Downsizing questions....help !

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countrycruiser

New member
Joined
Jun 21, 2006
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3
We sold our '99 American Dream (Cummins 330 w/ Allison 6-spd on a Spartan MountainMaster chassis) and are looking to get another motorhome. We are considering going to a gas rig but......everyone we've driven seem to have a lot of side-to-side sway, as though it's top-heavy. In our coach we didn't have much of that - probably due to the large air-bags.? Will we ever be happy with anything else but a big diesel on the raised rail-type chassis ??? The gas engine part doesn't bother me, and the engine being up front doesn't either - it's mostly the sway- the rocking, due to wind or 18-wheelers, etc.? The gas rigs we've driven have been a '04 37' HR Vacationeer, and a Monaco La Palma.? Does the ANTI-SWAY bars really do that much for the swaying, or is it more 'snake oil'?? The gas rigs are much more affordable for us, but don't want to make a massive mistake.? If anyone has ever gone through what we're going through please let us know your thoughts or ideas.? Thanks?
 
>>.everyone we've driven seem to have a lot of side-to-side sway, as though it's top-heavy<<

We had a Winnebago Vectra that was like that until we replaced the stock Ford shocks & replaced them with Bilsteins....Sway went away.

However you are not going to be happy with a gas unit after having a quality diesel unit, at least at first, over time your memories will probably fade & the gas unit will seem fine.

 
Well, from my racing experiecne, sway bars will do wonders for side to side motion.  Getting stiffer sways than stock will stiffen up the side to side movement but will not affect even up and down travel of the axle.  If you look at the physics of sway bars and how they work, as one side is pushed up from compression the other side is also pushed up and vise versa which helps keep the vehicle level.  Its basically a torsen bar.  This basically resists the lean and or rock when turning a corner at speed or from wind etc...  If both wheels go up at the same time then there is no torsion of the sway bar and thus no effect.  The main thing is getting bars designed for your rig and stay with the same % of stiffness front to rear as stock.  In other words, both bars are stiffer by the same amount.

Shocks can help as well as they can change the way the suspension rebounds from a compressive force.  Too much rebound reduction and you get a floaty bouncy ride but too little and you get a bone jaring ride.  Again, getting something designed for your rig and its weight distribution is a must. 

Good luck.
 
I had that problem of sway on gassers since the late 60's.  We have a 98 Pace Arrow with a tag axle and it still has a little but much more stable on the road.  Especially since we pull a large trailer.  Even without the trailer the stablity is much better.  Of course when  you have a tage then the mileage goes to heck.  Guess you can't have it all.  But we're happy with our unit.
 
Look at the Country Coach Inspire 34 ft. deisel pusher.

Gas rigs often have really long rear overhangs that adversly affect handling.
 
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