Looking for other Roadtrek Ranger RT owners

[markopolo]

Might just need a wheel alignment. Some RV manufacturers recommend having the wheel alignment checked after the RV is loaded and put into use.

Booster describes the effect of "toe out" here: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...p=16693#p16693

From Winnebago:

Warning signs that alignment is in need of adjustment:
• Irregular tire wear
• Heavy steering
• Vehicle wandering or hard to keep in a straight line
• Vehicle steering wheel not returning to center
• Vehicle pulling one direction

[dansingh]

I just emailed Markopolo to ask permission to post a photo of my official weight sticker on the door. I am interested to know if other owners have an identical sticker.
To Len: I am sure that the generator and propane tank make a difference. I was told that Roadtrek had put that option on all of them because dealers said they could not sell it, otherwise. I did not want those extras, especially the propane tank. The weight of the Onan 2.8 is 125 lbs and filled propane tank is 30 lbs., so it would account for some extra weight on the rear axle, but not as much as my van is showing on the CAT scales. Since weighing, I think this is the source. The tire on the back door was an afterthought. Actually, the option was an afterthought. When I google 2014 Roadtrek Ranger, the dealers show all of them on the 3500 chassis "option", to handle the extra weight "option".
Markopolo: Is your current van's GVWR 9600 lbs? I am guessing due to the 6.5L Turbo Deisel (very nice!), thinking it must be on a 3500 chassis or higher.
The "Warning signs" that Markopolo posted, could these also be symptoms of an overweight rear axle? Or would an overweight rear axle be a reason for it to be out of alignment after only 1000 miles? Assuming that it was in alignment when purchased, although I did notice the problems on the drive home. I am just not sure if they were as bad as they are now. Thank you for your feedback. I am finding it very helpful.

[markopolo]

Yes, post as many photos as you want to Dan. Everyone is welcome to post photos. Here's a how to: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...php?f=9&t=2537

My van's GVWR is 9500 lbs and yes it is a 3500. I visited the scales last June:
Front: 4040 lbs
Rear: 4780 lbs
Total 8820 lbs

[dansingh]

Mark,
you said your van was fully loaded and weighed 8820, but, when you first bought it, it was much less. Was that earlier weight done when you were fully loaded? I am thinking that fully loaded means ready to go, with food, clothes, etc., also water and propane.
Have you ever weighed with nothing in the van, only gas (propane is not included in the UVW, but can be subtracted from the total). From reading the forums, most everyone weighs when loaded up, but, then, if the drive performance is fine, there's no reason to question the unloaded weight.
What are the sticker weights for your Front GAWR and Rear GAWR, if I might ask?

I thought I had figured out how to weigh each wheel at the CAT Scales by weighing on the drive axle scale and trailer axle scale, with half of the van off the scale. Then do the other side. The poles are in the way on the steer axle scale. I went inside first and explained what I was going to do and they said fine. But it showed up as an Error. I wonder if I had a small car on the steer axle, if that would work. I need to go back and read that post again, because this may have already been answered

[markopolo]

2 1/2 years ago I weighed my van:
It had driver and passenger and propane and diesel but not "trip ready".
Front: 4020 lbs
Rear: 3860 lbs
Total 7880 lbs
.
This past Summer, in a "trip ready" state with all of my gear on-board, driver and passenger, full water tanks, full cargo box and bikes on the hitch, some food in cupboard and fridge. Coleman stove, propane bottles, BBQ, screen room, 2 chairs plus 2 lounge chairs, tools, 3/4 full diesel tank and 3/4 full propane tank, pots, pans, plates, utensils it weighed.
Front: 4040 lbs
Rear: 4780 lbs
Total 8820 lbs

I had added a few things like a 2nd battery & air conditioner since the first weigh in.

My van is not a factory conversion van and as such has the original GM sticker from 17 years ago:



GVWR: 9500 lbs
GAWR Front: 4300 lbs
GAWR Rear: 6084 lbs

Here is Dan's sticker (vin covered):



GVWR: 8600 lbs
GAWR Front: 3845 lbs
GAWR Rear: 3725 lbs

There's an error with the printed GAWR on the sticker as it only totals 7570 which is less than the 8600 GVWR. Combined GAWR would be greater than GVWR.
Roadtrek will send you a corrected sticker if you tell them what the one you have has printed on it.

