I have only driven one FT, it was a 96 and I drove it in the city and highway in for about 45 mins. I had some concerns/questions and wanted to see if this was normal.
1- the seat/steering wheel position was uncomfortable. I had the tilt towards me as much as possible but it still felt like it was out front more.
2- I had to have 2 hands on the wheel at all times. I know this sounds weird, but in cars, you can drive with 1 hand quite often and easily. I was constantly correcting/adjusting the play that was in the wheel.
3- After the drive, my right trapezius/shoulder muscle was quite tight due to the work involved to drive it. While I can drive it, I don't want something that requires this much work. see #1 again. I took my hand off the wheel to take a drink of bottled water and the DW could tell.
4. The steering box was weeping on this one and it had about 150K. It probably could have used for front end replacements I am guessing, but still, I expect it to not require so much work. It did track straight down the road.
I would appreciate any input on this. I want/need the mrs. to be able to drive it, but if I am not comfortable, she definitely will not be.
It does take a little more work then driving a pickup truck.
If the steering box is leaking it should go and be rebuilt. There are many threads on this site about that problem
After a rebuild it will be better.
On the 97 that I had owned I went and added washers where the wheel was mounted to the dash to give me more angle. That helped alot.
The wheel does tilt and telescope. The telescope take some work so that might be off and could be adjusted to give you a better feel.
Age may be showing on the bushings and may need to go to shop and have checked out. I was told their is a great shop in Lufkin Tx.
It does take a little practice where you do not over correct and then have to correct your over correction. Once I got in the grove, I have driven my old one for 17 hrs in a day.
Moving-man. If there was no shimmy in the steering wheel and the coach tracked well, I would suggest that most of your discomfort was tension brought on by the newness of your endeavor.
Getting the correct seating and steering wheel adjustment takes considerable adjustment and can change as time and distance increase. There is nothing wrong with two handed steering but one is allowed a hand for drinks of water and one handed steering is likely as you gain more experience and confidence.
When we bought our '93 U280 8 years ago, it was our very first RV of any type. I had never driven anything bigger than a "bread van" so a whole new experience for me and the DW.
I did not seem to have much difficulty with our initial driving episodes. I took the TX Class B (non commercial) driving test on the 3rd day we owned the coach. No problem passing the test.
Based on your comments, I think the coach you drove was perhaps not in perfect condition. I would wonder if the tires were inflated to the correct pressure. Incorrect (low) pressure can make steering more difficult. If the steering box is worn out or low on power steering fluid, that could also adversely affect steering feel.
At very slow speeds the coach will require more physical effort to drive than a modern car or truck. However, once the coach is moving the steering should lighten up considerably, and require very little arm strength. We have some Forum members who are diminutive ladies, and they are able to drive these coaches without any problem. Foretravel has a annual Ladies Driving School at the factory for new female driving partners. My wife found the course very informative and enjoyable.
FORETRAVEL (https://www.foretravel.com/motorcade-club#news-events)
Incorrect front end alignment can cause the coach to wander and pull right or left. Some highways have "tracks" in the slow lanes (from heavy truck traffic) that can make steering a straight course a lot harder. A properly aligned coach (like ours) will track straight down a decent road with little need for correction and only small light inputs from the driver. I drive one-handed (on the highway) most of the time.
The seating position can take a bit of getting used to. The driver seat adjusts up and down, forward and backward, and the back rest reclines. The arm rests can be up or down. The steering wheel has a limited tilt and telescope function. Most new drivers are able to find a satisfactory driving position with the stock seat. In some cases, a custom driver seat can help accommodate unusual physical requirements.
Try to drive a number of different coaches if at all possible. They are NOT all the same. You may have just been exposed to a poor example.
My first coach was a Monaco Dynasty and test driving it I thought it is towed out
set the tow in and it drove true. The Foretravel I have is a dream to drive. Just goes
where I point it. Play with your seat at different positions till you find what works.
You shouldn't have to fight the steering if it is set right.
I usually have one hand on the wheel and don't have to move it much. More if windy. It's pretty relaxing unless the road is rough, you have a x-wind or traffic near you. Big rigs going by will move us a little away from them and I pay attention. If going down the highway is any different than your car, somethings wrong with steering, alignment, shocks, tire pressures. Should be able to relax and enjoy the view.
