Chassis Information for the 2012 Georgetown

[intercept]

Hi,

I have attached the Ford chassis data for all.

The 2012 Georgetown uses the 22,000 pound chassis

[Iggy]

intercept

Hi and thank you. We have had that document floating around here but it is nice that it pops up for the new folks.

If you need any more information being new feel free to ask away.
We have lots of stuff here for the F53 22k chassis as well as others.


Iggy


Have you done the swaybar mod?
It is shortening the linkage on both sides of the front and rear swaybar to the other set of holes ?

Many of us have done this and it helps a lot on turns and side sway.

[intercept]

Iggy,

This is a great forum and the info is super.
Although I am a newbie here I have 40 years in the RV fix everything you need to game and I have never seen the kind of real help anywhere but here.

This my first FR product and although I have been disappointed with the attention to detail and lack of engineering on some items we still love the unit.

I have 13 months on this unit and 6 of them were at the dealers for repairs of stupid stuff that the factory messed up on.

One of them was replacing the lippert 3 step unit four times.
I had them do a modification to the 4th step so the cam bolt doesn't break and it seems to work really great. I will post this on a seperate thread.

I have not known about the suspension fix you mentioned. I have added a Roadmaster rear sway bar and a TruCenter steering unit to the front. I was not happy with the 160 lb Tru Center and had them upgrade me to the diesel model 230 lb unit. It works much better on the 22,000 lb chassis.

Please send me the links for the suspension fixes you mentioned.

BTW. I purchased the ford official service manual for the chassis on CD.
It has everything electrical and mechanical and I can most likely help supply info on the chassis like where connectors are, what the lins connect to and all kinds of stuff that is tough to find, so just link me up when you need to.

Thanks
Intercept

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by intercept

Iggy,

This is a great forum and the info is super.
Although I am a newbie here I have 40 years in the RV fix everything you need to game and I have never seen the kind of real help anywhere but here.

This my first FR product and although I have been disappointed with the attention to detail and lack of engineering on some items we still love the unit.

I have 13 months on this unit and 6 of them were at the dealers for repairs of stupid stuff that the factory messed up on.

One of them was replacing the lippert 3 step unit four times.
I had them do a modification to the 4th step so the cam bolt doesn't break and it seems to work really great. I will post this on a seperate thread.

I have not known about the suspension fix you mentioned. I have added a Roadmaster rear sway bar and a TruCenter steering unit to the front. I was not happy with the 160 lb Tru Center and had them upgrade me to the diesel model 230 lb unit. It works much better on the 22,000 lb chassis.

Please send me the links for the suspension fixes you mentioned.

BTW. I purchased the ford official service manual for the chassis on CD.
It has everything electrical and mechanical and I can most likely help supply info on the chassis like where connectors are, what the lins connect to and all kinds of stuff that is tough to find, so just link me up when you need to.

Thanks
Intercept

I also have many years RVing and I also made sure everything was fixed int he first year. The biggest thing was I had them replace all the hydralic lines as they started to fail early and I called lippert about it after 3 lines failed. That was my biggest worry. I have over 16,000 miles on the rig and I have owned it just 1 year.

The mod on the swaybar is just moving the bolts from the present loction to the inner hole which stiffens the whole sway bar. Has worked for me and many others and seems to be acceptable with Ford.
Here is the long forum message area that talks about it.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ons-33149.html

That CD must be worth it especially if it has the wiring diagrams for the bare chassis. By the way I have great confidence in the engine drive train Ford put together. Solid as a rock and performs flawlessly.

Thanks

[sherman12]

Intercept, go to the irv2.com forum and look up the Ford Cheap Handling Fix. There you'll find several years of discussion, some very technical and engineer speak on moving the sway bar mounting bolts. Time permits, I plan on moving mine this weekend.

[intercept]

Thanks for the suspension fix info.

Looks like a no brainer.

Iggy, I saw where someone replaced the links with an adjustable link. I measured the stock link at 10.5 " (bolt center to center). When I measured the link length to the second hole it looks to be about 13" I am wondering if it makes sense to replace the stock link with a 13" one. The reason would be----as you raise the coach with the leveling system the sway bar links would lift the wheels off of the ground 2.5" sooner than when the links were in the from hole. That might be something the Ford people would not consider with a stripped chassis.

I have been trying to get the dealer to replace my lippert hydro pump since I noticed it wet. He cleaned it up and said he couldn't find a leak but I don't really want to trust that it doesn't have a leak. Can you send me your contact at Lippert?

BTW the sway bar links should be Torqued to 66 foot lbs by the Ford Book.

Thanks,
Intercept

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by intercept

Thanks for the suspension fix info.

Looks like a no brainer.

Iggy, I saw where someone replaced the links with an adjustable link. I measured the stock link at 10.5 " (bolt center to center). When I measured the link length to the second hole it looks to be about 13" I am wondering if it makes sense to replace the stock link with a 13" one. The reason would be----as you raise the coach with the leveling system the sway bar links would lift the wheels off of the ground 2.5" sooner than when the links were in the from hole. That might be something the Ford people would not consider with a stripped chassis.

