# Mohican ride height?



## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

I have a 2010 Mohawk, 3L, auto.

I am concerned that the rear ride height is low at the towbar by a good 2 to 3 inches, even with very little payload on board.

Could I ask any other Mohawk owner regardless of engine and year, to give me a notional ride height of their motorhome at the rear.

I'm thinking from floor to say top of spare wheel moulding - or some other easy to check distance. In fact thinking about it any similar year Frontier model should be the same.

Am thinking I'm going to have to fit Air-Rides. When away and carrying a good amount of gear I'm worried about dragging the back on the ferry ramp. Also the water tanks are very close to ground.

Thanks in advance


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I can't give you the measurement as I have Airrides on mine. However I can tell you that even with only moderate inflation (35psi), the rear of the motorhome is raised significantly - and this is despite a large load on the rear axle as we seem to take our entire house with us on most trips! In fact when parked on level ground I usually have to put ramps under the front wheels to level it back up again - or drop the pressure in the Airrides.


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## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

Don't know why I put Mohican in the thread title when I meant Mohawk, ugh :? 

Hopefully someone will have a measure up tomorrow, thanks.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

How will knowing the distance from the top of the spare wheel to the floor help with a ride height query? Alan.


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## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

Eh?

I would like to know how heigh other motorhomes of the same type ride. 

The top of the spare wheel carrier seemed to be a convenient point to take a datum from. If you have a more convenient point then please use that.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

They are all on the same base vehicle so surely the ONLY variable is going to be the loading on the rear axle??

I have a 2007 Cheyenne (huge rear overhang) and even with the Air-ride fully deflated the vehicle still looks as though its going downhill!! (i.e. a** up in the air)

By their very nature towbars are always LOWER than the rear end of the bodywork. They have to be at a certain height to line up with the tow hitch on trailers, which is pretty standardised. Thats why you see some 4x4's with "dropper" plates on the tow hitch.

You could always do what I have seen on coaches in China. They fit metal castor wheels on the rear end of the chassis rails to prevent grounding!! A bit extreme, but VERY effective, of course that will lower your ride height even more!!

Quit worrying about it, so what if the towbar grounds on the odd occasion??


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Are some Alko and some not?


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

Mrplodd said:


> Quit worrying about it, so what if the towbar grounds on the odd occasion??


I originally thought on those lines until, when exiting a narrow lane in France at the base of a steep hill, the motorhome ground to a halt and would not go forward at all. Initially thought that I have a transmission problem but when I got out to investigate discovered that the extremity of the towbar had dug itself into the tarmac to the depth of at least 4 inches - probably exacerbated by soft French road surface. Took at bit of extracting so I am now very careful about approaching severe changes in surface levels as I don't want to get in that situation again.

Mike


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## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

Mrplodd said:


> They are all on the same base vehicle so surely the ONLY variable is going to be the loading on the rear axle??
> 
> I have a 2007 Cheyenne (huge rear overhang) and even with the Air-ride fully deflated the vehicle still looks as though its going downhill!! (i.e. a** up in the air)
> 
> ...


OK, why have you got Air-Rides fitted then?


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

With AirRides, from the top of the middle of the spare wheel carrier to the ground is 173cm and from the bottom of the towbar to the ground is 41cm. Obviously not sure how different this is from a non Airrides model.


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## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

Thanks Peribro.

I wonder if the back panel on yours is different as to the top of my spare wheel carrier is only 158cm ? - and whilst its low its not 15cm low!

The underside of my Towtal towbar is 32cm to the ground.

The centre of the towball - and its an extended neck one is 14" and the same towbar on the last van it was 16".

Looking underneath, I'd guess the underside of the water tanks are only 8 or 9 inches from the floor.

I made a riser plate and fitted it to raise the towball up by 5 inches. I only have a thule bike rack on the towball but if I hadn't fitted there is no way it would go on the ferry. 

With the riser plate it would be illegal to tow a trailer and it all looks wrong anyway.

I'm going to ask a seperate question about Air-Rides now I think. Thanks again


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## trevd01 (Oct 26, 2007)

If you have a 'rear end high' vehicle after fitting air rides, the next step is some replacement front coil springs from VB. A lot cheaper than air suspension. 

Weve got them on our front end heavy (3.0/auto/aircon) Murvi PVC. Vastly improved ride and c60mm lift, paired with VB semi-air on the back. Plus the springs we have allow a 2000kg plated front axle (maybe more if we fitted 113 rated tyres rather than the standard 109).


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## pomme1 (May 19, 2005)

Dave,

I have a 696G like Mr Plodd and essentially the same vehicle as yours.

