Class C With Ford V10?

[SarahW]

Personally, I'd like to see the Class C gassers look more like the diesels. Seems like the styling of Class Cs hasn't had a facelift in many years, if ever. That is one thing I dislike about the "typical" gas Class C... the exterior appearance.

Just tossin' that out there. We still want to downsize but there's a lot to consider.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by SarahW

Personally, I'd like to see the Class C gassers look more like the diesels. Seems like the styling of Class Cs hasn't had a facelift in many years, if ever. That is one thing I dislike about the "typical" gas Class C... the exterior appearance.

Just tossin' that out there. We still want to downsize but there's a lot to consider.

I agree.

When we were looking for a new RV the one thing my wife was clear on was that she did not want a new Class C that looked like all of the previous Class Cs. In particular she did not want one of those overhead bunks in the cab. There are just 2 of us and she did not want the high clearance that comes with those overhead bunks and the wasted space above the cab.

Our Fuse does not have an overhead bunk and does not have that "cab over" look that she dislikes so much and which I do not much care for myself. Instead it has a more sloping roof line and I think looks much nicer as a result.

[JBP]

Leg room is a problem. Wife moves to dinning area some times. We limit legs to two hours and take a brake.
Heat in the newer ones seams to be controlled better. One of the dogs is always asleep close to dog house. Wife checks temp frequently. No problem with our 2015 27K. I liked driving it.
First trip was to Southern Cal. Good trip. Nice ride. Ran rear air at 60 PSI. Worked good for our load. This was from South Texas.
Very easy to get into and out of gas stations. Much more so than our class A.
Queen bed was good make sure that you anchor the air lines just before they go into pump. we like to pull mattress down to make bed this pulls on air lines. the connection to the pump fails very easily.

[jhedges]

Originally Posted by Ret.LEO

My best friend has been a Ford Dealership's Service Manager for years before going out on his own. He is a Ford man through and through............he says the E-450, F-450 with the V10 is one of the best engines ever developed. Said to forget about a Diesel............stay V10

I think you answered your question. However, I would get the V-10 with the 6-speed no doubt. Go get it, you'll love it! Good luck! And if you have any issues sounds like you have a good resource to get it worked on!

[akeagle]

After buying our Minnie Winnie/E450 I started seeing complaints here and elsewhere of hot floors in the cab area. One of the first things I did was to cover the factory rubber matting on the cab floor with a rubber-backed felt cargo mat I found at WalMart (there was a lot of cutting and fitting to make it look decent.) That was an improvement in appearance, but I wasn't satisfied with its ability to absorb water from wet shoes. So, I ordered a pair of thicker felt-like mats from the local Ford dealer. I winced at the $80 price tag but they were made specifically to fit the E-Series vans. It turned out they fit well but were otherwise only little better than cheap mats available at any Five & Dime. Not satisfied with them either, I looked harder at Ford mats and found some thick rubber mats with deep channels to contain water, snow, and dirt from shoes. (They also cost $80 but quality is much better.) I layered all this on the floor, new rubber mats on top of Ford felt mats on top of WalMart felt cargo matting on top of Ford factory rubber mat. It seemed all that worked pretty well to keep the exhaust heat from the Mrs's tender tootsies. The bulk is not excessive either.

[Teamfoxy]

We have the E350 chassis on our 2005 Itasca 324V. Transmission is the 5-speed torque shift. Most of our driving is non-interstate highways and back roads at 55-60 mph. At that speed we are running about 2000 +/- RPM. Even in the mountains on up to 15% grades we never seem to run over 3200 RPM. Fuel economy is consistently 10+ but down to 9.5 when there are lots of steep grades of if we speed up on an Interstate. I would imagine that a loaded up 30 foot + unit might get considerably less, especially when towing.

I believe that the main difference between the E350 and E450 is the rear axle capacity and suspension and ratio of the gears. You can carry more weight with the E450 and if you have an RV over 25 feet, then I believe you need the E450. A slide adds about 200# to the chassis weight so if you have a slide, you probably need the E450.

We don't have a slide and there are only two of us. We have enough capacity with the E350 and find that at 2000 RPM, the engine is very quiet. Easy to carry on a conversation or listen to the radio. I do not find the driver's side to be hot, but the engine is positioned somewhat towards the passenger side and when seated there, my leg is against the doghouse and it feels warm. I'm 6 feet tall and find the leg room to be acceptable.

We have owned both Ford and Chevy's and I don't have a bias either way.

[Phil G.]

