Re: Missing Pictures (was: Velvet Ride)

geno4x2@aol.com · Post by **geno4x2@aol.com** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:10 pm

' I am looking for someone with Velvet Ride on there Safari that has two shocks on each wheel . Would like to chat or see pictures on how it was done. Geno in Montana 2001 Safari Zanzibar 2 slides pulling Jeep Rubicon

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Richard Giampietro · Post by **Richard Giampietro** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:41 am

'
I did the two shock upgrade to my 30' sahara along with the tiger tracks stabilizer rods. I noticed a world of difference after the upgrade which was done at Hendersons alignment in Oregon. Sorry, no photos atthe moment. RG

To: safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
From: geno4x2@...
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 09:09:31 -0500
Subject: [Safarifriends] Velvet Ride

I am looking for someone with Velvet Ride on there Safari that has two shocks on each wheel . Would like to chat or see pictures on how it was done. Geno in Montana 2001 Safari Zanzibar 2 slides pulling Jeep Rubicon

See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

'

pschafersr · Post by **pschafersr** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 9:11 am

'Geno,

I too have an 01 Safari Zanzibar. Someone else did the upgrades on it
so I don't know what it was like before, but mine has the Tiger
Traks, HD sway bars and double shocks. (I am trying to find more info
about leveling the coach, I think I have it figured out but would
like to talk to someone who has actually done it before.) The rig is
in the body shop now, but I will make a mental note to take some
picks next week when I get it back.

Phil
01 Zanzibar

--- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, geno4x2@... wrote:
>
> I am looking for someone with Velvet Ride on there Safari that has
two
> shocks on each wheel .
> Would like to chat or see pictures on how it was done.
>
> Geno in Montana
>
> 2001 Safari Zanzibar
> 2 slides pulling Jeep Rubicon
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at
http://www.aol.com
>

'

richard walters · Post by **richard walters** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 9:15 pm

' Hi Geno,
I have a 96 cont40 ft with velvet ride and have done the leveling. Its been 4 years since I did it ,so, take with grain of salt. First is to find the ride height of your coach, on mine I have the aluminum trim all around and used that as a base mark.. Make sure you are on level ground and tires are all same pressure. I sprayed al l the 4 bolts on each one, and let soak a while, the all you do is remove or add shims to change height, or balance coach off. They origianlly had ten shims on each. All you do is loose 4 bolts and shims come out , the are slotted. I think told pressure off with using the leveling jacks.

Richard in arizona

To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
From: pschafersr@...
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 00:10:00 +0000
Subject: [Safarifriends] Re: Velvet Ride

Geno,

I too have an 01 Safari Zanzibar. Someone else did the upgrades on it
so I don't know what it was like before, but mine has the Tiger
Traks, HD sway bars and double shocks. (I am trying to find more info
about leveling the coach, I think I have it figured out but would
like to talk to someone who has actually done it before.) The rig is
in the body shop now, but I will make a mental note to take some
picks next week when I get it back.

Phil
01 Zanzibar

--- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, geno4x2@... wrote:
>
> I am looking for someone with Velvet Ride on there Safari that has
two
> shocks on each wheel .
> Would like to chat or see pictures on how it was done.
>
> Geno in Montana
>
> 2001 Safari Zanzibar
> 2 slides pulling Jeep Rubicon
>
>
>
> ************ ********* ********* ******** See what's new at
http://www.aol. com
>

Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: the word scramble challenge with star power. Play">http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx? ... _oct'>Play Now!

'

andrewsralph42 · Post by **andrewsralph42** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:07 am

'Hi I am Ralph Andrews. I have owened a 1996 Safari with velvet ride and put over 300,000 miles on it since i bought it new.I have many parts avalible for velvet ride.Yes I do own Pioneer Metal Works and did purchase the velvet ride inventory from Navestar.
I welcome calls and Questions any time.509 750 0248.'

Gary Smith · Post by **Gary Smith** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:48 am

' Welcome aboard, Ralph. I am sure you can enlighten the Velvet Ride coach owners with your knowledge on the Safari suspensions. Gary From: andrewsralph42@... Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 11:07 AM To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Safarifriends] Velvet Ride
Hi I am Ralph Andrews. I have owened a 1996 Safari with velvet ride and put over 300,000 miles on it since i bought it new.I have many parts avalible for velvet ride.Yes I do own Pioneer Metal Works and did purchase the velvet ride inventory from Navestar.
I welcome calls and Questions any time.509 750 0248.

'

pschafersr · Post by **pschafersr** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:37 pm

'Ralph, we've heard a lot about you at Redlands RV...

We drove the coach back to Quartzsite today after having the torsilastic suspension replaced at Redlands, and I gotta tell you it has never ridden that well! It was actually a joy to drive...even the dog noticed the difference!

I posted pics of the project. Thanks again...

Phil

--- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, "andrewsralph42" wrote:
>
> Hi I am Ralph Andrews. I have owened a 1996 Safari with velvet ride and put over 300,000 miles on it since i bought it new.I have many parts avalible for velvet ride.Yes I do own Pioneer Metal Works and did purchase the velvet ride inventory from Navestar.
> I welcome calls and Questions any time.509 750 0248.
>

'

Big Bubba Safari · Post by **Big Bubba Safari** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:44 am

'Hi Phil. I have a 98 35' Safari, and some questions: What did you have replaced? What was the cause, i.e, what led you to replace it? Catastrophic failure, regular maintenance check, etc? How many miles on your rig, length, etc.?

