Newell Announces Easi Steer

[Richard and Rhonda]

http://www.rvbusiness.com/2010/12/newell-adds-easisteer-system-to-2012-models/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RvBusiness+%28RV+Business%29&safe=on

I am assuming since it comes from TRW, that this is the Comfort Drive system or something similar. that Newmar had an exclusive deal on until a couple of years ago. I have driven one coach with the system, and it is pretty impressive. Almost zero effort in parking lot situations, but the on center feel really tightened up at speed. It has a feature where it teaches itself the center position. For example if you are driving with a steady crosswind, in a few miles the system automatically compensates for the drift.

[prestadude]

Very interesting. My coach has the Howard steering system which does something like the TRW system (allows correction for cross winds or roadway crown) except that the Howard system is manual and needs to be reset as conditions change (such a change in angle with the cross wind). Looks like the TRW system does it automatically.

[tuga]

Thanks for the post Richard. Glad to hear that Newell is still up to the minute on new innovations in the RV market.

I had the pleasure of driving a 2007 Newell with the turning tag axle a few years ago. It was awesome. I sure would like to drive a 2012 model with the EasiSteer.

The article in RV Business is very interesting!

[Richard and Rhonda]

Tim,

I did a lot of research on the Howard system when I owned another coach. I was thinking of retrofitting the other coach. I got all tangled up in the business issue with Howard, his death, his estate owners, and the whole thing was a mess.

The Howard system is a air over hydraulic. There is an additional hydraulic slave cylinder in the steering linkage. You are correct, you manually adjust the bias and the boost on the Howard system.

The TRW system is all electronic. Position sensors and speed sensors all feed into a brain that has a fancy algorithm for determining boost and center adjustment.

The Newmar crowd all swore it was the best thing since sliced bread.

I'm with Tuga. Would love to have the steering tag and the steering assist deal. Of course there is only about 1.5 mil or so difference that it would take to make that happen.

Hmmmmmm.