Re: Suspension woes 2001 Safari Panther

Fred Broussard · Post by **Fred Broussard** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 4:55 am

More from my friend who had the Panther suspension problem with his Panther. I excerpted the following from his email:
"The Oregon Safari factory did the rework but forgot to stress relieve the axle . This resulted in bending in the shape of a bow and that wore out a set of tires within 2,500 miles. We had the alignment shop in Orlando stress relieve the axle but not sure if that was a solution or not since we sold the coach about 10,000 miles later".
I hope this information is useful and strongly recommend you contact the Kiser shop in Oregon about the problem with the panther rear suspension.
Another source that would be especially useful is the guy who designed the Magnum chassis. He went to work for another company that used the magnum design..name escapes me now. They too went bankrupt but a patience google search might seek him out. Kiser might know his name since they worked closely with Safari on major chassis and suspension redesign and rework.
I also think the problem constitutes a serious safety problem and should be submitted in the federal safety database on NHTSA's website.
Fred

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 14, 2014, at 7:18 PM, "Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

I sent an email to my friend who has gone on to another lifestyle I hope he will take time to share his story.Fred

Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 14, 2014, at 6:28 PM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

I can’t remember if I responded to this or not. If I did, my apologies.
Thank you very much! that would be awesome. It definitely seems that this suspension is inadequate. I see lots of stories of adjustment, and too low etc. Haven’t run across anyone yet that went airbag, so I am most anxious to hear his story.
I will give Kiser a call tomorrow and see what I can find out. I’m in Phoenix, AZ, but it might be worth the trip to have it done right the first time.
Lorne Shantz2001 Safari Panther40’ 425 CatPhoenix, AZ

On Oct 14, 2014, at 11:35 AM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
To the best of my knowledge a good friend had a 2002 Panther and it's suspension also failed. Power and torque were too great for the rear suspension and the factory did major revisions for him under warranty.

Air bags were retro fitted in the rear; requiring a massive superstructure welded in part to the differential "pumpkin". It was an awful sight to look at but the air bags solved the problem.

The factory (at that time) decided the torsion system was not adequate for the heavy chassis and higher Hp, higher torque, diesel Panther engine.

Our friend no longer has the rig but might have pictures. I'll check with him. He might be willing to talk to you and share his experience.

The best resource for Safari chassis work that I experienced over our years of full-timing in our Safari Continental was:
Kiser Brake And Alignment
Kiser
(541) 344-5887
265 Taylor Street Eugene, OR 97402

These guys did much chassis and brake work to repair factory design and assembly mistakes.

They are fine people; did excellent warranty work on our coach and knew much about the history safari and Magnum chassis problems..some of which they considered major screw ups.

Fred Broussard
1999 Safari Continental -sold last week.
126,000 miles
3126B CAT

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 14, 2014, at 10:29 AM, "Jeff jeff.travasos@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:
>
>

TD · Post by TD » Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:38 am

Rob, This is great info and great news!!! We can actually still get our torsion springs replaced if we need to!Here is the link to their website: http://www.sulastic.com/?products=truehttp://www.sulastic.com/books?pagesize=12 Lorne, Here is some info and links to the one of our members who went through the process of having his torsion springs replaced at Redlands RV and Truck Service( http://redlandstruckservice.com/ ). Its been two years and he is very happy. Here is a copy of his latest reply (July of this year '14): pschafersr@yahoo.com Jul 24

To Safarifriends
Hi All,
Yes, I had all my torsion tubes replaced at Redlands RV in Redlands, CA; and am VERY HAPPY with the service from them and the result! We full time in our 01 Safari Zanzibar, so ride quality is a big deal to us. We normally put between 10 to 12 K on our MH every year.
We have had no issues with the ride height since we had the work done and it still rides like it did the day we left the shop after the work was done. When you call Redlands or contact them via email, try to talk to Karen or Mike; they were the ones who got us through the process there and it went very smoothly. Their shop is very Safari friendly, as some of their employees once worked at SMC (before Monaco).
Phil
Here are the links to safarifriends group member's (pschafersr) write up and photo album of the Velvet Ride Torsion Spring replacement:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/conversations/messages/16013
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/photos/albums/1346441448
It is good to know that we can still get suspension replacement parts for our units.
Lorne, good luck in what ever route you choose to take to fix your suspension issues.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 12:19 PM, rob shelton rrshelton2@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Friends, Lorne, there is a company in San Antonio that makes the springs for Safari and Foretravel. Brett Wolfe said they used his foretravel for a model to start their production. However he was unsure of the quality? Probably hasn't had any feedback from this having been done. They are not cheap and labor intensive but nonetheless an option. The name is Sulastic. You can google them and get info. rob

