Question Comfort Drive

[Joe Hogan]

Not sure what I was expecting with Comfort Drive but was underwhelmed with operation. Essentially what I observed on the way home for Nappanee was a basic variable power steering device with a variable amount of wheel centering feature.

Now to be fair, I did not experience steady state cross winds. Mostly gusty conditions and varying direction.

Tested most all levels from 1 - 5. Found 3-4 most comfortable. At level one it was like a 50s Cadillac power steering (tendence to over drive vehicle) and at 5 more truck like, one with lots of caster (self centering).

Maybe expectations were way off. Maybe I have this option all wrong or conditions have not shown its potential.

So far I am not impressed....

 

[Rod]

Not sure what you were expecting either but, in my experience of driving across windy Kansas and Oklahoma on numerous occasions I am very happy to have it. I will say I was underwhelmed initially too until I had multiple opportunities to test it and get used to the feel. I will also adjust depending on road type, 4-lane vs 2-lane, city driving vs country.

 

[sheridany]

It’s a been a few years since I had a Newmar but I remember it being the difference between a white knuckle experience and a relaxing drive on I-5 in CA when the winds are blowing pretty good. I don’t know what coaches you have owned but it does take time to get comfortable driving an any new coach. The one thing I remember is when comfort drive is engaged, you don’t need to grip the wheel tightly. Just hold the wheel straight with a light touch and let comfort drive do its job. I was amazed once I figured it out. I use to cruise on the 3 setting and adjusted accordingly.

 

[Neal]

I think the old comfort drive is not the same as the newer model years after TRW ended exclusivity and/or sold to another company which Newmar uses now. I don't know the situation but I have yet to really hear anyone praise comfort drive since that change.

The other possibility is yours isn't working or not working properly. I know there have been issues with it for some, you may want to ask Spartan or some service center at some point to see if it's working as expected or there is a problem.

 

[J&JD]

90% of the time it’s set at 3 and I completely forget I even have the system. On seriously curvy mountain roads I usually drop it to 1-2. When the cross winds are really blowing I might move it to 4-5. I certainly could live without it but for that 10% it’s nice to have for sure.

 

[purring along]

90% of the time it’s set at 3 and I completely forget I even have the system. On seriously curvy mountain roads I usually drop it to 1-2. When the cross winds are really blowing I might move it to 4-5. I certainly could live without it but for that 10% it’s nice to have for sure.

I have to agree with you that 3 is also my go to number, except in heavy cross winds. I never thought to drop down to 1 or 2 in the curves, but I will try it next time. Thanks

 

[team bradfield]

I had rotator cuff surgery 1.5 years ago, after driving all day and my shoulder barked all night, set it to 1 and now pain free after driving, it's a godsend to me, once you experience 20-30mph cross winds, you'll understand

 

[SteveMA]

On Freightliner 2020 MA 4569, it really shines when you pass trucks (or they blast past you) when there is a crosswind. Generally in the west and Great Plains I find it to be almost magic for any wind situation. On the 2020 FL it has about 10 settings. Mostly use 5-7. Does take some getting used to letting it do its job, and I know at first I was "playing with it" before I settled into a pattern. My wife pushed for it on this coach as our last 40' FL was taking a toll on my arthritic hands on long drives. She is happier driving too. We both refer to it as 'Lexis-Drive'

 

[Jim]

So far I am not impressed....

I betcha you'll like it just fine the first time you go to Key West and start getting hit by 45 mph-50 mph side winds up on top of those bridges!

I white knuckled a 40' Phaeton through the tail end of a hurricane on the way to Blue Water Key a couple of years ago. It was not fun. Last year we spent several months in the London Aire, and although the winds were not as bad, I was able to make a reasonable comparison to the way the two rigs handled.

Comfort drive is by far the best asset that I can think of in a Newmar motor coach.

 

[FLSteve]

Comfort drive is by far the best asset that I can think of in a Newmar motor coach.

@Joe Hogan ... I fully agree with @Jim. It's a great feature for me.

FLSteve

 

[Rich W.]

