Nuevo EK Road handling

Hello. We have just completed the first 2000 miles in our new 2016 Nuevo EK. The van is great to camp in but we have noticed that the handling on motorways is very challenging particularly when being overtaken by a lorry or in side winds. The van is comfortable at speeds of 50-60 mph at most. This is very different to what we are used to from driving panel van conversions and can be an exhausting drive. The tyre pressures are set as per the level specified by the manufacturer and we take pains to pack weight as evenly as possible and keeping the centre of gravity low. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it simply something that we need to get used to? We are new to coachbuilt motorhomes and so any experience that drivers of Nuevos are willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Please be assured that your Nuevo like any other coach build will handle as you describe on any open road in strong cross winds. Basically a box on wheels, it will readily be buffeted by such weather conditions and the turbulence from large vehicles such as passing lorries in the opposite direction. Yes it is the case of getting used to the handling and in time it will not cause you unnecessary concern. Welcome to this friendly and informative forum and enjoy your Nuevo.

I am about 500 miles in front of you and do find the drafts from lorries overtaking "interesting" but FAR MORE comfortable than my hi top VW T25 so don't really find it a problem. It wasn't nice for the first couple of days of this trip but I am a lot more relaxed now and it has got easier.

I tend to set the cruise control to about 90kph (60ish mph) but will comfortably overtake at 70+mph when necessary. 

I haven't changed the tyre pressures from when I took delivery.

Oh, and yes the camping is brilliant.

Hi and welcome to the forum from Bridlington 
Boaby

I found the same when we swopped the Symphony for the Nuevo but soon got used to it. It was suggested to me that air suspension helped but didn't want to go to that expense but now I'm used to it.

dbroada wrote: I am a lot more relaxed now and it has got easier.

That's the secret I think. 

If you have the steering wheel in a death grip, with your knuckles gleaming white as you frantically correct for each tiny twitch, you are magnifying a small problem into quite a significant one.

If you can relax and gently correct the yaw as big lorries thunder past, you will soon get the "feel" of what's happening and it becomes almost second nature. As a lorry appears alongside you smoothly nudge the steering wheel, and after a gentle pirouette your van settles down again and on you go.

Easier than towing a caravan, I can tell you!! 

Mercedes have software called crosswind assist to minimise this effect but I'm already programmed to do that in the manner Dave describes. The Inca (Peugeot) and Wilton (Ford) were quite bad but they both had Luton's. The Malvern (Mercedes without crosswind assist) is much less affected, maybe because it has no Luton but I suspect better suspension.

Agree with all the comments so far, but would also add a tip from my towing days. 

Use your mirrors lots and when you see a lorry approaching you from behind and about to overtake, if you can safely do it, move to the extreme of your lane to create a greater distance between you and the lorry, which will reduce their effect on your van.

I found that the majority of lorry drivers were professional and would do the same, increasing the distance further.

Ken.

I would fit Airides, we never regretted this on our last van, a Windsor.
Current van was fitted with air suspension from new so don't know what difference it would make without
I know the Windsor which was larger benefitted

Thanks everyone for all the advice, tips and sharing of experience. Much appreciated. It feels helpful to know that the handling is as expected and that we just need to become used to it. Thanks also for the warm words of welcome to the forum.

Hi!
I have an early model Nuevo (2002). I noticed the yaw when a lorry or coach passed, but got used to it to some extent.
After I hurt my leg while on site, my wife had to drive home and almost lost control when she panicked while a coach was overtaking us.
After that, I fitted Air-Rides and wished I had done so earlier as the van handled so much better.I have since fitted a back-Box and the ride is still good.
They are not cheap, but for me I consider them an essential add-on.
The van does ride down at the head though as the Air-Rides raise the rear, so when parking on site I try and find a slight slope so the front is raised and with luck I'm level. You could let the air out of them and pump up before driving off, but I prefer just trying to correct the trim.

When I towed the caravan, when I saw a lorry in the other lane, I put my foot down on the accelerator until it had gone past, that eases the situation, told that by an experienced tower.

Also you will notice buffeting in windy weather on a road that has hedges and trees, then when there is a gap, before the next lot of hedges and trees  be prepared . A bit upsettling at first but you soon get use to it, I had it in my Volvo Estates to a lesser degree.