I have Air-rides fitted, but even with them fully deflated, the tail is still significantly higher than the nose, i.e., the 'van always looks as if it's pointing downhill.

I wouldn't worry too much about water tank clearance, as it's very close to the rear axle and highly unlikely to ground in that position.

Roger


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## fastanlite (May 5, 2006)

peribro said:


> With AirRides, from the top of the middle of the spare wheel carrier to the ground is 173cm and from the bottom of the towbar to the ground is 41cm. Obviously not sure how different this is from a non Airrides model.


Without Airrides using same locations as peribo, vehicle fully loaded

Top of spare wheel 154cm
Bottom of tow bar 24cm


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

I suspect that if there is an issue with these vehicles "grounding" on ferry ramps someone would have posted on here about it by now.

After Friday I will be able to give you a definative answer. Dover-Calais with a Smart car on a trailer hanging off MH rear end! I have to say I am none too concerned about the possibility (of grounding out on the ramp)


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## menis (Jul 9, 2010)

Hi Averhamdave, 
No airides and not loaded (emptied for annual service) from the ground to the top of the spare wheel carrier on our Mohawk is 158cm.
If yours is 158cm loaded maybe I should worry !
However, no towbar either so I won't panic yet.
Menis


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## prog54 (Nov 22, 2010)

I have a Mohican which is not possibly answering your query but my tow bar is very low even with airride.

With the water tank empty and little weight in rear I still have to go on ferries on the lower deck with the lorries.

I did chance it this year on DFDS and got up the ramp without incident but grounded on the join between ramp and ferry so always in future I will be with the lorries.

Just for the record I have 11" from underside of tow bar to the floor and an 8'-0" overhang which calculates as follows if the ramp is higher than 1'-9" from the ground 13' up from its start I will ground.


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## DJP (May 9, 2005)

ALL Auto Trail models on X250 base sit nose down. I do know of a case where a PWS towbar was fitted but the brackets were the wrong ones. They were changed by the dealer to the correct ones and the clearance at the back was higher.
Just get some measurements from tow bar to ground (same make towbar if poss) and go from there.


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## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

Thanks everyone who has responded, I feel a little better about it now.

158cm seems to be ok then. 

DJP - my last two Autotrails have sat tail end high but this one does not and I think that's probably what was worrying me - as well as the whole thing being much closer to the ground than my last van (Apache 700SE - same 4t chassis).

I've had no trouble on the ferry as I have made this riser plate to lift the Thule bike rack up. If I had not it would certainly have grounded.

The towbar is a Towtal one so the less said the better. I negotiated the fitment of a towbar with Spinney when I bought the van. I wish I had not bothered and had the job done properly myself later. (The towball is too low and the towbar actually prevents the use of the rear wind down legs! - not that I'd bother using them).

Will I get air-rides? Probably not - unless someone persuades me otherwise!  

As I say thanks again to those who took the trouble to measure up and post.


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## MYFANWY1 (May 9, 2011)

*low tow bar*

Hi i have 2011 mohawk, just got back from 3 week around Germany, grounded twice on ferrys. damaged all wires, at to repair on side of road, do not know measurements but will be talking to dealer and pws, i carry thule bike rack and 2 bike, Eddie.


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

peribro said:


> With AirRides, from the top of the middle of the spare wheel carrier to the ground is 173cm and from the bottom of the towbar to the ground is 41cm. Obviously not sure how different this is from a non Airrides model.


I have Frontier, Delaware, no Air Ride

Ground to bottom of towbar 33cm

Peribo, where did you have your Air Suspension fitted, and is it on the maxi chassis, with the torsion bar suspension, or is it air bags?

Steve


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## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

steco1958 said:


> peribro said:
> 
> 
> > With AirRides, from the top of the middle of the spare wheel carrier to the ground is 173cm and from the bottom of the towbar to the ground is 41cm. Obviously not sure how different this is from a non Airrides model.
> ...


I think all the current 4 wheel Autotrail Frontiers (Mohawk, Savannah, Cherokee, Delaware etc) are on the Fiat maxi chassis, either 4 tonne or latterly 4.25tonne.

Aren't all Air-Rides an air bag system? I'm now thinking of having them fitted at the Lincoln Shown where there are always mobile fitters and good deals.

What's the right price to pay? Are there choices of types? Are there other benefits other than getting a sagging backend off the floor?


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## trevd01 (Oct 26, 2007)

Am I right that people are using 'Air-ride" as a generic description? Or are they referring to the specific brand?

There are several alternatives - we have VB Semi Air, there is also airride, Dunlop, Firestone.

From the prices I have seen and what we paid a fortnight ago, for our VB Semi Air, VB is over £200 cheaper than a similar system from airride and does the same thing.


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