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014 10:57 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well I’m not going to be as lucky apparently.
BFGoodrich no longer makes the torsion bar, so I don’t know how I’d find some. It is looking more and more like Air bags.
I’m waiting on a call back from Kiser.
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:39 AM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

I heard from my friend this morning. The factory added airbags with a supported superstructure welded off the
pumpkin AND added heavier torsion bars suspension.
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:33 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well that is all you can do. I appreciate it. I need to call that place in OR today and see what they say. You can no longer buy the Torsion bars I’m told down here by a suspension fabricator, so I may have only one option at this point. He is coming by this morning to take a look see.
On Oct 14, 2014, at 7:18 PM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
I sent an email to my friend who has gone on to another lifestyle I hope he will take time to share his story.Fred

Lorne Shantz · Post by **Lorne Shantz** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:52 am

Thanks much!! This is going to be a great group to exchange information!!! I’ll let you know what we do and how it turns out.
Still waiting for Kaiser to call me back, but I will start researching these bars.
On Oct 15, 2014, at 11:38 AM, TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Rob, This is great info and great news!!! We can actually still get our torsion springs replaced if we need to!Here is the link to their website: http://www.sulastic.com/?products=truehttp://www.sulastic.com/books?pagesize=12 Lorne, Here is some info and links to the one of our members who went through the process of having his torsion springs replaced at Redlands RV and Truck Service( http://redlandstruckservice .com/ ). Its been two years and he is very happy. Here is a copy of his latest reply (July of this year '14): pschafersr@yahoo.com Jul 24 To SafarifriendsHi All,Yes, I had all my torsion tubes replaced at Redlands RV in Redlands, CA; and am VERY HAPPY with the service from them and the result! We full time in our 01 Safari Zanzibar, so ride quality is a big deal to us. We normally put between 10 to 12 K on our MH every year.We have had no issues with the ride height since we had the work done and it still rides like it did the day we left the shop after the work was done. When you call Redlands or contact them via email, try to talk to Karen or Mike; they were the ones who got us through the process there and it went very smoothly. Their shop is very Safari friendly, as some of their employees once worked at SMC (before Monaco).Phil Here are the links to safarifriends group member's (pschafersr) write up and photo album of the Velvet Ride Torsion Spring replacement:https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/conversations/messages/16013https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/photos/albums/1346441448It is good to know that we can still get suspension replacement parts for our units.Lorne, good luck in what ever route you choose to take to fix your suspension issues.
John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 12:19 PM, rob shelton rrshelton2@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Friends, Lorne, there is a company in San Antonio that makes the springs for Safari and Foretravel. Brett Wolfe said they used his foretravel for a model to start their production. However he was unsure of the quality? Probably hasn't had any feedback from this having been done. They are not cheap and labor intensive but nonetheless an option. The name is Sulastic. You can google them and get info. rob

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014 10:57 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well I’m not going to be as lucky apparently.
BFGoodrich no longer makes the torsion bar, so I don’t know how I’d find some. It is looking more and more like Air bags.
I’m waiting on a call back from Kiser.
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:39 AM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

I heard from my friend this morning. The factory added airbags with a supported superstructure welded off the
pumpkin AND added heavier torsion bars suspension.
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:33 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well that is all you can do. I appreciate it. I need to call that place in OR today and see what they say. You can no longer buy the Torsion bars I’m told down here by a suspension fabricator, so I may have only one option at this point. He is coming by this morning to take a look see.
On Oct 14, 2014, at 7:18 PM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
I sent an email to my friend who has gone on to another lifestyle I hope he will take time to share his story.Fred

ART · Post by **ART** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 6:18 am

