How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

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How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

May 05, 2019, 12:36:51 pm

When parked and level, our MH seems to move/shake when someone is walking around the coach (even my 45lb daughter!). To me it feels like the shocks aren't damping, as it takes a few oscillation to settle down.

For reference, we came from a 19ft travel trailer with no shock absorbers. With the stabilizer jacks down on the TT, it used to shake around just like this u320.

When driving down the road, the MH porpoises a little (over bumps) but otherwise feels pretty solid, but I have nothing to compare it to.

I was in a Foretavel IH-45 the other day, and it felt rock solid, even with a 250lb man running about inside.

Cheers!
Steve and Shaye

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #1 – May 05, 2019, 12:42:38 pm

Quote from: coloradomtn – May 05, 2019, 12:36:51 pm

When parked and level, our MH seems to move/shake when someone is walking around the coach (even my 45lb daughter!). To me it feels like the shocks aren't damping, as it takes a few oscillation to settle down.

For reference, we came from a 19ft travel trailer with no shock absorbers. With the stabilizer jacks down on the TT, it used to shake around just like this u320.

When driving down the road, the MH porpoises a little (over bumps) but otherwise feels pretty solid, but I have nothing to compare it to.

I was in a Foretavel IH-45 the other day, and it felt rock solid, even with a 250lb man running about inside.

Cheers!
Steve and Shaye

Shocks would have nothing to do with what you are feeling when leveled unless really worn out.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #2 – May 05, 2019, 12:49:06 pm

Quote from: craneman – May 05, 2019, 12:42:38 pm

Shocks would have nothing to do with what you are feeling when leveled unless really worn out.

They are probably the original shocks (16 years/49K miles old), so it's possible they are really worn out.

Is it normal for my coach to wobble around when a small child is walking about?

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #3 – May 05, 2019, 12:53:38 pm

It's just one of those things you get used to. With that said if you are sitting with the air bags dumped and sitting on the bumpstops you will really feel movement. That's not a lot of miles on shocks.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #4 – May 05, 2019, 12:59:32 pm

Quote from: bbeane – May 05, 2019, 12:53:38 pm

It's just one of those things you get used to. With that said if you are sitting with the air bags dumped and sitting on the bumpstops you will really feel movement. That's not a lot of miles on shocks.

OK that's good to know. No point replacing things that are not worn out!

I wonder how they get those IH-45's so stable?

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #5 – May 05, 2019, 01:09:13 pm

For $400k you get to be stable.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #6 – May 05, 2019, 01:12:41 pm

IH45 a lot longer and heavier.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #7 – May 05, 2019, 01:13:05 pm

Judge shock performance by driving over the regular parking lot speed bumps at regular/low speed. If a corner or axle goes up and down more than about 1.5X, shocks are bad. Judging while parked is not a valid test.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #8 – May 05, 2019, 01:51:33 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – May 05, 2019, 01:13:05 pm

Judge shock performance by driving over the regular parking lot speed bumps at regular/low speed. If a corner or axle goes up and down more than about 1.5X, shocks are bad. Judging while parked is not a valid test.

So, just like a normal car/truck. Good to know, thanks.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #9 – May 05, 2019, 02:01:56 pm

Yup, same physics. Too stiff and they will beat you to death (particularly if dampening is on compression). Too soft and you "bouncy--bouncy" down the road.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #10 – May 05, 2019, 07:04:54 pm

If you park on a level site or at least level enough to suit you you can cut 4 4by4,s about 8 in long which is about right height of 8.5 or 8.25 or so and place the blocks the same as you place for safety blocks and let the coach down on the blocks. That will take stop the moving when someone is walking and you are in the bed. Of course that only works on a relatively level site but works nicely.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #11 – May 05, 2019, 07:32:45 pm

We have the same coach as you and don't have that movement when we walk around. Still have the original shocks with
109000 miles on them. New air bags when we bought it 6 years ago.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #12 – May 05, 2019, 08:10:09 pm

New or old shocks or airbags will make no difference in feeling the coach move with people walking thru it. The fact that it sits on airbags is the reason for movement.You can let the bus down where it rest on the tires which I don't do. Some will come on and say it's ok and maybe it is but not for me. Blocks I described is a solution for some situations. My 270 is less "sponge" like than my 280 don't know why, same suspension.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #13 – May 05, 2019, 09:07:36 pm

My observation...my coach is noticeably more "bouncy" when fully dumped than when sitting level up on all the bags. But it still moves a bit when I walk around or shift from side to side. Just me and my dog, so I don't care. Woody.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #14 – May 05, 2019, 09:16:30 pm

Coaches with a tag suspension is at a lower pressure per bag to level the coach.

Our 40' with no tag is rock solid parked and leveled. No tag.

Can you dump the tag axles air when parked?

