| [GMCnet] A tale of two coaches [message #221757] |
Mon, 09 September 2013 10:20 |
glwgmc
Messages: 1014
Registered: June 2004
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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We did weigh the Royale yesterday on one of our break-in mileage runs. 11,400 pounds with both of us in the coach, less than half a tank of fuel, not much water and empty black and gray tanks. 4300 front and 7100 rear as I recall. We will weigh the Clasco the next time it goes out but I can't imagine it will weigh substantially more or less than this even though it does feel lighter to drive. I know the stock air bags on the Royale with the air bag risers need only 75 psi to achieve proper ride height even with four six volt golf cart batteries in the rear PS compartment where the propane tank is in the GMC coaches (propane is under the dinette in the Royale). I have not measured air pressure in the stock Clasco bags without air bag risers but think it is closer to 90-95 PSI at proper ride height.
One curiosity is that the generator on the Royale is quite a bit quieter than the one in the Clasco. Both Onan 6kw units and both in the same insulated compartment. Must be the difference in the mufflers I guess.
Conclusion at this point is if your stock front end and rear drum brake components are good, properly maintained and properly adjusted, and if the ride height and alignment are proper, the only gain from replacing them with the one ton front end or reaction arm rear disks will be longer service life and less maintenance going forward. The stock Clasco and the everything modernized Royale both drive and stop about equally well on the same tires with the brake nod going to the Clasco because the pedal is higher and firmer than on the Royale. Both use the stock master cylinder and in both cases the master cylinder is new. I will bleed the brakes again on the Royale to see if there might be some residual air trapped in there that could account for the lower and less firm pedal.
However, if anything on the stock front end needs to be replaced, you will most likely be better off replacing with the one ton front end as it will be more cost effective in the long run and you will wind up with better than stock front brakes. You also will wind up with far beefier front end components that are easier to replace in the future and the offset bushing will make it easier to achieve the 3-4 degrees of caster we need with todays radial ply tires. As for the rear brakes, the reaction arm disks are way easier to keep working properly longer and are much easier to service than are the stock drum brakes, but I have not yet found a solution to the emergency brake issue that I like. I have not had occasion to test emergency braking performance between these two but others have and they all report shorter stoping distances and less brake fade with the reaction arm rear disks.
The good news is we do have a viable path forward to keep our coaches going for another 40 years and that is a very good thing! And, for us, the other good news so far is that the S & J engine appears to be performing flawlessly and we have found no fluid leaks of any kind in now over 400 miles. Keep your fingers crossed. More later.
Jerry
The Dovetail Joint
Fine furniture designed and hand crafted in the 1907 former Masonic Temple building in historic Kerby, OR
Visitors always welcome!
glwork@mac.com
http://jerrywork.com
541-499-1027
541-592-5360
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 22:02:50 -0500
From: Dennis Sexton <dennisfsexton@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] A tale of two coaches
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Message-ID: <36219.522d3a59@gmc.mybirdfeeder.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-15"
Jerry,
Thank you for the summary.
I will be most curious to hear the results of the weigh-in -- as well as your thoughts as you continue to use both coaches.
Dennis
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Jerry & Sharon Work
78 Royale
Kerby, OR
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