WOW !! According to this site it would cost you $4000+ just to buy the rubber tubes. Add installation to that and pretty soon your talking real money.....
Art96 Seren
From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]"
To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2014 1:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Suspension woes 2001 Safari Panther

Rob, This is great info and great news!!! We can actually still get our torsion springs replaced if we need to!Here is the link to their website: http://www.sulastic.com/?products=truehttp://www.sulastic.com/books?pagesize=12 Lorne, Here is some info and links to the one of our members who went through the process of having his torsion springs replaced at Redlands RV and Truck Service( http://redlandstruckservice.com/ ). Its been two years and he is very happy. Here is a copy of his latest reply (July of this year '14): pschafersr@yahoo.com Jul 24

To Safarifriends Hi All,Yes, I had all my torsion tubes replaced at Redlands RV in Redlands, CA; and am VERY HAPPY with the service from them and the result! We full time in our 01 Safari Zanzibar, so ride quality is a big deal to us. We normally put between 10 to 12 K on our MH every year. We have had no issues with the ride height since we had the work done and it still rides like it did the day we left the shop after the work was done. When you call Redlands or contact them via email, try to talk to Karen or Mike; they were the ones who got us through the process there and it went very smoothly. Their shop is very Safari friendly, as some of their employees once worked at SMC (before Monaco). Phil Here are the links to safarifriends group member's (pschafersr) write up and photo album of the Velvet Ride Torsion Spring replacement:https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/conversations/messages/16013https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/photos/albums/1346441448It is good to know that we can still get suspension replacement parts for our units.Lorne, good luck in what ever route you choose to take to fix your suspension issues. John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 12:19 PM, rob shelton rrshelton2@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Friends, Lorne, there is a company in San Antonio that makes the springs for Safari and Foretravel. Brett Wolfe said they used his foretravel for a model to start their production. However he was unsure of the quality? Probably hasn't had any feedback from this having been done. They are not cheap and labor intensive but nonetheless an option. The name is Sulastic. You can google them and get info. rob

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014 10:57 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well I’m not going to be as lucky apparently.
BFGoodrich no longer makes the torsion bar, so I don’t know how I’d find some. It is looking more and more like Air bags.
I’m waiting on a call back from Kiser.
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:39 AM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

I heard from my friend this morning. The factory added airbags with a supported superstructure welded off the
pumpkin AND added heavier torsion bars suspension.
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:33 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well that is all you can do. I appreciate it. I need to call that place in OR today and see what they say. You can no longer buy the Torsion bars I’m told down here by a suspension fabricator, so I may have only one option at this point. He is coming by this morning to take a look see.
On Oct 14, 2014, at 7:18 PM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
I sent an email to my friend who has gone on to another lifestyle I hope he will take time to share his story.Fred

Lorne Shantz · Post by **Lorne Shantz** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 6:30 am

Yes indeed! BUT…. the alternatives are bleak. I am waiting to find out the cost of an airbag conversion, since I think that is a better way to go. I believe the design on this coach is flawed. The tubes are NOT big enough, or it would not have this sagging problem. Unless someone knows that the temper on these original tubes was incorrect or something. So in my mind, rather than just replace the tubes with undersize tubes, you would almost have to bump up to the 5” tubes, which will balloon the price even higher.

