looking at a Grayhawk 29mv

[nikeherc]

I am looking at a 2017 grayhawk 29mv and I have driven it, but it seems to me that it sways a lot and the front wheel hit a hole or bump and the wheel tries to move that way. Does not seem to be all that stable. Can any owners of this model '15 to 17 have any of these problems? Thanks

[cabinetmaker]

Originally Posted by nikeherc

I am looking at a 2017 grayhawk 29mv and I have driven it, but it seems to me that it sways a lot and the front wheel hit a hole or bump and the wheel tries to move that way. Does not seem to be all that stable. Can any owners of this model '15 to 17 have any of these problems? Thanks

We have a 2018 29mvp...I have a couple of questions for you.

Have you ever owned a motorhome? What speed were you driving it when it felt like it swayed?

These beast are not going to handle like a car but they should be safe and not sway going down the road. The steering box on the E-450 chassis is the old style gear box and has a lot of slop so if you have never driven anything but rack and pinion it is going to feel weird to you. You don't want to over steer. Slow easy movement of the wheel will help.

Also some things to check. Tire pressure. Very important. Check the tires for excessive wear if this is a used motorhome. Proper weight distribution can help. You would need to weigh all 4 corners to see and move weight around to balance it better if possible. Speed...don't try to drive faster than 65 if possible. Slower speeds help with control issues a lot. I tend to drive mine around 62-65mph and it handles great. If I push it up to 70-75mph then it starts wandering a little and can feel unstable at times.

Hope that helps. It really just takes some getting use to and understanding what to expect. Not saying there is not something wrong with the one your drove either. There could be suspension or alignment problems.

[Camper_bob]

There are a couple threads around the forum discussing handling problems with various Class Cs on the Ford cutaway chassis. People have modified any number of ways and had some success. By all means, do what Cabinetmaker suggests above; those are VERY important.

Mine is all over the place, so I plan to have an alignment done to adjust caster, I just need to find the time to get over to the shop. Apparently from the factory, Ford sets caster in the +3 degree range for "general application". But these motorhomes really need to be around +5.5; Ford spec is between +2 and +7.

If you take it to an alignment shop, be sure to ask that they adjust the caster specifically, not just toe. The first place I went said toe was out and adjusted it and called it good. I did not know about caster at that time. That helped just a little bit, but it still wanders all over the place, and if I get passed by a truck (or a Prius) I could end up in the next lane if I'm not careful. And forget driving through a cross-wind, that's miserable.

Based on reading other people's accounts and experiences, I'm confident getting the caster adjusted will make a significant difference in my situation. As always, YMMV.

[Bullitt6283]

I've done 2 things to help handling. For sure, front end alignment including increased caster. Also, I added a Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer.

These units will always handle like the hybrid vehicles they are, but now I'm not always countersteering for every little bit of wandering...

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by nikeherc

I am looking at a 2017 grayhawk 29mv and I have driven it, but it seems to me that it sways a lot and the front wheel hit a hole or bump and the wheel tries to move that way. Does not seem to be all that stable. Can any owners of this model '15 to 17 have any of these problems? Thanks

Find another 29MV - maybe another year - and drive it.

We test drove a 2014 31FK that was alllllllllllllll over the road. Scary as heck to drive.
We test drove a 2016 31FK that was nice and tight.

Find another 29MV and see how it handles.