New class A - Page 2

JonC · 03-02-2021, 06:29 AM

You might try the CHF and a steering stabilizer before spending the bucks on a sway bar. It made a world of difference in ours.

JHaynes909 · 03-02-2021, 07:53 AM

I thought of that. Just conflicted with all the information for and against..trying to decide..

GMan215 · 03-02-2021, 08:55 AM

Here is my assessment of the 2020 Alante 31V we purchased in June 2020. First, a little bit about our longest trip. We left Syracuse, NY in the middle of August headed for San Francisco, CA. We did not tow a vehicle. We returned home in September.

Driving.
I do not like the handling of the Alante nor do I like the noise level. General road noise is extreme and a "quiet" conversation is not often possible. This is exacerbated by the apparent inability of the transmission to downshift from 6th to 5th on an incline. It usually downshifts to either 4th or 3rd gear when using the cruise control. Therefore, I began tapping the brake to shut off the cruise control when approaching an incline and take manual control of acceleration. By doing this I was, in most cases, able to maintain 55mph while having the transmission drop no lower than 5th gear. So much for cruise control. I do not like the idea of having to continue to add more money to a new vehicle just to make it comfortable.

Heat.
On the road in warm to hot weather the heat from the doghouse is immense. It got hot enough to heat my keys up in the cupholder on the engine cover. No, my unit is not listed on the recall for the lack of insulation on the doghouse. However, I did contact Jayco and the service rep did issue me a worksheet number and told me to have my dealer inspect it. It's still at the dealer's and it sounds like they are adding insulation to it (it was taken into the shop the day after I called them about the inspection). I have called them twice, gotten no confirmed information, but there does seem to be some work being done. Holding my breath to see if it will be covered under warranty or if it is coming out of my pocket.

Warranty Issues.
One rear piezo lighter on stove never worked. Jayco said it was not repairable and authorized the dealer to replace the entire stove (6 weeks). I am not a fan of "throw it away and replace it."

Sink covers delaminated. Shouldn't these be waterproof? Replaced under warranty.

Water leak from up under the chassis when flushing the black water tank. Repaired under warranty.

Fresh water tank never shows full. Dealer determined that the sensor was mounted to high. Technician said he could re-install it at the proper level but did not want to risk another place for the tank to leak. I concurred and left it where it was.

All of this being said, we enjoyed the convenience of this form of travel. It would have been nicer to have another vehicle to get around in when parked for a few days. However, I am not inclined to tow a vehicle with an engine and would rather tow a trailer and use my towing vehicle to do local jaunts. That's just me. That does eliminate the convenience of not having to get out to go to the bathroom, have lunch, etc. I know diesel pushers are much quieter and handle better (CDL bus driver) but the extra cost is hard for me to justify.

My thinking is to find a tow vehicle with a bathroom, microwave and seating for at least 6. Then I will buy an all weather travel trailer. But my wife enjoys this RV, so we will see what happens. I do know that if we decide to take another trip in it I will be adding some sort of suspension control(s).

mini4mw · 03-02-2021, 11:15 AM

If these guys are on the new ford chassis make sure you keep an eye on this thread and issues with heat melting wires and storage areas. Make sure you get it fixed before any long trips and if it was delivered, you need to check if there's damage already.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...-v8-83197.html

Foretm · 03-03-2021, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonC

You might try the CHF and a steering stabilizer before spending the bucks on a sway bar. It made a world of difference in ours.

Agreed, the CHF and steering stabilizer make a big difference. These chassis have sway bars already, I assume you guys are referring to a Trac-bar or as some refer to it a pan hard bar? A trac-bar will prevent the axle from moving laterally underneath the chassis. this is epecially helpful wen being passed by a truck on the interstate for example, where you feel the push away from the truck in the rear which makes you feel like you're moving toward the truck inthe front, then the opposite of that when then finish passing. For that sensation, the tracbar is about the only thing that will help, and its very reasonable in price (~$500). I did all three at the same time and it was the best move I ever made.

Big1 · 03-04-2021, 12:00 AM

Congrats! Let the good time roll.

JonC · 03-04-2021, 06:56 AM

I saw a video saying the chf voids the warranty. Do you have any knowledge relative to that?

Foretm · 03-05-2021, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonC

I saw a video saying the chf voids the warranty. Do you have any knowledge relative to that?

