| Re: [GMCnet] The impact of extra weight on GMC handling [message #327161 is a reply to message #327154] |
Fri, 15 December 2017 22:33   |
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USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Kerry,
Helen and I met a Canadian couple at a RV Campgrounds in San Antonio, Texas. The owner complained to me about the handling. When I
looked inside I found that the builder had located everything down the driver side! I pointed him in the direction of Dave Lenzi.
Awhile later I was speaking with Dave and he noted that the owner had contacted him and came down from Canada so Dave could see what
he could do. Dave told me that when he weighed that coach it was 600 lb heavier on the driver side! GMC specs call for no more than
250 lb side to side difference. There was no way to correct it properly other that ripping the interior out and starting over. What
Dave did was to set the front and rear suspension ride height in such a way as to equalize the load as much as possible. It helped
but the handling / steering still wasn't what it should be.
I toured the Prince's coach at a GMCMI Convention somewhere (can't remember) and the guy that built it was there. I specifically
asked him if he had balanced the weight left to right and he said YES, however, he could have lied. As far as increasing the overall
weight I don't think it would cause handling problems. Clarence Buskirk's 26 footers were heavyweights and AFAIK they handled OK.
Hopefully JR Wright will comment on that.
I agree with Chuck, the steering box isn't centered.
Regards,
Rob M.
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
AUS '75 Avion - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
USA '77 Kingsley - TZE 267V100808
-----Original Message-----
From: Gmclist [mailto:gmclist-bounces@list.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Kerry Pinkerton
Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2017 12:48 PM
To: gmclist@list.gmcnet.org
Subject: [GMCnet] The impact of extra weight on GMC handling
Most of yall have at least seen photos of the Princes custom coach. The black one with the custom EVERYTHING including a full size
washer and dryer.
That coach was donated earlier this year to the RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN. We saw it when we toured the museum. Rumor has it
that the coach just did not handle right and they gave up on it.
At first I thought that was BS because the air bag PSI could just be increased to carry basically any weight. And then I realized
that our bogie arms are part of the steering system...not supposed to be but they are. We've all seen or experienced the effects of
rut wander and noticed the wheels twist and move out of line when parking. When the leading arm bogie leaves the track it can steer
the coach. The GMC engineers designed the bogie
arm casting for the standard weight of the coach.
My thinking is that when excess load (weight) is placed on the suspension, the front leading bogie arm, which we already know can
move around quite a bit, is more prone to move out of line because of the additional weight. This would explain why the Prince
coach might have been a driving handful.
Just a theory. I'm not an engineer but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.
Thoughts?
Kerry
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Regards,
Rob M. (USAussie)
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
'75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
'75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
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