Ford f53 Chassis vs Workhorse Chassis

[Suncruiser05]

I am considering a new MH. Current Mh is on a 2005 workhorse chassis and new one being considered is on a ford f53. Any comparison experience? Is ford f53 a good chassis? New would be 2014.

[timmac]

Suncruiser05 wrote:
I am considering a new MH. Current Mh is on a 2005 workhorse chassis and new one being considered is on a ford f53. Any comparison experience? Is ford f53 a good chassis? New would be 2014.

There is no choice with gas motorhomes, Ford F-53 is the only gas chassis as of now.

[teddodd]

you will have to get use to the ford transmission,brakes and height of the ford chassis.

[cochise49]

x3 on the new F53.

[Effy]

wolfe10 wrote:
Probably more similarities than differences in terms of performance and handling between your W chassis and the post 2005 Ford F53. Both very good gas chassis.

As with any leaf spring suspension, ride and handling are quite dependent on actual weight vs spring capacity. Said another way, a short, light coach will likely ride rougher since the springs do not deflect as much (if the same GAWR) as heavier coaches on the same suspension.

Well said, Having a 16k# coach on a 24k# chassis I have very little unspring weight. The result is harsh feedback. You need some weight to compress the springs and soften the ride.

[WyoTraveler]

Hikerdogs wrote:
Since Workhorse is no longer making an RV chassis about your only choice for a 2014 motorhome is going to be a Ford F53 chassis. We are on our second motorhome on the F53 chassis and have been more than satisfied with both.

Our last motorhome was a 2001 Winnebago Adventurer on the F53 chassis. It was still running great when we traded it in last year with over 100,000 miles on the odometer. The new owner plans to add another 100,000 before retiring it.

Our current motorhome is a 2013 Winnebago Adventurer also on the Ford F53 chassis. It has a 362 hp 3 valve per cylinder engine as opposed to the 310 hp 2 valve version in our old motorhome. It puts out 457 ft. lbs. of torque as opposed to 425 ft. lbs. from the old one. The new unit has the 5 speed 5R110 transmission while the older one had the 4 speed 4R100 trans.

The old chassis had a GAWR of 20,500 lbs. and the new one has a GAWR of 22,000 lbs. The old one had 19.5" tires while the new one has 22.5" tires.

In short it's a great chassis for a midsized gas motorhome. The newer version has better acceleration and a better ride than the older one.

Well said. That is also why I like my F53 chassis so much.

[Hikerdogs]

Since Workhorse is no longer making an RV chassis about your only choice for a 2014 motorhome is going to be a Ford F53 chassis. We are on our second motorhome on the F53 chassis and have been more than satisfied with both.

Our last motorhome was a 2001 Winnebago Adventurer on the F53 chassis. It was still running great when we traded it in last year with over 100,000 miles on the odometer. The new owner plans to add another 100,000 before retiring it.

Our current motorhome is a 2013 Winnebago Adventurer also on the Ford F53 chassis. It has a 362 hp 3 valve per cylinder engine as opposed to the 310 hp 2 valve version in our old motorhome. It puts out 457 ft. lbs. of torque as opposed to 425 ft. lbs. from the old one. The new unit has the 5 speed 5R110 transmission while the older one had the 4 speed 4R100 trans.

The old chassis had a GAWR of 20,500 lbs. and the new one has a GAWR of 22,000 lbs. The old one had 19.5" tires while the new one has 22.5" tires.

In short it's a great chassis for a midsized gas motorhome. The newer version has better acceleration and a better ride than the older one.

[wolfe10]

Probably more similarities than differences in terms of performance and handling between your W chassis and the post 2005 Ford F53. Both very good gas chassis.

As with any leaf spring suspension, ride and handling are quite dependent on actual weight vs spring capacity. Said another way, a short, light coach will likely ride rougher since the springs do not deflect as much (if the same GAWR) as heavier coaches on the same suspension.