Narrower Class C with cabover bunk on Chevy/Ford E chassis?

[fugawi]

There are some 25' long Class C's on the Sprinter chassis that are 94"-95" wide and have cabover bunks and slides, like the Coachmen Prism series and others.

There are a few narrower Class C's on the Chevy or Ford E series, chassis, like Phoenix Cruiser (93" wide), Coachmen Concord (94" wide), Winnebago Aspect/Cambria (95" wide), and Forest River Grand Touring Series (97" wide). However, none of those offer a cabover bunk. Most or all that do have a cabover bunk are 99"-101" wide.

Is there a narrower Class C (say 93"-95" wide) with a cabover bunk on the Ford E series or Chevy chassis? If not, why not?

Perhaps the answer is that manufacturers already make cabover floorplans with 99"-101" wide bodies, and producing a similar product that is 5"-6" narrower is slicing the segments too thin.

It seems like there would be a good market for a 93"-95" wide Class C with cabover bunk on the Chevy or Ford E series chassis for those buyers who want a narrower rig that is easier to park and maneuver (think of everyone buying Sprinter chassis Class C's!) while having these benefits of the Chevy/Ford chassis: lower cost, higher cargo capacity, heavier towing, heavier duty chassis and brakes, and more affordable and widespread service availability.

[ron_dittmer]

Every length (21'-31'), and every model (9 to choose from) Phoenix Cruiser measures the same slim 93" wide. It is very hard to find anything narrow these days built on a capable E-series chassis. Years ago slim rigs were easier to find, and with cab-over bunks.

I am not a fan of the Sprinter or Transit. But that is me, just me. People who own them love them, and I am happy for them. I got a list of reasons why I prefer an E350/E450 or a GM 3500/4500. But that is another topic.

[fugawi]

ron.dittmer wrote:
fugawi,

I agree with you.

We own a 2007 Phoenix Cruiser (CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES) with B+ aerodynamic cap. Our PC is just right for us just as it is.

But I always wondered why the company does not offer for all their models, an option for a class C front cap similar to a Winnebago View.

If you are ordering a PC, they can make a single bunk in their B+ cap for you. But it won't be very big. Here is a picture I found of maybe a 2001 model year Phoenix Cruiser with an overhead bunk. I think they would do a much better job of it today, eliminating that silly wooden panel along with the old type antenna crank.

Thank you for sharing that photo. Agree on the Class C similar to a Winnebago View concept on Ford E series chassis -- 24-25’ unit that is 90-95” wide with cab over bunk. Same form factor as Sprinter floor plans, but on a heavier duty chassis.

[fugawi]

pnichols wrote:
Some might consider this as a "Class C" ... but built on a pickup truck chassis instead of a van chassis. The bed is a cabover bed. The coach exterior width is only 88 inches. In the old days it used to be called a "chassis mount" camper.

Click the "Specs & Pricing" tab to see the specifications: http://www.tigervehicles.com/tiger-models/bengal/

Here's another one just over 96 inches wide with a cabover bed. It's built on the Ford F350 pickup truck chassis instead of a van chassis, but it kindof looks like a van based regular Class C:
http://www.xplorermotorhome.com/xcursion_ford22.html

Thank you for sharing these. Somehow I have missed the xplorer brand in all of my research.

[ron_dittmer]

fugawi,

I agree with you.

We own a 2007 Phoenix Cruiser (CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES) with B+ aerodynamic cap. Our PC is just right for us just as it is.

But I always wondered why the company does not offer for all their models, an option for a class C front cap similar to a Winnebago View.

If you are ordering a PC, they can make a single bunk in their B+ cap for you. But it won't be very big. Here is a picture I found of maybe a 2001 model year Phoenix Cruiser with an overhead bunk. I think they would do a much better job of it today, eliminating that silly wooden panel along with the old type antenna crank.

[jasonleigh]

My two cents is that you would have to increase the over cab height to have any room up there. Narrower chassis and higher bunk do not make for better stability or drivability. Plus, most of those narrow e450 25ft+ class C units sleep 6 without the overhead bunk. The nice thing about those e450 b+ units is they are great to drive. Eliminating the bunk overhang helps in that department.

[ItsyRV]

We are talking only SIX inches between those "narrow" and the wider ones you mention. Comparing the Thor Magnitude which is a large 35 foot Super C and a Coachman Freelander 21QB (the midget RV on the ford transit chassis), the difference is still only eight inches. As widths go, even a large three inches on each side means one heck of a big difference in interior floor space, but not so much drive a driving standpoint.

Additionally, some chassis have limited wheel tracks that means they can't exceed a certain width of the body. Since the Ford (excluding transit) and Chevy have wide wheel tracks their bodies can be made wider. Step into a Gulfstream BT Crusier 5210 and it will feel and appear larger than a Winnebago Era even though they have the same floor space. The reason is the few extra inches in width of the BT Cruiser makes up for the few less inches in the length.

When discussing "Sprinter" vans, remember the RV versions with bodies are not the same width as the straight unibody versions popular as Class B's. The Prisim on the RV Sprinter chassis is still almost TWO feet wider than the ERA in a unibody Sprinter chassis.

[pnichols]

Some might consider this as a "Class C" ... but built on a pickup truck chassis instead of a van chassis. The bed is a cabover bed. The coach exterior width is only 88 inches. In the old days it used to be called a "chassis mount" camper.

Click the "Specs & Pricing" tab to see the specifications: http://www.tigervehicles.com/tiger-models/bengal/

Here's another one just over 96 inches wide with a cabover bed. It's built on the Ford F350 pickup truck chassis instead of a van chassis, but it kindof looks like a van based regular Class C:
http://www.xplorermotorhome.com/xcursion_ford22.html