ron_dittmer
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Joined 18 years ago
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Re: Slideouts on a ClassC: How many?
IMO, the best place for a slide-out is BETWEEN the front a rear axles. A slide-out located well behind the rear axle is the absolute worst place. Think of the levereage, the down-forces a slide-out introduces. 500 pounds back there, subtracts 500 pounds in front of the rear axle, but the downforce can increase the load on the rear tires by piles more than 500 pounds. The weight from "leverage" is compounded. I drew this up a few years ago to illustrate the situation with my own rig without a slide-out. On trips with a full tank of fresh water (that is located against the rear bumper) and us sitting in the front seats, the leverage from water-weight is so influential, that the measured weight on the front axle is only 100 pounds heavier during trips as compared to the rig completely empty. During trips, we load our rear axle to the rated limit as defined by Ford. Not carrying water changes the scenario significantly. We carry a full tank of fresh water because we exclusively boondock. Adding a 500 pound slide-out located behind the rear axle on our particular rig would be detrimental. More recently I made some suspension changes up front to address the harsh ride and rear-end sag. I replaced the heavy duty front springs with ones rated the next step down. This leveled the rig nicely and also makes the ride much better with reduced thrashing. You can read all about the project which includes pictures, by CLICKING HERE.755Views0likes0CommentsRe: Slideouts on a ClassC: How many?
Grit dog wrote: fourthclassC wrote: Personally, I would never have an RV with any slide outs. My feeling is that they detract from the structural in integrity of a vehicle going down the road. Also I don't spend that much time inside the vehicle when camping so no need for the addtional space. Again, just my feeling. Hahaha that’s funny! Then I must be one funny guy like fourthclassC.755Views0likes0CommentsRe: Where can I find this RV?
If your plans are to explore national parks, monuments, forests, and BLMs, then your goal of "under 30 feet" is most appropriate. A tow vehicle can safely be added to that figure. Regarding things breaking, that sounds more like an issue with quality. I don't know much about 5th wheels, if some are made a lot better than others.572Views0likes0CommentsRe: What jack to lift one corner of a Class C E450?
Our class-C on an E350 chassis came with a 6 ton bottle jack. It works. I was going to buy an 8 ton or 12 ton bottle jack because more is better. That is until I picked one up. I didn't want to carry and handle so much weight. At home I use my rolling 4500 pound floor jack to lift a rear corner or the front end. Neither exceed the rating of the jack.2.4KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Slideouts on a ClassC: How many?
"ZERO" from me too. We special-ordered our 2007 Phoenix Cruiser without a slide-out. Needless to say, our 16 year old rig has never had slide-out problems. It is a very quiet & tight rig that stays warm in the cold, and cool in the heat. Pending the size of a slide-out, it can weight between 400 and 700 pounds. 3 large slide-outs can add near 2000 pounds to an already over-loaded USA class-C.755Views0likes0CommentsRe: Where can I find this RV?
I always thought the popular rear queen bed floor plan of the 80s & 90s without slide-outs was supurb. The bedroom was in back, the queen bed headboard was against the back wall, and you could walk around the bed. They usually had a dinette and one easy chair up front. The lengths of those rigs were 28-30 feet. A year or two ago, my brother found a brand new class A Fleetwood Flair with a similar floorplan. I looked tonight and the new 2024s all have slide-outs. :(569Views0likes0CommentsRe: Replacing the house batteries...
I went in the other direction, getting rid of our manufactured slide-out tray. Our 2-battery tray has full extension drawer glides. I had to give up the tray when going from two 12V batteries, to two 6V batteries because the 6Vs are taller. Giving up the tray, gained the height I needed. I went with AGM technology to avoid maintenance, so there is no need to have a tray. I installed the batteries in April 2015, and they have remained undisturbed since then. Here are some before and after pictures. BEFORE with two 12V wet acid batteries. AFTER with two 6V AGM batteries. If you want to purchase a full extension manufactured slide-out battery tray like I had, here is the manufacture of mine. The label seems to be difficult to read. EZ-GLIDE by Fleming Sales Company, Inc. 2101 Industrial Parkway, Elkhart, IN 46516 574-295-0234 I had bought a second one so I have two. You can see what happens after 8 years of boil-overs.479Views0likes0CommentsRe: cricket golf cart for a rv
I get the wee-bee-gee-bees when I see a lot of cantilevered weight on a hitch on any vehicle, but most especially with a class B or C motorhome. It doesn't sit right with me. A couple of bicycles or a light storage carrier is one thing, but a 400+ pound mini-golf cart hanging 2 to 3 feet away from the connection? Not so much. Consider that with the inherent leverage, it is going to be a lot more than 500 pounds at the point of connection.844Views0likes0CommentsRe: Small Class C on a Ford 350 vs Transit chassis
Desert Captain wrote: Over the last year I have had 7 people come ring our doorbell to ask if that lovely motorhome {24' Class C} sitting in the driveway is for sale. I did some checking and got offers of $36,000 to $41,000 from a couple of different consignment companies and there is no fee to the seller. Keep in mind I paid $47,000 for it 9.5 years and 71,000 miles ago. I'd be tempted to part with it if we weren't so happy with the coach and then would have to try and find something else {and it 's paid for }. A good feeling for sure. It would be interesting to know what we could get for our rig.1KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Small Class C on a Ford 350 vs Transit chassis
Gjac wrote: ron.dittmer wrote: Gjac wrote: If the PC is 3 times what you paid in 2007 that would be about $180K. I many have exaggerated a bit. A brand new PC 2100, fully optioned as they are all built today, I have seen priced at Camper's Inn for around $160k. I don't know if you can negotiate downward in this currently hot motorhome market. Wait until the COVID craze has passed. I am all but certain the prices will drop dramatically on new and used motorhomes of every brand and kind. It is NOT a good time buy a new or used motorhome, only a good time to get out from owning one. I don't know about towables. Every time I drive by my area RV dealers, their lots are loaded with them which tells me they are over-stocked. Maybe the prices on them have come down off the clouds to help move them. I really don't know, just an assumption on my part. Yes, that was my plan to wait. I think not only prices will come down but people that bought RV's on a whim will have to sell them, depending on how bad this recession is. It is a good time to research and see what is out there and what would fit the way one likes to camp/travel. You are so right. There will be so many used motorhomes being put up for sale after people can freely travel abroad again. Their motorhomes will be sitting in storage lots while they are in the Caribbean, Europe, wherever else but in their motorhome.1KViews0likes0Comments
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