What is an F53 motorhome
I've seen a lot of posts lately about problems with an F53 motorhome which got me to thinking. What is an F53? How do I spot one? Should I avoid one if shopping for a new MH?
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opnspaces wrote:
I've seen a lot of posts lately about problems with an F53 motorhome which got me to thinking. What is an F53? How do I spot one? Should I avoid one if shopping for a new MH?
A few important points. Most Class A gas motorhomes are manufactured/assembled in two parts. The coach, and, the chassis.
The coach, or, the outer shell (and the interior) you see going down the road is manufactured by companies like Fleetwood, Thor, Holiday Rambler, Jayco, Safari, Winnebaqo, etc.
The chassis (or running gear) is manufactured/assembled by Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, etc. Look at the photo in the following link. The photo shows all (most) the components that are usually supplied by the chassis builder, in this case Ford or the F-53. The coach is designed/built by someone else ON TOP OF the chassis provided by Ford.
https://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/stripped-chassis/models/f53-motorhome/
With some experience you can tell the difference between chassis manufacturers going down the road. The design specifications vary widely between manufacturers depending on what is important to the owner/builder. (payload, suspension/steering type, towing capacity, engine size/type, etc.)
Currently, Ford is the most popular Class A gas motorhome chassis so you can expect most threads for Class A gassers to be about F-53 Fords. It's not a reason for concern.
Chum lee
