In this article I’m going to be talking about motorhome suspension upgrades.

And how to use them to make ride and handling improvements for your RV.

This is especially important information for owners of gas class A RVs and class C RVs.

Table of Contents

• What RV Chassis Needs Motorhome Suspension Upgrades?
• Chassis Problems That Require Motorhome Suspension Upgrades
• Other Chassis Issues That Are Unpleasant
• How Serious Are These Chassis Problems?
• Why Is The Ford Chassis So Popular?
• What To Do Before Making Suspension Upgrades
• The Reason Why I Installed A Steering Stabilizer Bar
• What I Learned At The Safe T Plus Facility
• What Motorhome Suspension Upgrades Are Best?
• Can You Really Improve Harsh Ride In Your Motorhome?
• A Very Costly But Effective Upgrade To Consider
• A More Economical Way To Improve Your Harsh Motorhome Ride
• A Very Important Piece Of Advice
• How To Get Your Motorhome Suspension Upgrades Installed
• Conclusion

What RV Chassis Needs Motorhome Suspension Upgrades?

And primarily I’m going to be referring to Ford chassis suspensions in this article. Because they are used an awful lot in RV motorhomes.

Now with Class C RVs you’re going to see a lot of Ford E350 and E450 chassis setups.

And with gasoline-powered Class A RVs you’re going to see a lot of the Ford F-series chassis being used.

So the question is – why are they so popular and in such widespread use?

Well, one reason is because they have been pretty reliable and trustworthy overall. And they have a proven track record through the years.

Chassis Problems That Require Motorhome Suspension Upgrades

But they do have problems! And there are lots of RV owners out there complaining of undesirable ride and handling issues.

And it’s so prevalent among motorhome owners that I felt the need to write this article. So let’s cover the issues that these RVs have.

And one undesirable characteristic is a tendency to ride rough. In fact, some motorhomes built on the Ford chassis are just awful to drive.

And when you hit even small bumps in the road, it just jars you hard inside the RV.

Sometimes it almost feels like it’s going to knock the fillings right out of your teeth. And that makes for a very poor RV travel day!

Other Chassis Issues That Are Unpleasant

Now another characteristic is that sometimes they can exhibit rocking and rolling tendencies. Especially in the wind, or when going around corners.

And excessive lean in the corners can also be experienced. But another undesirable trait is having “tail wag” in the back of the RV.

This is where the tail is drifting from side to side on the road. But up front the steering is wandering too.

So what that results in is the driver going back and forth with the steering wheel just trying to keep the RV going straight down the highway.

Now some of the issues that I just mentioned can be very different from one RV to another.

And a lot depends on the manufacturer and the way they put the RV onto the chassis at the factory.

How Serious Are These Chassis Problems?

Sometimes the issues I’ve mentioned here are just a little annoying. But at other times they can be very serious too.

And that often results in “white knuckle driving”. Grabbing that steering wheel with the grip of death.

Because you’re afraid that it may get out of control at any point. And that’s a very unpleasant experience to have!

But now let’s talk though about another reason why these chassis are so popular. Even despite their undesirable handing characteristics.

Why Is The Ford Chassis So Popular?

And that is that the class C and the gasoline-powered Class A are the least expensive of the larger motorhomes. At least that is often the case.

Now we’re not talking about Class B RVs here. They’re not in this discussion at all as they are smaller motorhomes.

But what we are talking about here are larger motorhomes instead.

And if the cost of the RV is important to a buyer, most often it’s going to be a Class C or a gas Class A that they choose.

So as a result, the manufacturers want to keep the price down as much as they can.

And one of the ways they do that is in the cost of the chassis. And the Ford chassis is a fairly inexpensive one for RV manufacturers to use.

But they just simply do not have hardly any advanced or updated technology in them.

So as a result, they often ride just like the heavy truck chassis that they really are.

But the good news here though is that you actually can make them ride better than they do. With better handling characteristics as well.

And this can be accomplished with just a few adjustments or motorhome suspension upgrades.

What To Do Before Making Suspension Upgrades

But before we get to that, let me mention something that is important to keep in mind.

And that is something you need to do before you start modifying your chassis in any way.

You need to make sure that you have the suspension already in good shape. That way any modifications you make will actually work.

For instance, before you do anything, check your tires first. Believe it or not, they can impact your ride and handling in very significant ways.

So make sure that they’re in good shape. Make sure that the tire pressures are adjusted correctly for the weight you have in your RV.

The next step is to look carefully at the stock suspension that came with the RV.

Do you have any broken parts in the suspension? Are there excessively worn parts or equipment that needs attention?

If so, then make sure that you get those issues fixed first before you make any modifications to the RV’s suspension.

Now once you have your tires and suspension in really good shape, how does the RV handle?

If you still notice there are some ride and handling issues, then it’s time to think about motorhome suspension upgrades.

The Reason Why I Installed A Steering Stabilizer Bar

Now interestingly, about a year and a half ago I had a steering stabilizer bar installed on my motorhome.

