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Old 09-13-2017, 06:41 AM   #29
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400 " cubic foot " engine. That would be the size of the whole motor home.
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Old 09-13-2017, 09:05 AM   #30
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From unpleasant experience with an older RV with a Ford 460, I would avoid any vehicle with a carburator and smog gear. Ours was an '85 Class C, 26' long and it got 6 mpg at sea level and around 4.5 mpg at altitude. We have a lot of altitude around here.

We sold that POS after half a season and waited a couple of years to save up for something better. We bought an '02 32' Class A directly from the original purchaser and had four excellent years of travel. With EFI and a 6.8L engine, the gas mileage was always around 7.7 and wasn't changed by altitude

We shut things down after 4 years when we realised the cost of gas was causing us to nibble down our IRAs. Two years later, it had dropped from $4.50/gal to $2.50, but we'd moved on to other things and didn't go back to RVs.
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Old 09-13-2017, 10:40 AM   #31
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But you kept your membership to the forum, you must still have the itch[emoji51]
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Old 09-22-2017, 12:58 PM   #32
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Be gentle...I'm new here

Hi! Looks like you've already got a lot of great responses here. I'll just chime in with we went with a 32' class A and tow a Subaru Forester. We full time with our cat and our dog, and would like to get another dog within the next year.

We traded in our Subaru Outback for the Forester so we could flat tow. It was a difficult decision because I loved my VW Golf that was left behind, and he loved his Outback, but the Forester is suiting all of our needs and we can flat tow which is just so much easier. It takes us under 2 minutes to hook/unhook and there have been times where we would've been stuck if not for such a quick and easy unhook and being able to turn the key and get the car out of the way.

The 32' A (Forest River FR3 30DS) was because as previously mentioned, being able to pull up and park in inclement weather was our biggest selling point. That and being able to pull over to use the bathroom, or take a nap if needed, without any fuss or muss. In this particular model we can access everything except for our sock drawers with the slides in. Though we were in love with several 5th wheels, the ease of an A sold us on it.

We were fortunate to find a 2015 in 2016 with only 10k miles on it and most of the kinks of a brand new unit smoothed out, as well as a ton of upgrades already in place. Before buying we went to every RV show that we could, to walk into every single A/C/5th wheel on display to really get a feel for what could potentially work for us and what would be a deal breaker. He needed a large shower and I needed it to not be hideous. David did a TON of research and knowing we couldn't afford brand new, we were just patient until the right unit became available.

Best of luck!

- Maybelle
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Old 09-22-2017, 01:20 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankdamp View Post
From unpleasant experience with an older RV with a Ford 460, I would avoid any vehicle with a carburator and smog gear. Ours was an '85 Class C, 26' long and it got 6 mpg at sea level and around 4.5 mpg at altitude. We have a lot of altitude around here..
I drive a '88 26' class C with the 460 and carb (and smog pump) for 12+ years. Yes, 6.5mpg (towing a 4000 lb trailer), never got lower that that, although we typically run at around 2000' elevation. A great, strong running rig that gave us very little trouble; the Ford 460 is a staple in older class C RVs.

Last year, upgraded to a 31' class A with a 8.1 Workhorse engine. Absolutely love it, but still getting 6.5-7mpg towing that trailer.
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Old 09-22-2017, 01:30 PM   #34
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I own a 1990 Ford Fleetwood Flair with the Ford 460 motor. It is a powerhouse 8.0 liter V 8 400 cubic foot engine. Towing capacity is probably about 20,000 pound. My gets about 17 miles per gallon highway.
Sorry, but my BS meter is going off the chart!A Ford 460 is 7.5 liter, not 8.0, and is 460 cubic inches, not 400 cubic feet. Your GCWR (or maybe even your GVWR) may be 20,000 lbs, but your "towing capacity" certainly isn't. And the only way your getting 17mpg with a 1990 30' class A with a toad is downhill coasting in neutral (with a tailwind).
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Old 09-25-2017, 10:45 PM   #35
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400 " cubic foot " engine. That would be the size of the whole motor home.

400 cubic foot would be a pretty small Motorhome!!!😆 the Motorhome has more like 500 square feet of living space. Cubic feet and square feet are very different.
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Old 09-25-2017, 11:12 PM   #36
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Sorry, but my BS meter is going off the chart!A Ford 460 is 7.5 liter, not 8.0, and is 460 cubic inches, not 400 cubic feet. Your GCWR (or maybe even your GVWR) may be 20,000 lbs, but your "towing capacity" certainly isn't. And the only way your getting 17mpg with a 1990 30' class A with a toad is downhill coasting in neutral (with a tailwind).

You are correct 7.5 liter, yes. Most of the travel on my usual yearly route is downhill. The original Fleetwood owners manual says 17 MPG from the factory. That is for flat highway surfaces not including hills. I also kept track of the cost of gas via my gas trip calculator based on current prices per gallon. Being that I use mid grade gas. My 7.3 liter Dodge 440 motor was horrible on gas compared to this ford 460. Also the Dodge 440 had a lot of starting issues when it was hot. I could only get 7 1/2 miles per gallon tops. 17 MPH because of course the 460 has only 38,000 miles on it and it has been kept in great shape. Also I only drive 65 MPH tops. The Dodge 440 was 4 barrel carburetor that was completely crappy on gas mileage. It had hard starting issues when hot or cold. The ford 460 is heavily fuel injected and powered by an ECM engine computer which is easily replaceable inside the RV should it go bad. I can tell the difference. A BIG difference. Never had a hard start issue with this Motorhome. Always turns on a dime and runs beautifully. Last year with i spent over $300 in gas to drive my Dodge 440, 485.6 miles from northern Utah to southern Nevada. This last winter I spent $210.00 in gas to drive my Ford 460 the same distance, and yes with my toad on the back end. Never got hot, never had a hard start once. Ran like a beauty the whole way. The Onan generator was nice for truck stops when AC power comes most in handy. Never liked Ford motors til I owned this one but now I'm a fan.
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Old 09-25-2017, 11:49 PM   #37
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Still not buying it, but I'm glad you like your RV.
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