Not sure where I should put this thread. Gotto believe this may be best.
I have owned RV's for sixty years. And have always been my preferred lifestyle of traveling. Two of the biggest benefits of a growing family are kids and pets are always welcome in your travels. And no need for pit stops for the kids. Years ago there were no seat belt rules and they could simply go to the bathroom on beckon call. The Winnebago name was synonymous with motor homes with their unique split angled slant back windshield. The first Winnebago rolled of the production line in 1966. Pictured below was their 17' model built on a Ford pickup F350 chassis with a 300 cubic in straight six cylinder engine and three-speed transmission.
1966 Winnebago , first year model..I purchased my first A Winnebago some fifty years ago. It was the 1974 24' long Indian model. It was on a Dodge M300 truck chassis with a 413 V8 gas engine and three-speed Touqeflite transmission. The main fuel tank was 50 gallons and the auxiliary was 22. On level roads get 12 MPG.
The 1973 oil embargo wiped out most motor home manufacturers; but Winnebago somehow survived the crisis. But in 1978 I ordered a new Pacearrow 29' class A motor home on a Dodge chassis with their 440 engine. Then I purchased a 1988 Exectutive 36' class A motor home with a Chevy 454 engine. In 1990 I purchased a new 40' Gulf Stream diesel pusher with Cummins ISC 500 cubic inch. Lastly I have a 2007 American Eagle 45' diesel pusher with a Cummins ISX 15 liter engine. That I still own today.
January 2021 I purchased my first class C motor home. The “C” are built on a van chassis with the sides and top expanded to make larger living quarters. It's a Winnebago View 24J Motor Home. It's on a Mercedes Benz M3500 chassis with twin turbo 3.0 liter V-6 diesel and nine-speed transmission. It has a GVWR of 11,030 lbs. And has averaged 17.6 MPG over the 20,000 miles since I purchased it new. It has backup camera, GPS with speed limit sign reading, stay in lane technology, adaptive cruise control with auto braking even for pedestrians, rain sensitive wipers.
Slide out viewFloor plan, mine is setup with theater seatingInterior view with slide out
Kitchen area with double bowl sink, counter top stove, two-door 12 cubic foot refrigerator, and 32" TV
Theater seats reclined Bunk over cab,, child size Driver's compartment view from coach Dash gagesThis wasn't my first rodeo rather my eight. And didn't go into this blindsided. Like most everything that I own, many modifications were added to make it better suited for my pleasure. The Mercedes has but a 24.5 gallon fuel tank. Since it was ordered with a 3.2 KW Onan Cummins diesel generator that also feeds off the same tank. I knew the OEM tank capacity would be too small. Neither the manufacture nor the dealer were about to address the issue. So within a week I jacked the Winnebago up and added a second 30 gallon fuel tank. Now I can almost make 1,000 miles on a fill-up.
Removed spare tire and added 30 gallon fuel tank Place aux fuel tank gage and controls above the shelf above visor Fuel filler cap, it's actually 6" above the top tank level care must be taken at truck pumpsBefore I even plunked my hard earner money on this baby. I knew from test driving 24J. And I concluded the MB chassis was unsafe at any speeds. And after doing research many voice their concern of its' handling. The best solution by many was simply stay out of crosswinds as the weather sets in … Or take it on back roads at lower speeds. My solution was to add a second anti sway-bar to the front side of the rear axle. The OEM is 1 1/4” the added is 1 1/2” Plus replacing the four OEM Monroe shocks with Koni special red adjustable. Lastly I add four Sumo helper springs. The heavier duty capacity Yellow series to the rear axle. While the milder capacity Blue series to the front. These helper springs lifted the rear about 1 1/2” and the front less than an inch.
The new sway bar is in front of the rear axle, The yellow Sumo spring between axle and frame, Along with the red Koni shocks
Added blue Sumo helper spring, and replaced shocks/struts. I put marks to place the new strut hopefully keeping it aligned. Then checked using tape. Seems to be right on by driving. But will have it checked at the next service interval...
These modifications made the handling far safer. When a semi passed, it was no longer swayed four feet over. Far better holding lane in cross winds. Would never think it was the same coach! The downside, on rough road surfaces, the vibrations are felt more. Actually it rides no harder than my 2006 Avalanche 2500.
I'll post the rest of the mods later.