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Old 12-31-2010, 02:01 AM   #61
Nanaeve
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Default 6400 problems

Does "chuckyboy" still have his unit? Seems he's been real active in posts and I was wondering what had happened and what new experiences he hadas ol late?
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Old 12-31-2010, 10:01 AM   #62
Texas TC
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I agree, Chuckyboy had a real bad experience and is trying to enlighten others. He is definitely not a fan of the 6400. LOL

As to your question, he posted the following that he has sold his unit. I am a bit surprised he is still hanging around the GS Forum since he no longer is a GS owner.

.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:51 am Post subject:
"sorry , sold it to dealer in ohio ,who shipped it off to canada ,from what i understand , there is a high demand for supernova's up there ..... how would pictures help you?"


I had a bad experience with a Polaris RZR UTV. I was active on their forum. When I sold my unit, I expressed my displeasure with the lack of quality and service to the customer and moved on. I have not been back to that forum since.

TxTC



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Old 12-31-2010, 04:10 PM   #63
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yes , my former comrades , i have moved on , purchased a class A diesel. and yes, tex, am trying to enlighten others, don't want the next guy to make the same mistake i did , don't get me wrong ,my 6400 was pretty cool looking , but thats it ........ had a ton of problems , the 6400 is a really poor design , and i honestly believe that there isn't one happy 6400 owner who can say that they truly love their ride.again i will say the ace system cures the ride problem for the shorter motorhomes ,it will not work on a 6400 ,i am the proof , so please gulfstreamers , let me enlighten others , and not care why i have been so active lately
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Old 01-01-2011, 08:08 AM   #64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas TC
I think you will be pleased with the ACE air suspension system. It seems like everyone with a "smaller" chassis, ie. less than the 40' Grand Hotel has been very satisfied with the ride improvement.

Chucky did not like the ride of his 6400 even after adding the air suspension. He may be the only one with a 40' chassis that tried air so he may have a point. Those units are REAL heavy in the rear and might be TOO heavy for the air suspension to support.

I would like to hear from any other owner with a 40' model that has added air and see if they were pleased/disappointed in the results of their installation.

It sure made a HUGE difference in the ride of my 34' chassis.

Good luck and I wish you much happiness with your new SuperNova!

TxTC
As I noted on an earlier post, I own a 6400 and recently had the ACE Air Suspension added. My install was made with a dual-valve setup. I am very pleased with the improvement (HUGE).

We just returned from a trip and my wife, kids and dogs all were very happy with the ride. I've grown up with motorhomes including class A spring chassis to full air ride pusher and just prior to this coach another Super C on a Kodiak chassis. The original ride of the SuperNova was just terrible (brutal). With the addition of the ACE system I am now very happy.

Based on earlier comments I had read I really expected the upgrade to only impact the ride from mid-coach back but it is also notable for the driver. Much better ride without giving up stability.

As an aside, I've read here about rubber bumpers bottomed out on the rear axle - based on a little research, it appears those are not bumpers but rather the "rubber springs" - part of a mulitstage suspension.

In addition, with regard to weight capacity, Phil at American Carrier told me EACH one of the airbags included the ACE suspension is rated at 20,000lbs... way more than capable of carrying the 6400!!

So for me... I am satisfied. Now I'm on to finishing the first year Gulfstream goof fixes quick before I run out of warranty!

Happy New Year to all & thanks for all the sharing....
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Old 01-01-2011, 08:19 AM   #65
Texas TC
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Thanks Craig. I am really glad to hear that the ACE air suspension system worked for you and that it is a viable option for other owners of the 6400. It is amazing how the air bags in the back seem to have control over the entire coach. I still get some bounce in the front from time to time on roads with dips but if I would get off my procrastination stage and change front shocks, I'm sure that too could be eliminated. So far, it has not bothered me enough to make any changes.

Good luck with your punch list.

TxTC



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Old 01-01-2011, 11:29 AM   #66
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Thanks CraigH. It appears that the majority acknowledge improvements with the ACE installed on the Super Nova no matter what the model. Definitely worth considering if one is going to keep the coach for a while both from a ride quality perspective and a reduction of interior wear and tear perspective. I do not consider the current design a safety issue.

