Reflex Steering Stabilizers

[Jerry Emert]

The subject of stabilizers, Safe-T-Plus has come up again after the recent crash that Mike posted yesterday.  I see Safe-T-Plus here a lot.  I was wondering what makes it the best, if anything?  Roadmaster makes one also that's about 200 dollars less expensive.  Asking opinions from y'all about why I should pay about 200 more for one unit or another.  They look pretty simple in concept.  Roadmaster is a reliable company so why Safe-T-Plus?   Why not save 200?  Thanks for your input.
Jerry

[Walter Parr]

Very Interested in responses, as after reading about the accident, looking at the Safe-T-Plus

[Gerald Farris]

Jerry,
There are 2 main differences between the two units. First the Roadmaster unit does not have a protective cover over the shaft to reduce seal wear and Safe-T-Plus does. The other difference that I am aware of is that Roadmaster has a 1 or 2 year warranty, and Safe-T-Plus has a lifetime warranty.

I have a Safe-T-Plus unit on my coach, but the main reason that I chose it was to get the optional trim unit that Henderson's Line-Up sells to go with it.

Gerald

[Mike Shumack]

I'm not sure that the Henderson Trim unit would not work with the Roadmaster Reflex. The Safe-T-Plus and Reflex both have similar mounting eyes. I don't think the Trim unit would know whose stabilizer is mounted to it. BTW, the Safe-T-Plus uses a 230 lb centering spring. I e-mailed Roadmaster to find out what spring force they use.

Looking closely at the Henderson Trim device, I like that it is simple and uses a "standard" air chamber. The drawback (if you can call it that) is that it relies on friction between the air chamber pushrod and smooth/flat surface of the sliding rod to keep the Steering Stabilizer in the proper position.

I hope there is enough friction on the tip of that pushrod to keep tire (stabilizer) in position during a tire blow out. It doesn't look like there is much surface area on the push rod tip to apply that friction (would be more comforting if they had used a notched sliding rod and grooved tip). And if the airline to Trim unit was to get cut/pulled out during a tire blowout (I don't know how likely that would be) you would then lose the protection of the Stabilizer.

However I like the idea of being able to fine tune the Stabilizer.

[Randy Stephenson]

Has anyone had experience with the Blu Ox Tru Center steering stabilizer, it does not require an air add on trim unit like the Safe T
Plus? 

[Gerald Farris]

Mike,
On the Safe-T-Plus trim unit, the air chamber push rod applies pressure to a floating plunger that is about 1 inch in diameter. That plunger exerts pressure against the machined half flat slightly hatch marked surface of the shaft the attaches to one end of the Safe-T-Plus unit. The air line can be ran in several locations to shield it from tire debris.

Gerald   

[Mike Shumack]

Thanks