Why V10 gasser?

[peterson]

Why doesn't Ford put a 6.7 Super Duty diesel in their F53 chassis? Or do they and the RV makers just don't want the cost?

[B Dubya]

I don't know who it was, but while searching around I saw FREDs for sale and they were pretty new. Best I can cipher that means Front Engine Diesel. Don't know what chassis it was on.

[Newmar2856]

They do have a super c on an F550 chassis with the 6.7 diesel motor.

https://thormotorcoach.com/chateau-s...ns/?model=33SW

[Scarab0088]

Ford never offered a FRont Engine Diesel (FRED).
2016 Ford Stripped Chassis F-53 Motorhome | See All The Stripped Chassis F-53 Motorhome Highlights | Ford.com

A FRED was offered by Freightliner (Cummins 6.7l) and Workhorse (Navistar V8) but the offering ended with the recession.

And, FRED owners were not so impressed with these chassis because the engines were just the same small engine offered in a pick-up. Add underfoot heat and the noise to the premium price point and sales did not save the FRED from death in the recession.

Maybe some day in the future we will see the return of the FRED Class A...like they are very common in Europe (3-4 liter versions), just not now. And these Euro RV's are not full wide-bodies like most North American RVs.

Safe travels

[Gary RVRoamer]

Neither the Freightliner front diesel nor the Workhorse front diesel proved popular with buyers, so the RV makers stopped building on them. There is a substantial price premium for the basic diesel chassis that (for whatever reason) most buyers seem unwilling to pay. Those who are willing to pay extra go all the way for a diesel pusher and get the air suspension/brakes, longer wheel base, and other improved features.

I assume Ford saw what happened and decided not to invest in something the lower-end RV-buying public did not seem to appreciate.

[NMRVer]

My uncle had one and they were just to noisy. Aunt was pissed so he traded it after only 1 year. Happy wife...happy life.

[Sweetbriar]

Tiffin had a FRED, the Allegro Bay, for several years built on the Freightliner chassis but drop it in 2010 the same year they came out with the Red model line.

I can't recall the details but Ford had some kind of contractual agreement not enter the medium or heavy sized diesel chassis market when they sold their commercial heavy truck division to Freightliner Trucks back in 1997. It might have been school busses or something along those lines. Pretty sure the agreement has expired but there just isn't a high enough demand for a FRED on an F53 chassis. New mileage or air quality requirements could force Ford into producing a FRED if the V10 is no long viable.

[ODLI BBQ]

Because a v-11 would sound funny? Sorry couldn't resist.

[nothermark]

What most of us do not get is why anyone would want the heavier, noisier, more expensive engine sitting in our laps. The V-10 works fine for most of what it is used for.

[CampDaven]

Well, I had a FRED and loved it. It was a Thor Serrano 31X, and had less than half the noise of a gasser on acceleration, 25% at cruise, and way more torque. Musta been the $ that buried FREDS. But I have absolutely no regrets!
Lotsa folks still have and love them.


Dave and Nola, RV Mutants

[cwsqbm]

Originally Posted by peterson

Why doesn't Ford put a 6.7 Super Duty diesel in their F53 chassis? Or do they and the RV makers just don't want the cost?

Ford doesn't because RV makers don't think customers would pay the difference in the price range typical of gas motorhomes (based on thier experience when diesels were available in both front-engine class A and class C. For example, Ford offered the E-350/E-450 with a diesel up until about 2010 or so, but they were almost never used for motorhomes. Chevy still sells a chassis cab diesel, but I've never seen one in a new motorhome. Front axle weight would probably be an issue on all but the smallest models).

As a customer, why buy a front-engine diesel when rear-engine ones are available. DP have the advantage of being far from the engine while driving, and far from the generator when sleeping.

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

As a customer, why buy a front-engine diesel when rear-engine ones are available. DP have the advantage of being far from the engine while driving, and far from the generator when sleeping.

I wanted diesel, and the W20D was perfect at 20K lbs gross. Served well in a package at much lower weight. And we don't boondock, so.....
And I already mentioned how quiet it was. And it was a 2011 leftover. Bought it for a song I didn't even know the words to!


Dave and Nola, RV Mutants

[slowmachine]

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

As a customer, why buy a front-engine diesel when rear-engine ones are available. DP have the advantage of being far from the engine while driving, and far from the generator when sleeping.

All other things being equal, the best place for the engine and radiator is in the front of the vehicle. Heat management is far simpler in the high-pressure airstream.


Mike
2000 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PBD
Freghtliner XC, CAT 3126B

[Denniscw]

Still have a Serrano 31X front engine diesel and love it. 13 mpg reasonably quite on the road and no DEF.