to further need for correction. You won't notice it at parking lot speeds and spaces, but trying to keep in your lane at 50+ can be frustrating indeed. You are likely focusing close in, watching the lane lines and the rear view to be sure you are staying between the lines, but you need to get your focus much further down the road so that you are aiming toward the middle distance. That will straighten you out and avoid repeated corrections.

To reassure yourself that you are properly in your lane, choose some reference points inside. As you look out the windshield, note where the left white lane edge lines appear to intersect the dashboard, e.g. just above the headlight switch (or whatever). If necessary, put a piece of tape on the dash to mark the spot. Maybe do the same for the right side. This allows you to tell at a glance whether you are in the proper position, so that your attention isn't diverted too long. Surprisingly, this will reduce your fidgeting with the steering wheel dramatically, and reduce fatigue as well.

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This is really good driving advice. I am a novice at driving my Fleetwood Bounder 33U, so much so that we've pretty much decided to downsize to a small Class C or B+ RV.

I can say that by looking further down the road you can keep the motor home in a straighter line. The seating position is also very different from driving your car, pick up, or van. You're seated over or in front of the front tires which gives you a completely different orientation, which for me has been unsettling, and life is too short to spend time stressed over driving a machine.

Don't focus on the mirrors, since that too will cause you to over-steer (did me anyway). I began using the mirrors like I was taught in flying school, scan, scan, scan and don't let your focus remain for more than a couple of seconds. I had a habit of looking at the mirror(s) for several seconds and then I was crossing over the lane.

Good luck, I hope that you are successful, because I can say that I'd love it if my wife would do some driving...

GREAT advice from all above. When I first started driving our first class A and found the rig difficult to remain centered, it turned out to be as John mentioned, too much air in the front tires. I weighed the rig, and was able to lower the pressure about 30 pounds from the max inflation that the dealer had put in the tire.  It made a HUGE difference in the ride and control of the rig. 

Dealers or service techs will often put the max air in the tire, in our case it was marked at 110 PSI. That way the rig is not unsafe for it's load, whatever that may be.  But is sure doesn't make it comfortable to drive.  Even if you can only find a scale that will weigh one axle at a time, get the weight of the front axle. Divide the number in half, for the load carried by each tire, then find the recommended pressure for that load on the tire manufacturers web site.  Adjust the tire pressure accordingly.  You may be amazed.

I hope I'm not taking this thread away from the topic too much but I have been trying to find the inflation charts for different loads and haven't been able to find that information.  I have Goodyear tires and I was able to find them on their site but no information on what psi for different load weights.

I have found, in teaching people to drive semi trucks, that if people understand why such and such is the way it is the light bulb that indicates a eureka moment burns a lot brighter.
These rigs use steering boxes instead of rack and pinion. The rack and pinion is a tighter device, by the nature of the design, than a steering box. Then there are all the additional links, in a steering box system, to tie it all together, with every link having some kind of swivel or pivot on one end or the other or both and sometimes one in the middle. All of these will have some play, even new, and it all adds up.
Above advice about getting the "big picture" down the road and not using mirrors to keep in lane is key. Tire (and air bag if you have them) pressure are just as important. Over inflation of tires will make your rig track on the pounded out ruts and pavement seams. Overinflation of tires and air bags is akin to walking across a parking lot barefoot...in July... in Texas. All skittery and jittery looking for the shadiest, coolest path. In tires case, the path of least resistance, easier to follow pavement imperfection than to climb over it.
Driving this steering box equipped rig is more like aiming with minor corrections than a rack and pinion where you can precisely pick where you want to go. With some miles under your belt you can learn to be extremely precise with a steering box rig. If you are sawing the wheel back and forth you are overcorrecting and then overcorrecting the overcorrection etc... Or your front end has worn components, your rig is a 2007 I doubt it's worn out, unless you have high miles.
Hurtling Wobbly is a good nickname for a class a gasser on a step-van chassis.

Bill

Thanks all!  I did remember the advice here about looking ahead but I felt like there was so much wander that I wasn't able to focus down the road without feeling like I had to keep constantly checking my position within the lane.  I have good reference points on my dash (the defroster vent for the driver edge and the middle of the windshield for the passenger side).  My husband kept reassuring me I was doing fine but I felt like a disaster.  Whoever explained the difference between rack and pinion steering.. that makes total sense.  I know we don't have our tires properly pressured.. were going to take it to a shop and have them check the alignment for us and will weigh it when fully loaded on our way out of town next time.  So how exactly does it work at the scales?  I have read a lot of advice here about weighing front, back or each quadrant.. do we just pull in to any weigh station and ask the worker to help us?  Having never used a weigh station I would just have no idea how that works or if they are used to RVs using the facility. 

Charisse-

By "weigh station," do you mean the state-run weigh stations on the interstate where commercial trucks are required to stop and weigh?  If that's what you mean, that's not where you will weigh, as they are not really set up for "recreational" weighing.  The easiest and likely cheapest place to weigh is a CAT scale located at a nearby truck stop.  If you go to www.catscale.com, you can find out the location of the nearest one.

Cost is $10.  You pull up onto the scale so that your front axle is over one scale and rear is over another.  There will be a speaker where you press the button to talk to the attendant.  The attendant may ask you if it is a "reweigh".  Say no.  He/she will then tell you when weighing is complete.  Pull off the scale, find a place to park for a few minutes, go inside and pay the attendant and get your weight ticket.  It will tell you the weight of each axle.  For the front axle, divide by two for the weight on each tire.  I add a few hundred pounds fudge factor to account for any difference between left and right.  For the rear axle, divide by four.

