2004 Class A gasser

[wtmtnhiker]

Hi all,
Looking at two different 2004 class A's. One is a Pace Arrow with a Vortec GM 8 cylinder, the other a Georgie Boy with a 10 cylinder Ford. Would one chassis be better than another? I have heard good things mostly about the Ford, haven't seen much about the GM. Both are under 30k miles.

[Dale_Traveling]

Both rigs will get you and all the stuff you want to bring along (within the listed weight limits), to any camping spot in North America that can be access on improved roads (as in paved or graded). More than likely the house will die from water damage long before a chassis related failure that ends the service life.

Choose the coach with the floor plan that fits you daily camping routine first and the chassis second.

[rgatijnet1]

On my WH chassis when the recalls were completed, yellow labels were installed on the support frames under the hood giving the recall number and the date serviced.
Maintenance records are nice but many owners do their own service, which could be good or bad, depending on the skill of the owner.

[Gjac]

For your choice of a 2004 MH all things being equal I would go with the WH chassis. Ford did not come out with the higher rated engine until 2006. The Chevy engine in the WH chassis had more HP than the Ford and more torque at a lower RPM and a better transmission. Check for maintenance records and that recall notices were performed.

[TechWriter]

wtmtnhiker wrote:
Hi all,
Looking at two different 2004 class A's. One is a Pace Arrow with a Vortec GM 8 cylinder, the other a Georgie Boy with a 10 cylinder Ford. Would one chassis be better than another?

Ford

[rgatijnet1]

The P series chassis had the Autopark issues, not the W series chassis. Workhorse did not reinvent the wheel and most of the chassis parts are off the shelf items, made by others, that are still available. As far as engine parts, there were millions of GM 8.1L engines built during the years it was in production. The Allison transmission is bulletproof and was the deciding factor for me.

[theoldwizard1]

The Ford V10 is good engine, but you have to get used to the fact that it will rev up pretty high when going up hills. Fuel economy is not great either.

Some people complain about sway but top quality HD shocks and an upgraded rear sway help.

[Rick_Jay]

dougrainer wrote:
Also, does the Workhorse have the electric driven Ignition interlock which causes problems when it overheats or breaks? If so, this alone would disqualify me from having one. Doug

Hi Doug,

I don't wish to hi-jack this thread, but I don't seem to recall hearing about that issue on the W series Workhorse chassis's. There were some quirks/demons with the Actia Instrument Panels, as I had to have mine reprogrammed once. I think I remember reading about a WH ignition switch issue, but I thought it was in the P series. I guess I'll have to check into that. Obviously, so far, mine hasn't had that issue.

Thanks,

~Rick

[dougrainer]

Remember, Workhorse is NOT a GM product. While it does use the GM engine, Workhorse was a separate company that built RV Class A chassis starting in 1999. They took the P30 chassis and upgraded it and the drivetrain.
While it was supposed to have gone out of business in 2009 due to the economic downturn, it seems that it recovered by 2015 where it planned to re-enter the chassis market once again. They did not

Even though this has taken place, it may still be hard to find parts. Some Chevy Workhorse chassis owners do have difficulty in locating the right parts for their older RVs that have the Chevy Workhorse chassis in them.
Since Ford is still producing(and has parts), I would state that Ford is a better choice for a 20 year old motorhome. Also, does the Workhorse have the electric driven Ignition interlock which causes problems when it overheats or breaks? If so, this alone would disqualify me from having one. Doug

[Rick_Jay]

wtmtnhiker,

We bought our motorhome new in 2004. We ordered it from the factory. It's a Georgie Boy Cruise Master on the Workhorse W-22 Chassis. In that era, the Workhorse chassis was considered a better chassis than the Ford by most. I believe the W-22 was available with larger tires, had a tighter turning radius, a lower doghouse, and that Allison transmission speaks for itself. It also carried about a $3-5,000 premium in list price as well, depending upon the manufacturer. You should also be aware that there were other Workhorse chassis's available such as the lower weight rated W-20 and the old P-30's. For that year, the W-22 was the top.

Yes, there was a brake recall issue due to the pistons used in the Bosch brakes. But once the recall was done, no more issues on that front. There was also a fuel rail clip recall that was probably done, as well. Again, no issues after that.

We liked the Georgie Boy interiors, and the Cruise Master was the top of the gas-line up of motorhomes in that year before you got to their DP offerings. There were several lines available.

Truthfully, the most important aspect of motorhome ownership is a floorplan which best suits your needs. That's the main reason we chose the GBM Cruise Master in our signature: it was one of the very few gassers which offered a dual sofa layout, and the 12 seat belted positions was a great plus with our family of 6.

Since we ordered ours from the factory, I had the option of ordering it with either the Ford or Workhorse Chassis. I'm more partial to Fords than GMs, but the positives of the W-22 chassis made it worth the extra couple of grand and I knew both engines were solid performers. My wife liked the lower doghouse of the W-22 over the Ford. I believe our premium for the W-22 over the Ford was about $2600. So as I like to say, my wife got her lower doghouse for $2599 and I got an Allison Transmission for a dollar!!! LOL

I also have to agree with the those who said that at this point, it is really about its current condition and previous maintenance. Assuming both are similar, I'd go for the better floorplan. If both of those are similar, I'd go for the Workhorse.

Good Luck,

~Rick

[Bird_Freak]

I bought a new 2004 Pace Arrow on the W22 Workhorse chassis. They had serious brake issues where the brakes would drag and fail. Make sure the recall was done.
After 4 yrs of that problem I sold it before it got us killed.

[Lwiddis]

First thing I'd do if seriously considering both mentioned is to examine the maintenance records of each MH.

[RLS7201]

I believe the Workhorse chassis with it's slow turning V8 and Allison transmission will be a better drive. With that said, production of that chassis was discontinued some time back.
Me, being a strong Ford guy would still buy the Workhorse chassis, given the choices you have.

Richard

[valhalla360]

At 18yrs old, maintenance and condition count for far more.

[Chum_lee]

It's really difficult to give you any helpful/meaningful advice without more information about what you plan to do with the motor home(s) and more information about the motor homes you are considering.

Will you be living in the vehicle full time? How many people will regularly use it?
Occasional travel? Extended trips? Sleeping configuration? Floor plans?
What will you be primarily using it for?
Will you be regularly towing? What are the GVWR's?
What are the wheelbases/towing capacity of the vehicles you are considering?
Do they have slides? Do you want levelers? Washer/dryer? Solar Panels? Generator size?
Propane/electric or residential refrigerator?
Do you boondock or stay in RV parks mostly?
Are you handy or do all repairs require outside technical help?

Just a few questions, . . . . . (there are many more)

Chum lee