The printed CCC or OCCC, if correct, looks ok. You'll be at or near max capacity but most of our B vans are when loaded for a trip.

I looked up your VIN online and found:

Gross Axle Wt Rating GAWR - Front - 4300 lbs
Gross Axle Wt Rating GAWR - Rear - 5360 lbs
Curb Weight - Front - 3034 lbs
Curb Weight - Rear - 2471 lbs

Those numbers would be as the van was designed and before it was delivered to Roadtrek.

Dan - Have you weighed your van?

[dansingh]

Thanks, Mark for posting my sticker.

Now, my question for Ranger owners: Is this the same sticker that you have on your van? Especially, I am wondering about Len's sticker, since his is without the generator/propane tanks.

If possible, could everyone post their GVWR, GAWR (front and rear), and the OCC.

[lenlewandowski]

OCCC - 1591
GVWR - 8600

GAWR F - 3845
R - 3725

I have the 2500 with the 4.8L.

Len

[dansingh]

Thanks, Len. We have the same sticker except you have more OCCC lbs available, reflecting the extra weight of my generator, propane tank, furnace and stove top.
But, as Mark pointed out the rear and front GAWR, added together must be greater than the GVWR, so I guess all the stickers need to be corrected. I am surprised that no one at Roadtrek has noticed this, but if they had, a recall would have been issued.
I wonder where they got those numbers?

[markopolo]

The sticker error can happen easy enough. I've heard of it before on RV's. I'd get a corrected sticker though if it was my RV. GAWR is needed when you input your van's numbers into a towing calculator for example.

Dan - Len and hornetv6 both like the handling of their vans. Check hornetv6's 6,500 mile 30 day trip in a Ranger RT here: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...hp?f=22&t=2842. I think you'll get it figured out soon. It's definitely worth having your vans alignment checked. That might make a world of difference for you.

I used this Chevy Vin decoder: http://chevroletforum.com/forum/vindecoder.php (worked with Internet Explorer but not Firefox for me)

[dansingh]

I really enjoyed reading about hornet's trip. He writes in a way that really makes you feel the excitement, for instance, seeing the Condors. I also noticed that he said that his van was only 19', because the ones that have all the extra weight, like mine, have a continental tire package because the generator has to use that space. The continental tire package ads about a foot. Mine is almost 22'. So I am guessing that he has the same model as Len. Mine is more like the 190 and has the same equipment as the the 190 Popular, but on a 2500 chassis. But I'll wait tip I hear from hornet before I declare the mystery solved. The mystery of why they love driving their van and for me it is a chore. I was making myself drive it as much as possible up until I finally asked my neighbor to take a drive and give me his opinion. Greg is very knowledgeable/experienced and has driven and owned an assortment of RVs over a span of 20 yrs and now owns a Holiday Rambler. When he said "Get rid of it", I realized how foolish I had been.
But, as I said, I am waiting to hear if Len and hornet both have the same model, which is different from mine. Not just in the added weight, but the placement of it.
I am spending too much time searching for information about how the axle weights are determined after being altered. It may be as simple as however much weight is added to an axle, by the manufacturer, is then subtracted from that same axle. But that would mean that my axle weights would be less than Len's, since I had more weight added. The only explanations given are that the manufacturer has to alter the weight to reflect what was added and Roadtrek just altered the weight I could carry, which is fine, but why are the axle weights altered from the original Chevy specs for both of our vans. Maybe that is the error and those should not be altered? The NHTSA has a hotline for the public, so I will find out and let everyone know.

[markopolo]

I suspect the 19' comment was due to the similarity of the Ranger RT with the 190 Popular which, many years ago, would have measured approx. 19'.

Dan - I don't recall ever reading of Chevy van handling problems that would cause the level of discomfort you talk about (under normal driving conditions). You owe it to yourself to get the alignment checked asap. Around here an alignment costs around $80. And double check the tire pressure.

I'm sure there is a solution short of you selling the van. Your 8,000 lb van won't handle like a car but it should handle good enough that you hardly think of it.