Originally Posted by Teamfoxy

We have the E350 chassis on our 2005 Itasca 324V. Transmission is the 5-speed torque shift. Most of our driving is non-interstate highways and back roads at 55-60 mph. At that speed we are running about 2000 +/- RPM. Even in the mountains on up to 15% grades we never seem to run over 3200 RPM. Fuel economy is consistently 10+ but down to 9.5 when there are lots of steep grades of if we speed up on an Interstate. I would imagine that a loaded up 30 foot + unit might get considerably less, especially when towing.

I believe that the main difference between the E350 and E450 is the rear axle capacity and suspension and ratio of the gears. You can carry more weight with the E450 and if you have an RV over 25 feet, then I believe you need the E450. A slide adds about 200# to the chassis weight so if you have a slide, you probably need the E450.

We don't have a slide and there are only two of us. We have enough capacity with the E350 and find that at 2000 RPM, the engine is very quiet. Easy to carry on a conversation or listen to the radio. I do not find the driver's side to be hot, but the engine is positioned somewhat towards the passenger side and when seated there, my leg is against the doghouse and it feels warm. I'm 6 feet tall and find the leg room to be acceptable.

We have owned both Ford and Chevy's and I don't have a bias either way.

That almost exactly matches our use and impressions of our E450 24V, except our V10's RPM is slightly higher at 55-60 MPH due to it's 4:56 ratio rear differential (the E350's ratio is 4:12) ... even though we have reduced the affect of the E450's rear differential ratio by using tires that have a slightly larger diameter than what came on it. These larger diameter tires also provide more ground clearance for the motorhome.


By the way, note in my comments earlier that cab air can be aimed down at the driver's and passenger's feet - and set to any temperature - by setting the air output to "MIX" and then turning the red/blue temperature knob to any desired temperature. For instance, when driving in scorching summer temperatures just set to MIX, turn the temp knob to full blue, and the fan speed to 3 or 4.


This will blow fully air conditioned cool air down into the driver's and passenger's floor areas to counter any hot floor or hot doghouse affects. However in our 24V the (Ford or Winnebago installed?) heat shields down underneath do keep the floor areas reasonably comfortable, but in really hot driving conditions in which there is no outside dust present we still redirect cold air down towards the cab floor.

[Teamfoxy]

We have no complaints about the E 350 air conditioning. It will easily cool the whole coach down very quickly. The roof air conditioner doesn't cool it down quite as fast, but it maintains the temperature well even on an asphalt parking lot in 90+ temperatures.

I can't say that we have ever had any ground clearance issues with this coach and we run the standard tire size. I am not the slimmest guy around at 240, but I can crawl under any part of the MH without getting stuck.

[Phil G.]

Our Ford E450 cab A/C is indeed very powerful. However, once when we were hunting rocks out in the middle of nowhere in the Texas Panhandle in August in 100+ degree heat we had to use BOTH the rooftop A/C and the cab A/C to cool down quickly in our 24V Itasca Class C for lunch. That can at times be an important advantage of a motorhome over a towable - the chassis A/C and heating systems (and alternator system) can be used in addition to or in lieu of - the coach systems.

Here's an example of places we sometimes find ourselves in where a little more ground clearance can be priceless:

[youracman]

I guess I have led a sheltered life ....................... for 87 years. lol

So is LEO an acronym? Need some education. Been wondering about that for a long time.

Thanks, podnuh ..... and safe travels. ed s in Denver

[Ret.LEO]

Originally Posted by AJMike

I agree.

When we were looking for a new RV the one thing my wife was clear on was that she did not want a new Class C that looked like all of the previous Class Cs. In particular she did not want one of those overhead bunks in the cab. There are just 2 of us and she did not want the high clearance that comes with those overhead bunks and the wasted space above the cab.

Our Fuse does not have an overhead bunk and does not have that "cab over" look that she dislikes so much and which I do not much care for myself. Instead it has a more sloping roof line and I think looks much nicer as a result.

I would agree. The sloping front sure wouldn't hurt MPG's either. Be nice if there was a model available for those who don't want or need the extra room.

