We have a 24ft class c, a 2005 Fleetwood Tioga 23e, on the Ford E 450 chassis. We are thinking of getting a 4wd conversion done by Advanced Four Drive in Salt Lake City. It would make driving on some of the dirt Forest Service and BLM roads near us a little more do able if it rains or snows because of the 4wd option and the extra ground clearance the conversion offers. Also more practical to drive over the Sierra passes near us in the winter. We would NOT use it for any off roading. For any of you that have had a 4wd conversion done to a class c, how did it impact highway driving or road manners? Thanks!

I suggest going over the SportsMobile Forums and doing a search. This topic has been covered a lot, and there's a few folks who where not happy with Advanced. I would be especially wary on a motorhome, because they tend to not use robust axle options, and may not have enough suspension travel to tame the ride. They also machine their own brake rotors and/or hubs, so brake jobs can be difficult when it comes to sourcing new parts.OTOH, I highly recommend QuadVan. It's all new OEM Ford parts, which makes it ride well, turn sharper, and is easily serviceable at Ford dealers. I'm using them for my van, and will be going with an F550/wide-track axle to get the tightest turning radius possible. Their standard axle brings the turning radius in 7-ft, and the wide-track even more.

Caringb, Thanks for the response. I have read many of the forum posts about Advanced as well as Quadvan. Seems to be some split opinions there. Advanced uses a leaf spring suspension and Quadvan uses (I think) coil springs. Any pros and cons for a heavy duty vehicle such as an rv on the E450 chassis?

Would not a selectable locker in the rear be a worthwhile option?

how much does a conversion of that kind cost these days?

A basic 4wd conversion at Advanced for a class c motor home is $12K. I think Quadvan charges more.

four wheel drive conversion | Good Sam Community

32 Replies

carringb
Explorer
Jan 07, 2015
Rear tire clearance for 235s will depend entirely on the coach. They fit the wheels and clear running gear just fine.

All Terrains will make the ride slightly less smooth compared to H/Ts
chloe_s_ranch
Explorer
Jan 07, 2015
If we have the 4wd conversion done I am thinking of switching to 235/85/16 all terrain tires(perhaps Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs) for a little more ground clearance as Phil suggested. Has anyone tired this size tire on their E 450? Any issue with the extra 1/2 in width on the rear duallies? Or going with all terrain tires?
j-d
Explorer II
Jan 06, 2015
Quigley did around 30 chassis for Jayco to offer a 4*4 version of one of their Class C models.
VA-Apraisr
Explorer II
Jan 05, 2015
Quigley 4x4 in Pennsylvania did my 28' Class C V10 E450 conversion back in 2003.....have put 65,000 miles on it since then and not one single issue! Cost $10k back then, but worth every penny. Stable ride, mostly beach sand driving (air down tires to 25psi) for fishing adventures. Quigley does all the UPS/FEDEX van/trucks and they do it right! Good luck on your 4x4 plans!
chloe_s_ranch
Explorer
Jan 01, 2015
Explorer, Wow, looks like your 4th class C is pretty heavy duty. Must be a lot of fun to own your rig! A little beefier than the conversion we are thinking of for our class C. The advantage of building an rv from the get go on a 4wd truck chassis.
Explorer1016
Explorer
Jan 01, 2015
Look at my signature. F550 4x4 30ft'r. Winter package. We are camping this weekend. Chloe, you can throw on tire chains or get out in the mud and maybe find something to hook your winch too or, pull the transfer case into 4 low, get through the obstacle and go. My 550 has the factory 4x4 package and extremely tight turn radius. Love it. And you probably will too.
carringb
Explorer
Dec 31, 2014
17" wheels are about $225/ea. They are actually Dodge wheels with the centers cut to match the 4.88 Ford hubs. They work just like the duals you have now, except can take a wider tire, which also means your tire capacity goes up too. QuadVan keeps all the hubs stock E450 pattern, unlike Quigley and maybe others that run mismatched wheels front and rear. I'm pretty sure Advanced also keeps matched wheel sets, but using 16" wheels which requires using an older axle with smaller brakes.
chloe_s_ranch
Explorer
Dec 31, 2014
Thanks Carringb. I wonder how expensive 17 inch wheels are, and how they work with dwrs?
carringb
Explorer
Dec 31, 2014
QuadVan's basic conversion for a van is about $14k I think, but I know some packages can easily top 20k once you throw in nice tires, lockers, on board air, electronic shift on the fly. The QuadVan conversion does require all new 17" wheels and tires in order to fit the brakes.
chloe_s_ranch
Explorer
Dec 31, 2014
Gary, I never thought about Chloe's Ranch that way, but I could see how you might! Actually Chloe's Ranch is our nickname for 10 acres we own out in the boonies near us in eastern California. Chloe was our first Border Collie (we are now on our 3rd and 4th) and we thought all Border Collies need a "ranch" to run around on. It's not really a ranch, but undeveloped land we use like our own private "campground".

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four wheel drive conversion

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