Is your Sprinter-based Type C motorhome rocking from side to side while on the road? A straightforward DIY fix might be a solution.
By Bruce W. Smith
March 2023
Motorhomes provide the creature comforts to make getaways enjoyable. One area where there may be room for improvement, though, is in reducing the rock-and-roll motion of the coach body as you travel to and from your destination. For Type C Mercedes-Benz Sprinter motorhomes, the solution may be easier than you think.
Tommy Henderson installs custom-tuned SuperSteer SS88-1889 rear shocks on a Winnebago Navion motorhome at Henderson’s Line-Up.
The ride and handling of an RV plays a big role in the level of fatigue the driver and occupants feel after spending hours on the road. The more the motorhome rocks from side to side on the highways, byways, or backroads, the more stress it places on everyone inside the coach, because our bodies naturally react to maintain balance in the seats.
An RV’s side-to-side rocking and body lean also places stress on its structural components and its drawer and cupboard latches, as well as jostling any fragile items stored in the vehicle. For example, Type C motorhomes are heavy, tall, and narrow — a combination that inherently creates a lot of back-and-forth body lean when exiting a parking lot or fuel station or when cornering out on the open road.
Anti-Sway Bars Reduce RV Body Lean
The way RV manufacturers reduce the severity of “body roll” is to employ an anti-sway bar at the rear axle. This is a spring in the shape of a round bar that roughly follows the contour of the rear axle housing and is connected to both the axle housing and the frame rails.
As the coach leans, the anti-sway bar resists the upward movement on one side and downward movement on the other. To further reduce body lean and the subsequent back-and-forth rocking motion that follows, you can replace the OEM anti-sway bar with a larger, stronger aftermarket version, along with better-quality rear shock absorbers. Shocks control the movements of the anti-sway bar and rear springs.
The SuperSteer Sprinter SS110 anti-sway bar (blue) is designed to reduce body lean on Type C coaches.
Suspension Mods For RV DIYers
Owners of Type C motorhomes built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 DRW chassis can find one such solution in the wide array of suspension offerings from SuperSteer, a division of Henderson’s Line-Up, Brake & RV. The products can be installed by just about any RV do-it-yourselfer with basic hand tools.
A stock sway bar.
One product is the SS110 anti-sway bar. SuperSteer officials note that heat-treating the bar hardens and strengthens the steel. And at 11/2 inches in diameter, it is larger than a stock anti-sway bar. The other product is the SS88-1889 shocks, which were developed exclusively for SuperSteer in cooperation with Koni. Both products are direct-replacement bolt-on upgrades that most DIYers can install with ease. The SS110 anti-sway bar costs $658, and the shocks cost $199.99 each.
Installing the SuperSteer anti-sway bar reduces the body lean on a 2021 Winnebago Navion by more than 60 percent according to testing done at the Henderson’s Line-Up facility in Grants Pass, Oregon. The new custom-tuned Koni shocks are said to reduce residual back-and-forth rocking by more than 35 percent.
Upgrading The Suspension Improves Handling
The combination results in a much more stable ride with smoother handling, especially when navigating mountain, coastal, rural, and other roads that have a lot of corners and off-camber sections. The stiffer anti-sway bar also helps to reduce the adverse effects of gusts and side winds.
These small suspension upgrades to the Sprinter 3500 DRW cab chassis can provide a significant improvement in ride and handling, reducing driver fatigue and making the ride for the passengers more enjoyable.
Further Info
SuperSteer
www.supersteerparts.com
(888) 898-3281