Class C with Chev engine--Good or ?

j-d wrote:
...Now, if the Chevy is old enough to have a 5.7L V8... that engine is not in the same league as all the others I've mentioned. I wouldn't suggest that one for anything but a smallish B+.

Our RV is old enough and has a 5.7L (350) Chevy. The BT Cruiser could be old enough also. We looked at both the Trail-Lite and a Ford powered BT. We picked ours because it had more cab room and drove better. A lot depends on how much the unit weighs. Ours scales at 9,020 lbs. fully loaded with both of us on board. We have a well-documented 12.1 miles per gallon. I have recorded every tank fill on a spreadsheet that adds all the gallons burned in total miles travelled. So "j-d" has a point, if you have the same engine in a 14,500 lb unit, you might struggle up some hills. With our lighter unit, we have been able to accelerate up mountain road.

The 350 cu inch 5.7L Chevy engine has been around for years. I owned a 1970 Chevy pickup with essentially the same engine. Drove that one close to 200,000 miles without any problems. It didn't get as good gas mileage as the RV. That 4 barrel carb would pour the gas into the engine. Most owners call the engine bullet proof.

We are very happy with our 2012 Sunseeker 2300 (25 ft.) on a Chevy 4500 chassis. The 6.0L engine is very good and combined well with 6 speed transmission. The chassis handles very well--really doesn't feel much different than my Chevy Avalanche. I can't really compare to the Ford--only drove it briefly at a dealership. I can tell you I am completely happy with the Chevy 4500 package.

I owned an RV built on the Ford E350 with the V10 and I now own an RV built on a Chevy 3500 with the 6.0L engine. Both RVs were the same size, weight and rough dimensions. The Chevy handles better and has all the power the Ford had but gives a better ride and much better MPG. In fact I get better mileage with the Chevy towing a Jeep Wranger thru the Rockies than I ever got with the Ford towing nothing. The Chevy does have a more comfortable cockpit area as well. The one thing I miss with the Ford is the much tighter turning radius.

A Class C on a Chevy Chassis is a good choice, they are not plagued with handling problems that the Fords have and they have a larger and a more user friendly driver area.

Here is a link about The Class C on a Chevy Chassis that may be helpful.

Chevy Class C

The Fords would be an E350 or E450 chassis possibly with a 5.4-Liter V8, but much more likely with a 6.8L V10 engine. The Chevy is likely to be a 3500 (about like E350), maybe the newer 4500 series (equivalent to E450) but the only engine offered would be the 6.0L V8. That engine will outdo the Ford 5.4 and come close to the V10.
The Chevy handles better than a stock Ford and has a much more user-friendly cab. Now, if the Chevy is old enough to have a 5.7L V8... that engine is not in the same league as all the others I've mentioned. I wouldn't suggest that one for anything but a smallish B+.

Chevy ford, both are good motors, ford has a 460 and Chevy has a 454. The only short coming is, the exhaust manifolds can be overheated easily and crack. This can happen to either engine. Diesels are more costly to operate, but they do get better fuel mileage. I would stick to gas, as you plan on using it occasionally, and not drive 50,000 miles a year( if you were, then that's when you talk diesel). Hope this helps