I have been trying to get the dealer to replace my lippert hydro pump since I noticed it wet. He cleaned it up and said he couldn't find a leak but I don't really want to trust that it doesn't have a leak. Can you send me your contact at Lippert?

BTW the sway bar links should be Torqued to 66 foot lbs by the Ford Book.

Thanks,
Intercept

1. the pump is wet it is leaking from the hoses or the seal between pump and tank. Make sure he finds the source and its documented just in case it continues.

2. Yes you can buy adj links but that guy is the only one I know of that did it. I used the existing one with no problems and I have 16,000 on my rig in the past year.

3. The contact direct line to lippert is in your manual.
Called Lippert technical service 1-866-534-7821
Really you need the dealer to find the leak or replace whatever is leaking.
If you wipe things down what actually get wet with fluid?

[sherman12]

Well the weather has been great in Western New York to I decided to do the front sway bar adjustment the other day. Had no problem breaking loose the bolts from the links to the sway bar. However, the four bolts holding the sway bar to the axle were another story. I should of used Liquid Wrench on the rusted bolts and nuts while I started with the link bolts. Took all the strength I had with a 2 1/2 foot breaker bar to break them free. Also, found that a 15mm socket fit better than a 5/8's on the bolt head, thought I was going to strip one of them they were so tight. Oh well, the front is done, perhaps if time permits this weekend I will do the rear, albeit using Liquid Wrench first.

Beautiful weather and I can't wait to get out camping!

[awwall]

Sherman, question? Why did you have to take the sway bar a loose from the axle? I did not have to do this and don't remember anyone saying they had to.

[sherman12]

That was the only way I could get the sway bar rear holes to line up with the link. I had to loosen the brackets to move the sway bar up.

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by sherman12

That was the only way I could get the sway bar rear holes to line up with the link. I had to loosen the brackets to move the sway bar up.

You needed to have the motorhome on a flat level surface.
If you did disconnect the 4 mounting bolts to the axles I would go back and make sure they are tight as you found them.

[sherman12]

Wow hard to believe that I'm the only one that had to loosen the sway bar bolts to move it up. My rig sitting in the driveway is close to level albeit with a slight rear or downhill slant. Without loosening the bolts there was no way the sway bar was moving. If I broke them loose I feel I added more then enough tension to have them as tight as they were when I started.

[intercept]

Hi Sherman12,

I have not done the mod yet because my 2012 378 sway bar rear holes need 2 more inches of stabilized link length to maintain the original geometry of the sway bar. I have ordered Hellwig 7962 adjustable end links for the front and rear mod. to give me the correct length. The cost is

The Ford manual calls for 66 ft lbs of torque for all of the fasteners on the sway bar/link assemblies.

Thanks,
Intercept

[intercept]

Cost is high $360 for four.

[bubbles]

But that's the whole point of the sway bar change. The original geometry allowed for a softer ride but demished rigidity and stabilazation. We just push the sway bar up to match up the holes and secure it as is. No parts change.

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by bubbles

But that's the whole point of the sway bar change. The original geometry allowed for a softer ride but demished rigidity and stabilazation. We just push the sway bar up to match up the holes and secure it as is. No parts change.

X2, there is a huge thread on this subject on our companion "blue" forum. Seems all aspects were debated including Ford approval or not. Some added "tie" bars but most did not.

[mogman]

I just moved the front links tonight. I took the links loose ( both sides) and put a jack under the end of the sway bar and lifted it up until the rear holes lined up on both sides. Took about 15 mins to complete including torqueing the nuts. Tomorrow I'll do the rear.

[Wildhog56]

Originally Posted by intercept

Hi Sherman12,

I have not done the mod yet because my 2012 378 sway bar rear holes need 2 more inches of stabilized link length to maintain the original geometry of the sway bar. I have ordered Hellwig 7962 adjustable end links for the front and rear mod. to give me the correct length. The cost is

The Ford manual calls for 66 ft lbs of torque for all of the fasteners on the sway bar/link assemblies.

Thanks,
Intercept

Intercept, I did the exact same thing for the same reasons on my 350TS, purchased the same links from Helwig. The install was easy & the bar ends stayed the same distance away from the frame only using the rear holes. The problem I had was a loud clunking sound anytime the RV flexed while driving. After numerous trips under the RV looking fro the culprit I gave up. I removed the Helwig links & put back the originals in the rear holes. Problem solved. The reason for all the noise is that the bolts from Helwig are SAE & the ones on the GT are Metric. The Metric are to big and will not fit the links, so you have a small amount of slack & movement when the coach flexes. I will tackle this issue again when I have the time. Good luck with yours.

[sherman12]

I tried using the jack under the front sway bar when I did mine, like mogman, and it was not moving. I didn't want to force it.

[cfsoistman]

Originally Posted by mogman

I just moved the front links tonight. I took the links loose ( both sides) and put a jack under the end of the sway bar and lifted it up until the rear holes lined up on both sides. Took about 15 mins to complete including torqueing the nuts. Tomorrow I'll do the rear.

Did the same last month and the rear as well. From start to finish less than an hour including clean up. No parts required for this change. Noticeable difference in the ride afterwards.