won't steer straight at 65mph

[riceman100]

I just bought a 2002 Sunova with 70.000 miles.At 65 mph the unit starts wander
in the lane I am driving in.Someone said it need a sway bar in the rear.Then I was told you need a sway bar in the front and wheel alignment.Can anyone tell
what I should do.Thanks

[creativepart]

I’d get the entire front end checked out at a Ford Truck repair center. It could be something dangerous.

[Jim_HiTek]

Check the tires for abnormal wear, not enough PSI, get the rig a 4-corner weighing, check shocks, check air bags if you have them, etc., etc.. Just keep whittling away at the possibles until the actual cause, no matter how improbably, is found.

My '94 wandered in the indentations (ruts) trucks had made over the years in many different roads. The fronts it seemed were just spaced right to ride on the inside sloped edges of the ruts so the RV wandered. New tires took care of that. Alignment was fine. One other time, one of my front shocks had gone bad, so got some wander from that I think.

Good luck.

[thunderjet]

when I picked up my 2005 35a it was undriveable over 60 MPH. steering needed constant correcting. I talked with an engineer with winnebago about the problem he very quickly
said front end is too light for the 90 psi listed on door and would never need max pressure listed on tire. I changed to 85 psi and loaded more weight forward. Makes for a world of difference. Rear pressure not at all sensitive. Still tough in strong side winds.

TJ

[T00lman]

Does it have a steering stabilizer installed? If, it may need adjustment.

[PolarMike]

It's been already said but...
get it weighed at all four corners... too much weight at the back end? Move some weight forward.

Are you towing? Is the toad causing problem?
How big is the over hang from the rear axle? Is the wind causing you to wind vane?



I spent over $7K for all new shocks, stabs and other assorted bits to get rig under control when being passed by big rigs... now they swerve when they pass me and I'm stable as a rock. Can drive with one hand at 75mph...



check tires and get an alignment.

[4gone]

I would start with the tire pressure. I had the same issue with my 2007 class A. I ended up running 80 psi. Night and day. Have it weighed, and adjust accordingly.

[DryCreek]

There is a whole laundry list of things to check with your symptoms.
As others have stated, check tire pressure first.
Get your tire pressure to the number shown on the label by the driver side window.
The next thing I would do is check the rear sway bar bushings for wear or loss. While under there check the front bushings too.
The 2002 models don't have the front track bar. Those can make a difference on a rutted highway. A rear track bar makes the unit even more solid.
If correcting tire pressure doesn't make a noticeable improvement, then it's time to check for worn shock absorbers and have the alignment checked.
After those items are done, look into the "Cheap Handling Fix" to stiffen both front and rear sway bars. Next I would consider a rear track bar, and then if time and finances permit, SumoSprings on all four corners.
But first, make sure that nothing's broken! (i.e. missing sway bar bushings, obvious suspension damage).

[Davel]

First of all, which chassis do you have? But regardless of the chassis, the coach should be weighed, four corners, if possible. If not, then front, rear and total will work. When the actual weight is known refer to the tire manufacturers recommended pressure. I've never seen one that required the amount of pressure on the driver's door.
Then have the alignment set. If it's a Workhorse Chassis have the castor set in the 5.5-6 degree range. This is more than the original specs, but the national WH serve rep recommended it to me and it really helped. There are other modifications that can help after you get this baseline.
Dave

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by riceman100

I just bought a 2002 Sunova with 70.000 miles.At 65 mph the unit starts wander
in the lane I am driving in.Someone said it need a sway bar in the rear.Then I was told you need a sway bar in the front and wheel alignment.Can anyone tell
what I should do.Thanks

Welcome to the forum!

Model and chassis would help us give you better advise. There is a good chance, no matter the chassis manufacture, that the front end needs work; bushings, tie rod ends, shocks, bell crank, etc. I put v-spoilers (https://airflowdeflector.com/home/vspoiler/) on my coach and find that they help to stabilize the drive.

[Edbehl]

Have it aligned at a shop that does a lot of trucks and RVs not just one that says they can do a RV.
WHILE FULLY LOADED AS YOU HAVE IT WHILE ON THE ROAD

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by riceman100

I just bought a 2002 Sunova with 70.000 miles.At 65 mph the unit starts wander
in the lane I am driving in.Someone said it need a sway bar in the rear.Then I was told you need a sway bar in the front and wheel alignment.Can anyone tell
what I should do.Thanks

First you must know from where you are beginning, without a beginning point you cannot know where you are going.
Call and book an appointment for a total axle alignment, this properly aligns both front and rear axles to the frame. BTW, my rear axle was out by 3/4". The alignment tech will/should first inspect for worn, bent, or missing components and replace as necessary.

The age of the 4 shocks is important, at 12 years they must be replaced, regardless of mileage.



Now you may begin again with long road test drives to determine if the total alignment made any changes in handling and steering.
Throwing money at a problem seldom solves anything accurately.

[JoeC]

Considering the age, you may have worn steering components which will cause slack in the steering. You can check this without driving if you have an observer. With front wheels on a soft surface, like sand, move the steering wheel left until your observer signals the front wheels have moved just slightly. Notice how much the steering had to move to move the front wheels. Then do the same with a right turn. Add the two together and discover how much slack there is in your steering from left to right. It is normal to have some slack in the steering but it may be a good indicator to have excessive movement checked out by a qualified truck front end service technician.

[NeilV]

First you need to get the coach weighed at the 4 wheels and verified as not overloaded or loaded so heavy in the back that there is not enough weight on the front wheels.


After the coach us loaded and balanced the way you have it when you travel you need to adjust the tire inflation to match those weights and now that the tires are properly inflated for the weight take the loaded for travel coach for an alignment where they will tell you if there are any worn components that need replacing.


If it still wanders after its loaded correctly, tire pressures are correct and it aligned to match the load along with verified mechanically sound then its time to consider sway bars, etc.

[skyking]

I am surprised that no one has directly mentioned the steering box. With a 2002 and 70,000 miles, it most certainly needs to be adjusted to reduce steering wheel play. By far, it is the least expensive, easiest solution, but you still need to get the rest of the front end parts looked at, with that mileage.
My opinion on "shocks", is that they may smooth the bumps and bangs, but will not cure your wandering problem. I call them "shock transmitters".

[BobC]

You've received a lot of good suggestions about possible causes but sorting them out will be a challenge. I suggest you check your weight distribution and tire pressures first and if that doesn't fix it, find a good truck repair shop (not an RV dealer) who specializes in your chassis and take it to them. Granted it will cost a few dollars but suspension and steering components are so inter-related it's tough for us amateurs to sort things out. Chances are they will be able to diagnose it fairly quickly. This is too dangerous to fool around with.

The last thing you want to do is to spend thousands on after-market stabilizers and the like. This shouldn't happen with stock components.