What's the importance of alumunim wheels on your RV

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Camoman

200 pounds total, ESPECIALLY ON UNSPRUNG WEIGHT(weight below the suspension) is not going to effect anything unless you are SEVERELY underpowered.
In fact, in a possibly top heavy and certainly side wind unstable(more than a car) vehicle(especially on something narrow like a sprinter), you WANT as much UNSPRUNG weight as possible to counter the vehicles tendency to roll over on corners and also to resist rolling over from sidewinds or the combination of both.
Also, steel wheels are MUCH STRONGER andand are less likely to break and deflate tires if you were to hit a bad pothole.

That said, I have had both on various campers and semi trucks and except for severely underpowered vehicles or tall narrow vehicles like sprinters(or semis that get paid by tonnage), the difference is almost inconsequential and comes down to appearance.
That said, if I had a loaded out single wheel sprinter, I would definitely go with steel wheels for the extra UNSPRUNG weight since they are tall and narrow and not at all underpowered.

I have a 3 litre Mercedes Benz V6 turbo diesel engine.. it is NOT under powered.

Good to know for road stability... in addition, I have Koni FSD shocks, larger anti sway bar and trac bar..

Vehicle has electronic stability control as well.

[Camoman]

Yeah, if I was you then I wouldn't worry about aluminum wheels unless you are just very vain about having all the "glitz" possible or you just really like the looks of the aluminum enough to spend all that extra money for the appearance instead of spending it on a nice scooter and hitch rack for it or on a nice new badass Alpine stereo with outside speakers or whatever.
Lol.
Oh, and I was talking about LITERALLY ROLLING OVER, not body roll. Extra unsprung weight is the lowest area of the vehicle. There is literally nothing lower than the wheels(except the rubber tires), so that extra weight shifts the center of gravity that much lower thereby making the vehicle itself less likely to roll down a mountainside if you enter a turn to quick, get in an accident or whatever. It may also help a tiny amount in handling, but mostly it is "counterweight"(like a sailboat keel) to all the height and weight above it.
And you've got plenty of power so overall weight ain't an issue, so I'd keep the "ballast". Lol.
Thanks for the reply and where do you travel and camp usually ?

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Camoman

Yeah, if I was you then I wouldn't worry about aluminum wheels unless you are just very vain about having all the "glitz" possible or you just really like the looks of the aluminum enough to spend all that extra money for the appearance instead of spending it on a nice scooter and hitch rack for it or on a nice new badass Alpine stereo with outside speakers or whatever.
Lol.
You've got plenty of power so weight ain't an issue.
Thanks for the reply and where do you travel and camp usually ?

We're going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon next week.
We took the coach last year on an 11,000 mile journey across the United States to the mid-West, east coast and Florida.

We're taking another USA trip in the late Fall.

YES.... I have a Kenwood DNX893s with Garmin Navigation, back up camera and proximity sensors. Along with a Zamp Solar panel system on the roof.

In the thread of using the wet bath, I posted the link to my rig... I'll include the same link here below for you. It's a pretty nice rig... I like it.

I'm getting 18 MPG reliably on the highway and I've rarely encountered anywhere that it slows down on mountain grades... we climbed up the Eisenhower pass in Colorado ... 11,000 feet around 55 to 60 MPH.

Here's the link,

https://www.conejowholesaleauto.com/...beffb59e9eb708

On the last USA trip, I encountered some high winds and when I got back, my RV shop said I needed shocks. Before I did the suspension upgrade, the cabinets would shake whenever i went over speed bumps or uneven pavement in fueling stations, especially street speed bumps.

I took their advice and worked with a company called Super Steer , a division of Henderson's Line Up in Grants Pass Oregon.

They installed Koni FSD shocks, Roadmaster Anti Sway bar and Super Steer had a proprietary "track bar" to control tail wagging. Since I've done that no more shaking, much more control and wind is not an issue.

The Mercedes Sprinter has electronic stability control so it's pretty good as well.

Lots of upgrades and some maintenance the first year for me, but, now it's great.

I was just curious about the aluminum rims, but, after reading what you've said and some other comments, I think I'm better off with the steel. Plus, living in Southern California rust is definitely NOT an issue.

--Mark

[Camoman]

Hey Mark, great to meet ya. I'm Jeff.
I live in Texas but grew up most of my life in the Chicago area and spend a lot of time up here too because of family and am here now through late fall ...sadly. lol

My email is louisianageneral@gmail.com , so if you're coming through the Midwest or Texas give me a shout and maybe we can meet up for a beer and some camper talk. Lol. And I know the areas pretty well so can give ya some tour guide info.

[BBQ]

.

Most people have a misunderstanding of "Unsprung Weight".

When people saw the word "Weight", they automatically think about the power of their engine and the carrying capacity of their vehicle.

"Unsprung Weight" concerns with none of that.

Please, lots of expert articles on the web to explain the term.
Havin said that, I don't think you need to worry too much whether you should buy AL or steel. Be happy with what you have; AL wheels won't win you any races, steel wheels won't cost you any extra.

ps. take a look at the long-haul semi tractors. See what they use, and make your own conclusion.

YMMV

.

