AL-KO VT COMFORT DRIVE – when your chassis becomes an active part of the drive

The new AL-KO VT COMFORT DRIVE offers greater comfort and safety. A chassis must withstand a wide range of shocks and impacts – ideally without the passengers noticing any of it. This is how one imagines perfect suspension, not only in a car, but also in a motorhome.

Together with damper specialist KW automotive, AL-KO VT presents a semi-active damping system for factory and retrofit installation in motorhomes. It calculates the anticipated vehicle movement and automatically adjusts the shock absorber settings accordingly – practically in real time. This significantly reduces disturbing pitching and rolling movements along the vehicle axle and noticeably cuts the shocks to the vehicle frame from potholes and bumps in the road.

Drivers feel a more direct vehicle response thanks to the AL-KO VT COMFORT DRIVE, especially when cornering. The motorhome sways less and brakes more smoothly, with a shorter braking distance. The vehicle adapts instantly to changing road surfaces and evens out irregularities within the given physical limits. This allows road holding and traction to be optimised, even on slippery surfaces. Manual countersteering is reduced to a minimum, taking pressure off the driver. The system also supports emergency braking by modifying the shock absorber characteristics, which further shortens the braking distance.

Acceleration sensors on the vehicle body and the wheel carriers continuously measure the actual vehicle behaviour. Based on these measured values, AL-KO VT COMFORT DRIVE uses a virtual vehicle model to predict the movement and controls the suspension systems accordingly, in a highly dynamic manner. AL-KO VT COMFORT DRIVE is also connected to the vehicle via a CAN-BUS interface and operates within the vehicle-specific ESP configuration.

The actual change in shock absorber characteristics takes place by modifying the oil flow of the rebound and compression lines. The interaction of all these factors allows automatic regulation, even with changing loads or crosswinds. All regulation takes place in milliseconds. For drivers, this means: immediate response without delay.

AL-KO VT COMFORT DRIVE will initially be available for motorhomes based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in combination with the AL-KO VT AMC chassis. Motorhomes based on Mercedes-Benz use the original Mercedes-Benz spring in the front MacPherson strut to achieve the standard ride height. Installation can be carried out by all AL-KO VT Customer Centres and by certified wholesalers.