Ford 450

[GoneToTheDog]

Originally Posted by Michael1955

Are there known RV Manufacturers that have addressed the Heat, Noise and Cramped Quarters to at least alleviate some of those issues that the Ford E450 is known for? From all the posts pointing out the POSITIVES of the increased towing and carrying capacity, it seems folks just accept the tradeoff.

Also does the Ford E350 have the same issues, just less muscle for the towing?

I've not purchased yet, still researching, and leaning towards the Chevy Chassis for the improved cabin room, even though there are fewer RV models available with the Chevy.

Any and all comments are appreciated.

Thanks! Michael

Ford E350 has no less "muscle" for towing. Current E350/E450 are both rated at 305 horsepower. The chassis is where the difference lies.

[twinboat]

If your looking for space for the driver, Thor started using the E350 and now the E450 chassis in their Axis and Vegas, class A's motorhomes.

Plenty of leg room and added cabin space, with the Class C ride and handling.

[Cjfish33]

I have a 2016 Leprechaun 319DS and had lousy handling. My brother told me about the Roadmaster Steering Stabilizer. I installed it myself in about an hour and it made all the difference in the world. No huge shaking when being passed by a truck and can pass with ease. No more white knuckle driving. We’ve driven about 6000 miles since then and couldn’t be more pleased.

[OFDPOS]

Originally Posted by Michael1955

Are there known RV Manufacturers that have addressed the Heat, Noise and Cramped Quarters to at least alleviate some of those issues that the Ford E450 is known for? From all the posts pointing out the POSITIVES of the increased towing and carrying capacity, it seems folks just accept the tradeoff.

Also does the Ford E350 have the same issues, just less muscle for the towing?

I've not purchased yet, still researching, and leaning towards the Chevy Chassis for the improved cabin room, even though there are fewer RV models available with the Chevy.

Any and all comments are appreciated.

Thanks! Michael

I am not a ford fan, saying that had our 2011 Winnebago Aspect been on a Chevy chassis I'd be set for saying this is our last MH.

I can't stand the ford E series front suspension set up !
Heck you have to right off the bat get an alignment done to help them steer right and decent tire wear.
Driving along hit a dip in the road the front end does the ol nose dive , yes even with those so called next to the best thing since slice bread koni's so many said they were so good.
Witch ever way the MH leans that's where the steering feels loose and pulls.
A very good Friend that has past described it the best , wish I could recall his exact wording !

Also the fords need just under a walmart parking lot to turn around, on a two lane road you don't just pull to the side and flip a U-turn it would be more a 10 point turn around .

I like the Chevy front suspension much better and their turning radius !

If your looking to buy knew and wind up with the ford chassis ?
Unless your handy with tools and a DYI ?
Have a few things added in on the deal.
Front steering garbage damper swapped out for a Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer, both front and rear UNDERSIZED Anti Sway Bars swapped out for Hellwigs.
An Alignment done to make sure the caster is at least 5+ .

The E350 is running the same eng so yes the heat concern is still there.
On ours the inside of the doghouse (eng cover) is lined with a then layer of heat radiant insulation that helps block the heat so I don't notice it as bad .

[Teamfoxy]

The E-350 has the same engine as the E450 but a different gear ratio. We have the 5 speed transmission with tow/haul which was new at the time of manufacture. I find that I am usually running at 2000-2200 RPM when going 60-65 MPH. At 70, its about 2500 RPM. I don't find the engine noisy at all at those speeds. Our SUV has more engine noise. Most of the people that are running the E450 seem to be reporting higher RPM's and a lot more engine / transmission noise.
The tow capacity is limited to 5000 lb by the hitch rating and I think most of the E450s have that same limitation. Our fuel mileage averages 10.5 mpg and our worst ever was 9.0. At 24.5 feet, we are probably at the limit for the E350 and the E450 was an option. on our model. The smaller models were all on the E350 and larger were all on the E450. I feel that the E350 chassis is fine for us and have never wished we had the E450.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by Michael1955

Are there known RV Manufacturers that have addressed the Heat, Noise and Cramped Quarters to at least alleviate some of those issues that the Ford E450 is known for? From all the posts pointing out the POSITIVES of the increased towing and carrying capacity, it seems folks just accept the tradeoff.

Also does the Ford E350 have the same issues, just less muscle for the towing?

I've not purchased yet, still researching, and leaning towards the Chevy Chassis for the improved cabin room, even though there are fewer RV models available with the Chevy.

Any and all comments are appreciated.

Thanks! Michael

The cutaway chassis difference is the weight rating and length of the wheelbase. The drivetrain is basically the same except the rear end gearing increases numerically as the chassis weight rating increases. Higher rear number = more engine revolutions per mile and more more torque to the rear wheels.