This would be useful info for me. I am concerned about being an orphan, since Big Bubba is the last rig I will ever buy, unless he becomes obsolete.

It might be helpful if Ralph could give us some ideas about preventive maintenance and troubleshooting. I assume Redlands RV is in southern CA. My regular shop, Roadrunner RV in Brentwood (northern CA) only works on a couple of Safaris, so I might need a shop that has more experience with the torislastic suspension.

Thanks! Lynn Holland,in Big Bubba, the 98 3506 Safari, 300 hp CAT

--- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, "pschafersr" wrote:
>
> Ralph, we've heard a lot about you at Redlands RV...
>
> We drove the coach back to Quartzsite today after having the torsilastic suspension replaced at Redlands, and I gotta tell you it has never ridden that well! It was actually a joy to drive...even the dog noticed the difference!
>
> I posted pics of the project. Thanks again...
>
> Phil
>
> --- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, "andrewsralph42" wrote:
> >
> > Hi I am Ralph Andrews. I have owened a 1996 Safari with velvet ride and put over 300,000 miles on it since i bought it new.I have many parts avalible for velvet ride.Yes I do own Pioneer Metal Works and did purchase the velvet ride inventory from Navestar.
> > I welcome calls and Questions any time.509 750 0248.
> >
>

'

jquade_fwb · Post by **jquade_fwb** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:18 am

'Ralph & Phil,

This whole suspension redo would be an excellent subject for an article in the Safari Magazine. Especially the pics, contacts, and resultant ride assessment.

JohnQ

--- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, "pschafersr" wrote:
>
> Ralph, we've heard a lot about you at Redlands RV...
>
> We drove the coach back to Quartzsite today after having the torsilastic suspension replaced at Redlands, and I gotta tell you it has never ridden that well! It was actually a joy to drive...even the dog noticed the difference!
>
> I posted pics of the project. Thanks again...
>
> Phil
>
> --- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, "andrewsralph42" wrote:
> >
> > Hi I am Ralph Andrews. I have owened a 1996 Safari with velvet ride and put over 300,000 miles on it since i bought it new.I have many parts avalible for velvet ride.Yes I do own Pioneer Metal Works and did purchase the velvet ride inventory from Navestar.
> > I welcome calls and Questions any time.509 750 0248.
> >
>

'

pschafersr · Post by **pschafersr** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:57 am

'Hi Lynn...Good questions, and there are several threads going about the velvet ride...

Ours is a 2001 Safari Zanzibar, 38(+) footer with two slides. The reason we replaced the suspension was the ride height. We were unable to adjust the ride height any more, and the last adjustment left no shims on one side of each axle. The shims are used to adjust the ride height on this type of torsilastic suspension. Take out a shim, it lowers that side of the axle 1/4 inch. Add a shim, and it raises that side of the axle 1/4 inch. We were riding on the bumperstops with very little suspension travel to dampen the beating from the roads. Other things were being affected as well, such as steering geometry, body roll, and driveline angle. Ride height is as much or more important to the chassis as it is to the rest of the coach.

The rig has 103,000 miles on it, and I am the second owner. I didn't know anything about the ride height the first year or so I woned the coach, and just thought it was the way it was supposed to be. When I started researching and talking to other Safari owners, I started trying to tweak things a little. After my foirst ride height adjustment (which only leveled side to side on each axle, not the front to back) there was noticeable improvement, but that didn't last for long, probably because of the difference of height front to rear. We live in the coach and are too deep in the debt to trade up to a newer coach. We love the lifestyle and travel about 10,000 miles in a typical year. Therefore, it is important to us to ride as comfortably and break as few dishes as possible.

For a long time we just got used to the rough ride and other issues and no one I talked to before Redlands RV ever gave me any hope it could be any better (although there was some experimentation I heard about with air bags added to the suspension, equally expensive).

Although we have only driven the coach 200 miles since the project was completed, I am convinced it was the right decision and am happy with the results!

Phil
-
-- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, "Big Bubba Safari" wrote:

>
>
>
> Hi Phil. I have a 98 35' Safari, and some questions: What did you have replaced? What was the cause, i.e, what led you to replace it? Catastrophic failure, regular maintenance check, etc? How many miles on your rig, length, etc.?
>
> This would be useful info for me. I am concerned about being an orphan, since Big Bubba is the last rig I will ever buy, unless he becomes obsolete.
>
> It might be helpful if Ralph could give us some ideas about preventive maintenance and troubleshooting. I assume Redlands RV is in southern CA. My regular shop, Roadrunner RV in Brentwood (northern CA) only works on a couple of Safaris, so I might need a shop that has more experience with the torislastic suspension.
>
> Thanks! Lynn Holland,in Big Bubba, the 98 3506 Safari, 300 hp CAT
>
> --- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, "pschafersr" wrote:
> >
> > Ralph, we've heard a lot about you at Redlands RV...
> >
> > We drove the coach back to Quartzsite today after having the torsilastic suspension replaced at Redlands, and I gotta tell you it has never ridden that well! It was actually a joy to drive...even the dog noticed the difference!
> >
> > I posted pics of the project. Thanks again...
> >
> > Phil
> >
> > --- In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, "andrewsralph42" wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi I am Ralph Andrews. I have owened a 1996 Safari with velvet ride and put over 300,000 miles on it since i bought it new.I have many parts avalible for velvet ride.Yes I do own Pioneer Metal Works and did purchase the velvet ride inventory from Navestar.
> > > I welcome calls and Questions any time.509 750 0248.
> > >
> >
>

'