Ford E350 Handling

[samven1]

I need some emergency help and advise. I recently put a deposit on a 2015 Four Winds 22e which is really 24 ft long. It is on a E350 chassis but the dealer does have it on a GM chassis. The badge on the GM says 4500 but the specs on the door panel are less than the E350 and GM web site says these weight specs are for the 3500. I am confused about that but also wonder about the handling of the new ford chassis. I have read some horror stories about white knuckle handling of the ford and lots of money being thrown at it to correct. I really cant afford to upgrade a new motorhome right after purchase just to use it. But all the posts on handling seem to be for older pre 2008 units and I dont know if a change has been made to correct the complaints.
I have talked to the dealer about test driving the 2 units back to back but because of weather it has been tough to find a day without ice or snow. Also I will be test driving an empty unit, not loaded for a trip, we cant put water in them because the temps have been in the 20's and they are all winterized. Is there anyone with a newer 12,13,14,15 unit that is still having ford handling issues.

Thanks

[IAMICHABOD]

Thanks for coming back with your decision and a very good analysis of them both.

I really think you will be pleased with your choice,I sure like mine as compared to all the Fords that I drove when I was looking for my next RV.

[samven1]

Again Thanks to everyone for their input. I went and test drove the 2 units today. I was not able to get them to a scale, they are calling for sleet today so we just did a 12 mile loop with about 6 miles of highway.
The Chevy was very nice to drive and it surprised me. I had a comfortable conversation with the salesman even while accelerating onto the highway. The transmission shifted smoother than my Dodge 1500. It did ride soft for a truck and the steering was very precise and tracked well. I had to adjust the seat forward so there was about 5" behind it for reclining. The interior fit and finish of the cab was a bit thin, the plastic just was not very heavy. The road noise and wind noise were not bad but I know tires can have a big bearing on this. It had General tires and I dont know their reputation.

The Ford at idle was smoother and quieter but the minute I hit the gas it was considerably louder and I could tell the rear was geared lower because I found myself stepping harder on the gas to get up to speed. It was not less powerful but seemed to need more rpm to really get moving. The ford motor has more growl and we had to pause our conversation during heavy acceleration. The Ford steering needed more attention, I first noticed it when I hit a pothole that I had hit in the chevy as well. The ford made a move to steer in that direction but the chevy went straight through. The Ford accelerated just as fast getting onto the highway but again it was much louder. It did ride noticeably firmer than the GM and the road noise was a bit higher but it was on Michelin tires and they may have been the culprit. The tranny shifts very positively. I had to adjust the seat forward just a bit from all the way back but not far enough that I could recline the seat back more than a inch. I did notice the steering was not as bad as some have described, even with a stiff intermittent cross wind but I did notice that it needed constant minor correction. It seemed the wheel had a larger loose range before you felt steering feedback and was easy to over-correct. I am sure you would get use to it, I had a Ford Windstar that was the same way and the only time I was uncomfortable with it was in narrow lanes or in a tunnel because you worried about drifting to close to another car. The Ford interior was a cut above the GM. Thicker plastic and more solid feeling and a bit better layout.
Anyway I decided to go with the Chevy. I really wanted the Ford because of the higher tow rating and its reputation for being pretty much bullet proof with a long track record. But in the end I plan on doing more touring than long camping and the better comfort and low noise and longer warranty won out. The dealer was real nice and gave me the same price without any more negotiation.

[samven1]

jonnyrv,

That is very helpful. I am guessing that since the factory range is so wide it is just a matter of chance that you find one on the high side of normal and it drives fine.

[Harvard]

johnnyrv wrote:
we test drove three motorhomes on the ford 350. no problem handling with two but one had too much steering play and wander all over. we bought the 2015 four winds 22e that had no handling problems and it drives like a big limo, smooth and quiet. a test drive at around 55 mph will let you know how it will handle. dont let the dealer talk you into a motorhome with handling problems. go to another dealer as we did.

Here is a link to my experience with E450 handling, circa 2010

[johnnyrv]

we test drove three motorhomes on the ford 350. no problem handling with two but one had too much steering play and wander all over. we bought the 2015 four winds 22e that had no handling problems and it drives like a big limo, smooth and quiet. a test drive at around 55 mph will let you know how it will handle. dont let the dealer talk you into a motorhome with handling problems. go to another dealer as we did.

