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Old 05-29-2017, 09:05 PM   #1
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Considering a Class A -gas

We have a 5'er and enjoy it. However we are considering a Class A gas coach. We know what we believe to be important in amenities in a 5'er ( auto leveler, 2 AC's...), but would like to know what to look for in a Class A. What amenities do you look for when purchasing a Class A?
Also how much power does a Class A gas rig have?
Thank you for your responses in advance.
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Old 05-29-2017, 09:15 PM   #2
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The ford V-10 is a very good engine and has plenty of power with a 34 foot or less. I have a 2008 sunrise 32 foot. My wife and I live in for six months of the year and we survive. It has a full driver side slide out and a bedroom slide out. The position of the living room tv is excellent as it can be watched with out turning your neck. We've had no problem with storage. Check these type and see what Mommy likes.
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Old 05-29-2017, 09:20 PM   #3
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Gas class A's new ; you only have Ford V-10 chassis.
A little older you can find the Workhorse chassis with GM's 8.1l, V-8 and Allison 1000 series trans . JMHO a more capable combination.
NO matter what coach your interested in , find the RV's weight sticker , and look for the unit's CCC ( Cargo Carrying Capacity.) that will tell you how much more weight the chassis can handle without being overloaded.
You'll also want to know the trailer tow capacity for the unit , to low a tow capacity and you'll be very limited in your choice of a toad.
Many class A's both gas and diesel , with all the bells and whistles , can be virtually overloaded from the factory ; and you don't want to buy one of those.
There is no standard location for the sticker , cupboard doors and back walls , closets , here's what to look for.
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Old 05-29-2017, 09:27 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skip426 View Post
Gas class A's new ; you only have Ford V-10 chassis.
A little older you can find the Workhorse chassis with GM's 8.1l, V-8 and Allison 1000 series trans . JMHO a more capable combination.
NO matter what coach your interested in , find the RV's weight sticker , and look for the unit's CCC ( Cargo Carrying Capacity.) that will tell you how much more weight the chassis can handle without being overloaded.
You'll also want to know the trailer tow capacity for the unit , to low a tow capacity and you'll be very limited in your choice of a toad.
Many class A's both gas and diesel , with all the bells and whistles , can be virtually overloaded from the factory ; and you don't want to buy one of those.
There is no standard location for the sticker , cupboard doors and back walls , closets , here's what to look for.
Skip is correct! Our '02 Dutch Star DP had a 5,500# NCC listing. We didn't order the real tile floor and washer/dryer combo so I was VERY surprised to find the CCC was only 663#'s and ALL of that was on the rear axle. The front was overweight before we got on board or loaded anything!.
After some "discussion" with Newmar and an evaluation at Hendersons they agreed to replace the 12,000# axle with a 14,600# unit. While on the rack at Spartan they also determined that Newmar had no reason to lower the rear axle GVAW from 20,000 to 19,000#'s. So I gained 3,600#'s of CCC, but lost a little of it due to the heavier front axle. Well worth the change!
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Old 05-30-2017, 06:42 AM   #5
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Take a look at the floorplan, if you can access the bathroom, fridge, and bedroom storage with slides closed. Also some MH even gasser has a central shower that block access to the bedroom, this is something we didn't want with kids and prefer a shower on a side, with a door.
Also yes as others stated you will have a Ford V10, since 2006 it is more powerful (30 valves)
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Old 05-30-2017, 07:42 AM   #6
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New or used? The advantage you have is your "usage" experience. You probably have a good idea of how you use it and what you want. Also, you currently have a Tow Vehicle (TV), this would tend to slant a decision back to a fiver instead of a Class A or C. ?? i.e. your "Chassis" and your "Coach" are separate.

We never owned a real TV, so to go down the fiver route, we would spend a significant portion on the TV.

This is our 3rd MH. We started our search with a wishlist that was based on experience as to how we used the MH.

We were initially looking at DPs, mainly for coach build quality. After several months of searching and evaluation, we discovered we could get the same build quality on a chassis we were familiar with and trusted, the Ford F53. Not only did we save thousands of dollars on the less expensive gasser, but I didn't need to go through the entire learning curve and additional expense of the DP chassis.

We found the exact floor plan we were looking for, with high end build quality, the amenities and appliances we wanted, and on the F53 chassis that I'm very familiar with.

We have an older version 310 hp with four speed tranny. New F53s have 365 hp with 6 speed tranny.

If you travel in hilly, mountainous terrain, the gasser will be doggy. Depending on your existing TV, you may know how to handle doggy climbs up mountains and descending down the steep grades on the other side.

Consideration and thoughts - With a Class A, I drive my house at 7 mpg and tow my 30mpg car. Towing my car also gives me emergency transportation if something goes wrong with the Class A.

I think the logistics of traveling would be similar, i.e. gassing up, overnight stops, turn radius, vertical clearance, etc.

Setup and tear-down at destination sites could be similar, leveling, slide-outs, utility hookups. Pull thru vs back in, site size, etc.

