20201 Class C on Ford E-450-Heavy Hood

[jolooote]

The hood is hard to lift and close. Very heavy. Is there a hood lift mechanism available to make it easier?

[pnichols]

BurbMan wrote:
Just take the hood off and leave it home. Helps engine temps run cooler. Latching hoods were an option up until the '29 model year.

Where's the Onan generator access door? :B

[bobndot]

What , no wipers ?

[BurbMan]

Just take the hood off and leave it home. Helps engine temps run cooler. Latching hoods were an option up until the '29 model year.

[bobndot]

jolooote, maybe its possible for a body shop or marine shop that works with fiberglass to make a mold for a replacement hood. I know someone that did that for his racing corvette. Find a racing body shop and ask.

[bukhrn]

ron.dittmer wrote:

bukhrn wrote:
I didn't realize that they used to come with fiberglass hoods, my '07 Forester on the '06 E450 chassis came with the metal hood......

Are you certain your 2006 E450 has a steel hood? Or are you "assuming" so? If it is truly made of steel, it must be an aftermarket replacement because I understand every original hood on the E150, E250, E350, and E450 made from 1992 to 2007 is made of fiberglass. Someone please correctly if I am wrong.

My apologies Ron, it is in fact fiberglass, only the hinges and latch area are metal.
I guess the old saying about assume is correct.

[ron_dittmer]

jolooote wrote:
WHY are you all talking about 2007 e-350's with plastic hoods???

In case someone with a 1992-2007 hood wonders why your hood is so heavy for you. They might not realize the change from fiberglass to steel in 2008 when Ford restyled the frontal area. My apologies.

Now back to solutions labeled under these names.

pneumatic hood strut
hood lift support shock strut
hood gas strut
hydraulic hood assist

Shopping around, you won't find any marketed for a Ford E-series vehicle. You will have to engineer through retrofitting struts for another application, vehicle or otherwise. Plan your mounting location with consideration to both open and closed positioning. You will also need to explore the appropriate strut mounts.

I realize you are hoping someone else has already successfully addressed this, but you may be paving a new road. I have been on RV forums since 2007 and I never read anyone else discussing this topic before.

I wish you well with a resolution.

[jolooote]

Please excuse me (the original poster) but I'm gonna steal my post back...WHY are you all talking about 2007 e-350's with plastic hoods??? My post asked for help with a very heavy 2021 Ford E-450 with STEEL hood.

[ron_dittmer]

bukhrn wrote:
I didn't realize that they used to come with fiberglass hoods, my '07 Forester on the '06 E450 chassis came with the metal hood......

Are you certain your 2006 E450 has a steel hood? Or are you "assuming" so? If it is truly made of steel, it must be an aftermarket replacement because I understand every original hood on the E150, E250, E350, and E450 made from 1992 to 2007 is made of fiberglass. Someone please correctly if I am wrong.

[ron_dittmer]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

ron.dittmer wrote:
2007 was the last year of the fiberglass hood on the E-series. We have a 2007 E350 rig with the fiberglass hood and I never considered it heavy.

I wonder how the old fiberglass hood compares to the 2008-current steel hood with regards to weight.

The reason Ford went to fiberglass hoods years ago was the high number of complaints about stone chips and rust through.

I understood the same. The previous generation Ford van had serious rust issues with the leading edge of the hood. Going fiberglass was the ultimate solution.

[theoldwizard1]

ron.dittmer wrote:
2007 was the last year of the fiberglass hood on the E-series. We have a 2007 E350 rig with the fiberglass hood and I never considered it heavy.

I wonder how the old fiberglass hood compares to the 2008-current steel hood with regards to weight.

The reason Ford went to fiberglass hoods years ago was the high number of complaints about stone chips and rust through.

[bukhrn]

ron.dittmer wrote:
2007 was the last year of the fiberglass hood on the E-series. We have a 2007 E350 rig with the fiberglass hood and I never considered it heavy.

I wonder how the old fiberglass hood compares to the 2008-current steel hood with regards to weight.

I didn't realize that they used to come with fiberglass hoods, my '07 Forester on the '06 E450 chassis came with the metal hood, as bobndot mentioned, the hood is so small, I
never considered it all that heavy.

[bobndot]

Measure for gas struts

[bobndot]

Ron, my mechanic swapped a steel hood for a glass hood on an early mustang and it was almost 1/2 the weight. The OEM hood was about 50 lbs. vs high 20’s for the glass.

The E series cabs have such small hoods most people don’t feel the need for gas struts .
You have two options.
1. Forget the web, make phone calls to rv repair shops who have suppliers that we do not have access to.
2. Take measurements yourself and buy the appropriate size.
I will supply a link how to measure for struts.

[ron_dittmer]

2007 was the last year of the fiberglass hood on the E-series. We have a 2007 E350 rig with the fiberglass hood and I never considered it heavy.

I wonder how the old fiberglass hood compares to the 2008-current steel hood with regards to weight.