Hi,I'm new at this and have looked at several Class A and C motorhomes.I initially thought the Cs would have the easy engine access, but upon inspection, the couple of Class Cs I looked at SEEMED to have more limited access that the As. The Class A I saw had a larger access hatch in the driving area than the C.Is this correct?thankd,groundhogy

Yep and along with it more noise and more heat.Had both and the C is a lot quieter and cooler but if you want to have access and work on the engine a lot then get a Class A.

Owning a DP with a Cat C7, I would say the Class A's are easier to work on, but they're not as easy to work on as you might think. Yes, things are more open, but you must consider the distance that you have to reach to get to what you want to work on. By that I mean the engine is in the middle of the MH which is 8' 6" wide, therefore when you open a compartment door to get to the engine, you have to reach a long ways in there to get to anything. And quit often it's just about impossible to reach both hands in there at the same time when you need two hands.Changing an alternator last year first took a lot of time to get everything out of the rear closet and off of the closet floor so we could raise the closet floor boards to get to the top of the engine. Then it took one person outside and one person in the closet to change the alternator and install new belts.Changing the antifreeze reservoir tank also took the same emptying of the closet to get the floor boards up to get to the hoses on the back of the reservoir.So again, I'd take working on the DP over the Class C, but it might not be as easy as it looks.Bill

On conventional class A rigs with the engine under a cover between the two front seats, you will find access to some things easier but not so for all things mechanical.Class C's are intimidating when opening the shallow hood, but all that plastic is easily removed to access things like the water pump, alternator, belts and such. It is not "easy" access, but no worse than many cars these days.One critical point to make here is that every auto shop understands a Ford and Chevy van, how to make repairs on them, what is involved, the hours invested, available parts, good supporting documentation and all the rest. That is NOT the case with class A's. Many mechanics won't touch A's because RV outfitters often change things using non-standard, often poor practices. They'll use custom made brackets and cheap fasteners. They work with substandard and sometimes unprotected metal that rusts fast. They use fasteners that break instead of coming apart, like self tapping screws instead of high quality nuts & bolts. Disassembly often involves the breaking of such things.Wiring is generally of a lesser quality as well, using piercing connectors instead of factory made water-tight connectors like a van has, often without the use of a wire jacket to protect them from abrasion. Water and salt spray create trouble more often on class A's compared to class Cs. Mechanics know that if they disturb such wiring, they could create new trouble while fixing old trouble.Get the idea?A class C with a van front is friendly to a mechanic. Class A's are not friendly and therefore mechanics often say, "I don't work on those vehicles". So if they are not friendly for a mechanic, they won't be friendly for you either.Adding that the safety in a class C is far superior to a class A. I would take my chances in a frontal collision in a class C any day compared to a class A. There are safety standards designed into a van that are not in a class A.With that said, a class C would be much safer in a roll-over crash if the RV outfitter did not cut the roof to accommodate for easier front seat access from the house in back. I think every RV manufacture does this.

A class C may not necessarily have better access, but what it does have is standardized, factory designed access. Not simply whatever the RV though may or may not work. I've heard nightmare stories about normally simple job like a radiator requiring partial deconstruction in a Class-A.So.... it depends. At least the shop has factory manuals when they dig into a Class C. That includes chassis electrical too, vs Class-As which have wires run wherever the guy installing them feels like running them.

... hmmm. those are persuasive arguments.

Class C vs. Class A engine access... | Good Sam Community

cowboy66
Explorer
Dec 20, 2014
We had a B+ Ford E 450 with the V10 was a great motor home
but was hard to get at things. But we had no problems with the engine or drive train.
DaHose
Explorer
Dec 20, 2014
Ok, now you are making us all jealous cowboy. Super C is the schnitzel!

Fantastic point being made in the posts above. I do practically ALL my own vehicle maintenance and absolutely all my RV maintenance short of getting a smog certificate. Any auto parts store in the country can look up and get me any drivetrain part I need. I simply ask for parts to fit a 1983 Ford E350. I'm sure you can figure out what drivetrain and chassis your class A is built on and track down parts on the road, but having a vehicle build plate I can reference and mainstream parts suppliers everywhere in the nation is of HUGE comfort to me. As I said earlier, the only engine part that really is hard to get at is the header bolts. Access to the front of the engine is really good and even the top is pretty accessible. We were on our way out of town and the carb. went on the fritz. I got home, opened up the carb to the float bowls, re-assembled, figured out it was a vacuum advance problem and was back on the road within 2 hours. If you have a boat, you know what kind of access you are getting in a class A.

Jose
cowboy66
Explorer
Dec 19, 2014
That is one reason we went to a super C Dynamax all standard Freightliner parts. Easy to get at.
jillhop
Explorer
Dec 19, 2014
I'm no expert, but when my Ford E350-based Class C (Triton V10) needed ignition coils replaced, the work was also done from inside the coach (opened up the doghouse). So, for either a Class C or A, the work could be done in air conditioned comfort and required the mechanic to keep the area clean.

