Class C that's easy to fix?
I am DIY person and looking for a class C that's easy to fix, by that I mean it has a truck-like, easily accessible engine bay. Think F250 engine bay and you got it. I had an older F250HD and everythi...
Forum Discussion
et cetera,
I did not read through all the posts, but I wanted to provide my opinion and experience.
Our first motor home HERE was built on a Toyota pickup truck chassis that we owned for 24 years. One of the things I appreciated was easy access to the engine. But as time passed, my priorities transitioned from "easy mechanical maintenance" to "we want maximum house". When we replaced that tiny little rig, we went with a 2007 Ford E350 based rig HERE that provided the most house for the shortest van front. The following year, Ford restyled the E-series which added 3 inches forward, a critical 3" that would not allow me to walk around the rig when parked in our garage.
I dismissed a class-A primarily because the rig had to fit in our garage, but I have other issues with them.
Where I volunteer as a mechanic at an auto charity, I worked on a few old class A's and they are a serious pain to work on. I will take a mass-produced class C van chassis over any "kit" class A any day. Not only are they not designed with consideration to maintenance & repair, but they are built with inferior metals that rust badly. Disassembling anything often results in fabricating body panel brackets because the originals were rusted away so badly. Replacing a radiator is nearly impossible. Current-day class-A's, in some cases you have to remove the entire face of the motor home (windshield and all) to replace the radiator.
So if you are looking for "ease of maintenance" a class-A should "NOT" be a consideration.
As intimidating as a van chassis appears, they really are not bad. Interference items are fairly easily removed for access to the work area. Auto manufactures design automobiles with that consideration. Now I will admit, there have been a few bad apples, but the standard Ford and Chevy vans are not one of them.
So when considering a pickup truck front versus a van front, do you want 3 feet more hood, or 3 feet more house. After a while, you will likely opt for more of what you bought the rig for, enjoying it's comforts. Your wife will appreciate it all the more. If you wonder, 3 feet of extra house is "A Lot" of extra comfort.
There is also one additional consideration pickup or van. The van is easy to enter and exit from inside the house. It's harder in a pickup truck.
The van design has monumental advantages that apply directly to general comfort. More house and easy entry & exit from within. For 98% of people, that supersedes easier repairs.
I did not read through all the posts, but I wanted to provide my opinion and experience.
Our first motor home HERE was built on a Toyota pickup truck chassis that we owned for 24 years. One of the things I appreciated was easy access to the engine. But as time passed, my priorities transitioned from "easy mechanical maintenance" to "we want maximum house". When we replaced that tiny little rig, we went with a 2007 Ford E350 based rig HERE that provided the most house for the shortest van front. The following year, Ford restyled the E-series which added 3 inches forward, a critical 3" that would not allow me to walk around the rig when parked in our garage.
I dismissed a class-A primarily because the rig had to fit in our garage, but I have other issues with them.
Where I volunteer as a mechanic at an auto charity, I worked on a few old class A's and they are a serious pain to work on. I will take a mass-produced class C van chassis over any "kit" class A any day. Not only are they not designed with consideration to maintenance & repair, but they are built with inferior metals that rust badly. Disassembling anything often results in fabricating body panel brackets because the originals were rusted away so badly. Replacing a radiator is nearly impossible. Current-day class-A's, in some cases you have to remove the entire face of the motor home (windshield and all) to replace the radiator.
So if you are looking for "ease of maintenance" a class-A should "NOT" be a consideration.
As intimidating as a van chassis appears, they really are not bad. Interference items are fairly easily removed for access to the work area. Auto manufactures design automobiles with that consideration. Now I will admit, there have been a few bad apples, but the standard Ford and Chevy vans are not one of them.
So when considering a pickup truck front versus a van front, do you want 3 feet more hood, or 3 feet more house. After a while, you will likely opt for more of what you bought the rig for, enjoying it's comforts. Your wife will appreciate it all the more. If you wonder, 3 feet of extra house is "A Lot" of extra comfort.
There is also one additional consideration pickup or van. The van is easy to enter and exit from inside the house. It's harder in a pickup truck.
The van design has monumental advantages that apply directly to general comfort. More house and easy entry & exit from within. For 98% of people, that supersedes easier repairs.
