Going from Class A to Class C
I sold my 33 ft Class A (Ford F53 chassis)a few years ago. I was never happy with the ride. Solid axles, leaf springs,80 lbs.air in tires etc. I'm thinking of going to a smaller (26 to 28')Class C. Wh...
Forum Discussion
I sometimes quote an Old Chinese Proverb that I made up: "If you want something to perform best, buy a heavy duty version of it and use it in a light duty way."
The more I read these forums, the more I'm beginning to think that the E350 and E450 chassis are in general being fulltime loaded too heavily by most Class C motorhomes built on them. What I mean by "loaded too heavily" is not that it's fulltime loaded above it's design maximums - just that it's fulltime loaded too close to it's design maximums.
Imagine driving an E350 or E450 based box delivery van eight hours a day that is all the time loaded way up - never unloaded. I wonder if the driver wouldn't eventually begin to think that the E350 or E450 chassis under their van was somehow a poor performer and maybe not the best?
In contrast, my 24 foot Class C on it's E450 chassis is enough under-loading the chassis such that everything about it's handling has felt well controlled since day-one, with all stock components. We just have had to tolerate it's stiff ride in the rear from the under-loading.
Of course there are many factors that come into play with a big box going down the road on a frame and it's suspension with six small tires, but having a frame and suspension design that is not stressed as much under that big box seems to make sense.
The more I read these forums, the more I'm beginning to think that the E350 and E450 chassis are in general being fulltime loaded too heavily by most Class C motorhomes built on them. What I mean by "loaded too heavily" is not that it's fulltime loaded above it's design maximums - just that it's fulltime loaded too close to it's design maximums.
Imagine driving an E350 or E450 based box delivery van eight hours a day that is all the time loaded way up - never unloaded. I wonder if the driver wouldn't eventually begin to think that the E350 or E450 chassis under their van was somehow a poor performer and maybe not the best?
In contrast, my 24 foot Class C on it's E450 chassis is enough under-loading the chassis such that everything about it's handling has felt well controlled since day-one, with all stock components. We just have had to tolerate it's stiff ride in the rear from the under-loading.
Of course there are many factors that come into play with a big box going down the road on a frame and it's suspension with six small tires, but having a frame and suspension design that is not stressed as much under that big box seems to make sense.
