Loud Knocking Noise?????

[moon]

I just purchased a 2003 Bounder 31W. I have had the coach 1 week. I took my first trip this past weekend and after going down some country roads (not smooth and level like the ones on the test drive) it appears I have a LOUD knocking noise in the front far left of the dash board. The noise only occurs when I am bouncing (no pun intended). It is consistant and bothering.

Does anyone have any insight????


Thanks,
Moon

 

[Steve CDN]

Have your front suspension checked to make sure the shock absorber and suspension arms are all intact.  If it's under the dashboard, you would have to get on your back and fiddle around with wires etc, unless your dashboard allows access from the top.

One item to verify is the hydraulic hose for the jacks...to ensure it is properly secure and not chafing on any metal frame members.  The importance of verifying your hydraulic hose to to prevent a puncture in the hose resulting in hydraulic fluid from spraying on a hot engine and causing a fire.

 

[John From Detroit]

As the other poster said, there are a ton of things that could be knocking about (and you need to check them all) but #1 on the hit parade is the shocks and/or their mounts (suspension)

The good news is it might not cost too much... The bad news is probility and cost are directly related (High probility of high cost, low probility of low cost)

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Which chassis is under your Bounder, Ford or Workhorse?  And is it more-or-less continuous on bumpy roads or only once in awhile?  I have seen several reports of  an occasional loud "clunk" from the front left suspension, usually when the left front wheel drops down while turning to the left. My Workhorse W22 does it sometimes during a sharp left turn while coming down an short incline such as through a curb cut onto a highway. I most often get it when leaving fuel stations. Some piece of suspension has reached the end of its designed-in travel and is bumping against a stop.  This is irritating but not a problem.  Continual or frequent noises, however, surely indicate a problem.

As the others have said, definitely check your suspension components for something loose, but it is often hard to tell anything when the rig is sitting still.  Things that seem solid as a rock can move under the awesome load of your heavy motorhome dropping into a pothole.

 

[moon]

Thanks for input fellows,

I have a Chevy workhorse chasis.

I was thinking it may be the shock or mount myself (had similar noise with car in high school; many years ago....lol), but being a mortgage broker did not want to put a lot of stock in my opinion...lol.

The noise is pretty consistant; the coach is still under 30 day bumber to bumber dealer warranty so I should be fine.  I just hate the thought of driving to the dealer (1 hour), getting ride home, then doing same to pick it up.  I thought I was buying a newer coach to avoid this....

Good Luck,
Moon

 

[Steve CDN]

Moon,

I would never leave my coach in the hands of a dealer or any other service facility unattended.  The few times I absolutely had to leave it, I usually discovered something unexpected that someone had done or not done, that caused later problems.

An RV is such a complex combination of systems, that extreme care must be taken when any service is performed, and I prefer to be right there to observe any work being done.

IMO the drive there for something like you describe is worth the time investment, remaining there insures it will be seriously looked at and if necessary you can go out on the test drive to make sure the mechanic understands the problem.

If the coach has to stay overnight, you should be able to stay in the coach..

 

[ALTACALL]

I have heard that sound many a time, paticularly on my own car, as a retired mechanic i've heard thousands of times and it almost always related to weak shocks or bad bushings or broken mounts. by the way I am replacing my shocks.