The argument that the more directly van-based class C's are more likely to be worked on by "regular" mechanics does seem persuasive, and a big advantage that I hadn't considered previously. Interesting discussion!
Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Dec 19, 2014
rockhillmanor wrote:
Example my friends had a leveler that would not come up on an A. No one locally wanted to touch it. ....

Just saying "IMHO" it is far easier to have repairs done on the road with a Class C.

Which Class C has the levelers installed by the chassis manufacturer and how does this argument support which has better engine access?

The neatness of the leveler installation will be determined by the quality and care of the coach builder, Class A or Class C.

To the OP, you're on the Class C forum, so you'll get a preference for Class C's in your replies. Over on the Class A forums, you'll get a preference for Class A.

Me? I have a class A gasser. No real problems with access. In fact, one advantage of the class A is most upper engine work can be done from inside. So, when it's hot outside, I can work inside in air conditioned comfort. I had to do this when the A/C compressor clutch froze up on me on the road. I had to get underneath for a couple of times to put on a new serpentine belt, but 80% of the job was done in the air conditioned interior of the motorhome.

The reason a lot of mechanics don't want to work on the class A, in my experience and opinion, is because they have to go inside the rig to do engine work, which means they have to put down all the protective floor coverings and be extra careful not to get anything greasy. They'd rather not deal with that. I don't think it's the mechanical aspect of the work that deters them from working on them.

~Rick
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Dec 19, 2014
Juan Carlos wrote:
rockhillmanor wrote:
It is much harder to find someone to work on a Class A.

It is THE reason I choose a C. I traveled with my friends in A's and can't tell you how many times they were stranded because they could not find a repair shop to work on it. Leaving them (I.E Class A's) as victims to the manufacturer dealership ...

This seems like a touch of hyperbole. The Ford dealer may not be the cheapest in town, but they typically have well-qualified mechanics. If I were stranded somewhere unknown, I'd probably WANT to be at the local Ford Truck Center.

Just to get a sense of this, I called Horizon Ford in Seattle. The guy there said they can handle 90% of the problems they run into. Some issues do require cutting into the motorhome, where they'd have to send to you a motorhome place to do the cutting.

Let me clarify my post.

My statement about manufacturer dealership refered to >Class A 'Coach Dealerships'. not engine dealerships, 'coach builder' dealerships.

For the Class C I always hit the Ford Dealership first when possible.

Depending on the size of your C, the size of their bays and what type of work you need, they will refer you to their truck division, which where there is a Ford Dealership....there is a truck division close by that can take care of everything.

They have been very good to me each and every time I needed repairs. AND of course they know the Ford inside and out and have no problems getting parts asap. And I know I can find one in almost every town.

Example my friends had a leveler that would not come up on an A. No one locally wanted to touch it. I sat with that couple for 2 days after a sporting event was over waiting for the manuf to come out to repair it. They opened up the entire dash which looked nothing short of Houston we have a problem launching computer. It was unbelievable.
He pushed a bunch of buttons, redid some wires and rebooted the computer and the leveler came up. Which is why most repair shops don't want to take in an A.

Just saying "IMHO" it is far easier to have repairs done on the road with a Class C.
Vacay_Wheels
Explorer
Dec 18, 2014
rockhillmanor wrote:
It is much harder to find someone to work on a Class A.

It is THE reason I choose a C. I traveled with my friends in A's and can't tell you how many times they were stranded because they could not find a repair shop to work on it. Leaving them as victims to the manufacturer dealership ...

This seems like a touch of hyperbole. The Ford dealer may not be the cheapest in town, but they typically have well-qualified mechanics. If I were stranded somewhere unknown, I'd probably WANT to be at the local Ford Truck Center.

Just to get a sense of this, I called Horizon Ford in Seattle. The guy there said they can handle 90% of the problems they run into. Some issues do require cutting into the motorhome, where they'd have to send to you a motorhome place to do the cutting.
groundhogy
Explorer
Dec 18, 2014
Yes, as time goes on, I find that computers try to "help" way too much..
Often screwing me up.
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Dec 18, 2014
Unless you are doing your own engine work and are proficient at it. ...

The major difference between the 2 is that with a Class C, which is nothing more than a standard van, you will be able to have repairs done practically anywhere you travel. From the chevy/ford dealerships to a small mom and pop auto repair. They have no problem working on a C.

It is much harder to find someone to work on a Class A.

It is THE reason I choose a C. I traveled with my friends in A's and can't tell you how many times they were stranded because they could not find a repair shop to work on it. Leaving them as victims to the manufacturer dealership and or worse CW with 200.00 an hour rates. :(

Just saying. Sadly there is so much computer stuff on engines today that what most of know of repairing engines is outdated.
DaHose
Explorer
Dec 18, 2014
I will add that in an extreme case, power train work on a front engine class A could mean pulling the engine out from inside the RV adding cost and potential damage.

A class C drivetrain can be dropped out the bottom like a standard truck or straight out the front by removing the front clip. However, I can attest to how much of a pain in the neck it is to get to the header bolts. Other than that, working on the engine and suspension has been relatively easy due to the high ground clearance.

Jose

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