First thing I would do if mine had a tag and moved when walking around inside it was noticeable.

Interesting observation. Increase the air bags pressure should help.

Retract or dump air from the tag and the rear and front should go up in pressure

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #15 – May 05, 2019, 11:31:17 pm

A coach sitting on air bags and tires will always be less stable than an RV sitting on leveling jacks or stabilizers.

I'll gladly trade some stability for quick and easy air leveling.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #16 – May 06, 2019, 09:04:44 am

When we park, we just let auto level do its thing starting from ride height. I've never noticed any movement when prancing about in the coach. With most floor plans, you tend to walk near the centerline of the suspension, which it seems would mitigate the rock and roll.

I gotta think there must be some correlation between one's body mass and perceived coach motion, but I'm not going there...

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #17 – May 06, 2019, 09:27:28 am

Right now, I am parked in my son's driveway. The front is as low as it will go and the back is as high as it will go for level. The coach moves a little bit when we walk around. It's a bit like being on a boat or ship, after awhile you get used to it and don't notice it. On level ground and the air dumped from the bags, it's rather solid, although the tires are another bag full of air and they can give a little bit too. Knock on wood, my air bags hold pressure for several days, so I just turn off the leveling system to keep the auto level from releasing and adding air when someone moves from one side of the coach to the other side. If the bags had a slow leak, I would leave the auto level on.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #18 – May 06, 2019, 11:42:16 am

Yeah Chuck like a guys going to tell his wife that she's rocking the rig....NOT I..No peep from me.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #19 – May 06, 2019, 01:39:38 pm

Had not thought about this movement issue much, and I am very sensitive to this from old days in rv's.

I guess a fully loaded U320 40' without a tag bag pressure is high enough it barely moves. Interesting

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #20 – May 08, 2019, 01:51:09 pm

Ignore the parked movement. If as you say the coach is porposing then you proberly need new shocks. Movement shold be once up once down.

Keith

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #21 – May 08, 2019, 08:10:13 pm

Lately, when we're on a site that is pretty level, I dump the air, then raise the low side. That usually puts the coach on two of the tires, and it isn't much above the other two. Sometimes I'm on three tires, and once in a great while I'm on all four. I haven't noticed much difference in coach movement compared to letting the HWH system auto-level, but having the step closer to the ground sure is nice.

I would have thought that having the coach sitting on at least some tires would make it a little more stable when parked, but I can't say that I've really noticed much of a difference. One noticeable difference came when we had strong winds. We had winds of 40 gusting to 80 that came from the rear (parked) and another time of 50 gusting to 85 (parked). Both times we were down on the tires, and there was some shaking but nothing that made us at all nervous. The first time we were parked very close to our taller neighbors, and the second time we were pretty much out in the open. Those winds were from the right front corner. Some of our neighbors the first time spent the night in a building - and they were in a MH that was at least a foot taller than ours, but not as heavy.

Don't think I'd really want to have any other MH than a Foretravel.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #22 – May 20, 2019, 03:18:29 am

I must say, I gave this issue some thought, but no real conclusions as yet? I was thinking of Wedges in between the frame rails, but now that I read this, it seems both easier and better, between the Top of the tire, and Coach Floor! I was in a Sustained Wind situation, from the Port (Drivers) Side for 12 hours 65-75 MPH, in an RV Park! I thought I was on my Sailboat! LOL

And if one end, or side is already bottomed out, only 4 wedges are needed! I might try that fix!

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #23 – May 20, 2019, 04:09:29 am

Quote from: RetiredGuns – May 20, 2019, 03:18:29 am

I must say, I gave this issue some thought, but no real conclusions as yet? I was thinking of Wedges in between the frame rails, but now that I read this, it seems both easier and better, between the Top of the tire, and Coach Floor! I was in a Sustained Wind situation, from the Port (Drivers) Side for 12 hours 65-75 MPH, in an RV Park! I thought I was on my Sailboat! LOL

And if one end, or side is already bottomed out, only 4 wedges are needed! I might try that fix!

I never had a chance to check this out, however, I read a Country Coach Magna owners manual that instructed raising up, airing up the air bags all the way in heavy wind conditions for stability.

Re: How stable should my 03' U320 be when leveled? Do I need new shocks?

Reply #24 – May 20, 2019, 04:21:46 am

Quote from: Jack Lewis – May 20, 2019, 04:09:29 am

I never had a chance to check this out, however, I read a Country Coach Magna owners manual that instructed raising up, airing up the air bags all the way in heavy wind conditions for stability.

Well, thanks! I will try that, if I ever experience it again! It was quite a ride, I'll tell ya! No biggie, I just played the Movie "Jaws" while it was happening, and I was IN the movie, on the Boat scenes, and was good to go! LOL

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