[Ret.LEO]

Originally Posted by akeagle

After buying our Minnie Winnie/E450 I started seeing complaints here and elsewhere of hot floors in the cab area. One of the first things I did was to cover the factory rubber matting on the cab floor with a rubber-backed felt cargo mat I found at WalMart (there was a lot of cutting and fitting to make it look decent.) That was an improvement in appearance, but I wasn't satisfied with its ability to absorb water from wet shoes. So, I ordered a pair of thicker felt-like mats from the local Ford dealer. I winced at the $80 price tag but they were made specifically to fit the E-Series vans. It turned out they fit well but were otherwise only little better than cheap mats available at any Five & Dime. Not satisfied with them either, I looked harder at Ford mats and found some thick rubber mats with deep channels to contain water, snow, and dirt from shoes. (They also cost $80 but quality is much better.) I layered all this on the floor, new rubber mats on top of Ford felt mats on top of WalMart felt cargo matting on top of Ford factory rubber mat. It seemed all that worked pretty well to keep the exhaust heat from the Mrs's tender tootsies. The bulk is not excessive either.

If you check You Tube there are some excellent helps for heat and noise. Dynamat and the generics have great reviews, not horrible in price and easy to install.

[Ret.LEO]

Originally Posted by youracman

I guess I have led a sheltered life ....................... for 87 years. lol

So is LEO an acronym? Need some education. Been wondering about that for a long time.

Thanks, podnuh ..... and safe travels. ed s in Denver

Hi, glad to clarify
Leo is a proper name.
LEO is a Law Enforcement Officer. 16-1/2 years until I had a stroke and put out to pasture.

Ret.........retired, LEO.....Law Enforcement Officer

[youracman]

Thanks for the clarification ................ and for your 16-1/2 years of service to others too.

Best.................. ed s

[Ret.LEO]

Originally Posted by youracman

Thanks for the clarification ................ and for your 16-1/2 years of service to others too.

Best.................. ed s

Thanks Ed!
It was the best 16-1/2 years of my life! Loved helping people. I was a County Deputy in a combination rural and one medium size City. My County was 99% good people and 1% not so good.

The best thing was it inspired my youngest Son to become a State Trooper who is now a Master Sargent, He married a Assistant State's Prosecuting Attorney.
Want to guess what the general topic is during our Thanksgiving Dinner?
Sorry to get off topic:
But I also saw online a heat wrap that go's over the exhaust under the floor. Rated for up to 2,000 degrees. It looks like a good addition also.

[bamaboy473]

The OP was specific about Ford V10s, so here's my opinion.

a. I have had 3 Ford diesel 7.3L during the 2000s, back when that engine was the best that Ford produced. The V10 was next in line, and it was good.

b. Absent the diesel or the 7.3s ability to be tuned to the max, the V10 took the prize for a workhorse engine that pulled and stayed the course for R&M.

c. Any engine that can last 20 years is a winner, whether the V10 or the 5.0L

[CapeCodger]

We had a workhorse in ours. Now we have a ford and hate it. The tranny will drive go crazy. Ford told us step on the gas every 30 secs. Sure going down mountains your going to step on the gas.

[moonie]

Originally Posted by Ret.LEO

Hi,
Just learning getting ready to buy our 1st Class C. What didn't you like about the Ford V-10?
Thanks for your thoughts

The Ford V10 mated to the 5 or 6 speed Ford transmission is a fabulous combination that is the best in the market. I changed Xmission fluid and engine oil to Amsoid synthetic and my gas mileage averages 10 MPG. Under the best conditions I have been up to 12 MPH and the worst has been around 8-9 MPG. The reliability is absolute solid. If you do need a part they are in ready supply anywhere. The Ford quality and reliability is unsurpassed I am on my third gasser and would not have a diesel due to the maintenance cost.
A lot of RVers buy the Mercedes combo because it's assumed that it is a better overall purchase. They are NOT. Clearly, the E450 combo is the proven and standard option and cost far less than the Navion and View. Plus you have so much more quality space inside the units of the class C motor homes compared to the Mercedes options. There are also many more items that you can purchase for the E450 combo because it is the long time standard for the Class C motorhomes. That's not the case with the class C Mercedes units. However, you will get better gas mileage with the little Mercedes engine but pay higher prices for diesel. Overall, I'd stick with a proven product as the Ford V10 truck engine clearly is rather than accept the marketing hype of a Mercedes sedan car engine.

[Tracky101]

WE have the Ford E450. (26B) Bought new in 2016. Have not had any problems at all, and it runs great. We have pulled at 2001 Jeep with it with no problems. Average mileage 10 without the pull. While pulling about 9 .

[mcirv]

I have owned 3 RVs with the Ford V10 engine. A 27 ft class C a 37 ft Class A and my current 35 ft Class A and have never had an issue. I get between 6.5 - 7 MPG with a toad. I love it