Small ‘C’. Chev or Godzilla

I know you didn't ask but so far we are really happy with our Mercedes based diesel class C. Mileage is good, ride is awesome and plenty of power to tow our CRV.

I have read a lot the posts about the Ford based Class C over the last few years. They seem to be the majority of the ones out there.

It seems that the Fords have problems with the front suspension and are plagued with handling problems that are costly to fix and have to be worked on a lot.Also fuel pump problems. I have not seen any posts about these problems on a Chevy Based Class C.

The noise and heat that is generated by the Fords seems to be a factor especially on the passenger side. I drove several of the same type that I bought, all on Ford chassis, and I really noticed the noise and heat and handling differences of the two.

The power and pulling and GVWR seem to be very close from what I have read by authors that have had both, also the fuel mileage seems to be close,maybe a bit better and it has a larger fuel tank.

One thing that the Chevy has over the Fords is the Leg room up front. If you’re tall like me at 6’6’’ 225 then you need that room.

As an added bonus you can install a
Swivel Seat that cannot be added on most Fords, Giving you even more room in the RV.

As a disclaimer, I bought a 2006 Chevy based Tioga Class C 26Q, I test drove about a dozen or more of the same or similar types all on Ford Chassis and just one test drive in a Chevy based one and I was sold.


So far no problems after 12 years on my Former Rental with more than 120000 miles on it, drives straight with no expensive add-ons to the suspension, rides really smooth for what it is, it is quiet and cool up front with plenty of leg room. Plenty of power when needed.

i have a 7.3 gaa in a 2022 27ft. vegas its a monster. i get 10.5 to 11 mpg on flat road no wind pulling a 4k lb carat 60 to 65 mph. no down shifting. on hilly road or head wind it drops to 9 mpg. my v10 with the same car and a 27ft. c class never got that even without the car. iam not a oil burner but if that is what you like thats great
JMO

We have a 2017 Forest River Forester 2251 SLE on a Chevy450 chassis with the 6.0 gas engine. Wanted to get the Chevy because of better leg room-particularly on passenger side. Also, read a lot of complaints about heat coming up thru floor or engine house-to a point where it was very uncomfortable with the Ford chassis. Really like the fact that my wife can and will drive it. Also, I can sit straight up in the overhead sleeping area. No complaints.

Thanks for the replies.
I’m looking to stay away from the newer diesels for simplicity and the complexity of the newer emissions.
I like the fact the Chevy 6.0 has been around a long time and seems to be very reliable.
I’ve always heard about the better leg room but since I always drove never really thought about it. However, riding passenger in my Brothers class C I quickly realized the issue. Could not get comfortable on the passenger side.
I also just read a post on the Towing forum about some valve train issues and engine replacements with the new 7.3.

We have a Forest River 2501TSF on a Ford E-450 chassis. Our experiences are as follows:

Power, it's very apparent that the Ford 7.3 is much more powerful than the Chevy. Also, power will increase substantially at about 7500 miles.

Center consul heat, we haven't noticed this issue; possibly as the 7.3 engine is much narrower than the previous 6.8 V10.

Alignment, all of the new RV's need alignment as when Forest River adds 9000# to the chassis, the partial cab alignment changes. Forest River doesn't state this but they will pay up to $300 for an alignment. We had the tools and $35 for one camber/caster bushing, so we did it ourselves. Have them set it for zero toe-in/toe-out, otherwise the steering will feel vague.

Gas mileage, we have an average of 9.8 mpg over the last 4000 miles driving around 67 mph, without towing.

Leg Room, the Chevy is better. Also, some people don't like the Ford driver's seat. For me both are ok.

Other: U-Haul and RTD prefer Ford chassis so maybe they are more reliable. We purchased from RV Wholesalers vs Camping World manly for price, and we pleasantly surprised by how well their warranty service worked vs Camping World. Also add the Forest River Bilstein Shocks, Helwig rear sway bar package, it's well worth it.

I thought the 7.3 came with the 10 speed transmission? If so, that would be a hard combination to pass up.

I’m pretty sure you get the 6 speed trans with the 7.3 in the commercial or RV chassis.
With the extra load I don’t think you would ever be in the upper gears anyway.

You’re correct. All the future plumber trucks, furniture deliverymobiles and RVs still have the 6 speed.
I believe all the bread trucks / destined to be roach coaches 30 years from now do as well.

I have a 2018 24’ class c on a v10 Ford E450. I spent $4k to make it drive better.
I would go GM if I had to do this again. My previous TC had a 6.0 with a 4 spd and it hauled 10,700# plus a 3,000 trailer with no problems east of the Mississippi.