Ford or Chev

We have the 21 QB on the Chev and really like it. More foot room than the Ford, easier to go from the cab seats to the "house", he 6.0 is smooth with plenty of power, and rides very well.

The Chevy is a little bit longer because the doghouse is smaller.

I'm surprised you can find a rig with a Chevy chassis, mainly because most RV upfitters have moved to Ford E-350/E-450s.

Other than that, both platforms will serve you well. Ford has the edge on dealers and service, but other than that, it is six of one/half a dozen of the other.

Either rig should have at least 3,000# of payload which is fine for a 25' C. Check the door sticker for exact numbers. The Ford is an E-350 with the 6.8L V-10 mated to the superb 5 speed Torque Shift transmission. The Chevy will probably be the 6.0L V-8. Both are excellent and plenty of power for a coach that size.

Check the fuel tankage available. Many coaches that size only come with 40 gallons and the optional 55 gallon tank is what you really want/need. Mileage will be about the same, perhaps a tad bit better with the smaller Chevy V-8.

The chevy cab will have a little bit more legroom and overall the Chevy will be about 6" longer than the Ford. Ford offers an excellent power drivers seat that is worth having.

For what it is worth there are far more Fords out there but service for either should be readily available just about anywhere you travel. Both should be rated to tow up to 5,000# though a toad weighing much less is the way to go.

We have had a 2012 Nexus Phantom 23P on a 2011 E-350 chassis (which is 24'6"), for 2 years and 23,000+ miles and could not be happier with the ride and performance. Our payload is 3,363# and we have yet to use more than about 60% of the available storage. Mileage consistently averages 9.5 (at 55 - 63 mph), and that includes some generator time.

:C

Just a little biased here, being a Chevy owner but I will have to go with the Chevy. More leg room, smoother ride,a tad bit better gas mileage and doesn't have the front end problems that seem to plague the Fords.

The Clicky in my signature may help answer any questions about the Chevy.

If you possibly can, Drive Both! It seems Coachmen is using the Chevy 4500 version of their chassis and not the 3500. But with Ford, they're using the 350 and not the 450 which would be 14,500 GVWR and a FAR higher GCWR than the Chevy.

Fords tend to have handling problems Chevys don't seem to have. Fords are Very, Very Rugged. Have not heard of any Chevy with anywhere near the 408,000 on one of our members' E350.

That said, most of us will not wear an RV chassis out. Drive Both.

Try both, see which one you like more. Either chassis will easily out-last the coach under normal conditions.

If it were a maxed out class C (like one of those double slide 32-footers) I'd say Ford without questions, since its chassis it is heavier, and the motor is bigger. For a small coach, definitely driver preference.

Also.... Check local Ford and Chevy dealers, and make sure you can service the chassis you choose. Not all Ford dealers will do motor homes, and even less Chevy dealers.

Hpymils wrote:
I am going to buy a 2015 Coachmen 21RS. Any comments on getting a Ford or Chev. The only difference that I can find on the Coachmen description is that the gross weight for the Chev is 14,200 lbs and for the Ford it is 12,500 lbs. The 21RS is 24ft 9 inches long so there is not a lot of room to add weight with equipment and supplies.

I prefer the Chevy.

BUT... on the Forest River forum, the rep is saying they can not get any Chevy chassis and Chevy can't tell them when they will be able to. They are built in a plant which makes the new Colorado & Canyon pickups, and all production is going towards the pickups. So unless you find a Chevy on a lot, you might only have the choice of Ford.

We are in a similar boat and have been researching class C's for several months.

The older Fords seem to garner a lot of complaints about steering wander, this complaint disappears after about 2008 or so when they redesigned the front end.

Both are proven performers and I am sure either one would serve you well but the thing I keep coming back to is why do 80-90% of class C coach buyers prefer the Ford chassis? You know the RV industry is going to use what sells best, it's in their best interest.

There has to be a reason and I can't imagine it's just the additional few hundred pounds of payload you get with the Ford.

I have a 2012 (2011 running gear) E450. I have spoken to a couple of truck alignment centers and they said to not do anything to the front ends if they are driving ok. I was having some wander with mine, was going to install new sway bars and shocks again they recommended not to. Anyhow I increased the rear airbags to 65-70 psi, run the front tires at 65 and the rears at 75. Made a world of difference. So it seems it takes some experimentation to get it to drive the way you want it. I may still go with bigger/better sway bars and shocks but it has dropped down on my to do list.

Snowman9000 wrote:

Hpymils wrote:
I am going to buy a 2015 Coachmen 21RS. Any comments on getting a Ford or Chev. The only difference that I can find on the Coachmen description is that the gross weight for the Chev is 14,200 lbs and for the Ford it is 12,500 lbs. The 21RS is 24ft 9 inches long so there is not a lot of room to add weight with equipment and supplies.

I prefer the Chevy.

BUT... on the Forest River forum, the rep is saying they can not get any Chevy chassis and Chevy can't tell them when they will be able to. They are built in a plant which makes the new Colorado & Canyon pickups, and all production is going towards the pickups. So unless you find a Chevy on a lot, you might only have the choice of Ford.

I was at a RV dealership looking at Sunseekers, and the dealer said the exact same thing. No more Chevies... just Fords and Sprinters.