2005 Roadtrek 1990 Vers

[MarkK]

Greetings, first post for me.

We’ve (spouse, dog and I) an older Roadtrek 170 popular built in a dodge chassis that we picked up a couple years back. We use it for weekend trips in NW Montana where we reside. Our first Roadtrek. It has an issue with road wander at highway speeds which through research I found was/is a fairly common issue with the Dodge chassis. We are looking at a 2005 Roadtrek 190 Versatile tmrw built in the Chevy chassis. I was curious if anybody on the forum has one from that era on the Chevy chassis and if so, any steering issues?

Also, what engine did the drop in the 2005? The current owner does not know, but I’ll find out tomorrow after the two hour drive to get there.

Thanks

[booster]

Originally Posted by MarkK

Greetings, first post for me.

We’ve (spouse, dog and I) an older Roadtrek 170 popular built in a dodge chassis that we picked up a couple years back. We use it for weekend trips in NW Montana where we reside. Our first Roadtrek. It has an issue with road wander at highway speeds which through research I found was/is a fairly common issue with the Dodge chassis. We are looking at a 2005 Roadtrek 190 Versatile tmrw built in the Chevy chassis. I was curious if anybody on the forum has one from that era on the Chevy chassis and if so, any steering issues?

Also, what engine did the drop in the 2005? The current owner does not know, but I’ll find out tomorrow after the two hour drive to get there.

Thanks

We have had an 07 190 Popular since new.


Yours would have the LS series engine 6.0 liter which is a very good engine with 300hp and 360tq. Very good low end power.


Handling in the Chevies stock is substantially better than the Dodges, with many folks doing nothing to them and being happy. There are things to do that can be done to make them better if wanted and they are all detailed well on past discussions on this forum.


The most common complaint on the Chevies is the road clearance so numerous lifts have been done, mostly in the 2-2.5" range which is generally enough for users. We have done that and never hit since we did it shortly after hitting the bottom when very new.


The Chevy should handle much better than the Dodge does if it is good shape.

[MarkK]

Noted. Much appreciated.

[MarkK]

Originally Posted by booster

We have had an 07 190 Popular since new.


Yours would have the LS series engine 6.0 liter which is a very good engine with 300hp and 360tq. Very good low end power.


Handling in the Chevies stock is substantially better than the Dodges, with many folks doing nothing to them and being happy. There are things to do that can be done to make them better if wanted and they are all detailed well on past discussions on this forum.


The most common complaint on the Chevies is the road clearance so numerous lifts have been done, mostly in the 2-2.5" range which is generally enough for users. We have done that and never hit since we did it shortly after hitting the bottom when very new.


The Chevy should handle much better than the Dodge does if it is good shape.

Would you have a recommendation on tire brand? Also hear they are somewhat sensitive to tire pressure with 65/80 being somewhat of a standard for the treks. .

[booster]

Originally Posted by MarkK

Would you have a recommendation on tire brand? Also hear they are somewhat sensitive to tire pressure with 65/80 being somewhat of a standard for the treks. .

\

The go to tire for many has been the Michelin Agilis with mostly very good reviews of them here and other places. We have had no issues with ours, although they are a bit larger size than stock. Comparable to the previous Michelins like the MS2 and Defenders that we used previously and are claimed to have stronger construction.

Others have been happy with some other brands also, but I will let them speak for them as we haven't had any experience with others.

[MarkK]

Thanks, much appreciated.

[Jfstang]

Your 05 shouldn't have any significant handling issues if everything is in good shape in the suspension and steering departments. These are well built, tough vans. Chevy built millions of these things, and there's a reason you still see so many of them around.
Have a good mechanic check tie rods, ball joints, wheel bearings etc., the usual wear items. If all is in good shape, you're good to go. Might consider a set of Bilstein shocks for a stable ride, stock Chevy shocks are a bit weak for these heavy vehicles. For mountain driving, semi-metallic brake pads are a very good idea.
My standard routine when getting a new-to-me vehicle is flush and replace all fluids (brake, coolant, tranny fluid, power steering fluid of possible, and oil), check diff level, check belts/hoses and replace if very old. Spark plugs and wires if over 100 000 miles. Re-charge A/C if it hasn't been done lately, as the little high pressure O rings for the A/C do leak slightly over the years, and eventually leak enough refrigerant to be unable to pull in the A/C compressor and thus you have no A/C.
These vehicles are not all spring chickens any more. By no means does all this need to be done at once, so budget it out over time. But it helps re-set the clock on the wear items and minimize the chances of highway breakdown issues.