Of course the best way to know exactly what your weight is on each wheel is to have all four corners weighed individually.  It is much more difficult to find someone who is set up to do this and also more expensive. 

Vetmom...
You can find all you want to know about Goodyear RV tires at http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/default.aspx
Click the Tire Inflation and Loading link on the left side to get the page that links to inflation tables.

You can also download the Goodyear RV Tire Guide, which includes inflation tables as well as a lot of advice for RVers.
http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/tire-care-guide.pdf

Oh goodness I'm so glad I asked here.. yes I was prepared to pull into the weigh stations off the side of the road ha ha!!  We are probably a good 3 to 4 hours away from any truck stops.  In fact the next one we pass will be on our way home from our next trip.  It all seems kind of overwhelming when you think that weighing yourself means you will have to count on loading up the same way everytime.. I'm just wondering how helpful it is if you don't always drive with full tanks or pack different amounts of stuff for different trips? 

Thanks Gary! I searched and searched and couldn't find that.  Now to get it weighed, thanks to Jagnweiner for the link where to do that.  I'm feeling more and more prepared.  You're all great!

Cheryl

How to weigh at CAT scales tutorial.

readytorv said:

Oh goodness I'm so glad I asked here.. yes I was prepared to pull into the weigh stations off the side of the road ha ha!!  We are probably a good 3 to 4 hours away from any truck stops.  In fact the next one we pass will be on our way home from our next trip.  It all seems kind of overwhelming when you think that weighing yourself means you will have to count on loading up the same way everytime.. I'm just wondering how helpful it is if you don't always drive with full tanks or pack different amounts of stuff for different trips?

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y

When I weighed my Fleetwood Bounder I filled the gas tank, filled the water tank, and filled the propane tank. All of the basement bays were packed and all of my gear, clothes, etc. were stowed away inside the coach. I was fully loaded except for groceries. I weighed in at 19,521# on a 22,000# chassis. I confirmed that I was not overweight which was comforting to know.

Charissee,
  I had the same problems with my 2005 Suncruiser (sister of the Siteseer).  The overhang at the back is very very long.  In other words the distance from the rear axle to the back bumper is like around 15 feet.  On a very smooth flat surface, I could keep it pretty straight but if a truck passed me, or the road surface was not perfect, the motorhome would steer in another direction.  I drove it like steering a boat; you just steer it in the general direction and make corrections.  Sometimes I felt I got a physical arm workout from constantly turning the steering wheel.  I changed air pressures on the tires, a front steering mechanism, and was getting ready to buy a rear axle bar to keep the tail from wagging so much.  But, I decided to buy a diesel and all those problems disappeared... it is just a better ride.  I drove trucks for ten years and I can tell you, it is not you.  Some trips it was the wind pushing me all over, other trips it was the small county roads, and other the number of trucks on the highway but I was constantly turning the wheel far more than normal.  So, you are doing fine and don't be discouraged.  It's just the nature of the beast.

You can get each axle weighed at a local sand and gravel pit or a regional landfill or waste transfer station. Use local phone book to call around to locate one. Sometimes the gravel pits do it free for the locals as a community service. Gravel pits make noise and dust, the smart ones try to be neighborly.

I drive cdl a & b (semi's and straight trucks) for a living. First time I drove a 30+ foot gasser I was white knuckle alert. It was like riding a cat on a hot tin roof. The tires were 40 pounds over inflated @110psi, the front airbags @100. I could feel every crack in the pavement. It was the princess and the pea! It seemed I could feel every moving part in the chassis. I set the tires at the recommended 70 psi + 5 and the airbags @80. What a difference! Another thing I have found is most vehicle have a sweet spot, a particular speed where they are real happy, they also have a sour spot where they're not so happy. Not talking about high speeds. At 50 mph your tranny may not be in high gear and have overdrive locked yet. Makeing the engine rev higher and maybe the tranny hunting up and down. That will add to your stress and you won't even know it. Steering becomes truer as speed increases as well. One of our contributors may be able to explain the why of that, but think of riding a bicycle slowly vs at a good clip. All that said to suggest bumping your speed up to 55-60 mph.

Bill

We also have a Sightseer.  Ours is a 2005 Sightseer 29R built on a 2006 Ford chassis.  I?m the first, and only, owner of this RV.

All was well till I replaced the tires after the blowout of an inside, driver?s side, dual tire.  My Goodyear tires were 7.5 years old.  My new tires, Bridgestone, did not drive well.  I did about everything I could.  I weighed my coach and adjusted tire pressure based upon a load/pressure table from Bridgestone Tires.  I live in Washington State and I use a state weight station on I-5.  When the weigh station is closed I can drive in and weigh my entire coach.  After weighing my coach I can reposition so that I weigh the front axle, then the back axle, then each corner of the coach.  Weight is displayed on a digital display that I can see through the windshield.  I can write down each reading and then reposition the RV for the next reading. I added a trac bar to the rear.  The front already has one.  I added a steering damper. 

Driving got better as the tires aged, or as the tires were broken In but still from time to time my RV would dodge around on certain road surfaces.  And at higher speeds, 60 to 65 mph, the front end of the coach feels like it is floating down the road.

During my last oil change at a Ford Truck Service Center I had them look at my front end to make sure everything was as it should be.  They said that all was fine but they did adjust my toe to zero. 

We just returned from a three week trip thru the Canadian Rockies and my RV drove a lot better after the toe adjustment made by the Ford Service Center.  I?m thinking about talking to an alignment shop to see if they think adjusting the toe a little more could improve handling just a little more.  For the most part, handling while in Canada was pretty good most of the time.  Only, on a few roads, did my RV feel like it floating. 

Safe travels.

JD