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Steering Stabilizers

Yahoo Message Number: 3131
Many of you have posted messages about steering stabilizers in the past and a while back I mentioned a new type of stabilizer that was going to be out soon. Well for those interested it is now here and you can read about it at

http://www.aemfg.com/truecenter/TruCenter.html The new design allows for on the fly adjustments. I am the inventor of this device and do have personal interest so if this is considered a ad please remove the post. However I have worked on this since 1998 and have tested on a 98 Diplomat, 99 Windsor, 2001 Signature and a 1999 Jeep Wrangler and I now know anyone who drives may not know it yet, but they will want what this will give them. Thanks for listing.
John D. 2002 Royale 45ft XLII

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3138
John D.

Always glad to hear about products that could help make traveling a better experience. Could you compare This product with the Super Steer setup both in performance and cost. Realizing its just one opinion but I might as well get it from someone who is throughly familiar with the problem and solution.

tks

John 97 MAGNA # 5416

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3142
I,too am interested in the product. We live in Vancouver and I would like to know the name of the nearest dealer. I tried on the web site, but couldn't even get close. Also, what's the cost of something like this including installation?
Thanks,
Joe Frazier

Quote
>From: "John Bicknas" jbicknas@...> >Reply-To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com >Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Steering Stabilizers >Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 11:12:33 -0600 >

John D.

Always glad to hear about products that could help make traveling a better >experience. Could you compare This product with the Super Steer setup both >in performance and cost. Realizing its just one opinion but I might as well >get it from someone who is throughly familiar with the problem and >solution.

tks

John 97 MAGNA # 5416

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3147
Hi,

I am not sure about your rig, but we recently purchased an 03 allure 32 footer. It is a wonderful coach, the best we've ever had. However it is also the shortest we've ever had (my wife loves the short size) and it also has the quickest steering, ie it is very hard to steer and freeway speeds, and with ruts. It is unaffected by drafts, ie big rigs going by, but it is very much effected by ruts and uneven pavement. Don't get me wrong, I love this motorhome and it drives like a dream in every aspect accept this one.
So I have begun looking for additional help keeping it centered without constant small adjustments. I have been able to adjust my driving without too much stress, but if I ever want my wife to drive, and enjoy driving, I need to find a way to make the steering not quite so responsive. So in a nutshell, that's why we need some kind of steering system.
Joe and Patti Frazier

Quote
>From: gablerwh@... >Reply-To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com >Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Steering Stabilizers >Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 15:08:50 EST >
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Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3148
Joe,

Thanks for the feed back on the steering stabilizer. We do not have that problem and I assumed all CCs ride like our. My wife can steer our 40' Magna with one hand. The only thing I don't like about our ride is the big holes in the road and the way we hit them, but thats what happens when you have big tires. No control problems just the bump.

Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3149
Hi, No problem,

I can steer ours easily too, it's just that it's too easy, it has a tendency to oscillate back and forth. I am a more relaxed driver, so I can make minute changes with causing ocillation, my wife however is a little more nervous so is a little more pronounced in her adjustments. I think if it was a little harder to turn the wheel at freeway speeds she would do better. I do not believe it is a flaw or mistake or misalignment, I think it was just designed this way for bigger rigs and we have a smaller rig, and that's why.
Joe and Patti

Quote
>From: gablerwh@... >Reply-To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com >Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Steering Stabilizers >Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 15:35:13 EST >
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Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3150
John,

Could the product you are refering to be Safety Plus? If so that product uses very large coil springs to keep you at the center position. They are large, but work fine, however it is very hard to get that unit set in the exact center position, and the position you want to be in will change under certain conditions, but you will be fixed in the set point. The gas spring can be built with many more attributes, it can start softer (allowing the assist to be harder to notice or feel) and ramp up to much higher values. It can have custom damping built in. The TruCenter device is about 1/2 the size of Safety Plus, this is in diameter not length, even with trimming TruCenter is no longer then Saftey Plus. The TruCenter product has on the fly trimming a feature you will only find on the Howard Power Steering unit which cost $3000 plus. The trimming feature has several uses:
1. 1st after the install you can center your steering as you drive anytime, sounds simple, but with the coil spring devices, Safety- Plus, Steer Safe, etc. if the installer had your set up off only 1/32 of a inch you would have a pull in your steering and would want the installer to adjust it out. That adjustment is very hard to get perfect, my early models did not have the on the fly feature so it took me several trips under the coach to get it right.
2. Second if you were driving west bound and you had a very strong wind from the North

normally you would have to keep a strong pull on the wheel to the right to go straight,

also you would probably have to keep correcting your hand position due to your normal

reaction to over steer. With this device you turn the steering as you would normally a

little right and when you find the right position to go straight you push a button, you

center position is reset to the new location you needed to go straight. That adjustment