Heading downgrade, I may drop a gear and let the Jake take care of most of it. Checking air pressure at the top before starting down is good. Once you get used to it, downgrades are no big deal but you do have to be paying attention if you are using the service brakes very often. Might be time to drop another gear. Keeping speed reasonable on the downgrades is important as it takes a lot longer to stop if you have a blowout.
Pierce
Movingman,
I had owned and driven a 36 foot gas motorhome for many thousand miles before I bought the Foretravel. From what I had heard, I expected my U320 to drive like a dream. The first few thousand miles were exactly what you described. I had the front end serviced and aligned by a very experienced technician and the difference was night and day. I have since add almost a hundred thousand miles to the coach and have smiled ever since.
The tech brought everything to within tolerance and increased the caster to the maximum within specifications. I think that is the main thing that made the most difference.
I have recently replaced the shocks and air bags and I keep the tires at the appropriate pressure. All these things help, I am sure.
The coach you drove should not handle as you describe, but with the work of a very competent technician, that Foretravel will not be a handful on the road.
Good luck in your quest for the right Foretravel for you and your wife.
Richard
Thanks to all for this info. I'll keep my eye out for one and if y'all hear of something please DM me.
And you should "ALWAYS" have two hands on the wheel while driving a motor home. If you were to have a front tire blow. It will not react like your family sedan.
Even if one's motor home suspension and steering are fully sorted out. You still need to resist the urge to lean on an elbow and steer with your thumb and index finger.
#2 I think the location of the driver seat can affect how we steer. I am not smart enough to do the geometry. In a car, we are well behind the steer tires. In a FT, we are forward of the steer tires. That magnifies the movement of steering corrections, we feel it, and we drop into a cycle of minute oversteering and correction.
Rather than looking a couple of car lengths ahead, look ahead 10-15 car lengths. (That is, when conditions allow. Don't ignore a car THAT IS a couple of lengths ahead.) When I do this, my steering corrections are cut by 2/3. I use a little bit more of the lane, but probably not noticeable to other drivers. For me it is like a switch - I correct less, I lean back in the seat, and I breathe more.
This does not fix mechanical issues.
#1 On our coach, I think the driver seat is a bit to the side, and too tall for my comfort. I have not investigated it yet - still experimenting with seat and steering wheel position. So far, I feel better with the seat well forward. Others around here found comfort with the seat way back.
I have a few comments to add: the driving position that works for me is way up close to the wheel, elbows resting on the arm rests, back tilted upright and both hands on the wheel at 8:00 and 4:00. This is the position taught by our "driving coach", which by the way was the best $750 we've spent.
Driving without wandering is a skill that takes time (assuming a proper steering box, tire pressure and suspension). It took me 1000 miles or so. Train yourself to look down the road, not up close.
When our steering box "went" it left me stranded, and barely able to control the coach. If you see anything leaking from the steering box, I say fix it immediately.
One more comment... just last week we took our coach to a car upholstery shop and had them replace the seat cushions in the front with new foam. The difference is amazing. The old ones were worn out. The new is a much better driving position. It was about 1 coach-buck.
More #1
I am a bit long-limbed. When I try to use the arm rests, it elevates my shoulders slightly, and transmits all of the bumps into my shoulder joints, making them very sore after a long drive. I fold the arm rests up, and let my shoulders rest naturally. Much better!
I have read about people having the arm rests modified to make them adjustable.
Two things to keep in mind. You're driving a rear engined diesel pusher so the heavy part is in back.
Muscle tension can be treated by deliberately relaxing those muscles until you actually relax. It take a while to become accustomed to the motions of a large truck. All the more so when the heavy part is in the rear.
One other thing to consider is the road surface that you're driving on. There seems to be a limitless number, and sometimes it seems like any one of the symptoms described above can be in play when driving on them.
My arm rests are adjustable but it doesn't make any difference for me as I don't
like using them but my son does. Yesterday I found the coach handled fine one handed
but I much prefer two hands. Going down hill I always use a gear I don't have use my
brakes. If I need my brakes I use them until I can get the coach into a lower gear.
My rule is brakes are for stopping not to maintain a certain speed.
Well that's an interesting statement. I may take a shot at that theory.
Agree 100%.
If speed increases on a descent, get on the service brakes hard enough and long enough to allow you to drop to a lower gear (down arrow).
