How is the Ford (Class A) chassis supposed to handle?

[TriumphGuy]

Hi all,
I see similar topics going on right now but don't want to hijack so here goes...
We switched our GS magazine "option" to MH magazine (from Trailer Life) in anticipation of going to a MH in the next year. I've since seen two issues where they review a MH on the Ford chassis and complain how "bad" it is.
I just want to know how bad "bad" is ... my frame of reference is my TV in my sig (2000 F250 7.3 towing a 35' 5er). My truck ain't exactly a handling machine, and the steering is kinda numb - but it generally goes straight and stays straight.
I'm fairly picky when it comes to my cars - wanting direct feedback and excellent handling through twisty roads, but I don't expect that out of a heavy duty vehicle. I expect my truck to handle like a truck but be fairly stable and predictable. I also expect the same out of a MH ... reasonable expectation? I've read about the "cheap handling fix" that many do - some add sumo springs ... etc. I can handle some level of aftermarket modding, I do it to all my other vehicles 🙂
Most of the MH we're looking at have the Ford v10, some have the Workhorse and a couple odd ones are on the FRED chassis.

thanks!

[mc_cc]

My suggestion would be to drive a new diesel pusher on a freightliner chassis or something comparable. Then drive the F53 chassis. There is a large difference. IMHO, it would be the difference between a standard car and a go cart. I do have the F53 chassis on my motorhome and have had to modify it just to get it feeling safe driving it down the interstate. The modifications help, but none make it comparable to a diesel chassis.

[Camper_Ken]

I worked at a major RV dealer and service center as a service advisor for a couple of years and from that experience I can tell you that most motorhomes on a Ford F53 chassis have handling and ride problems. The MH manufacturers should upgrade the chassis as necessary to provide a more comfortable and more importantly a SAFER handling motorhome. After putting over $4,000 of chassis upgrades on my 2013 Bay Star 33' class A, it rode and handled much better but still was very truck-like. We finally decided to downsize so we could visit smaller campgrounds and recently traded in the Bay Star for an Itasca Navion 24J on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis. This thing drives beautifully for a motorhome. This certainly isn't the answer for all who don't like the handling of a Ford F53 chassis. I just wish I hadn't poured so much money into my class A trying to improve the ride/handling and then trade it in a couple years later. Oh well, lesson learned.

[Lumpty]

I've never had an F53 Ford Class A, but have experience with 2 Ford chassis Class C's. The first was a '95 29' E350 Gulfstream with a super long for it's length 208" wheelbase. It also had all the tanks centered between the axles in the basement. For only a 12,200lb GVW chassis, basically running about 1,000lbs overloaded all the time, it handled very well, and much better when I added Bilstein shocks all around. Only slightly sensitive to winds and passing trucks and busses. The second and current RV, a '11 24' E450 Sunseeker, was bought on the heavier duty chassis to theoretically have way more weight-carrying capacity and drive better. Out-of-the box, not the case. The 24' floor plan requires the tanks to be further back, with the water tank under the rear corner bed, behind the axle. It took an alignment, a set of Bilsteins, and a monster sized front sway bar to get this thing improved. Now though, it is better than the older one, and it takes some extreme influence to move it around any. Happy pretty much at any speed, though the "settle in" MPH is around 67-68. That is where the happy confluence of forward progress and MPG is, at 8.0 even.

I also own an '11 6.7 diesel F250, and had to move my son 1,000 miles down on a Monday, and the same distance back on Wednesday a couple of weeks ago towing an apartment's worth of furniture and his stuff in my enclosed race car trailer behind that. 8,000lbs loaded and 5,000 empty. That was truly almost a don't even know it was back there experience. Cruise set at 72, 12mpg, the trailer, which has Torflex 5200lb axles didn't even have a hint of a wiggle, helped out by the Dual-Cam hitch I use. My Class C E450, and I assume an F-53 as well, being much more "raw" truck based, is just not as comfy to drive, and a lot more of a visceral kind of experience.

[TropicalRV]

I've had a 36 ft Tropical and now have a 2015 Tiffin Allegro on Ford F53 chassis. Both coaches drove as well as any of them. Before I bought the 2001 Tropical, I drove 3 different DPs. The gasser was just about as good. I think that driveability depends on how the coach is built by the manufacturer. Best advice is to test drive it before you buy it. BTW, I never felt that any chassis modifications were necessary.

[infogeek]

Maybe I'm just ignorant because this is really the first large rig I've driven (other than rental trucks). I bought it used, and am ignorant of any suspension upgrades the prior owner may have put on. I notice no sway, no porpoising. Yes, I can feel wind gusts on those windy days but nothing steering correction hasn't been able to handle. Mind you, I haven't yet been out west where the winds can rip the awning off... yet. I have a gasser. Yes, it rattles when I hit bumps and yes sometimes it feels like the cabinets are going to fall off along with the fillings in my teeth, but from what I've read that's typical for a gasser. IMO it handles well, has no problems on hills, I have no trouble staying in my lane, and for what it is, a house on wheels, it seems to handle fine.

[TriumphGuy]

RedJeep wrote:
See my sig for the f53 that I have. I've had lots of RVs; class c, TT, FW. My f53 was "uncomfortable" in heavy crosswinds. I did the cheap handling fix. Now, wow, what a difference. Of course not as solid as my dually and FW but I am very comfortable driving on winding roads with crosswinds.