[kendall69]

I found this and it makes sense t me and my experiance.

"I use to take care a a small fleet of cargo vans for a construction company. We had E350 and chevy 3500. All the guys prefered to drive the chevy, but they required more repairs. If you tow or charge them a lot (like we did) they kept destroying their diffs and eating brakes no matter which discs and pads we tried. Plus the other random repairs. Never had any problem with the transmissions. The 3500 have the 4l80e I beleive, which seems tougher.

The Fords didn't give us any problems (except the random stuff) as long as you kept gas in them. But the guys kept complaining that they felt weaker, less comfortable, harder shifting, more truck like.

I guess it depends how much of a working truck you need. For hardcore stuff, I'd go Ford. If it's for a bit of work once in a while, you'd probably be happier with the Chevy."

Ford Vs Chevy

[Mich_F]

Fastpaddler wrote:
I was considering a Pleasureway Pursuit but was told unofficially that Pleasureway has stopped making them because of problems with the Ford E350 skittish handling or perhaps other issues.
AL

According to their website the E350 is the only chassis they offer for the Pursuit.
Pleasureway Pursuit

[LRover]

I have the 21c on the Ford E350 chassis which is the same inside layout as the 22e. I don't see a whole lot of difference in the way it handles between loaded and not and feel very comfortable in the way it drives. I believe this model is well balanced with not a lot of rear overhang on either the Ford or Chevy chassis.

Good Luck with your purchase

[Fastpaddler]

I was considering a Pleasureway Pursuit but was told unofficially that Pleasureway has stopped making them because of problems with the Ford E350 skittish handling or perhaps other issues. I had wandering front end problems with my 2002 Traillite E350 and my 2005 Winnebago Aspect. I have heard that the GM chassis is more stable but others may have some input here re this. My experiences were not good and I was happy to get my current PW Plateau TS with Sprinter MB chassis.
I now have to look at other possibilities because my wife liked the Pursuit.
AL

[samven1]

I am hoping to do the test drives tomorrow as it looks like the only day without ice. I did tell the dealer I wanted to test drive them back to back on the same course and they said that would be doable. I will have to look at a map and see if there is a CAT scale nearby, that would be very interesting, particularly the front end weight difference.
I am sure you have all been through this but dropping 50k on something without being positive is scary. I knew what floor plan I was looking for and that I wanted the smallest unit possible but most dealers had zero inventory in the size I was looking at. I finally found this dealer that had several but they are a 3 hr drive each way so the back and forth is a killer.

[kendall69]

After owning/driving (2) Class C's (2) truck campers, (1) class A, I can honestly say the 2014 E350 class C/B+ drives like RV sports car if there is such a thing.

I think it's more what coach you get and how it's built balanced that defines the handling, not the Chassis alone.

Example: I put the same truck camper on a SRW GMC 3500 and then on a DRW GMC 350 and they handled NIGHT & DAY from one another. Only difference. The weight and height on the SRW was not ideal, whereas on the dually it was perfect.

Same with coach builders. Where do they center the weight, the tanks, the aerodynamics etc. All are factored in on the handling.

[j-d]

For any coach you're considering, try to include a truck scale in your test drive. And while you're at the Travel Center (New Speak for Truck Stop) check the tire pressures. With a small Class C, somewhere around 55 front, 70 rear. You're looking to make sure the rear axle isn't overloaded, the front axle has a decent weight load on it (about 75% of its rating, or at least 1/3 of total weight. Excess front tire pressure can make either one squirrely, the Ford a little more so.

[TippleUnduly]

Drive them back to back, loaded or not. Just make the comparisons equal. I did the same thing with identical coaches and very quickly decided on the Chevy. (I own a Ford Mustang and a Ranger and like them.) Have never regretted the Chevy choice nor had to make any mods to our 31' B+ to fix any handling issues. Room, ride, MPG, power, handling are great. Good luck with your choice!

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Ratio of wheel base to length is ideal at 55%. Right now you are at 158:288 = 54% or 159:288 = 55%.

samven1 wrote:
Thanks to everyone,

The Ford has the 158" WB and the GM is 159" but they both have the same rear overhang. The GM is 5" longer front axle to front bumper. I did notice the extra room in the GM cab but the Ford Dog house has much more storage.

[Taco]

I have a ford and if the floor plan I wanted was available in the Chevy I would go Chevy. The chevy has lots more motor too.