Try it at 1 for low speed maneuvering with ease. Also as J&JD said, it provides significant relief on roads with a lot of curves, especially in the mountains - I usually set it down to 2 in those cases. I generally like a little more steering resistance, especially on long straight stretches, but a little less steering effort is often welcomed towards the end of the day. Automatically centering the wheel is a nice feature but avoid shutting off the engine with the wheels still cranked one way or the other - it can put a lot of stress on steering gear. I could live without CD but I like the ability to adjust as needed/wanted.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Found this write up around Comfort Drive by Mike Mas interesting.

http://rotory.com/coach/comfort/#ewpopup/2/

 

[Joe Hogan]

Excellent Article that in my opinion accurately depicts the attributes of Comfort Drive. Wish I had read this before delivery as it aligns closely to what I experienced driving the DSDP. Would have avoid much unnecessary and stressful testing.

 

[Neemer]

There is a document in the resources section that was written by Ken Sherwin, Comfort Drive’s daddy. I used to refer to it often and find it very descriptive.

Comfort Drive Tour - Rev A (Ken Sherwin)

Comfort Drive designer Ken Sherwin posted this document in 2017. It provides an excellent walk-through of the Comfort Drive system installed in Newmar diesel coaches.

rvforums.com

 

[GUS2000]

We owned a Newmar Superstar for three years and drove 32k miles in it so I feel I can speak to this coming from a Super C chassis (M2 106) to the Class A (XCR). Steering effort when making low speed turns, much easier with the XCR chassis (CD setting 3) - shorter wheel base makes U turns ALOT easier than the 341" wheelbase Super Star. Crosswind situations I feel the XCR does a great job as we just went through alot of wind last week and I was impressed with how the CD assisted with staying straight and center in the lane. No issues with trucks passing or passing up trucks.. All that being said, I would bring it in to get checked out if I felt it wasnt performing as designed... so there may be something not quite right.. Steering is somewhat subjective I would imagine as we all drive our own way. I do want to add that it's easier to keep the DS4369 centered in a lane than my Ford F250... safe travels!

 

[Joe doggs]

I think as others have mentioned,it may take some getting used to..I’ve had numerous large class a coaches without it,and a couple with it….its absolutely amazing!! There’s a very good write up about it on irv2…..I doubted at first but…sure enough,with constant cross wind,or crowned road,it actually helps with the fight…no more tired,tense arm/shoulder muscles after a days drive(less excuse to go get a massage however.)returning to center is nice,and while not promoted,I’ve heard there are benefits if you have a blowout on a steer tire..for me the biggest benefit I notice,is with maximum assist,I’m not the one doing the work steering the coach,could steer it with my pinkie…..it’s almost like my jeep steering itself,although the jeep starts chiming if hands are removed from the steering wheel(which was done only as a test)……I’d guess you will end up appreciating comfort drive..Joe b

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

Oversteering/overdriving is the major obstacle some people have to adjust to when getting used to the comfort drive.

 

[Rich W.]

Found this write up around Comfort Drive by Mike Mas interesting.

http://rotory.com/coach/comfort/#ewpopup/2/

Interesting, some questionable conclusions, and he took pages to say what Ken Sherwin has said in a couple paragraphs. Also its tough to read something that long with terrible punctuation but thats just my freaky button. Anyway, yeah - its called Comfort Drive, not Control Drive. I knew that.

 

[Rich W.]

So all this renewed discussion about CD has got me thinking about the forces we can exert on the front tires by either steering them while the coach is stationary (very easy to do), or shutting down while the wheels are still turned (easy to forget not to). We’ve all read that the structural components of the steering system are up to these forces, but what about the tires? Given the front tire failures we’ve seen on fairly new tires on Newmar coaches, what do you think about the possibility that CD allows us to put more strain on the sidewalls, casing, and plies than conventional power steering, and my question: do you think this could be a contributing factor to early front tire failure?

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

Given the front tire failures we’ve seen on fairly new tires on Newmar coaches,

Is there any data to support this claim? I don't think Newmar's have any higher blowout rate than any other manufacturer but I have no data to support that claim.