On any C the seat position is a function of where Ford put's the anchor bolts as the cab floor is part of the supplied chassis.

The heat, noise and cramped quarters is mostly compared to a class A. There are some differences between brands but not as much as some folks make it out to be. Essentially a van cab is a van cab. Engine heat and noise is a function of how well the doghouse and to some extent the firewall and floor are insulated. There is some variation among manufacturers. Some folks have added insulation with good results.

[OFDPOS]

Originally Posted by nothermark

The cutaway chassis difference is the weight rating and length of the wheelbase. The drivetrain is basically the same except the rear end gearing increases numerically as the chassis weight rating increases. Higher rear number = more engine revolutions per mile and more more torque to the rear wheels.

On any C the seat position is a function of where Ford put's the anchor bolts as the cab floor is part of the supplied chassis.

The heat, noise and cramped quarters is mostly compared to a class A. There are some differences between brands but not as much as some folks make it out to be. Essentially a van cab is a van cab. Engine heat and noise is a function of how well the doghouse and to some extent the firewall and floor are insulated. There is some variation among manufacturers. Some folks have added insulation with good results.

Compare the ford cut away vs a Chevy cut away , you will see that the Chevy is a bit longer so the doghouse doesn't protrude in the cab as bad as the ford does.
The eng is set further forward unlike the ford , notice the short hood on the ford vs the Chevy longer hood...

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by OFDPOS

Compare the ford cut away vs a Chevy cut away , you will see that the Chevy is a bit longer so the doghouse doesn't protrude in the cab as bad as the ford does.
The eng is set further forward unlike the ford , notice the short hood on the ford vs the Chevy longer hood...

Many miles in the cab of our Ford and my buddy's Chevrolet. I don't find enough difference to matter, other folks do. I would not bet how much is a real problem and how much is the same as Ford V-10 vs Chevy V-8. Both are a van so have similar issues with heat, noise, and lack of space compared to an A. Both chassis get down the road in a reasonable manner.

[JONWisconsin]

I am not experiencing as many problems as some of you do. The noise from the engine is very little as I put the speed control at 65 and runs at 2,000-2,200 rpms all day long except for a few times it needs some more power. During summer I drive on the upper midwest where rarely gets very hot, so the doghouse doesn't get hot. The space is not bad as my seat can recline, except when I need to move to the back, but I don't do that much as I am the driver. When we stop for whatever reason, I take that as an opportunity to go around the unit and check the tires, etc.. Since I am out anyway, I usually go to the back using the side door. I do agree that if you are going from the seat to the back and you do it without going out is a challenge. My 2 cents.

[nothermark]

If you buy a decent unit the Ford is about as good as one can expect. Maybe there is a problem with the short chassis long house price point boxes but the rest of us do quite well. The alignment issue is frosting the cake. You can do without but it helps if you do mostly highway driving. What the alignment and reset to 5 deg folks don't tell you is that it makes city style driving a bit harder in return for highway driving. Not easy to tell with power steering but it's there if you look. Chevrolet would probably have the same issue if they made a comparable chassis. They don't so it does not matter.

[OFDPOS]

Originally Posted by nothermark

Many miles in the cab of our Ford and my buddy's Chevrolet. I don't find enough difference to matter, other folks do. I would not bet how much is a real problem and how much is the same as Ford V-10 vs Chevy V-8. Both are a van so have similar issues with heat, noise, and lack of space compared to an A. Both chassis get down the road in a reasonable manner.

You driving your buddy's Chevy or running shotgun ?

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by OFDPOS

You driving your buddy's Chevy or running shotgun ?

Both. We took it on a couple of long trips where we swapped driving chores.

[OFDPOS]

Originally Posted by nothermark

Both. We took it on a couple of long trips where we swapped driving chores.

Then you must have small feet and/or smaller in overall size, because there is a big difference in the room in the Chevy cab vs the Ford.

First thing my wife mentioned was how much less room there was in the Ford cab , and shes 5.6' and weighs maybe 130 tops lbs .
She asked why was the doghouse protruding in the cab so much ?
Because the Chevy front end is longer vs the Ford shorter front end so that causes the eng to set back further .
As for me 6ft 218lbs its a pain to get up from either seat to go back in the coach because of the doghouse taking up so much space..
Yes the seats are set all the way back too.

Like someone else mentioned here , when we stop I usually go out the drivers door , do a walk around of the MH then go inside the side door.
Mush easier then squeezing my feet past the narrow path between the seat and doghouse.
I've had 3 back surgeries and am fused from L3 down so it makes it much harder to pass through seat/doghouse , I can't twist etc like most can.

[speeed]

Good info here, subscribed!