[dansingh]

I just lost my post
This is quick but wanted to get the correct sticker weights posted for Ranger owners
The corrected axle weights on the sticker are the original weights determined by Chevrolet for the:
Extended Cargo Van on 2500 axles with a 4.8 L engine
front: 4300 rear: 5360
The only thing that changes is the OCCC, according to how much weight is added, they are supposed to subtract that weight from the GVWR for the OCCC, but that is wrong on mine, also, because 1396 added to my gross weight would be over 900. I sent a photo of my CAT Scale receipt to Mark to post, in case anyone is interested.
I will re write my post over the weekend because I do appreciate everyone's suggestions and went into some detail about the things I did before posting here. Nice weekend to all
-------------------------------------------
added by admin:



I had a full tank of gas, full tank of propane, NO fresh water and Nothing/No One in the van. (I got out before I pushed the weight master button).

[dansingh]

Also, Hornet is driving the same model as me, with the extra weighted options, so that is not the reason mine is harder to drive.
Harder to drive for me. Yes it feels unstable, like it will turn over and it is hard to keep on the road. There is no way that I would drive it in the NC mountains.
I said this before, I have been driving SAABs since 1986, and 2 volvos. SAABS make you want to drive, they are wonderful sensitive vehicles, nothing ever goes wrong. Honest. I have had nice rental cars that make me want to yell obscenities. I could be very sensitive to what feels to me like a klunker. But, also, my CAT Scale receipt does show that I would be overweight if I used the posted OCCC numbers. Thanks everyone

[lenlewandowski]

Dan,

Where do you live?

I think it might be interesting if you could visit a Ranger owner who likes the handling. You could compare vans. That would pin down the problem to either YOUR van or all Rangers.

Len

[dansingh]

I live in Charlotte, NC. You and Hornet are the only Ranger owners I have found. The Yahoo group never answered my request to join and someone else told me they posted a search for Ranger owners on the Roadtrek Facebook page, but no one answered

I have gone back and forth about my situation because I am worried about spending money on something that will not improve due to the light chassis. I will be going to the NC mountains for Thanksgiving. Some steep, narrow winding roads with no shoulder. When I went last summer I drove my car because I was afraid to take the van, nervous about the steering and keeping it on the road. I have decided to cut to the chase and take the Ranger, mostly because of Hornet. He has the same model and went everywhere, unconcerned and had a great time. I must be over concerned.
Roadtrek may have gotten their weights wrong but I just do not believe that they overlooked installation of steering stabilizers or sway bars on one van out of thousands, including all their models, not just the Ranger, because someone else would have had a problem.

If I can get past this, I think I will be fine. Then, I might look into having some extras installed to make driving easier.
If it feels too dangerous, I will park and have it towed, if I can't back down. I will then sell it because I will still be able to recoup at least, half of what I paid in April. RV Select ("cash for your RV") has offered me 40,000 dollars, without even seeing the van. Has anyone ever sold an RV this way, or known someone who did?
In any case, I will post my decision for those of you that have been so helpful, in case you are interested.
Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all.

[booster]

Originally Posted by dansingh

I live in Charlotte, NC. You and Hornet are the only Ranger owners I have found. The Yahoo group never answered my request to join and someone else told me they posted a search for Ranger owners on the Roadtrek Facebook page, but no one answered

I have gone back and forth about my situation because I am worried about spending money on something that will not improve due to the light chassis. I will be going to the NC mountains for Thanksgiving. Some steep, narrow winding roads with no shoulder. When I went last summer I drove my car because I was afraid to take the van, nervous about the steering and keeping it on the road. I have decided to cut to the chase and take the Ranger, mostly because of Hornet. He has the same model and went everywhere, unconcerned and had a great time. I must be over concerned.
Roadtrek may have gotten their weights wrong but I just do not believe that they overlooked installation of steering stabilizers or sway bars on one van out of thousands, including all their models, not just the Ranger, because someone else would have had a problem.

If I can get past this, I think I will be fine. Then, I might look into having some extras installed to make driving easier.
If it feels too dangerous, I will park and have it towed, if I can't back down. I will then sell it because I will still be able to recoup at least, half of what I paid in April. RV Select ("cash for your RV") has offered me 40,000 dollars, without even seeing the van. Has anyone ever sold an RV this way, or known someone who did?
In any case, I will post my decision for those of you that have been so helpful, in case you are interested.
Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all.

I don't know if you have ever had the alignment checked on the Ranger, but if it is as scary as you say, you probably should get it done before you leave on your trip.

With the Chevies, about the only thing I can think of that would make them feel that scary is if it is toed out on the front wheels. If it is, it will feel extremely "twitchy" and every correction you make will be an over correction, no matter how much you practice. It is a simple adjustment that is part of an alignment.