will only be 1/16 of a inch or so, but in this new position you will not require a pull to go straight. If the wind dies down a simple push while you are at the new position you want and the center is reset. What you are doing is changing the overall length of the device.
3. Three, The trimming adjustment is made to correct conditions that
cause the wheel to pull or you need to pull it to go straight (however, you could use it to go in circles if you wanted for some reason???). Things that could cause this pull might be, low tire pressure, heavy loading one side, strong side winds, crowned roads, etc. I would think you would never make adjustments for short term pulls, such as, passing trucks, short wind gusts, anything that only lasts seconds. You will notice many things that used to effect your handling will not or will effect much less with this device. They are: the passing buses, trucks, ruts, rail road tracks, dropping off and returning to the road way. There is no great magic going on here, the reason is simple, even in the best coaches most of us tend to over correct for small road inputs, your normal steering does not have a hard defined center position, it just has a seeming low point which with the power assist it is easy to float over when you react to some external input. When the truck passes by you turn into the truck a little, but when you turn back you turn a little too far, and when the gusts of wind are strong you might keep doing these small over corrections. You are fighting the wheel, the trucking industry calls it the on-center effect. This constant correcting causes fatigue, it also wears your tires a little, and it wears the steering gear too. The device is just like having a 270 pound man holding your wheel for you, so when the wind or some other rapid feed back incident happens it takes an extra 270 lbs to turn your wheels, but because you RV has a massive power steering unit you will hardly notice any extra effort required to turn the wheel. People who drove my coaches with device were not aware of the assist until I advised them of the assist. A very big thing you will get with this device is a feeling of precision, RV's that have a wondering center position will now have and exact precise center, my Diplomat was so bad it drove me to find this cure, with the device (hard to believe) it had a sports car feel very precise. Even the Signature which was a great driver became a much tighter precise driver. I have always said a good test of your handling is how do you feel driving through single lane construction barricades at night in the rain at 55 mph or more.
Just about then most RV's seem 12 feet wide and very hard to keep in between the barricades, with this device I can now relax, the steering is that precise. In most RV's if you drop the right front tire off the pavement it can get very exciting coming back onto the road in two lane two way heavy traffic, with this device I demonstrated this without taking the bus out of cruise. That 270 pounds which builds to over 350 pounds at near full compression stops the rapid feed back and gives you a TruCenter position and feel. For pricing please contact Blue Ox you will find a toll free 800 number on the website on previous link. There is a product called Steer Safe which uses coil springs mounted at each end of the axle. That product is very limited and should not be considered to be of the same value as Safety Plus of TruCenter if needed I could add more about Steer Safe.

I hope this answers most if not all of your questions.
John D. 2002 Royale XLII 45 ft

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3151
Joe,

I just posted some answers for John. If there are no present dealers in your area please contact Blue Ox, I would think with the reviews this product is getting Blue Ox will be able to find you a new dealer real quick. I am assuming you have already used their dealer finder without any luck. Thanks for the email.
John D.

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3152
Yes,

Thanks for the info, I did try the locator and it is not working very well since it gave me dealers in PA. My zip code is 98686. I will try the toll free number. Thanks for all the useful info on your product. I am very interested in it. It makes perfect sense to me.
Joe and Patti

Quote
>From: "john d." jdshep1@...> >Reply-To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com >Subject: [Country-Coach-Owners] Re: Steering Stabilizers >Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 21:43:11 -0000 >
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Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3153
Truth is you may not need it, but I will bet you will like what it does for you. Two coaches ago I had a 2001 Signature which I thought drove great and it did. Now I have a 2002 Prevost Royale XLII which drives about as good as anything on 10 wheels, but knowing what a device like this adds to the quality of the drive I would now spend the dollars to get one. If I had never experienced this device, my first thought would be is I don't have a steering problem so why do I need a stabilizer, and you know what I don't need it. Now here is the catch I don't need color GPS, I don't need surround sound, inmotion DSS and I don't need many of the great things we now find on many high end motor homes, but they sure make camping (???) special and that is what this device will do for you. It will take your great driving coach and make it feel like you are driving a precision sporty car (well almost anyway). Your present steering may not have a precise center position, most large units RV'S Trucks, etc. don't, this devise will give you one, if you have one it will feel more precise, you will not feel many of the wind and road effects you have in the past. This thing just makes it harder for you to do what almost everyone does, that is overseer. If you drive a family wagon and then you drive a late model Corvette or BMW you will notice going straight takes no effort in the Vette or BMW, if you want to put the right front wheel on the edge of the road and keep it there it will be a easy task in the Vette and BMW where as with the wagon this is not going to be so easy. This device is going to make your coach feel very precise, you will feel like you can thread a needle or something like that. If your coach is hard to drive in the wind this will help allot, if your coach is darn good in the wind it will be great with this. This will give you a feeling of luxury do we need more when we have so much? You tell me. Thanks for the email.