Well hello there redjeep! I followed your change from fw to mh and nice to see your new setup. The fact you've made the switch (apparently successfully) I'll take as a good sign 🙂

[RedJeep]

See my sig for the f53 that I have. I've had lots of RVs; class c, TT, FW. My f53 was "uncomfortable" in heavy crosswinds. I did the cheap handling fix. Now, wow, what a difference. Of course not as solid as my dually and FW but I am very comfortable driving on winding roads with crosswinds.

[frankdamp]

Go rent a box truck on the F53 Ford chassis and drive it around for a while. That's how an F53-based MH will handle. We had one for four seasons before RVing got too expensive.

Sure, I could've spent mega bucks on ride quality improvements, but for only about 2000 miles a year, we decided to live with the truck handling and spend the money on gas and CG fees instead.

[dezolen]

Our 2013 Tiffin 36LA on Ford chassis handles absolutely fine in stock form. No add on's whatsoever. Keeping speed below 65 might have something to do with it. It does not handle as well as my M3 and I don't expect it to.

[TriumphGuy]

Jim Norman wrote:
.... Power has been more than adequate. I have added a 5-Star engine tune.

Will definitely be in on the 5star tune when the time comes. I researched them back when I was thinking about a 6.2L Super Duty and they look like the real deal.

[Jim_Norman]

I am on MH #2 on a Ford Chassis. Total mileage is around 50,000 in 8 years. The first rig was an Itasca 33k, Rig 2 is a 35J. All I have done is verify I am under the max load, (Considerably under) I've never approached 'Full' and that would be with a total of 4 230 pound adults and a bus load of gear. The only thing I have added is to change the links on the front sway bar.

Noise can be an issue. Sitting on top of the engine is a bot loud. Speed can mitigate a lot of this. You really don't need to be doing 75!. Much quieter at 58-62 and better mileage as well. Some road surfaces are definitely loud!

Handling is not bad, Obviously again a winding rolling country road is far different in a MH, any MH than it would be in a car. I occasionally get pushed around by a truck, most pass without notice. Power has been more than adequate. I have added a 5-Star engine tune.

[TriumphGuy]

WOW I had no idea I would get such response. I really enjoy this forum and all the feedback, a breath of fresh air compared to some of the car forums I'm in where it seems overrun with teenagers (no offense meant to any teenagers I was once one...)

Plenty of great info here and I think I like this quote the best:

Son of Norway wrote:
I'll just add an opinion for when you are test-driving motor homes. I believe that a well-engineered and properly-maintained motor home should essentially handle and steer like a comfortable car. Even my HR still does, and you should expect that when you move into a class A.

Miles

I actually do expect something to drive well. I work in the automotive industry and I can't imagine building a coach and sending it out the door without proper steering and handling.

My first choice right now is a Tiffin Allegro Open Road 35QBA and IIRC it has a 242" WB for a 35'11" length, which I believe is a good ratio. If that doesn't work out I'll be looking older, like a Tiffin Allegro Bay 37DB of which I have seen quite a few on the W22 chassis, which I think I might prefer for the larger displacement / lower revs / Allison argument.

There are some others in the running but I'm not narrowing it down too much until I get a clear picture of what our budget will be, and that won't be until around springtime I think.

There are two RV lots relatively close by who "specialize" in repos / used RVs and one day I'm going to drop by and see what I can test drive. I'd like to get a feel for what is out there.

pop-sicle wrote:
TriumphGuy
We bought our 2000 coachmen mirada last Nov been happy with the handling.
I had only road in a few motorhomes and not driven any,ours has both front and rear sway bars as well as rear air bags.

I have not had any problems with the handling just sit there with the arm rest down and point it down the road, yes I do feel when trucks come by and feel the bad roads but I try to remember what I am driving.

Your signature TriumphGuy is that car or bike? Have a 69 bonnie 650 still trying to get on the road it's been apart since around 1975 have started to work on it but still a ways to go, recently retired so maybe here soon.

Pop-sicle I made my username waaay back in the day when I still had a motorcycle. I rode for about 10 years before kids and my last ride was a Triumph Sprint ST - sport touring bike. My wife and I put about 6000 a year on that bike going everywhere. We phased that out for two kids, an RV bunkhouse and a huge assortment of bicycles. One day I'll get two wheels with a throttle again but we're having a great time right now as a family!

When it comes down to it I believe I've read about a number of mods that make sense to me from a vehicle standpoint, so at least there are options for the F53. My plan for a class A is to make multiple cross country trips with it and the family ... there must be solutions to make it comfortable for driving.

[pop-sicle]

TriumphGuy
We bought our 2000 coachmen mirada last Nov been happy with the handling.
I had only road in a few motorhomes and not driven any,ours has both front and rear sway bars as well as rear air bags.

I have not had any problems with the handling just sit there with the arm rest down and point it down the road, yes I do feel when trucks come by and feel the bad roads but I try to remember what I am driving.

Your signature TriumphGuy is that car or bike? Have a 69 bonnie 650 still trying to get on the road it's been apart since around 1975 have started to work on it but still a ways to go, recently retired so maybe here soon.

[Billinwoodland]

2008 Monaco Monarch, 35', Ford chassis. I have had TTs being pulled by diesel F250. This is my first A. The A is a different animal. I also read the complaints about the drift and difficulty keeping the rig on the road. I just don't experience it. It is driven differently than a pu truck, and I take turns slower in the A. Mine is stable and I am not bothered by semis going past me in the opposite direction or passing me. Google, or search here for the "cheap handling fix." I wonder if mine was done before I bought the rig. I still have not checked, and need to, but I haven't because I do not have any handling issues.