Play in the steering wheel..new RedHawk.

[Mudduck]

I just picked it up on Saturday,drove home from the dealer in a April snow storm..anyway drove around today and the steering seems to have some play in it..I can feel every bump in the road..is this normal?thanks

[Grumpy]

Is it fully loaded? You may have too much weight in the rear. It also probably needs an alignment, which I think JAYCO usually covers.

[Mudduck]

Just me and two kids...I haven't put anything in it yet.

[Jopopsy]

As Grumpy mentions, they all need a alignment. Jayco will pay for it. Most dealers don't do it unless you ask.

[Mudduck]

It's something you would think they would check before pick up..the driver from jayco you would think he would say something..

[Mustang65]

Check the tire pressure in all the wheels.

Don

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Mudduck

It's something you would think they would check before pick up..the driver from jayco you would think he would say something..

They really need to be loaded in order to get a proper alignment.

[Mudduck]

I drive a ford f550 utilty truck just about everyday steers way better than the new one..the faster I go the worse it gets..I call the dealer tomorrow..

[Harvard]

E450 wandering is most likely caused by having too little caster. Typically Ford sends them off the assembly line set about +3.5 degrees of caster which is OK for city driving. In an RV on the highway you want to have at least +5.5 degrees or more.

[JDSport]

Mudduck, I agree, the driver should have reported the problem. Mine was driven over 1,000 miles by this guy to get it to the dealership and on my drive home it pulled to the right like crazy. I got her all loaded up and took her to a truck shop for an alignment. Was told that my reimbursement check was put in the mail from Jayco Monday. Just curious, how was it driving that rig in the snow?

[The Logans]

Wait... the OP said "play in the steering wheel"... that generally means that when parked, you can move the steering wheel some, without any corresponding movement of the wheels. That is a mechanical steering (linkage) issue, or a problem with the power steering pump, and a serious one.

If it's just about wandering, most of us have dealt with that... needs an alignment, too much weight in the rear, Hellwig helper springs need to be adjusted, or even as simple as lowering the front tire pressure from 75 lbs to 70 lbs.

[Harvard]

Too little +caster manifests itself as loose steering at highway speeds, in my experience. Yes, parked would be different.

E350/E450 Handling Problems are caused by too little + CASTER

[Mudduck]

Sorry the play is driving..when I hit a bump it wants to grip the wheel out of my hands..I called the dealer today the service guy told me it's normal..granted everyone says check it loaded,but other than having a full tank of water how much more stuff do you carry?i checked my tire pressure it the front tires they were good the back is another story(not easy to check)to late tonight..I'm going to take it on the highway tomorrow and see what happens..

[Mudduck]

I loved driving it in the snow..like driving your house..lol..the snow was really wet and heavy..just take your time..