Same advice for gas or diesel. Same advice for engine compression brake, exhaust brake or no supplemental brake-- service brakes are not designed to control speed on long descents.
Brakes turn momentum into HEAT. Many, many times the momentum in a heavy coach that a car or light truck. Brake surface area is larger, but no where enough larger to handle 10X or so the weight.
For many years, I drove a converted Greyhound as our RV. It had zero retarder or Jake to aid the service brakes. Stopping or descending grades was dependent on selecting the proper gear along with the service brakes. OldGuy hits it on the head that the service brakes should never be used to maintain a certain speed but to stop the coach and when applied correctly, intermittently used to slow the coach while descending grades while in the proper gear. Jakes and retarders are only secondary braking devices and should never be relied on to provide the major braking effort. I keep our Jake switched on all the time but use the service brakes without hesitation as the major device to slow or stop the coach. Interstate highway grades are usually gradual and air resistance aided by a little Jake usually does the trick. The most difficult are the two lane highways in mountainous terrain that are not only steep but have traffic to contend with. This is where the experienced driver can balance using the service brakes and transmission retarder/Jake brake without overheating the transmission or service brakes. This includes proper judgement of when to pull off, let traffic by and cool the transmission and service brakes. All without any stress or unneeded concern.
Pierce
Lots of great points already covered! I'd encourage you to look at the forum for tips on braking and "mountain driving". They were VERY helpful tips for me! Lots of experience on this forum.
Just to add: I really agree with Michael and Barry's comments about "looking down the road" and it does take time to learn good technique.
You may have to diagnose and fix the mechanical issues first.
My own "learning" experience with our coach was this nagging problem of wandering and a real uncomfortable sense that I couldn't take my eyes off the road... After many checks, replacing the steering box helped the most, (ours was not leaking) this was due to wear in the gears. It could also be the u-joint in the steering wheel, (not in our case). And finally, adding a Safe-T Steer stabilizer really helped with tracking. This add was primarily done for safety reasons.
I can steer with one hand on good roads, though I do keep both hands on the wheel most times. The added stability gives me more time to scan mirrors, backup camera, etc... These Foretravel coach's with the air ride system are better drivering than most SOB's.
Best, Jeff
I second Richard's comment. The coach you drove wasn't right. You should be able to drive with little correction and with one hand if you like.
jor
I used to drive with one hand on the wheel and one arm around my co pilots waste sitting on a stool next to me until one day a loud boom and I scuffed up co pilot a bit getting loose from her. Turned out a truck I was passing blew a tire. Stool fell over with the girl and that ended that cozy cruising. Now days most hands on the wheel with instructions to keep them there. 😎
Story above not factual. Seriously it's best to relax a bit while driving but like mentioned be prepared for the unexpected while being relaxed. I look as forward to the drive getting to a destination than the destination itself but I have always enjoyed driving.
Not factual or she read it and put you in TIME OUT?
Up here in Wisconsin (and everywhere else as a matter of fact) I make a point of keeping both hands on the wheel and being ready for anything. We have so many whitetail deer roaming around that we never know when one or more will come blasting out of the roadside ditch and customize the front of our vehicle. This attitude carries over to whatever I drive and wherever we go.
Safety is paramount with me. I married my DW 58 years ago and want to keep her always safe and sound. Our coach or our car does NOT move unless she is belted in. I tell her it is another way of saying that I love her, so in this isolated instance she listens to me.
Nice "R" rated story. Why did you stop?
Pierce
He wants to get out of TIME OUT!
I agree 100% more caster works. My coach was a handful apron purchase. 50k miles. Just wouldn't drive straight, felt like it was falling of center to either side. Increased tow in from zero to 3/8 of a inch. Helped but not right. Found two of the tie rod ends were basically seized from lack of being exercised. Jacked up front tires and rotated steering multiple times lock to lock and keep relubing till it went from tight to smooth as silk. Completely different coach to drive . Reduced tow in back down to 3/16 of a inch. Goes straight down the road and doesn't fall off either direction requiring constant attention as it was at purchase. Will eventually add more caster but it's fine now. DW may never drive, took me years to get her in the suburban and she Squawks real loud and long if she is forced into driving our mega cab dodge. I still plan on taking her to Foretravel DW driving education class, although bad things can happen if your driving a new coach. I never drive stuff I may want to own, costs too much.
Scott