overweight -1st Press release

[Pete Masterson]

The individual tires showed the duals on the curb side carrying 7700 lbs more than the street side. That is what put the pressure up to 120 on the drive axle. I've subsequently heard that the effects of the air suspension can cause mis-readings in the side-to-side loading -- but I haven't reweighed the coach (yet) to see if this is true. There is nothing in the handling of my coach (or in the way it sits at rest) to cause me to believe that this significant variation actually exists. But without being able to verify it, I must assume it to be correct.

I used the tire inflation guide for the specific Toyo tires mounted on my coach.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42 (For Sale)

<http://www.aeonix.biz/BBforsale.html>

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Mar 18, 2009, at 1:49 PM, Don Bradner wrote:

I agree with the need to weigh each axle and run the tires accordingly.

There is a problem, though, with the numbers presented. There is zero chance that a coach would need 12R tires inflated to 115/120 across all axles when the GVW is 48000! Numbers need to be looked at again.

Tire inflation guides say this about 12R tires:

Single tires at 115 carry 7130 and at 120 7390

Duals at 115 carry 13050 a pair, and at 120 13560 per pair

So front 115, drivers 120, tag 115 would be:
7130
7130
13560
13560
7130
7130

That would be a GVW of 55640!!!

The tag is probably only around 10K, which would be covered at 75 PSI, although I don't like to run them that low. 85 PSI will handle the tag at over 11K.

22K drivers are handled fine at 90 PSI.

The steer tires do need 115 to handle 14K.

I'm going to be replacing my steers in the next few days with 315/80 which can handle 14K at 105 PSI

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
My location: www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1

On 3/18/2009 at 1:20 PM Pete Masterson wrote:

The overweight front axle infects the LXi (and probably LX) starting

in 2004 or so... These coaches were built by Blue Bird before CCW

bought the company. The recent bankruptcy/liquidation of BB Coachworks

probably inspired the need to file the lawsuit(s). As I understand it,

a recall was issued on the coaches with the problem. No doubt, CCW has

contractual language as part of their BB purchase that protects them

from the liability for this problem (shifting it to Cerberus), but the

usual course is to sue the current owner of the company.

It is certainly a warning to all of us to weigh our coaches axle by

axle. When I did, I was surprised that the axle weights were somewhat

above the weights suggested by the tire inflation guide located and

visible in the street side front cargo compartment. Using the axle

loadings (and allowing for a modest side to side variance) based on

actual scale weights, I determined that I needed to inflate my tires

to 115-F, 120-D, 120-T* to have sufficient rated weight carrying

capacity for the tires. The axles were all under their rated weights

(sufficiently) to allow for variations in loading that normally

occurs, but (due to the side to side variation) the tires were

actually somewhat closer to their limit on one side than I had

expected. The "suggested" inflation does give a slightly softer ride.

*Based on the numbers, I probably could drop the tag down to 115 psi,

but I may as well give the tires the pressure to handle any transient

higher loads caused by the dynamics of movement. I don't notice any

particular difference between 115 and 120 on the tag axle in ride

quality -- since passengers sit in front of the front axle, most of

the ride perception is based on that axle's tire inflation.

I've subsequently heard that due to vagaries caused by the air

suspension that side to side weights may not be fully reliable even

though the total axle weight may be correct. Still, it suggests that

during movement, the actual weight carried by one side or the other

might be rather higher than the combined weight suggests.

When packed, loaded, and filled with fluids and passengers, my coach

weighs just under 48,000 lbs, leaving it about 900+ lbs under the

GVWR. I don't have the weights by axle handy right now, but each axle

was comfortably below its maximum weight.

I think it's wise for all Wanderlodge owners to physically weigh their

'bird axle by axle, and if possible, wheel by wheel, to assess the

properties of their coach so inadvertent overloading can be avoided.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42 (For Sale)

<http://www.aeonix.biz/BBforsale.html>

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Mar 18, 2009, at 11:16 AM, Leroy Eckert wrote:

Yours is probably around 14,000. For instance, mine is 14,600. You

can find it on the data plate most likely above the driver hidden on

the overhead. I am not overweight on any axle when completely full

of everything my wife wants in the bus, full fuel and full water. I

have plenty of variance.

Leroy Eckert

1990 WB-40 Smoke N Mirrors

Dahlonega, GA

--- On Wed, 3/18/09, Dan Williams <"danusa@comcast.net"> wrote:

Ross, Can you tell me what is the load limit on the front axle?

Dan Williams 88wb38 Jackson, MS

From: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com ["Wanderlodge"

Forum@yahoogroup s.com] On Behalf Of Ross

Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 12:22 PM

To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com

Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] overweight -1st Press release

Copy and paste please . Couldn't get "link" to work.

http://www.rvinews. com/News/ tabid/16941/ ctl/ArticleView/ mid/

38805/ articleId/ 3623/Blue- Birds-luxury- motorhome- division-

faces-lawsuits. aspx

Ross

2006 450 LXi

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