Btw…. I am looking for the photo from the successful fix below, and can’t find them. I’m new to this group, so maybe doing something wrong. If I select photos across the top, it gives me my photos. ?
On Oct 15, 2014, at 11:38 AM, TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Rob, This is great info and great news!!! We can actually still get our torsion springs replaced if we need to!Here is the link to their website: http://www.sulastic.com/?products=truehttp://www.sulastic.com/books?pagesize=12 Lorne, Here is some info and links to the one of our members who went through the process of having his torsion springs replaced at Redlands RV and Truck Service( http://redlandstruckservice .com/ ). Its been two years and he is very happy. Here is a copy of his latest reply (July of this year '14): pschafersr@yahoo.com Jul 24 To SafarifriendsHi All,Yes, I had all my torsion tubes replaced at Redlands RV in Redlands, CA; and am VERY HAPPY with the service from them and the result! We full time in our 01 Safari Zanzibar, so ride quality is a big deal to us. We normally put between 10 to 12 K on our MH every year.We have had no issues with the ride height since we had the work done and it still rides like it did the day we left the shop after the work was done. When you call Redlands or contact them via email, try to talk to Karen or Mike; they were the ones who got us through the process there and it went very smoothly. Their shop is very Safari friendly, as some of their employees once worked at SMC (before Monaco).Phil Here are the links to safarifriends group member's (pschafersr) write up and photo album of the Velvet Ride Torsion Spring replacement:https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/conversations/messages/16013https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/photos/albums/1346441448It is good to know that we can still get suspension replacement parts for our units.Lorne, good luck in what ever route you choose to take to fix your suspension issues.
John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 12:19 PM, rob shelton rrshelton2@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Friends, Lorne, there is a company in San Antonio that makes the springs for Safari and Foretravel. Brett Wolfe said they used his foretravel for a model to start their production. However he was unsure of the quality? Probably hasn't had any feedback from this having been done. They are not cheap and labor intensive but nonetheless an option. The name is Sulastic. You can google them and get info. rob

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014 10:57 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well I’m not going to be as lucky apparently.
BFGoodrich no longer makes the torsion bar, so I don’t know how I’d find some. It is looking more and more like Air bags.
I’m waiting on a call back from Kiser.
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:39 AM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

I heard from my friend this morning. The factory added airbags with a supported superstructure welded off the
pumpkin AND added heavier torsion bars suspension.
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:33 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well that is all you can do. I appreciate it. I need to call that place in OR today and see what they say. You can no longer buy the Torsion bars I’m told down here by a suspension fabricator, so I may have only one option at this point. He is coming by this morning to take a look see.
On Oct 14, 2014, at 7:18 PM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
I sent an email to my friend who has gone on to another lifestyle I hope he will take time to share his story.Fred

TD · Post by TD » Wed Oct 15, 2014 7:00 am

My apologies, something went hay wire with all the highlighting, which probably messed up the clickable links. Here are the links again: Photos: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/photos/albums/1346441448 Write up: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/conversations/messages/16013 Redlands RV and Truck Service: http://redlandstruckservice.com/ Torsion Replacement Spring maker: http://www.sulastic.com/ Also, bigger 5 inch tubes are not that more expensive than the standard 4 inch. Unless there is substantial cost difference, I would rather go with the heavier torsion springs, then having someone weld a whole new air suspension. Who knows if it is engineered and/or welded correctly. At least with the heavier springs, you know it done right and safe. JMO... John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 3:29 PM, Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Yes indeed! BUT…. the alternatives are bleak. I am waiting to find out the cost of an airbag conversion, since I think that is a better way to go. I believe the design on this coach is flawed. The tubes are NOT big enough, or it would not have this sagging problem. Unless someone knows that the temper on these original tubes was incorrect or something. So in my mind, rather than just replace the tubes with undersize tubes, you would almost have to bump up to the 5” tubes, which will balloon the price even higher.
Btw…. I am looking for the photo from the successful fix below, and can’t find them. I’m new to this group, so maybe doing something wrong. If I select photos across the top, it gives me my photos. ?
On Oct 15, 2014, at 11:38 AM, TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Rob, This is great info and great news!!! We can actually still get our torsion springs replaced if we need to!Here is the link to their website: http://www.sulastic.com/?products=truehttp://www.sulastic.com/books?pagesize=12 Lorne, Here is some info and links to the one of our members who went through the process of having his torsion springs replaced at Redlands RV and Truck Service( http://redlandstruckservice .com/ ). Its been two years and he is very happy. Here is a copy of his latest reply (July of this year '14): pschafersr@yahoo.com Jul 24 To SafarifriendsHi All,Yes, I had all my torsion tubes replaced at Redlands RV in Redlands, CA; and am VERY HAPPY with the service from them and the result! We full time in our 01 Safari Zanzibar, so ride quality is a big deal to us. We normally put between 10 to 12 K on our MH every year.We have had no issues with the ride height since we had the work done and it still rides like it did the day we left the shop after the work was done. When you call Redlands or contact them via email, try to talk to Karen or Mike; they were the ones who got us through the process there and it went very smoothly. Their shop is very Safari friendly, as some of their employees once worked at SMC (before Monaco).Phil Here are the links to safarifriends group member's (pschafersr) write up and photo album of the Velvet Ride Torsion Spring replacement:https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/conversations/messages/16013https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/photos/albums/1346441448It is good to know that we can still get suspension replacement parts for our units.Lorne, good luck in what ever route you choose to take to fix your suspension issues.
John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 12:19 PM, rob shelton rrshelton2@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Friends, Lorne, there is a company in San Antonio that makes the springs for Safari and Foretravel. Brett Wolfe said they used his foretravel for a model to start their production. However he was unsure of the quality? Probably hasn't had any feedback from this having been done. They are not cheap and labor intensive but nonetheless an option. The name is Sulastic. You can google them and get info. rob

