Ford Gas Chassis for 38 footers ?

one thing to consider - biggest reason I would not want a 38 foot GAS coach is having to navigate regular gas stations with such a large coach with a toad. Being able to use the trucker pumps is a huge factor for me when considering a coach.

Devocamper wrote:
Looking again at a switch from fifth wheel to motor home again, looked around last year and was very disappointed with quality. My current question is for those that have larger gas motor homes on the ford chassis 26K and how they handle the load? It seems from my test drives of coaches in the 36 foot range were taxing the chassis. I have found two floor plans that we like but they are 38 footers, the Winnebago adventurer 38 Q and the Itasca same model as well as the newmar canyon star 3914 . Just looking for real world advise on how these coaches handle long grades towing a small suv or should I be looking at a diesel in this size?
Thanks
Mike

we have a 2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q-U1. this is essentially a 2015 38Q made for just a short time in '16 before the U2 models were produced. apart from a totally different cab and a 6-speed tranny, the U1 model is identical to the 2015 F53. we've got a bit over 5K miles on it in the past 12-months and so far, so good. we tow a 3800-lb Jeep Liberty and while we haven't pulled over the rockies or Appalachians yet we have pulled up some grade, most notably the climb up SB I-17 from Camp Verde, AZ. while we didn't make that climb as fast as I would've liked (55-mph) about the slowest we got was 30-35 mph. most of the time we were 40-45 mph. not bad. i was in 2nd most of the time but didn't want to tax the engine too much and so dumped it down to 1st in the steepest parts.

We tried a few with a gas and a few with diesel. I didn't like the was the ford handled. We ended up with a 35 ft Winnebago an a workhorse chassis. Getting to big and still have the lighter chassis I what I didn't like. Look at the carrying capacity and see how much is left over after they put the house on. Some are right at the limit before you start putting anything in it.

Devocamper wrote:
Looking again at a switch from fifth wheel to motor home again, looked around last year and was very disappointed with quality. My current question is for those that have larger gas motor homes on the ford chassis 26K and how they handle the load? It seems from my test drives of coaches in the 36 foot range were taxing the chassis. I have found two floor plans that we like but they are 38 footers, the Winnebago adventurer 38 Q and the Itasca same model as well as the newmar canyon star 3914 . Just looking for real world advise on how these coaches handle long grades towing a small suv or should I be looking at a diesel in this size?
Thanks
Mike

you are correct you should be looking for diesel pusher @37ft and longer and make sure you have a ISC minimum and preferable ISL if going that route

K Charles wrote:
We tried a few with a gas and a few with diesel. I didn't like the was the ford handled. We ended up with a 35 ft Winnebago an a workhorse chassis. Getting to big and still have the lighter chassis I what I didn't like. Look at the carrying capacity and see how much is left over after they put the house on. Some are right at the limit before you start putting anything in it.

that can be true. when we were searching for a new MH back in 2000 one model that we were very interested in ended up being overweight on the rear axle the moment we stepped inside. as a result I am very weight conscious.

with a full load of fuel, fresh water, lp, food, clothing, supplies, people, pets and stuff on our 2016 38Q-U1 F53 chassis I have just under 900-lbs of payload left on the rear axle and and about 1500-lbs on the front. there are just the two of us and Maggie the beagle.

but the OP would be wise to not depend on the sales critter or the sticker in the closet for weight information (if buying new) and instead insist on taking the MH to a certified scale to determine the empty weight. the wet weight can then be calculated. our dealer was happy to do this.

the empty weight of our specific MH was 6800 on the front (2200-lbs payload) and 14,000-rear (3500-lbs payload). the measured wet weight (full tanks of fuel, fresh water and LP) was 6295 on the front (2075-lbs payload) and 15,100 on the rear (2400-lbs payload). the actual wet weight was roughly the same as my calculated wet weight.

Any gas motorhome above 36 foot with slide outs is already near max on any gas chassis, you can do it but make sure what you tow behind is very light, I have a 33 foot on Ford chassis and I tow 6000 lbs, puts me around 26000 lbs while towing and I can climb the large hills fine but does seem near max for the motor.

Mine is 36' on the 22,500GVW F53 chassis. As my first and only Class A, I have nothing to really compare it to. It drives fine to me, but it hits the bumps and potholes like there is no suspension. After much reading, I have come to understand that the F53 gas chassis is a rough riding setup compared to others....BUT it is a reliable chassis and the Triton V10 is a powerful and reliable engine. As others have pointed out, I would be leery of a longer coach on the F53 chassis. At 36', there is a lot of real estate hanging over and beyond the rear wheels. And if you're towing, there's that much more leverage on that hitch pulling down on the rear overhang. Check your hitch ratings closely.

timmac wrote:
Any gas motorhome above 36 foot with slide outs is already near max on any gas chassis, you can do it but make sure what you tow behind is very light, I have a 33 foot on Ford chassis and I tow 6000 lbs, puts me around 26000 lbs while towing and I can climb the large hills fine but does seem near max for the motor.

our 2016 triple slide 38Q gasser disproves that statement. change 'any' to 'some' and that would be more accurate.

timmac wrote:
Any gas motorhome above 36 foot with slide outs is already near max on any gas chassis, you can do it but make sure what you tow behind is very light, I have a 33 foot on Ford chassis and I tow 6000 lbs, puts me around 26000 lbs while towing and I can climb the large hills fine but does seem near max for the motor.

I thought the tow limit was 5,000lbs, at least on mine it is.

I have the 35' Monaco Monarch. I tow a light toad. I have gone up grades in the Rocky's and Sierras, no problem. I think it I were going to go with a longer rig, I would go diesel though. DW and I with two dogs are quite comfortable in the 35 footer though, but we are not full time.

The gas station thing could be a big pain, I would think.