[AZ ADVenturist]

Well, thanks all! This thread has been very informative & "entertaining" - barbs & all! So, after we finally got our suspension sorted on the '13 Chev 3500 R/T190. I shopped tires & debated wheels - we have factory steel on van. But I still have the Alum. A/R rims I took off the previous van in favor of "gasp - STEEL". But the steelies are 6inch width I wanted to go oversize on tires. 265/75-16 require 8" rim. And might have had a clearance issue with the aluminum rim offset too. Short answer: 255/85-16 Cooper Discover ST MAXX. On stock Chev. 16x6" steel whls. They are tall, fit narrow rims give nearly 1" additional lift. And look Good. Kinda' gnarly, but quiet enough on hiway at speed. We recently did 1100 miles & they ride/handle great.
Don't know how they'll wear, but I bought 5 & rotation package. So we should be good.
Happy camping! Ric.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by AZ ADVenturist

Well, thanks all! This thread has been very informative & "entertaining" - barbs & all! So, after we finally got our suspension sorted on the '13 Chev 3500 R/T190. I shopped tires & debated wheels - we have factory steel on van. But I still have the Alum. A/R rims I took off the previous van in favor of "gasp - STEEL". But the steelies are 6inch width I wanted to go oversize on tires. 265/75-16 require 8" rim. And might have had a clearance issue with the aluminum rim offset too. Short answer: 255/85-16 Cooper Discover ST MAXX. On stock Chev. 16x6" steel whls. They are tall, fit narrow rims give nearly 1" additional lift. And look Good. Kinda' gnarly, but quiet enough on hiway at speed. We recently did 1100 miles & they ride/handle great.
Don't know how they'll wear, but I bought 5 & rotation package. So we should be good.
Happy camping! Ric.

OK.... tell us about the suspension upgrade.... again.
Did you change out your shocks, add a sway bar?

Who did it and how much did it cost? Just curious... I've already done it.

Glad you're pleased, I know I am very pleased with what I did..

[booster]

Originally Posted by AZ ADVenturist

Well, thanks all! This thread has been very informative & "entertaining" - barbs & all! So, after we finally got our suspension sorted on the '13 Chev 3500 R/T190. I shopped tires & debated wheels - we have factory steel on van. But I still have the Alum. A/R rims I took off the previous van in favor of "gasp - STEEL". But the steelies are 6inch width I wanted to go oversize on tires. 265/75-16 require 8" rim. And might have had a clearance issue with the aluminum rim offset too. Short answer: 255/85-16 Cooper Discover ST MAXX. On stock Chev. 16x6" steel whls. They are tall, fit narrow rims give nearly 1" additional lift. And look Good. Kinda' gnarly, but quiet enough on hiway at speed. We recently did 1100 miles & they ride/handle great.
Don't know how they'll wear, but I bought 5 & rotation package. So we should be good.
Happy camping! Ric.

That is really interesting, as I would have thought you would hit on the bigger diameter. The 265-75-16 tires we use on the Silverado steel rims com very close at the ground effects at the lower front and by the grey tank.


I think you stock steelies are 6.5" wide, but as you mention that is not wide enough for 265-75-16 tires. Most of the information I have found say they take a 7-8" rim, so the Silverado wheels make it there. It is interesting that the OEM wheels always seem to be right at the low width end of the specs.


There are advantages to taller, skinnier tires in things like heat generation, load capacity and such, but also some downsides in some of the handling and comfort categories. It sounds like yours are working well for you.

[Camoman]

Remember to recalibrate your speedometer, or at least to do the mental math and make a note of it.
If you adjust accordingly you should see better fuel economy and longer engine life by bringing rpms down.
In trucking we say, "gear fast, run slow".
However that only works if you're still within the engines sweet spot on torque.
I'm guessing that you still will be and that at the same speed your fuel economy should increase slightly as manufacturers tend to gear for a little more "pep" than is necessary to make sure that the test drive is inspiring !! Lol
There are plenty of free downloads for "speedometer" that work well on a smart phone to check your speed.
They will also do fancier trip features etc if you need those and don't have them on your rig already.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Good to know for road stability... in addition, I have Koni FSD shocks, larger anti sway bar and trac bar..

I replaced the OEM shocks on my '2012 Airstream Avenue Suite (Chevy Express 3500 chassis) with Koni FSD's and they are great. Pricey, but great.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

I replaced the OEM shocks on my '2012 Airstream Avenue Suite (Chevy Express 3500 chassis) with Koni FSD's and they are great. Pricey, but great.

The KONI FSD shocks came highly recommended....
I also had a Roadmaster anti sway bar of 1 3/8 inches...the original anti sway bar that came as original equipment was only 1 inch..

Plus...Super Steer recommended a "trac bar" for controlling the tail wagging from high winds.

Once these three items were installed..my handling, pitching and tail wagging were all gone.

Now I can go back out on the open road with more confidence...

I'm sure you are pleased... Here's the information on Super Steer if you need some consultation.. talk with Dave...

Super Steer

458 Redwood Hwy, Grants Pass, OR 97527
(541) 955-0769 https://g.co/kgs/FpJN7w

[Peder_y2k]

Forged aluminum wheels are stronger than steel wheels

[Khocke]

Sprung, unsprung... doesn't matter to me.
They look great on my Airstream and bring back fond memories of the 'mags' I had on my old cars.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Khocke

Sprung, unsprung... doesn't matter to me.
They look great on my Airstream and bring back fond memories of the 'mags' I had on my old cars.

Until you have to spend hours cleaning the brake dust off and then rewaxing and polishing. Too bad we have to run semi metallic pads for best stopping power.