No specific information, but i've had my coach multiple times for other items and it never affected the Jayco warranty. Ford may be a different situation, don't know.

GMan215 · 03-05-2021, 04:54 PM

I do not know if the CHF fix has an effect on the warranty or not. I have talked with Jayco about a couple of other warranty matters and they have been very helpful. That being said, this is more likely to be a Ford chassis warranty matter but Jayco can probably refer you to the correct division at Ford Motor.

I remember seeing a video in which the sway bar had snapped in two. The technician doing the repair said it was due to the bar being moved to the other holes on the mounting bracket and said this would cause increased stress on the bar because it was no longer at the proper angle. I'm more inclined to replace components with higher grade items rather than remount equipment that was installed by the manufacturer in its specified location. I will see if I can find that video and post a link.

Gary

GMan215 · 03-05-2021, 05:01 PM

Here is a video showing what the service technician says is a result of the CHF.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF0w257Uz3k

JonC · 03-06-2021, 04:38 AM

Thanks Gman. That's the same video I saw. Much appreciated.

GMan215 · 03-06-2021, 07:52 AM

Thanks for the info JonC! Question, did you do the CHF and the stabilizer at the same time or separately to see how each change affected your handling?

GMan215 · 03-06-2021, 08:08 AM

Here is a preliminary update on our 2020 Alante 31V doghouse insulation. I don't have all of the details yet, however, the dealer called me earlier this week and said that the MH was ready. The Service Writer said they had installed Dynamat to the engine cover. I don't know which type and I'm not sure what they found when they got the cover off. I'm headed over there in a while to check it out and get more details on the work they did. Snowing a little here in NY so I don't think I'll take it out onto the highway for a spin (supposed to be almost 60 on Thursday, maybe then).

Question for all of you with battery upgrades, I only have one AGM and would like to get more AH. So what's the consensus - AGM or Lithium, 1 or 2 batteries, 6 or 12 volt (series/parallel as appropriate)?

JonC · 03-06-2021, 10:29 AM

Different times. Chf reduced the surge when passed by trucks and the stabilizer improved the steering stability . Both were noticeable improvements.
The doghouse recall most definitely eliminated the heat and reduced engine noise to some extent.

GMan215 · 03-06-2021, 12:15 PM

Thanks JonC for the quick reply. Even though my Alante was not listed in the recall, Jayco had the dealer install Dynamat to the doghouse. It will be a while before the weather is warm enough to see how well it works. I am thinking of installing some insulation to the outside undercarriage to further reduce heat and improve the sound quality inside. I just have to determine the best insulation for exposure to the outside as far as durability and performance.

Thanks again for you insight.

Semper Paratus

G

JonC · 03-06-2021, 01:13 PM

G, I'd like to do something underneath as well. If you come up with something affective let me know.

Safe travels! I'll see you on the road some day.

GMan215 · 03-07-2021, 07:52 AM

I am going to insulate around the generator box, wheel wells, firewall and engine compartment. Right now I am looking at the Dynamat Hoodliner for some of it. It's 3/4" thick heat and water resistant. Before I do anything, however, I'm going to do some sound decibel testing. I downloaded a free app from NIOSH that seems to be pretty accurate. I'm also going to do some more research to find out what sort of testing these companies that manufacture acoustic materials have done and what level of quantitative results they have had. I don't want to spend the money only to find out after-the-fact that I only decreased the noise level by a couple of decibels. It's supposed to be 61 degrees here on Wednesday so I'm hoping to get the RV out on the road and get some decibel readings and go from there. If I cannot find anything online, I'm going to contact Dynamat to see if they can provide decibel results before and after.

I'll keep you posted.

G

JonC · 03-07-2021, 05:51 PM

10-4

Pokie · 05-09-2021, 11:13 PM

Ford now recommends CHF not to be done

Pokie · 05-09-2021, 11:22 PM

Sound.. .consider insulating wheelwells. I did and it did wonders. We almost had to yell at each other to talk. We now talk in normal level while driving. You will also find insulating dog house will also quiet cab.Use a onesided foil insulation with the other side a sticky back. Stick up in wheel wells, then add sheet metal screws w washers to reinforce. Push for doghouse insulation, worse case pay to have it done if dealer or warranty won't cover

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