Chargerman Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 Ok . Thanks guys! I’m fine with just wiring direct but help me understand how it works. If you supply power to it momentarily I understand that it will actuate the solenoid thereby engaging the Trucanter but then what happens? How does it stay engaged? How is it released? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturer Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 (edited) 40 minutes ago, Chargerman said: Ok . Thanks guys! I’m fine with just wiring direct but help me understand how it works. If you supply power to it momentarily I understand that it will actuate the solenoid thereby engaging the Trucanter but then what happens? How does it stay engaged? How is it released? There is spring tension on both sides of the centering valve inside the tube. When you have to steer into a cross wind you are putting more pressure against one spring. While holding the steering wheel into the cross wind, pushing the button causes the springs to center to the steering position. After centering, you have the assist of a spring to hold the steering wheel position. Sometimes you might have to steer past the position you want, then push the button to create more spring pressure to hold the position. I've never had a time where I had to hold the button more than 3 seconds. When conditions change, just repeat to the new position. All you're doing is resetting the spring pressures for the new road conditions. It will stay there till you change the centering. There is no power to it except when you change the centering with the button. Edited May 13 by Venturer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivylog Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 Guess you missed my previous link: https://www.rvupgradestore.com/v/vspfiles/assets/pdf/TC35270-Manual.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 Thank you guys. I’m still not clear on a couple things. I get how to activate it but let’s say I set it off center because of a cross wind. Does the steering then always remain in this position until I center the wheel and push the button again? Am I right in thinking once you press the button once it always remains active? I’m thinking this is the case and that’s why folks say it helps maintain control of you were to have a blowout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomV48 Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 On 1/30/2024 at 10:03 AM, vito.a said: Steering stabilizers function poorly on large Monaco diesel coaches. Many time they make the steering worse. However, the Monaco Watts linkage system gets rave reviews. It can be installed on the front, rear or both. https://monacowatts.com/ We love ours. Front Watts and rear cross bars. Bye Bye tail wag and front lean or roll effect. Add a good alignment from someone in Oregon who understands the Roadmaster 8 bag system, then a SafetyTPlus gas strut ( the big Blue one) and can't imagine it gets too much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturer Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 30 minutes ago, Chargerman said: Thank you guys. I’m still not clear on a couple things. I get how to activate it but let’s say I set it off center because of a cross wind. Does the steering then always remain in this position until I center the wheel and push the button again? Am I right in thinking once you press the button once it always remains active? I’m thinking this is the case and that’s why folks say it helps maintain control of you were to have a blowout It's only active and changing when you push the button. The two opposing springs will attempt to hold the steering in the set position. Yes, when conditions change, you have to reset the spring tensions/position with the button. To be clear, it's always there, however, you determine where it centers as you need with the button which is allowing the opposing springs to reposition to hold where you set it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 Got it. Thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cherry Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 PURE and SIMPLE. No cross winds, center and tap the switch. Cross winds, experiment….oversteer a little…tap the switch. NO JOY…oversteer a bit MORE….no JOY….there are some roads that, with crosswinds, can’t be “fixed”. NEXT RULE. If you are this much into “improvements”, then out on a Watts Link. David Pratt proved that even a Dynasty, with a TruCenter and then ADDING a Watts, multiplied or improved the effect of the TruCenter. Same deal on my Camelot. Had the TruCenter on…also Source sway bars and Source shocks… Same stretches of ND interstate…about the same cross winds. Pre Watts’ the oversteer was needed. If you pull a NASCAR trick and add a piece of red or white tape to the top center of the steering wheel, you get a “point” of reference…and you would be surprised how many defrees you oversteer in a cross wind. Pre Watts…maybe 10 - 15 degrees…or MORE. After Watts…half or none… That the gist…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cherry Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 13 hours ago, Chargerman said: Ok . Thanks guys! I’m fine with just wiring direct but help me understand how it works. If you supply power to it momentarily I understand that it will actuate the solenoid thereby engaging the Trucanter but then what happens? How does it stay engaged? How is it released? FIRST….make sure the Solenoid is working as in testing with an ohm meter on the coil. The Solenoid is NOT supposed to be held ON for more than what the instructions say….so, if you direct wire it….be cognizant of that. Next, the “trick”, per an installer trained, who was a Lazy Days Sr. Tech, at LD by the Field Rep, and was also one of the designers of the True Center… install it. Use the Loctite…..but drive it. Don’t torque down the clamp. Just get it TIGHT! Test it. If it doesn’t “feel” or react or will center on a straight road with minimum crown, then, you have to tweak it. Then drive it with an assistant. If you need to adjust, then