When you pass a large vehicle, there is a tendancy to get sucked towards it. Just be prepared for this. Look at curtain sided lorries and notice how the curtain appears to be sucked inwards. Won't bore you with the physics(!) but it's just how air behaves when forced around obstacles.

Hello. Thanks for the advice re Air-Rides. We have decided to see how we get on over the next few thousand miles using the handling tips and advice and then review. If the handling still feels tricky then we shall explore this option in more detail. Still loving the van. Great to camp in.

I used to tow caravans from 1972 to 2000. In 2001 we bought a Hymer with a luton and I noticed the improvement in stability to crosswinds and passing lorries. When we changed to the Nuevo in 2012 there was a big further improvement. I recall in 2013 we were driving home on the N154 between Orleans and Chartres in a fierce storm with a very strong sidewind and lots of heavies coming towards me on that 2 lane single carriageway. I was hugely impressed by the stability. It is only very rarely that I find the need to slow below my usual cruising speed of 88kph because of wind buffeting and then it is only likely to be on an exposed viaduct. We have no suspension aids, just the normal springs.

I wonder how much influence speed has on stability?

We cruise at exactly the same speed as Ron, and as I said before, I've never noticed much of a problem and it certainly doesn't compare with towing a caravan!!

In his original post Lemon has found his van to be stable at 50 - 60mph, and I have to say that's fast enough for me when I'm in holiday mode.
Without wishing to be rude or critical, maybe a change of "mind set" is the best option.   Our holidays start when we climb into the van, and from that moment on I am literally "on holiday". We always set out early with plenty of time to spare, so there's rarely any need to hurry or worry! 

When vans hurtle past us like bats out of hell, I wonder if they will waste three days of their holiday in winding down from the stresses of the journey!! 

Hi
As I had so much helpful advice about my query I thought people might welcome an update. I said I'd review after a few more thousand miles and we are now somewhere over 5000. I used the road handling tips that were advised by fellow forum members and tried to 'chill out' and this worked very well. So thank you for that. I also went on a Caravan and Motorhome Club handling course which was great fun. The tutor took the van and I out on the road and built up to quite a speed. It was good to have his reassurance that both the van and my handling of the van were in good order. My main concern had been that the van once rocked from side to side at about 60mph when overtaking on the motorway. I managed to control it and move back into the flow of traffic but it was frightening and made me less trusting of the van. We discovered that this was most likely the tyre pressures which had been set by the manufacturer at 5.5 and we were too novice to understand that we needed to weigh the van and reduce them. Since the tyre pressures have been lower, the handling is much improved. I also had help from the forum about which compressor to use and how to find a weigh bridge that did spilt weights.

Thanks again for all of the help.

I have a 2015 Nuevo ES. I had air-tops fitted soon after delivery. I also consulted Continental Tyres and, after having the EK weighed in holiday running order, I set the tyres to 55/75. (That caused a headache for the tyre monitoring system which had to be reset to my requirements by a Peugeot dealer).

The result is that the motorhome handles very well, at speeds up to 70mph. And wind-buffeting by lorries is minimal and not disconcerting.

You were wise, Lemon2, to go on the handling course as that gives assurance. But I also commend the review of tyre pressures (after weighing axles and consulting the tyre manufacturer's chart) and the fitting of Air-Tops to assist the suspension.

Happy Motoring!

Hi everyone, I have to agree that passing lorries can be a bit sca,Roy to start with. It feels like the lorry bow wave is push on the rear overhang and trying to turn the van in towards the lorry. I never had this with my high top Symbol which I would guess is due to the longer wheel base. 
Having just done 500 miles on French motorways where the lorries stick to 56mph I had plenty of time to get used the the overtaking effect and be ready.
By the way I averaged 28 mpg. Mostly cruising at 62mph (by the sat nav which was nearer to 68 on the speedo) and with around 250 miles on rural French roads. Less than the Symbol but I'm thinking not bad.
Apart from a couple silly quality niggles the Nuevo is great and very manageable on smaller roads.
Happy motoring.

When I swopped from a Symphony to our Nuevo ES (older model but same size as current models) I posted that I found the lorries overtaking was causing me concern. Responses were to have air-rides fitted but I didn't want to spend that money so persevered as it was. Before long I can say that I didn't notice it any more. It reminded me of when we started caravanning and the same effect that lorries had but again you learn to anticipate the effect and you get used to it.