Roadmaster Suspension
Riding comfort, driving performance and safety while operating your motorhome are all dependent upon the suspension system. As anyone who's ever driven a large motor coach with standard factory suspension can attest to, the experience can, at times, be hair-raising when it comes to over-steering due to crosswinds, the passing of fast-moving semi-trucks, winding roads, potholes and road ruts, to name just a few common hazards.
Perfect RV Anti-Sway Bar
For many, any long distance driving in a motorhome can be an exhausting experience ending with a stiff neck, sore arms, back and shoulders plus a "white-knuckle" driving headache. All this is the result of your vehicle not tracking faithfully down a "center line," and a lack of stability in the presence of shifting weight and side-to-side motion caused by imperfect road conditions. An aftermarket RV anti-sway bar offers a solution to these problems and the Roadmaster suspension featured here is one of the best available. Often referred to as the Roadmaster RSSA, which stands for Reflex Steering Stabilizer Anti-sway unit, the system utilizes a large, tempered-steel spring for automatic centering of the front wheels. This is integrated with a hydraulic damping valve, similar to a heavy-duty shock absorber (only installed horizontally rather than vertically), that absorbs the side-to-side movement caused by external forces such as strong winds or even a front tire blowout.
One minute riding in your motorhome after installation of a new Roadmaster anti-sway bar system will provide all the evidence needed to convince you that you would never choose to drive another mile in a motor coach without one of these highly efficient suspension system upgrades. Installation is quick and easy, normally only requiring the use of eight bolts (included), and kits are available for more than 150 different motorhome models.
Roadmaster Suspension / Steering Automated Fit Guide
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The ‘return-to-center’ concept and how it works…
Take the spring from a ballpoint pen. Hold each end with a thumb and
index finger and squeeze it toward the middle. Feel the pressure
pushing your fingers apart? Now, gently extend the spring. Feel the
pressure of the spring pulling your fingers back to the neutral
position?
That’s what physicists call ‘memory,’ or the
ability of a material to return to its original state. Reflex Steering Stabilizers have a
tempered steel spring secured at both ends to a specially designed and
valved steering damper. One end of the stabilizer is attached to the
tie rod itself; the other end is securely fastened to the chassis
undercarriage. When the steering stabilizer is compressed, the spring
pushes back to the neutral position. When extended, the spring pulls
back to the neutral position. No matter what vehicle you have, your
Reflex Steering Stabilizer installs in
one hour,
with no drilling or welding required.
What Reflex Steering Stabilizers can do for you…
- On a front tire blow out —
When you blow out a front tire on your RV, the first thing that
happens is the motorhome tries to make an abrupt and severe turn
toward the blow out, causing you to head either into oncoming
traffic or off the road. The Reflex Steering Stabilizer helps you
control this situation using positive ‘return-to-center’ physics.
- Crosswinds and passing traffic — One
of the most common problems RVers experience today is high
crosswinds caused by passing traffic. Today’s motorhomes are
larger and more susceptible to these winds. When an 18-wheeler
passes you, the air in front of the truck has to be moved aside.
And if you are in its way, it tries to push you along with it. The
Reflex Steering Stabilizer is always working to keep your
steering centered, prevent oversteering and help control the RV
more effectively.
- Road fatigue — Imagine:
you just left home this morning and would really like to make the
campground by nightfall. It’s been five hours of heavy traffic
and the sun has been shining in your eyes the whole way.
Naturally, you would become fatigued. But even as your strength
and response times lag, the Reflex Steering Stabilizer is using
its hydraulic cylinder and spring system to keep the steering
wheel centered.
- Rut tracking — Although
the highways are better, smoother and safer these days, ruts
still exist. It’s not a problem until you try to change lanes or
pass a vehicle; then, there is a likelihood the ruts could cause
you to oversteer. With the Reflex Steering Stabilizer on board,
your actions will become easier and eliminate overcompensation
when steering out of a rut.
- Road edging — Whenever
your tire temporarily drops off the edge of the pavement, it can
startle even the most careful of drivers. But when your RV tends
to follow the path of least resistance — heading downhill — it can
be downright dangerous. This is compounded when the edge is deep
or the shoulder is soft. The Reflex Steering Stabilizer will work
hard to keep you going straight down the road — helping control
the RV long enough to get you back on the right track.
- Pot holes and debris —
With the Reflex Steering Stabilizer in place, the motorhome will
stay straight and go in the direction you wish to travel. While
pot holes and debris will cause you to move, we want that to be
your decision — not the motorhome’s
For many, this is an empowering experience. What was beyond
their control, just yesterday,
is suddenly within it — cornering with confidence, quicker
maneuvering, and a remarkably level ride over uneven terrain — all
without launching the dishes out of the cupboard. And even after
eight or 10 hours at the wheel, they arrive fresh, instead of
fatigued, which means they can start enjoying the Grand Canyon, the
Grand Tetons, or the grandkids right away.
Read what ROADMASTER customers say about this product...
“I had the (anti-sway) bars installed and the results were
dramatic. The notorious Texas high plain winds could not unhook us from
the
highway and hard curves at 60 mph became routine. I seemed to have
glass walls between myself and passing trucks. I was nothing less than
thrilled with the sway bars at road speeds.”
—S. Thornton, Bellevue, WA Read what ROADMASTER customers say about this product....
“I had a Reflex steering stabilizer installed, and the difference was
night and day — my Class C motorhome handles like a sports car. The
stabilizer keeps the steering centered, no matter what the road throws
at me. Ruts, bumps and hairpin curves are no problem. My steering wheel
doesn’t belong to potholes any more — it belongs to me.”
—J. Miller, Portland, OR
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