I don't get why many more FREDS aren't offered.

It is very simple: The "bean counters" in Marketing!
THEY don't think a FRED will sell, so the company won't make them.
Why is it difficult to find a standard cab pickup? Marketing!
Why is it difficult to find a 4X2 pickup? Marketing!
Why are the majority of new pickups on the lots 4-door cab? Because Marketing says that is what MOST consumers want!
Why are most (in some brands, ALL) pickups automatic transmission, a manual is no longer available? Again, Marketing says very few people want a manual, so we won't build ANY!
Remember the "bad old days" when you could walk into a dealership and order EXACTLY the vehicle you wanted, built with just the options YOU wanted, if you were willing to wait for it? I guess you still can with big trucks, but that's about the only thing.

Fuel economy is the feature that I noted that FRED offered. The front engine benefits from better cooling from air when traveling. Thus the percent of the time the cooling fan in on is lower than a DP. The large cooling fan can consume 20% of the engine power. FREDs seem to be built of gasser chassis or modified gasser chassis and thus they may well be lighter than DPs helping their MPG. However, in balance I would prefer a DP as long as I can do so.

I think they did not sell well because they were still on a gas chassis so the ride was not as good as a DP. They cost $8000 more. The HP was the same as the 8.1 workhorse on a heavier chassis so not a improvement in performance. The only advantage that I see was the improved fuel economy which was suppose to be 70% better which would be 13 mpg. I don't think many people got that much. But even if they did they would save about $750 in fuel per year if they drove an average of 5000 miles per year.

Vote for FRED!

roam1 wrote:
Weren't the FREDs on a sprung chassis with small ful tanks?
Whenever I looked, I kept on looking.

Yes it does.

The chassis itself is very similar to a gasser chassis. It features a 55 degree wheel cut, parabolic leaf springs, 50,000 PSI ladder frames, and hydraulic disk brakes with ABS. The engine is coupled to the driveline via either an Allison 2100MH transmission (Allegro Bay) and uses the Arens push button shift selector pad. The Allegro gets the lighter duty Allison 2200 transmission. Initially these were 5 speed transmissionms but as of 2008 they now feature 6 speeds.

The GVWR of a FRED based motorhome increases to 26,000 lbs with a 30,000 lb GCWR so the extra capacity allows the coach builder to add plenty of slideouts while still retaining adequate Cargo Carrying Capacity. This gives it an advantage over gassers, who can be saddled with low CCC ratings on a well equipped coach.

FRED won't ever outdo the benefits of a diesel pusher chassis, but those benefits do come at a significant price. The target market for FRED is an RVer who wants to stay in the gasser chassis price range but needs a bit more cargo carrying capacity and wants the advantages of a diesel engine. The improved fuel economy and longer service intervals should make FRED a less expensive vehicle as far as operating costs go. The initial cost upcharge (estimated at $8,000 List price or $6,000 to the end user) can be offset by the reduced operating costs. The actual cost recovery point will depend upon how much you drive the RV. If you really don't put that many miles on your RV, chances are you won't be able to justify it strictly from an operating expenses standpoint but you still will benefit from the extra CC and pulling power. All in all, it's nice to have the option for those who choose to have it.

Weren't the FREDs on a sprung chassis with small ful tanks?
Whenever I looked, I kept on looking.

MrWizard wrote:
IIRC
the power stroke is just a re-branded Cummins design
don't know if Ford makes it under license, or whether they buy them from Cummins

they are in rear because people want to be away from the noise , like the flat roomy drivers area and spacing, they like the engine in the rear

the FREDS are not real noisy, but the drivers compartment is NOT as quiet as with a rear engine

its about noise and comfort

the front engine doesn't drive any faster or get any better economy than the same engine in the rear when drive the same weight

The Powerstrokes were NEVER a cummins re brand. They were in house designs as of late and the earlier ones were Navistar.

Most of the front diesel engine class As were so low on Cargo Capacity that nobody bought them. The extra wieght of the diesel killed the CCC and towing ability without exceeding GCWR.

I think it was because the first freds were Cummins engines before they became as quiet as they are now. The new generation engines are quieter than a gas engine nowadays.

MrWiz, the new Powerstrokes are an in house design. The old Powerstrokes were a Navistar design.