I suggest we all agree on the overall quality GS builds to could stand improvement based on the coach's cost but shouldn't ignore the harsh ride's contribution. Simple comparison of similar weight class of Class A's, there are sure a lot of them out there that have conventional spring suspension by design without air ride assist. I would guess that their rides are comparable as spring based suspensions are generally the same. Personally, I've ridden in and driven a 38 ft Tiffin Alegro Bus which has the conventional workhorse chassis (no air suspension) to and from Maryland to Daytona several times and I'd say the ride and interior noise/rattles were quite comparable to the SN. It doesn't appear economically feasible for me to sell/trade my unit in the near future so I may as well be satisfied with what I own and use.

Chuckyboy,
I appreciate your opinion. As you noted you've moved on to a Class A diesel. If I may ask, what model and size, as this would be a basis for your comparison wrt to ride quality?
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Old 01-05-2011, 08:06 PM   #67
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Well, I just bought my superride 810 for my 2008 6473 37 ft Supernova and I'm ready to go forward. Phil, and the people at ACE were nothing but a dream to deal with. I've already added the shock kit and improved the schoolbus springs with a great improvement over stock. i tow a 8000 lb racecar trailer. Now with this instsalled correctly, i think it will be the right move. ALL motorhomes are a labor of love. I'm in the best house I've ever towed, and it has more than class A's I tried to buy that had NO tow ability. I'll let everyone know how this turns out. I got more for my dollar new with this than a bunch of more expensive rigs I looked at before pulling the trigger. Time will tell, but I still like mine HJ
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Old 01-12-2011, 10:51 PM   #68
cd6400
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Bucketman,

Have you arranged for install of the ACE system yet?
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Old 01-13-2011, 07:50 PM   #69
Gemini John
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Default Superride 810

My welder, and my super bodyshop are going to install it with me. I are a mechanic(sic) . But there may be a time lag. just found out i need rotator cuff repair next week. Will be down 6 weeks minimum. it really sucks, but as someone once told me " getting old is not for the timid". it WILL get done well, and I'll keep all you supernovaites posted. it will work out HJ
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Old 01-14-2011, 06:27 PM   #70
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Default towing with the SN

Hey Gemini John, I too have just purchased a 33 ft SN. and can't wait for the snow here in mich to go away. I will be pulling a 28ft inclosed trailer with the race car to different tracks. Total weight will be 9200lbs this being the trailer and it's content. Now if I can control the co-pilot when it comes to loading all her equip in the coach. First trip will be to the local scale and get some base lines on the weight. After reading all the posts on the ride of the Nova I am curious as to how the unit with water and all the supplies and the trailer will ride. This will be exciting for me as 34yrs ago I drove over the road (car hauler) big truck. Now I'm back to eye level with the big dogs. Wish me luck. Rob and Edna
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Old 01-18-2011, 11:26 AM   #71
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My turn! I have been following this air suspension topic for a while now and now it is time for me to join the party.

I have a 2008 6400n and after ChuckyBoy's deal, I was really hesitant. After reading Craig's experience, I felt a lot better.

I have my RV tech in SoCal working me up a proposal.

One last question, if any of you had to do it over again, what would you change or add?

Any and all assistance is greatly appreciated.

-Ron in SoCal
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Old 01-18-2011, 12:16 PM   #72
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Porchracer1, welcome. I think TexasTC will agree, those of use with the 33 foot model seem to have less problems with the ride etc of the Super Nova. I am adding the shock kit this week, at least I hope the shop will get it done, and that is all I plan on adding. Let us know the weights you get so we can compare. I contacted the tire manufacturer and got the tire pressure recommendations by weight. That did a lot for the ride when I lowered the pressure to the recommended (+5 psi) pressure. We honestly don't notice the weight of the water etc. on this model.
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Old 05-15-2011, 05:07 PM   #73
Gemini John
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Default Re: SUPERNOVA RIDE !!!

