FREDs vs DPs

And noise does not to be a problem for a diesel engine in the front. I have a Ford F350 with a 7.3 l International Navistar diesel V8 engine. That engine is at least as large as most engines in diesel pusher need. The engine is only noisy when idling, When on the road, one can hardly hear a diesel engine working in front of me!

Mike Hohnstein wrote:
Long drive shaft assemblies can absorb a good bit of power and are known to be difficult to tune out vibration and 'thrum' @ higher speeds.

What? Do gassers have this problem? Do medium duty trucks have this problem? They actually have some advantages over pushers, such a better cooling, easer access, 50+ more hp to be useable, no hot drivetrain under the bedroom. Yea, I know, no air suspension or brakes, more noise, well maybe. The front diesel has a redline of 3,200 RPM, compared to 5,400 RPM for the ford gas. If the suspension is properly tuned, with enough travel, it will ride pretty good. FORD has engineered their suspension per the manufactures requests for a soft ride, and they got what they asked for, when the MHs are empty. What they need is stronger springs with more travel before hitting the bump stops.

Than Sprinter diesel-based ClassC are priced out of common sense.
Somebody got to love front diesels... when they are done right.

Long drive shaft assemblies can absorb a good bit of power and are known to be difficult to tune out vibration and 'thrum' @ higher speeds.

I think of a FRED as a diesel powered gas motorhome. What I mean by that is that the chassis is much closer to the gas chassis, springs instead of airbags etc. Normally a rear diesel chassis is heavier duty, with air bag suspension etc. I always thought there was a place for the FRED's in the market lineup. It gives someone the reliability of the diesel engine without the major cost increase associated with going up to a diesel pusher.

Ed Headington

I thought you meant Flashing Rearend Device used on Trains. Too long a drive line I suppose but we used to have 300 inch wheel base tractors in NM. However they were that long because of the Bridge formula for weight distribution and the Frost Laws in Ut and Co. I'd have to say it's WOW (Wt on Wheels. Rides the same, fuel 6.1-7MPG. Probably just as quiet.

You are correct that FRED class A's never seemed to catch on. Not unlike the Workhorse UFO rear gas engine coach.

The idea of a diesel engine in the front was interesting, offering the torque, fuel efficiency and durability of a diesel engine without all the added costs of a diesel pusher. It would seem they would be noisy but that would depend on how well the coach builder insulated the coach floor and dog house cover.

IIRC, Tiffin was perhaps the only coach builder who embraced them. I don't think Winnebago offered any in their class A coaches.