eldis autoquest 115

[scottish adventurer]

anyone out there got knowledge of how to improve the suspension on this motorhome? its 2017 with low mileage,9k and the rear suspension is very harsh, its already fitted with a single bellow air bag, however I am not happy with the drive noise , its exceptionally hard and over very tiny bump it just crashes and bangs, would knock your teeth out?

[Keithl]

What tyre pressure are you running in the rear tyres?

 

If you can post the exact make, size and rating figures for the tyres and what your maximum expected rear axle loading will be we should be able to help with a suitable pressure.

 

Keith.

[Den]

Fiat suspension is extremely hard compared to Mercedes and the Ford 16 seater I’m driest the moment.

I always run my motorhome with the fresh tank full.

I know it’s carrying 100 LG’s but the ride is much better.

[747]

Dealers always put 80 psi in all tyres. As already requested, give us the max axle ratings shown for your van and the tyre size.

[Derek Uzzell]

Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums, Alan.

 

This link is to the 2017 Elddis motorhome brochure

 

https://elddis.co.uk/uploads/brochures/Brochure%20Archive/Elddis-Motorhomes-Brochure-2017.pdf

 

and there’s an advert for a 2017 Autoquest 115 example here

 

https://www.motorhomedepot.com/vehicle/elddis-autoquest-115-2017-2

 

The Autoquest 115 model is compact (length 5.7m) and quite light. It was built on a Peugeot Boxer wide rear-track ‘camping-car’ chassis and the advert photos suggest that it had 15”-diameter wheels. If that’s so, the tyres would have been ‘camping-car’ type (either Michelin or Continental) with a specification of 215/70 R15CP, and the advised inflation presures would probably have been 5.0bar/72.5psi (front tyres) and 5.5bar/80psi (rear tyres).

 

I’m not sure why your motorhome has ‘semi-air’ (air bellows) fitted to its rear suspension. I don’t think this would have been part of a 2017 Autoquest 115’s original specification, and semi-air is normally only retro-fitted to address a recognised problem such as a motorhome’s rear end ‘sagging’ or to firm up the rear springing when a lot of load is being placed on the rear suspension. If a motorhome merely has a harsh ride quality at the rear, retro-fitting a semi-air kit is unlikely to successfully address this and, in fact, may worsen the issue, particularly if the air bellows are highly inflated.

 

A potential snag (and there’s plenty about this on motorhome forums) arises when a motorhome has a Tyre Pressure Management System (TPMS) that has been matched to the advised tyre inflation pressures and has no easy means of alteration should those pressures be downwards adjusted to (say) provide a more compliant ride quality. And that is the case with the TPMS fitted as standard to a 2017 Elddis Autoquest 115.

 

Consequently, even if your motorhome’s 'normally-loaded' axle weights do not demand that 5.0bar/5.5bar tyre pressures be used, lowering those pressures enough to signifiicantly improve the ride quality is likely to cause the vehicle’s TPMS to start issuing alerts.

 

It is possible to alter a Peugeot Boxer’s TPMS settings - a Peugeot dealer may be prepared to do it (though not free of charge) or it can be done using suitable 'DIY' equipment - but there’s no simple owner/driver means to reset the TPMS.

 

You might try setting the air bellows’ pressures as low as safely possible. Then (after confirming your motorhome’s ‘normally loaded’ axle weights by having the vehicle weighed at a weighbridge and checking whether/how much the tyre pressures can be safely lowered) try progressively reducing the current pressures until the TPMS starts to alert and then increase the pressures upwards until the alerts stop.