Community Forums

Tom N · 12-22-2008, 10:58 AM

The Workhorse forum may be more popular on iRV2 because Workhorse actually sponsors ($$$) the forum. Workhorse's Ambassadors actually participate on the Workhorse forum and help Workhorse owners.

The forum does have a disclaimer, but mostly for legal reasons. "Posts provided in this forum by Workhorse Ambassadors are their opinions and not those of Workhorse or the administration of iRV2.com."

Not a perfect situation but much better than Ford, IMHO.

-Tom

speed racer · 12-22-2008, 11:29 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by horatio54:
Oh and By the way ...speed racer... what do you mean by your "Workhorse also cost about 5k more than ford." comment ... Am I to assume that you mean Workhorse is better because it costs more ? or that a lot of people that would have purchased a Workhorse if it weren't so much more expensive? pleas clarify
Some buyers take the extra cost into consideration when making a purchase and if they have no preferance choose the less expensive.
Thanks again </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

speed racer · 12-22-2008, 11:40 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by horatio54:
I know the math is simple but... WHY do more WH owners frequent irv2...what reason compels them to use irv2 over Ford owners ? Apparently there is a huge number variance btwn F & WH (in Fords favor) I would think it would be reflected in the # of posts.. in fact the exact opposite is true I can't believe WH has 10x the problems Ford does? Is it that the price point of most WH chassis owner is upper end? does anyone else beside me have an interest on this subject </div></BLOCKQUOTE> The # of post can be attributed to the problem WH had with the brakes on the 2000 through 2003 models and wether it be a WH problem a maint. problem or driver a number of people talked about it on this forum. If you research it you will find that ford owners had brake problems also.

gene2 · 12-22-2008, 05:59 PM

I have a curious interest also. I've been a lifelong GM owner and very much involved in Ford vs GM controversies. I have made a living many years in the past working on Fords. Always put them down because I always got superior performance in the GM powertrains. When we bought our first MH, on a Ford I did not give any care to the chassis, we liked the floorplan and I had enough confidence & understanding of the Ford to be comfortable with the price.

I too have noticed the difference in the forums regarding the different chassis, personal experience with the Ford has thus far been more than happy. The new 5 speed trans & 362 HP V10 seem to anticipate the required needs on the road. The only problem encountered was a failed fuel pump. I can get belts, hoses & most other parts easily at Ford or NAPA stores. I understand that these are limited with the WH.

My family & friends nearly passed out when we first brought Kay home because it was on a Ford. I was ok because I had noticed Ford was very interested in making a good chassis, GM had been the leader for years, got cold feet and quit, selling to WH. We have been all across the USA and my Ford has impressed me enough that I have no regrets, the Allison trans is good, we'll see how well the 5 speed Ford holds up. So far, I won't pay the difference.

By the number of posts, it seems that either Ford owners are more tolerant or WH is over hyped these days. If I had a WH it seems I wouldn't be as happy as I am now.

Bob (WA0MQE) · 12-23-2008, 01:03 AM

As was mentioned by one of the earlier replies, Ford has been in the business for a long time, just like many of the diesel chassis manufacturers. Workhorse on the other hand is new in the chassis business. Meaning they haven't had the years to get all the bugs worked out as the other manufacturers.

Hopefully time will prevail and most of the issues will be worked out, as many already have. Some might say if the economy relative to RV's doesn't hit them too hard. But, Workhorse builds many other types of chassis' too. Motorhomes aren't their bread and butter.

horatio54 · 12-23-2008, 02:29 AM

A quick search of the word brake in both forums reveals that BOTH forums had 4% of the posts with that word in it .. unscientific.. but if as speedracer seems to believe that it was because of a specific problem that inflated the #ers would'nt you expect the % to be higher for WH

A quick read of those posts (brakes ) also suggests that WH is not being very responsive ..again unscientific. and to suggest that the opinions of the WH ambassadors is not the opinion of WH seems to be a little disingenous also. Most all opinions I read were espousing the company stand

DriVer · 12-23-2008, 04:23 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by horatio54: </div></BLOCKQUOTE>horatio54, The opinions that are posted in the Workhorse Forum are mine exclusively however they are based in fact which can be documented in official company text or other media. Workhorse is not as you say "not being responsive" because you are way too late in this conversation to make that call. If you took the time to read "all" the materials I posted about the issue you will clearly see that this issue is all about a supplier and how quickly the government is obligating the supplier to resolve the issue as it stands. Both Workhorse and its customers are anxiously awaiting the NHTSA EA to conclude and reveal its findings.