John D. 2002 Royale Prevost XLII 45ftmeter

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3156
Dear John D. 2002 Royale 45ft XLII
At first this was informative and I would not consider it spam. However, I believe it has now crossed that line.
The extremely long messages you are sending to promote you product may be appreciated by those that are interested.
I, for one, would appreciate it if you would respond to the interested parties individually and not send the long sales pitches to the group. I know I can erase them BUT -- This can only be done after they are downloaded. On dial-up modems your long messages waste time. We can't even stop them with Spam Guard software because the "Group" is the sender.
Actually, I have interest in your product in the future and have saved your original post but I will respond directly to you when I am ready. Please stop the group advertising you are doing.
Joey

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3157
Hey! John D

Keep 'em coming. I would like to hear any thing you have to say about your product. If you start a direct email with some one, the rest of us will feel left out of the loop. I generally take quite a while and much looking before I spend my hard earned money. Your product is very intriguing (sp. My wife drives our 40" DP all over the this fine country and I think this might give her a little safety edge.

Joey

Sorry you have email limitations, but don't feel like I should pay a price for your equimpent limitations.
Very Sorry, indeed!
Ron

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3158
Per your request Joey I will post no more. Thanks for the email John D. 2002 Royale XLII

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3159
Could the shorter wheelbase be a factor? On Sat, 16 Nov 2002 20:49:17 +0000 "Joe and Patti Frazier, III" frazier5421@...> writes:

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3160
I have the 2000 Allure 30493 which I just purchased last June. Why does a CC coach need an add on stabilizer??? Gads there are problems with our CC's but the handling, power, and comfort have been the greatest pluses over my prior 94 gas Bounder. Now that Bounder certainly needed stabilizers, Bilsteins, and whatever else was invented! But CC's? I have not read any post yet criticizing the steering or handling factors...

On Sat, 16 Nov 2002 18:43:32 +0000 "Joe and Patti Frazier, III" frazier5421@...> writes:

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3161
OK,

Well first of all everyone: I AM NOT CRITICIZING THE RIDE. What I stated in other posts was that it steers very quick, and when we are in ruts it can be a very oscillating ride. So we are looking for a product that will help keep it in the center of the lane, without so much adjustments. As I said, I have gotten used to it, but I have been driving coaches for a long time, and I want something that makes it easier for my wife to drive.

Joe and Patti Frazier

Quote
>From: rvmike@... >Reply-To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com >Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Steering Stabilizers >Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 20:34:36 -0500 >
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Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3162
I am sure the shorter wheelbase is THE factor, that's why I haven't complained to CCI. I don't think its a warranty issue, I think it's just the way a shorter coach handles, and I thought I would get an aftermarket product that would make the Allure easier to drive. It is not a slam against CCI, it's just an adjustment I would like to make so my wife (and I) are more comfortable driving.

Thanks for all the thoughtful comments, joe and Patti

Quote
>From: rvmike@... >Reply-To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com >Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Steering Stabilizers >Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 20:10:25 -0500 >
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Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3165
John D. Did not mean to start anything with my question and I am appreciative of your response. Since I have a 97 Magna I do not have IFS and am looking for a means to upgrade the handling. I will try to evaluate your response and screaming_yellow_tj's posting on the SuperSteerhttp://www.supersteersuperstop.com/, Since I am in Florida and not on the West Coast Truecenter appears to be more accessible and hopefully will meet my other criteria. I have no heartburrn with your posting or replying to me personally at jbicknas@...
Tks again

John Bicknas 97 Magna # 5416

jbicknas@...

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3179
Joe & Patti,

Before spending money on after market products I would check weights and tire pressures.

You may be running with too much air in the tires.

David and Karen,
2000 Intrigue 11062

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3181
Hi,

Thanks for the thought, but I weighed our coach after loading it up, then compared the weights to the Toyo recommendations, then went to Les Schwab, and had them take the air out of the tires. They would not lower the front below 100 due to stress on steering tires, but the rear were lowered to 85. It helped a little, but we still have a lot of oscillation.
Thanks again for the suggestion, though, Joe and Patti

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3182
Quote
Thanks for the thought, but I weighed our coach after loading it >up, then compared the weights to the Toyo recommendations, then >went to Les Schwab, and had them take the air out of the tires.
First I hope you weighed each tire or pair of tires separately? This is the only true way to set up your coach. It lets you know it you are way overloaded on one side or the other. I have a hard time believing you went to a tire dealer to "let the air oout of the tires." You doo carry a tire gauge don't you? Maybe what you were really saying is that you wanted reassurance as to the proper air pressure to carry in your tires? You do have a tire pressure chart don't you? If not you should also carry that with you.

Bill-PA-Coountry Coach Prevost XK 40' 1998

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3183
One last thing to check is your ride height. I found out the hard way that a low ride height in the rear can cause the exact symptoms you are seeing.

Jim Ott

Intrigue 10865

Re: Steering Stabilizers

Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 3184
For those asked about pricing on this new device here it is.
TruCenter Pricing, per Blue Ox you are looking at around $695 plus $45 for brackets and 2 hours to install at the local shop labor rates. Sounds like about $860+- for the installed unit.
John D. 2002 Royale XLII