Build Quality ??? I'm not sure what is available in fivers as far as high end quality. I do know that with a Class A, there are a lot of high end builders. Our second MH was an entry level Class A, low quality , build, very basic. We lived in the Mirada (low end) and the Southwind (high end) the differences are night and day.
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Old 05-30-2017, 08:23 AM   #7
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When I get ready to upgrade I will look at a Newmar with a 26k chassis or a Tiffin product. I would not get a full wall slide especially if you are full timing they can be a problem and beware of some of the Schiwinteck slides.
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Old 05-30-2017, 04:21 PM   #8
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Traded our 2015 Coachmen (Forest River) Encounter that blew its Ford V10 engine at 5,300 miles for a 2008 Monaco DP and haven't looked back.
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Old 05-31-2017, 01:31 AM   #9
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We switched from 35 years of 5th wheel/trailer to a MH 2 years ago. The experience level helps a lot. You know to look for floor plan, access to refrig and bathroom with slides in, carrying capacity etc. We bought an upper entry level gasser and are extremely happy with it. The only thing is the slides are a lot shallower than the 5th but that is necessary to walk up and down the MH since we have a mid-chassis door. We have less storage space than with the 5th but then we did downsize. Like having a small vehicle for driving around touring though.
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Old 05-31-2017, 05:00 AM   #10
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What is your plan? Are you going to travel long distances or go camping? As far as floor plans and amenities the choice is what you like. Short distance camping I like my TT. To travel the 12000+ miles we have in the last year I love my MH.
I kept my TT because I have two son's with families that enjoy the TT. In the overall picture the sale of trade of a used TT did not change things a lot. The worst thing is parking when we are home. Buy what you love and fits you. Then use it as much as you can and enjoy!
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Old 05-31-2017, 05:59 AM   #11
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This is a hard question to answer without more details on price range, age range, usage plans, etc.
As others mentioned, in newer coaches the Ford V10 is the only option and for the most part adequate. We have a 36ft Tiffin and tow our Jeep Grand Cherokee and it does fine as long as there are no significant grades.
I have only driven a Workhorse once and found the engine/transmission combination to be better than the Ford (more low end torque, better shift patterns), but the steering seemed even more "loose" than the Ford.
Layouts are a very personal choice and there is many to choose from. Don't just look at it all opened up, but drive it, try watching TV and check out the sleeping situation.
If buying used, especially a bit older, then full body paint will stay nice looking a lot longer and a one piece windshield is nice to have (standard starting about 2008). I am partial to a fiberglass molded roof. In my experience it is much easier to keep clean.
A few things I have found and heard from others that could impact a purchase decision:
1.- When all closed up, access to key areas like the bathroom or fridge is difficult or impossible.
2.- Living room hide-a-bed extends all the way to opposing wall, so rear bedroom occupants have to climb over the living room bed to get to the kitchen, exit, etc.
3.- Driving position is too cramped for taller drivers.
4.- Driver and passenger side windows are too small. I found this on a 2016 Bounder where the window stopped a foot in front of the driver seat. I could not stand looking against a wall when turning my head left to look out the window.

Good luck!
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Old 05-31-2017, 07:29 AM   #12
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While the Ford 53 is the only option on newer ClassAs there is still a lot to consider that affect the ride, drivability, and basic funtiionality of an RV.

Here is a link to a thread where you can find a link to the 2014 chassis specs which if not current are proably directionally correct. I'm sure you can find any year on line at the Ford truck web site.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/ford-...ual-72684.html

Some things to consider.......

Threre are 6 GVWR chassis:

16k/18k with a 23k GCWR with 19" wheels
20.5k/22k with a 26k GCWR w/ 19" wheels, BUT there is a 22.5" wheel option on the 22k
24k/26k with a 30k GVWR with 22.5" wheels

Three is obviously a spring difference for each GVWR, but there are also differences in gear ratios, brakes, etc. between each chassis type you can find in that detailed document if you want to.

While you can see the differences between the GVWR is as much as 7k, most only come with a 5k hitch.

Wheel Base & Chassis length.

Each chassis comes in a variety of wheel bases, while the RV manufacturers commonly extend the frame to build a larger house box. The absolute minimum for wheel base to overall RV length is 50%, with every percentage higher providing a more stable handling RV. My 31SA has a 57% ratio which is about as good as it gets for a gasser.

Long rear overhangs contribute a lot to the push / pull effect of passing trucks and / or driving in wind. Just think about the leverage behind the rear tires.

Long overhangs can also attribute to a non balanced loading of the RV. A heavily loaded rear with a long overhand can contribute to a light front end, that not only creates funky steering but is simply dangerous.

A heavily loaded long overhang can also create a pendulum effect on steering, even is the front end is properly loaded, again creating funky and even dangerous steering. I've seen plenty of "long overhang" RVs going down the road that the front tires look like they are barely touching the ground and that the back end is almost dragging - I can't image how terrible the handling is......

With all things being equal, 22.5" wheels / tires are going to generally provide a smoother ride, simply due to the larger rolling diameter and (usually) larger side walls.

22.5" wheels also create a situation where the house structure sits higher, so that the engine dog house does not intrude as much into the cab and / or can be better insulated which leads to much less noise / heat intrusion from the engine into the cab area , and also makes it easer to get in and out of the seats. The higher house structure also generally creates a situation where "DP" style basement bay doors are used with taller and usually bigger basement storage bays. You'll also often find a narrow pass through over the chassis rails for storage. Obviously, understanding the cargo capacity is very important as well......

So, just a few things to consider. Good luck in your search.

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Old 05-31-2017, 08:36 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 95B20V5 View Post
Traded our 2015 Coachmen (Forest River) Encounter that blew its Ford V10 engine at 5,300 miles for a 2008 Monaco DP and haven't looked back.
Very helpful and informative post. Your engine was a lemon too.
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Old 05-31-2017, 09:34 AM   #14
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As mentioned floor plan was the deciding factor,next was the manufacturer.Our
ford V10 is very quiet, and has more power than we need.A lot has to do with
its small size,but works well for just us two.
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