Hi,
You used to be able to buy the C5500 chassis with motorhomes on them, and the Duramax 6.6L V8 engine. You can not buy that chassis new anymore, but it sure was nice, with a decent payload and 19,500 GVWR.
You can still buy the F-550 chassis with a 6.7L GVWR and some manufactures produce motorhomes on them, such as Heartland.
The E-450 had a few diesel engines in them, but only a fraction of the motorhome market came with the 6L diesel engine option, basically it was due to most manufactures producing motorhomes on the lighter curb weight and much less expensive gas chassis, and using a much lower cost gasoline generator. Add to that, the 6 Liter diesel engine has proven to be very expensive to keep out of the shop, requiring some upgrades to prevent the exhaust gas cooler from leaking water into the engine! So a E-450 chassis will normally not have enough cargo rating to consider as a motorhome chassis, if you plan on putting much stuff inside, or tow anything with a 500 pound hitch weight.
The much older 7.3L diesels offered in E-350 at the time did not have much GVWR, and thus even more limited cargo rating. That said, you might find a used ambulance built on a dual rear wheel E-350 or E-450 that is in excellent shape, due to all the care the mechanics must take of ambulances. And Ford REQUIRED that the ambulance package included the diesel engines, until about 4 years ago.
So basically the only picks in diesel motorhomes with a decent cargo rating would be the GMC or step up a few notches to the International chassis, or Freightliner. However those last two where only built with specialty companies, for huge dollar clients!
Hopefully you can find a Duramax equipped 5500 chassis motorhome out there somewhere! Yet most of the 5500 chassis where built with the also capable 8.1L V8 gas engines.
Fred.
Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a
Porsche or Country Coach!
If there's a WILL, I want to be in it!
I havn't been everywhere, but it's on my list.
Kangen.com Alkaline waterEscapees.com