Before you leave, and before you sell it for sure, you probably should try:

Get an alignment. Stay with factory spec ranges, but make sure they give midrange to high toe in, and absolutely no tow out. (have them give you the readings for the entire process, before and after alignment)

Put the rear tires at 80 psi, and the fronts at 65 psi. 50 psi on the front is too soft and will make the steering unresponsive. The leaning you feel with a full tank of gas, and the main water tank is on that side also, could be because of the low tire pressure in the front.

If that does not make it driveable, you will need to get to a dedicated truck suspension shop. The offroad and 4X4 shops are often very good at getting trucks of this size to drive well.

Good luck with getting it straightened out. I wish you were in the frozen north where we are, so we could assist.

[dicktill]

Originally Posted by booster

I don't know if you have ever had the alignment checked on the Ranger, but if it is as scary as you say, you probably should get it done before you leave on your trip.

With the Chevies, about the only thing I can think of that would make them feel that scary is if it is toed out on the front wheels. If it is, it will feel extremely "twitchy" and every correction you make will be an over correction, no matter how much you practice. It is a simple adjustment that is part of an alignment.

Before you leave, and before you sell it for sure, you probably should try:

Get an alignment. Stay with factory spec ranges, but make sure they give midrange to high toe in, and absolutely no tow out. (have them give you the readings for the entire process, before and after alignment)

Put the rear tires at 80 psi, and the fronts at 65 psi. 50 psi on the front is too soft and will make the steering unresponsive. The leaning you feel with a full tank of gas, and the main water tank is on that side also, could be because of the low tire pressure in the front.

If that does not make it driveable, you will need to get to a dedicated truck suspension shop. The offroad and 4X4 shops are often very good at getting trucks of this size to drive well.

Good luck with getting it straightened out. I wish you were in the frozen north where we are, so we could assist.

I totally agree with Booster on this: get the front end aligned, and make sure you have significant toe in not toe out. Here's what can happen: Roadtrek gets a stripped van which is heavy in the front and light in the back. They add a lot of stuff to the rear, and that tends to point the nose up. With the nose up, the original alignment from the Chevy factory goes to hell. Been there, done that. Getting it re-aligned and inflating the front tires more should do wonders for you.

Good luck, Dick

[markopolo]

I'm getting a wheel alignment done on my van next week Dan. $70 for front or $80 for both front and rear if needed. I think it will be money well spent.
I also think 50 psi in the front tires feels too soft. I ran 65 psi front / 80 psi rear in my Chevy Roadtrek and also in my current van.

Do it for us Last night I was wondering if you had made any progress - I'm glad you posted again. Hopefully these small and not expensive suggestions will be all that is needed.

Actually, do it for peace of mind for yourself. The only reason you would even consider taking such a financial hit it because you're not confident with the van. Once you are satisfied with the handling and you feel safe driving it you will want to keep your RT. You'll also assign a much higher value to it should you decide to sell it.

Alignment & tire pressure - get it done & let us know if it helps.

[booster]

I wonder how Dan came out on his Thanksgiving trip, and if he had an alignment before he left. I feel bad for him having so much trouble with a van that should be nothing but fun.

[hornetv6]

There seems to be some question as to the length of the Ranger RT. When I purchased it the documentation stated the length to be 19 ft. I have measured it from Bumper yo Bumper. It is 19 ft. The continental kit makes it longer, but that is not in consideration when the vehicle is registered.

I just returned from a trip to Michigan for Christmas. We had four adults and four dogs. We drove nonstop from Jacksonville, Fl to Detroit, Mi.
With four drivers we did it in 19 hrs. including stops for gas and food breaks.

When we went to Flint to stay with friends the power went out. His generator would only run for a few hours before it would stop. Christmas morning the generator died. Ranger to the rescue! We ran an extension cord the the basement. We disconnected the furnace from the house panel and rigged up a pigtail to plug in to the extension cord. The Ranger Onan ran for 36 hours straight without a hitch. the power came back on Thursday afternoon.

Am am pleased with the performance of the Onan. Especially with the problem I had in the beginning. It performed beautifully.
The friends generator was fixed and we headed back to Florida.
On Saturday we found out the friends power went out again.

That reaffirmed my reasons for leaving Michigan and moving to Florida.

In the last year we have put 23,000 miles on the Ranger. It has been a pleasure to drive. I am really sorry Dan is having so much trouble with his.