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014 10:57 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well I’m not going to be as lucky apparently.
BFGoodrich no longer makes the torsion bar, so I don’t know how I’d find some. It is looking more and more like Air bags.
I’m waiting on a call back from Kiser.
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:39 AM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

I heard from my friend this morning. The factory added airbags with a supported superstructure welded off the
pumpkin AND added heavier torsion bars suspension.
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:33 AM, "Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends]" wrote:

Okay, well that is all you can do. I appreciate it. I need to call that place in OR today and see what they say. You can no longer buy the Torsion bars I’m told down here by a suspension fabricator, so I may have only one option at this point. He is coming by this morning to take a look see.
On Oct 14, 2014, at 7:18 PM, Fred Broussard FBrouss211@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
I sent an email to my friend who has gone on to another lifestyle I hope he will take time to share his story.Fred

Lorne Shantz · Post by **Lorne Shantz** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:05 pm

Ah yes! MUCH better. What an awesome job of recording the process. Thanks so much.

I contacted the vendor today, but he didn't know the technical specs on those tubes. I wanted to know the weight rating, since the current ones seem inadequate. He is researching and hopefully I'll find out.

Although I think this guy has not had any trouble since the replacement?

TD · Post by TD » Thu Oct 16, 2014 2:41 am

I would suggest for you to measure the size of your springs (front and back axles) and then go one or two sizes bigger. Actually for the rear, if it fits, I would go for the biggest spring they make. What is the GVWR of your coach??? And what are your GAWR? Also, from everything I have read, Phil is very happy with his suspension. Here are some more of his replies about his new suspension. [Phil, if you can, please chime in to help Lorne...]

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
Here are his comments from his first road trip after the suspension replacement. He obviously was impressed, and by his most recent email in July of this year is still just as happy, and also noted that 2.5 yrs since replacement, he has not lost any ride height at all.
Well, we drove the coach back to Quartzsite today from Redlands Truck & RV, about a 200 mile trip, and I have to tell you it must be like driving a new coach!
>
> The first thing we noticed after hitting the road was how quiet it was in the coach! The burner grates on the stove weren't rattling; the microwave wasn't making it's customary squeaks and creaks; and nothing fell out of the cabinet when we made a turn. Totally uneventful!
>
> When we bought the coach it already had Tiger Track and the 4 Koni shock upgrade as well as the beefed up sway bars front & rear. But the coach was never able to be leveled, and on two corners there were no shims left for adjustment.
>
> In the last week that all changed! After installing the new torque tubes and related parts they did a 4 wheel alignment and leveled the coach before they sent us on our way today. I just can't believe the difference in the ride!
>
> YES, it was WELL WORTH IT!
>
> Phil
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

Again, this is his latest reply from July of this year.Hi All,Yes, I had all my torsion tubes replaced at Redlands RV in Redlands, CA; and I am VERY HAPPY with the service from them and the result! We full time in our 01 Safari Zanzibar, so ride quality is a big deal to us. We normally put between 10 to 12 K on our MH every year.We have had no issues with the ride height since we had the work done and it still rides like it did the day we left the shop after the work was done. When you call Redlands or contact them via email, try to talk to Karen or Mike; they were the ones who got us through the process there and it went very smoothly. Their shop is very Safari friendly, as some of their employees once worked at SMC (before Monaco).
Phil

Lorne,
This is about all I can dig up for you, to help you make a good decision. Please keep us informed of your progress, and if you don't mind, of the cost too, so we all have an idea what we might be dealing with in the future. I hope this info helps...
Good Luck!