Well it's finally done. the ride improvement in awesome. it rides like a coach now, not a truck. the ACE 810 had it's issues, and installation is something not for beginners. The lateral link didn't match up on mine, needed to be lengthed 1/2 inch??????. I also somehow got a bag with a tear in it (don't know how we could have done it) but truckspring.com in michigan had them for $130 so I just considered it part of fixing the factory screwup. Mounted the compressor in a right side compartment and the air tank behind the unit in the empty space where the spare should be. (that's another story/post/mod). But with texas TC's input it all worked out well. I went the route of cutting the rubber bumpers, shock kit and add a leaf to make the geometry where I want it. I sit level now, and 1000 lbs of water means nothing to it. it drives better and the drivetrain is much smoother. Thank you to all the forum members who applied input to this. I think the factory setup leads to the body cracking issue and hopefully this will prevent that. Ours bounced so bad new that a filled drawer pushed out and put a hole in the divider door at 1000 miles. I'm sure some owners bail and buy something else with the issues this rig has. I am still finding no buyers remorse considering the price I paid for what is really there. All the motorhomes I've ever owned have required refinement to be what I wanted. Still think it's the best rig I've bought so far. Gulfstream could do more to help owners but NONE of the coachbuilders I've dealt with seem to care much once it's out the door. Oh yea, this shoulder thing sucks even worse than I thought. 3 1/2 months later still not all healed, not racing yet and it makes mechanical issues look mild. I'll post pics once it's all painted and proven HJ
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Old 05-17-2011, 05:30 PM   #74
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Default Re: SUPERNOVA RIDE !!!

Oh, dear. I just got my quote today from an International dealer, for the ACE 810 install. For the sake of respecting the dealer, I won't mention the name, but say that it is a dealer that has done other ACE installs, in the range of $5,000 - $6,000. Well, my quote came in at $7,500, for no additional factors. (and that does NOT include the additional $500 or so that it would cost if, after installation, they discover a body lean and have to modify one side's body leaf)

Up to a 50% price increase! Yikes! The service rep said their supplier has increased their cost. And on top of it, the supplier has had these systems on backorder since February, so even if I bought them now, there's a VERY low chance that I'd actually get to install them next month, when I come back from Iraq and am in the lower 48 states with dealers that have experience with the ACE install, before I do my big RV trip up to Alaska.

Grrr... rather frustrating. I'd like to get the system installed in June, but with everything, I don't know if that's going to happen now.
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Old 05-01-2016, 08:15 PM   #75
chuckyboy
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Default Re: SUPERNOVA RIDE !!!

Well musketeers it's been awhile . 6 yrs . Who still owns their supernova , and how's it working out for you ?
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Old 03-08-2017, 06:38 PM   #76
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Default Re: SUPERNOVA RIDE !!!

Chuckboy I am going to look at a 2009 GS SuperNova 6400 on Friday so I thought I'd check out some reviews. I'm concerned now because I saw your negative comments. Is there a way for you to contact me? I sure would appreciate your input.
Best Regards,
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Old 04-09-2017, 10:05 AM   #77
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Default Re: SUPERNOVA RIDE !!!

This is an old post but It seems like second and third buyers/owners are looking at it so I wanted to post my experience. I have a 2010 Supernova 6400 with the ACE air ride. I can say from test driving 6400's without air ride as well as driving my 6400 with deflated air bags the stock ride is really bad. It is so bad I would not want to drive the coach for fear of doing serious damage to it. However with the ACE air suspension it is totally different and I am very pleased. Prior to owning the GS I owned a Super C built on the Kodiak chassis and I can say the GS with the ACE suspension is much better. The rear of the coach still bounces (but in my experience all class C MH do) but the harsh jarring is gone. I test drove some Jayco Super Cs's on the Freightliner M2 chassis and I like the way my GS drives better than the Jayco. I hope this helps anybody looking to buy a Supernova or an owner thinking of installing the ACE system.
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Old 04-11-2017, 08:48 AM   #78
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Default Re: SUPERNOVA RIDE !!!

Slim, Thanks for the reply. I have a 6400 and had it about a year about to pull the trigger on the ACS just didn't want to waste anymore money if it was not going to fix/help the issue.
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Old 10-15-2018, 09:55 AM   #79
oldsnapper
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I just installed a Kelderman www.kelderman.com Air Suspension on the rear of our 2008 6331 Endura. Website has all the info.

Very well engineered, top quality fabrication & parts and straight forward installation instructions. The ride improvement is almost unbelievable! The install instructions & pictures were done on a Super Nova so that really helped. Here is a video showing the suspension at work that sold me. Good company to work with and great price. Wish I had done this years ago! The hardest part was moving the wire and cables that would have rubbed on the new components. If anyone is interested in more info, please send a message.
Steve C. in Michigan
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Old 12-09-2018, 01:21 PM   #80
Gemini John
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The air ride system is still on my 2008 Supernova and still works great. It was still worth the work and cost and it's part of the deal. Turning 20k when it comes out in the spring. Almost always tows #8000 with little problems. Got to do another Brake unit next spring, but that's another story. HJ
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