24 ft ClassC MH downsides

bobndot wrote:
AFAIK, 350 is not on a WB shorter than 158".

I remember two chassis ratings.
E350 has the same frame as the 14,050 GVWR E450 but the 14,500 GVWR E450 has a heavier frame and I think it uses larger brakes. *Double check on that.

GCWR , 4.56 gears rated at 22,000. Note that 4.56 gears are now standard on the E350 as well starting with 2016 models. Older 350 uses 4.10's.

RE slides: Most of us are one person having slide experience with one rv. If it doesn't give you problems then its fine. But its a ****-shoot., and most of us are peeling off $100k plus to buy these wonderful works of art.
If you had the opportunity to sit inside an rv shop day after day and week after week to witness rvs coming into that shop needing repairs you might rethink the slideout.

If you get a slide model make sure its totally usable with the slide pulled 'in' if it malfunctions.

I would stay away from large or full wall slides. Be sure the slide is small and light enough like a dinette slide, so 'you' are able to push it back in yourself in the event of a binding malfunction where you can't hand-crack it back in.
Don't leave yourself stranded at a dealerships mercy. Be able to use and drive yourself back home or con't on your trip in a 'slide-closed' useful mode.

I like having a 24' non slide floorplan with a full time, non folding, full use bed, bc I pull off the road to sleep a lot and need to be stealth, no slides sticking out making it obvious that 'Hi im here'.

You should take some factory tours, either in person which is really best or on line video tours if you're not able to travel to do that.
See how the slide framework is constructed between an 'A' and a much lighter 'C' rv . There are electric as well as hydraulic slides.
See if the slide motors are hidden and when you need to replace it, do you have to hire a construction crew to remove and replace it. Look for potential hazards in their build . Motors, breakers, electrical, carpet and flooring issues, seals, framework, slide mechanisms like rail adjusters and the general integrity of the wall structure that can break down over time from over the road pounding.
As we become older performing the work ourselves becomes more difficult. We need more and more to rely on shops which are packed. Why are they packed ?
Because rvs are build like tanks ?

From these specs, it looks like that the E450 is still offered in a 138 inch wheelbase (click on "Specifications" on the lower left):
https://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/stripped-chassis/2021/models/e450-drw/

P.S. It seems like it's more difficult nowadays to locate all of the E-series detailed specs that were available some years ago when we bought our E450 based Class C. The specs I used to have access to showed E350/E450 differences in such areas as - frame thickness, driveshaft diameter, power brake booster type, spring stiffness, front/rear torsion bars (rear only on E350, both front/rear on E450), differential ring gear diameter, drive axle spline count, etc..