What will become an equal concern on the part of 2007 and newer Ford F53 owners will be the Bosch Pin Slide Hydraulic Disk Brake Calipers which are installed as standard equipment. The RV industry is very small and the supplier network that provides components to the industry is limited. Given the GVW of gas powered motorhomes The Bosch system is basically the only show in town.

Thank you however for sharing your opinion with us in this matter.

Gary RVRoamer · 12-23-2008, 04:24 AM

If you only read the Workhorse forum here, you might think that Workhorse quality is terrible and wonder why anybody would buy one. Lot's of posts about problems with brakes, instrument clusters, etc. But if you frequent other RV sites as well as this one, there are no where near as many posts about the Workhorse chassis or problems with it. Most owners seem quite happy. It has always perplexed me why IRV2 Workhorse forum seems to be magnet for owners with problems (and are very vocal about it).

We specified the Workhorse W22 chassis when we bought a new coach in 2002. At the time, we felt it was head and shoulders superior to the current Ford F53 (and we were trading in a Ford chassis rig on it). Capacity, transmission, structural strength and design were all, in my opinion, much better. Ford dug in and upgraded the F53 over the next couple years, making them pretty much equal again. If I were buying another new one today, I wouldn't care much which chassis it was on.

Tom N · 12-23-2008, 05:06 AM

I'll add Workhorse currently makes the BEST class A motorhome gas chassis and that is the 24,000# W24. If anyone would like to debate this fact email me directly.

Look at these W24 gas motorhome brakes!!

-Tom

paz · 12-23-2008, 05:07 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by horatio54:
I know the math is simple but... WHY do more WH owners frequent irv2...what reason compels them to use irv2 over Ford owners ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I may be wrong - since I'm a Workhorse owner so I've never spent much time on the Ford Forum; but IMO, the reason there is a greater participation in the Workhorse Forum than in the Ford Forum is that we have a couple of hard-working, well-informed Workhorse Ambasadors who provide answers to a lot of technical questions. This is also the reason there seems to be more Workhorse problems - people with problems know they can get answers at iRV2.

horatio54 · 12-23-2008, 04:09 PM

This WH ambassador thing intrigues me...Does any type of consideration (money..tickets to events...special pricing...preferential treatment) anything that I as a non ambassador cannot get .happen btwn WH and the Ambassadors?

horatio54 · 12-23-2008, 04:20 PM

"This is also the reason there seems to be more Workhorse problems - people with problems know they can get answers at iRV2."
Not sure of the logic on that one?

I guess the Ford people just don't have as many problems? Or maybe they don't know they can get answers here ...which is it?..Maybe if we let them know the answer to their problems is here at irv2 they will start posting .

Glenn and Kathy · 12-23-2008, 04:31 PM

The WH forum has several complaints that feed it. There is the service brake issue, the parking brake issue, the instrument panel issue, the poor handling issue, the higher price issue and others.

As for the transmission, I thought the transmission in my Ford chassis was just as good as the Allison and never left me in the middle of the California desert waiting for it to decide to start shifting again like the allison did.

Glenn

paz · 12-24-2008, 02:38 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by horatio54:
"This is also the reason there seems to be more Workhorse problems - people with problems know they can get answers at iRV2."
Not sure of the logic on that one?

I guess the Ford people just don't have as many problems? Or maybe they don't know they can get answers here ...which is it?..Maybe if we let them know the answer to their problems is here at irv2 they will start posting. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm sorry I didn't explain this better. Like I said in my first post, I don't go to the Ford Forum because I own a Workhorse. Does the Ford Forum have Ambasadors? I suspect it doesn't.

I didn't say Ford owners don't have as many problems. What I was trying to say was, because IMO the Workhorse Ambasadors do a good job, they attract more questions, more posts, and more problems.