ctilsie242 wrote:
Not a current owner, but here are my two centavos:
I like the Ford E-350/E-450 chassis. It isn't the cheapest, nor is it the latest tech. It guzzles fuel (6-10MPG for a typical class "C" compared to 18-20 MPG for a Sprinter V6.) However, it has been around so long that almost all the bugs are gone, and it works extremely well. The V-10 is hard to kill, and if I do destroy it, $5000 + labor gets me a new one from a crate. Its electronics don't go haywire if you look at it wrong, and if it does die, there are many, many Ford places that can fix those.
It is an extremely modifiable engine. If I want a turbo so I don't have as much power loss on grades, that is doable. In fact, there is a local mechanic shop that has done many supercharger upgrades on E-350-E-450 based class "C"s (just so the rig doesn't lose steam in Colorado, Oregon, or other places), and the breakage rate is quite low. One thing I will get, should I get a class "C", is a second alternator/voltage regulator, so I have 200-280 amps right to the house batteries, allowing me to run the roof A/C while on the road, or have A/C in areas where generator operation is banned.
The cost difference between an E-350/E-450 and a Sprinter can buy a ton of fuel.
Of course, this is just my opinion, and other people's have things equally as valid. Take it for what you will...
Well stated comments regarding "good old American iron" under a U.S. built Class C motorhome.
Our rig exploits E450 V10 advantages to the limit because it's an overkill chassis for our 24 foot 11,800 lb. Class C. For instance, just a few days ago I had it's brake pads checked ... the original front brake pads have ~71K miles and 12 years on them ... and they still have 80% left!
We get 9-10 MPG and it climbs like a goat with our small Class C on it's back. We've traveled with it fully loaded up to 11,300 ft. in Colorado and on highways in the Eastern Wyoming high country and in both situations we were able to climb up grades right along with the little SUVs, diesel pusher Class As, and diesel pulled TTs/5'ers. Also because it's a small unit, when traveling in scorching temperatures the great Ford dash air conditioning can keep the whole coach area cool without having to run the roof air using the built-in Onan generator. When drycamping in noise sensitive situations, we sometimes idle the V10 a bit to dump up to 80 amps into the coach batteries ... from it's stock 130 amp alternator. The V10 is very quiet and vibration-free when idling - which is why Ford E-Series emergency service vans can park at incident sites with their engines idling for extended periods without harming the V10 or irritating people around it. Unless it's changed in the newest versions, I don't believe that extended idling of the Sprinter diesel engines should be done - even if their idling noise level turns out to be whisper quiet like the V10.