[MarkK]

Appreciate the response. We did buy it and it’s sitting in the driveway right now. 2.5 hour drive up and down some mountain passes, and plenty of power with the 6.0 Chevy. Steering was tight and responsive, no drift or wander. Full service records provided. Ball joints and arms replaced last year, and regular fluid service annually. Previous owners really took care of it. We’re very pleased. Will be listing our 170 popular as soon as we get home next month to free up the indoor storage space.

I was following spouse when she drove it home today and did notice some rear bounce. My first thought was a set of bilsteins and I’ll probably get that done in the next week or so.

I also noticed right away the ground clearance and others have recommended a lift. We live in NW Montana and our camping ventures are often off pavement; however, I’m in a bit of conflict with that wondering if a 2” lift would have any negative effect of the steering that I’m already pleased with and don’t want to screw up with mods. I’m going to have to kick that around for a bit.

Very pleased to see that it has the 6.0 engine as my research is showing that it is a quality engine. Bulletproof if maintained seems to be the common term with them. My 2021 trail boss has the relatively new 6.2 that I just turned 40k on and it’s been absolutely flawless thus far, but I am meticulous on service….time will tell. The 6.0 seems to have been time tested and proven with the commercial fleets.

Our 170 popular is in the Dodge chassis with the 318 and it’s just getting tired I think.

Thank you so much and any other suggestions would be appreciated. This will be our week-ender rig in Montana and we do plan to go off grid on Occassion with the drift boat, so the onboard generator was a big selling point.

[booster]

Originally Posted by MarkK

Appreciate the response. We did buy it and it’s sitting in the driveway right now. 2.5 hour drive up and down some mountain passes, and plenty of power with the 6.0 Chevy. Steering was tight and responsive, no drift or wander. Full service records provided. Ball joints and arms replaced last year, and regular fluid service annually. Previous owners really took care of it. We’re very pleased. Will be listing our 170 popular as soon as we get home next month to free up the indoor storage space.

I was following spouse when she drove it home today and did notice some rear bounce. My first thought was a set of bilsteins and I’ll probably get that done in the next week or so.

I also noticed right away the ground clearance and others have recommended a lift. We live in NW Montana and our camping ventures are often off pavement; however, I’m in a bit of conflict with that wondering if a 2” lift would have any negative effect of the steering that I’m already pleased with and don’t want to screw up with mods. I’m going to have to kick that around for a bit.

Very pleased to see that it has the 6.0 engine as my research is showing that it is a quality engine. Bulletproof if maintained seems to be the common term with them. My 2021 trail boss has the relatively new 6.2 that I just turned 40k on and it’s been absolutely flawless thus far, but I am meticulous on service….time will tell. The 6.0 seems to have been time tested and proven with the commercial fleets.

Our 170 popular is in the Dodge chassis with the 318 and it’s just getting tired I think.

Thank you so much and any other suggestions would be appreciated. This will be our week-ender rig in Montana and we do plan to go off grid on Occassion with the drift boat, so the onboard generator was a big selling point.

Glad to hear you are happy with it and it does sound like it was well maintained.


I don't think you need to worry about the lift being bad for the handling as it has not been an issue that we have heard about at all that I can remember.



A Roadtrek sits about 2" lower than a stock van due to the weight addition, and what a 2" lift does is put you right back where the factory designed it to be for the model when you measure the trim height at the suspension where it is specified.


That back is heavy and will move around some, I am sure, whether it is an issue is hard to tell because handling and ride are so personal. What we do know, and many of us addressed in various ways, is that the heavy conversions usually are sitting just off the overload leaf on the rear springs. That overload leaf is massive and very, very stiff, so the rear can hit it on bumps and dips a bit harshly. Doing a lift, especially if air bags are used (my favorite choice) can soften it up quite a bit to take out the harshness and noise from the overload by getting high enough off it. Several of us have even removed the overload completely are pick up it's load with the bags which smooths it out a lot comfort and noise wise. With it softened it probably moves a bit more, I think, but it is long and smooth movement like a highway bus or a softly sprung luxury car does.


Lifts and handling have been discussed a lot on this forum so pretty much anything you need to find out is quite well documented.

[MarkK]

Thanks again. I’ll search the forum responses.