loosen the clamp (scratch a mark where it was) and then have the helper turn (engine off) the wheel wheel slightly to get it “really centered”. Then Tighten….drive and test. Usually takes only one adjustment. Remember, it is basically a “shock absorber”, not some exotic suspension mechanism that you can adjust by 0.05 degrees increments. You want if “roughly” but approximately centered….when finished. It doesn’t have a 20 degree range… That’s it. Remember, the timed OUT OEM relay was to protect the coil and not burn it out. If you put a Clamp On ammeter on one lead and have someone, after you hot wire it, tap it briefly….and you get no reading….odds are…the Solenoid is bad. BUT….bear in mind, you can adjust or tweak it as above and for 90% of the roads and crosswinds….it’ll work and you don’t really need the electronic adjustment. A WATTS will astound you as to what it does…..and there is a 10 TIMES impact or feel when you put that on. I knew the difference when I added the TruCenter….unbelievable when I added the Watts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 Thanks once again Tom. I would have installed a Watts Link years ago but Mike Hugh’s told me there wasn’t one available for my Exec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cherry Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 31 minutes ago, Chargerman said: Thanks once again Tom. I would have installed a Watts Link years ago but Mike Hugh’s told me there wasn’t one available for my Exec. Sorry for NOT picking UP that you have an Exec. Van Williams custom made one for Pratt's 05 Exec. He said it DID make some difference...not overall, it was not NEAR as dramatic as adding one to my Camelot. Your TruCenter will do fine. There is less "wander" in a Tag and less wander in the Dynasty and up due to the body construction. SO...drive on. Just don't expect that you can adjust out a mega cross wind. BUT, from a driver fatigue standpoint...which is now more of a concern that "sports car handling", the TruCenter will improve it... END OF SAGA....LOL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 I’m certainly not unhappy with how my coach drives/handles overall. The Trucenter has been on my coach since I bought it 10 years ago but never dug into its workings. Think it was about time I did 😳🙄. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 My experience with the Blue-Ox Tru-Center was way less than pleasing due to the money (thousands of $) and time I had to throw at it to keep it working. I finally had Josam's remove it, then bench fixed it so it was working once again and sold it to another member for $200. The initial cost was about $800 then another $200 for installation. It worked for a couple of years then stopped working. I had to pay a shop to get it working again. Then less than one year it stopped working again. Our travels took us close to the home shop in Nebraska so we stopped there to have it looked at. Well, another $600 later for a new piston and it was working once again. They also drilled holes in the solenoid box to alleviate any moisture build up which could cause the solenoid to freeze up. Then some time later it stopped working once again. That's when I finally decided that I no longer needed or wanted it any longer. I had thrown way too much money and time into trying to keep it working. It was more of a boat anchor than a useful tool. I decided that if at sometime in the future where I wanted another type of steering system, the only one i would invest in would be the Safe-T-Plus with the Henderson SuperSteer Trimming unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturer Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 34 minutes ago, Dr4Film said: My experience with the Blue-Ox Tru-Center was way less than pleasing due to the money (thousands of $) and time I had to throw at it to keep it working. I finally had Josam's remove it, then bench fixed it so it was working once again and sold it to another member for $200. The initial cost was about $800 then another $200 for installation. It worked for a couple of years then stopped working. I had to pay a shop to get it working again. Then less than one year it stopped working again. Our travels took us close to the home shop in Nebraska so we stopped there to have it looked at. Well, another $600 later for a new piston and it was working once again. They also drilled holes in the solenoid box to alleviate any moisture build up which could cause the solenoid to freeze up. Then some time later it stopped working once again. That's when I finally decided that I no longer needed or wanted it any longer. I had thrown way too much money and time into trying to keep it working. It was more of a boat anchor than a useful tool. I decided that if at sometime in the future where I wanted another type of steering system, the only one i would invest in would be the Safe-T-Plus with the Henderson SuperSteer Trimming unit. I think I would have done the same as you if mine had worked the same. My first one was on our 03 Tiffin and it worked flawlessly for several years till a bracket broke. After the brake, one end dropped to the road and ruined it. This current one cost me $129 shipping. I installed the electrical and paid a shop $50 to install the cylinder. Less than $200 invested. So far, it's working as designed. The coach was pretty stable before the installation. The TC just firmed up the directional control. Time will tell if this one will be like my first one. 🤞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BennieH Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I went with the Steer Safe system. (steersafe.com). It was the simplest, fully mechanical system that a friend of mine was using on his coach & his truck and he was totally happy with it. I didn't care if things could "re-center" while driving, I just wanted something in case of a blow out and this fits the bill. Installation was very easy and it acts directly on the steering knuckle, not the steering links. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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