It’s called the “Safe T Plus” steering stabilizer. That’s the name of the company that makes the stabilizer bar I had installed on my rig.

And the reason I had it installed on my diesel pusher motorhome was not for an improvement with ride and handling.

But actually, I installed it mainly for safety reasons rather than ride characteristics.

Because I’m very conscious about the possibility of a tire blowout on the front end of my motorhome.

And one of the suggestions for helping in that area is a steering stabilizer bar. So I got the Safe T Plus bar installed.

And I went to their facility in Tallapoosa, Georgia to get the job done by their professionals.

What I Learned At The Safe T Plus Facility

While there, I found out that they have a whole array of suspension upgrades that are available as well.

And many of them are especially for the Ford chassis problems that are so common.

So I talked to them quite a bit about it while I was there getting my stabilizer bar installed. And here is what I learned while I was there.

First of all, they’re always going to recommend a Safe T Plus bar installation for most RVers.

Because it really does help with RV steering and it’s a safety issue as well. So that’s a great place to start.

What Motorhome Suspension Upgrades Are Best?

But what if your coach is exhibiting “tail wag” and wandering around in the steering?

For that they recommend “radius rods” for the front. And a “trac bar” for the rear of the motorhome suspension.

That combination will lock down the suspension going forward. And keep it moving in a straight line down the highway.

But what about those body roll issues? Where you’re rocking and rolling and leaning going around corners?

Well, the recommendation in that case is to consider installing “Sumo Springs” on your RV.

And Sumo Springs are very popular with a lot of Ford chassis owners out there. So they can make a big difference with RV body roll.

But also consider “sway bars” for your rig too. They will also help lock down the chassis suspension so it can’t move side to side too much.

Can You Really Improve Harsh Ride In Your Motorhome?

Now the final point I want to talk about is what about the harsh ride characteristics of the Ford chassis?

Well, I wish I had a whole lot better news for you on that particular issue.

But the truth is that with the Ford chassis, you’re only going to improve it so much.

And it may never get to the point where you have the same kind of ride that air suspension in a diesel pusher motorhome provides.

A Very Costly But Effective Upgrade To Consider

At least not without investing in a costly major suspension overhaul. Like the Liquid Spring aftermarket product.

I made a video about that suspension modification that really does seem to get the job done. And you can view the video on it here.

But just bear in mind that it will be far more expensive than the modifications we are talking about in this article.

However, you can make the harsh ride of the Ford chassis better without going quite that far.

A More Economical Way To Improve Your Harsh Motorhome Ride

And the place to focus on more than any other is often the suspension’s shock absorbers.

So make sure you get a good set of shock absorbers on that chassis to improve the ride.

And what Safe T Plus recommended in that case is “Koni shock absorbers”.

In fact, when I talked to them about it I was very impressed with what they had to say.

So much so, that I went ahead and put Koni shocks on my diesel pusher as well. Especially since the shocks on it were kind of old.

And you know what? I was very pleased with the results of the changes they made. And I’m very happy with everything that they installed.

Now here’s one thing that I do want to mention after going through all of these suspension upgrades though.

A Very Important Piece Of Advice

They made sure to tell me to not to recommend throwing everything at your chassis or suspension all at once. That’s a big mistake!

In fact, sometimes you can actually make things worse when you do that.

So what they recommended is incremental changes to your suspension instead.

In other words, make some changes and see how it works out. And if something needs to be adjusted, you can do that afterward.

Then move on and make another change if you still need help with ride or handling.

So the final point I want to make here is don’t do too much at one time!

Instead, here’s what I recommend. If you have ride and handling problems or suspension issues, then give them a call first.

Tell them what your issues are and what what chassis you have with your RV. Then just discuss it with them for a while.

As you do, they can make recommendations to you for upgrades on your particular suspension. Upgrades that can make a real difference.

How To Get Your Motorhome Suspension Upgrades Installed

And then they can ship the parts right to you if you are very handy and good with tools.

In fact, they say that you might be able to install these parts yourself in that case.

But honestly, for most of us, we’re going to need to find a local repair shop to do the work instead.

One that’s familiar with RV suspensions. Then you can have them install the parts for you to be sure that the work is done right.

And very often truck repair facilities can work very well for that kind of installation.

But if you want to, you can do what I did and just go to the Safe T Plus factory.

There you can have them install the upgrades you need in Tallapoosa, Georgia. Then you know it’s done right the first time!

And you know what? I was very pleased with the work that they did for me on my motorhome suspension.

Now let me say that I am not affiliated with Safe T Plus or compensated by them in any way.

I am just a believer in the products they sell and the work they do.

Conclusion

OK, those are the suspension upgrades that I wanted to suggest for you in this article.

Now we all wish that that the Ford motorhome chassis had a lot better ride and handling than it does.

But wishing will not make it happen. However, you don’t have to travel in your motorhome these days feeling either unsafe or uncomfortable.

And the suspension upgrades I have covered in this article can help make sure of that.

Have safe and happy RV travels!