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
On Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 2:05 AM, Lorne Shantz lshantz@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Ah yes! MUCH better. What an awesome job of recording the process. Thanks so much.

I contacted the vendor today, but he didn't know the technical specs on those tubes. I wanted to know the weight rating, since the current ones seem inadequate. He is researching and hopefully I'll find out.

Although I think this guy has not had any trouble since the replacement?

lorne_shantz · Post by **lorne_shantz** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 6:15 am

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. It takes awhile sometimes to get things done, and then get answers back.

Sulastic. Motor home

Sulastic. Motor home Books category description View on www.sulastic.com Preview by Yahoo

This is the web site that has the torsion bars if anyone needs them. Mine has the 4" bars, and they are 48 3/4" long. The measurement goes from the end of the square tube, not overall length! The only other option for me is to go to the 5" tube. This will require additional parts to replace all of the 4" components. On a side note, for anyone that needs a different length. They can make them to order. It will take approximately 2 months.

To be honest, my hypothesis, is this: The original tubes were not tempered correctly. I say this because nearly universally all these coaches are suffering from the same problem. The above company has been doing these for well over 10 years now, and is not having problems with their product. AND... you say your friend is very happy with his. So perhaps the tube size is good enough, and these new ones are of proper specs, since it is for the weight I have!

So, I'm going to first take all 3" of shims out of the rear of my coach. It is riding 3" low. I suspect it may be riding on the bumper stops back there. Then drive it and see if it settles right back to 3" low. IF it does, then I'll order new 4" tubes and replace.

What say yea?

TD · Post by TD » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:54 am

As far as I know, Phil's coach was lighter and did not have the torque monster CAT diesel engine that you have. How much extra would it cost to have the rear axle done with the 5 inch tubes??? It seems to me like you are going to have to spend some big bucks, so why not play it safe and spend a little bit more to make sure the rear is a little over rated instead of just on the margin. The older coaches were lighter and did not seem to have any issues with torsion spring failures, so I suspect that the springs on the newer ones were expected to do more than they were capable of. I know some of the Fortravel brand RVs used this type of suspension and they had to go to a bigger spring. Group member Brett Wolfe has extensive experience with Fortravel torsional suspensions. Maybe do a google search with his name and the Fortravel topic. How much more weight are the 5 inch tubes rated for, compared to the 4" By 48 3/4" tubes you have now??? Also, can you give us your axle weights (GAWR) and the total weight of your coach or at least your GVWR?Have your coach weighed, it could aslo be overloaded and or the weight improperly distributed. By all means, if you have 3 inches worth of shims, take them out to raise the coach, you might buy yourself quite a bit of time before needing new springs! You do realize that each shim is only 1/4" thick? So that would mean 12 shims to raise 3". You actually have that many shims to remove??? John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 3:15 PM, lshantz@... [Safarifriends] wrote:

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. It takes awhile sometimes to get things done, and then get answers back.

Sulastic. Motor home Sulastic. Motor home Books category description View on www.sulastic.com Preview by Yahoo

This is the web site that has the torsion bars if anyone needs them. Mine has the 4" bars, and they are 48 3/4" long. The measurement goes from the end of the square tube, not overall length! The only other option for me is to go to the 5" tube. This will require additional parts to replace all of the 4" components. On a side note, for anyone that needs a different length. They can make them to order. It will take approximately 2 months.

To be honest, my hypothesis, is this: The original tubes were not tempered correctly. I say this because nearly universally all these coaches are suffering from the same problem. The above company has been doing these for well over 10 years now, and is not having problems with their product. AND... you say your friend is very happy with his. So perhaps the tube size is good enough, and these new ones are of proper specs, since it is for the weight I have!

So, I'm going to first take all 3" of shims out of the rear of my coach. It is riding 3" low. I suspect it may be riding on the bumper stops back there. Then drive it and see if it settles right back to 3" low. IF it does, then I'll order new 4" tubes and replace.

What say yea?