New to Class C RV

[rmason44]

Just downsized from a 2005 Holiday Rambler 42' class A to 2016 Coachmen Leprechaun Series M-271 QB. No slides, 30 ' length, Ford E350 engine, 63K miles. Both "short" test drives were okay. All house systems (AC, fridge, heater, stove, toilet, etc) working okay. Any problems to look out for with this model class C would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Winterbagoal]

Fuel economy will be about the same on both rigs.
You probably want to search on Ford E350 problems, more than the coach. Check with the NHTSA recall website for issues for your year/make/model chassis.

[iceman0987]

Check the cab-over for leaks👍🏻

[TXiceman]

Class Cs are known for roof leaks in the cab over area. Check very carefully for leaks and water damage. You can buy an inexpensive moisture meter to check walls and floors for moisture content.

Ken

[sibe]

modern version of my winnie 29RQ LOL

All good advice,
give here a good exterior wash and grab a ladder.. Check the seams , as said ,, leak over time..
should be a pvc roof material over laminated roof... jus check side seams , if any loose or cracks,, seal will appropriate dicor etc.. also vents etc..

Battery condition etc,,

60K.. brake check.. depends on use..

should be a decent unit..

[rmason44]

Thanks for the advice. Checked with NHTSA and found no recalls, but did find the motor is a 2015 not 2016. Guess they make the model year when they attach the house to the chassis.

[rmason44]

Thanks, remember you from when I was on back in 2006 with my Holiday Rambler.

[chs]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

Class Cs are known for roof leaks in the cab over area. Check very carefully for leaks and water damage. You can buy an inexpensive moisture meter to check walls and floors for moisture content.

Ken

Be careful of moisture meters. They will also pick up normal condensation within the walls, especially around any openings
Not sure why Class C's have issues with overhead leaks. At least mine has only one seam going across the width of the RV. The sides are the same as the rest of the roof. As with any roof. Check, Check, Check then check again.

[TJFogelberg]

Look for a Ford dealer with a commerical division. They can put it up in the air and do a thorough analysis for you. I'm not a mechanic, I bought a '99 Class C on the Ford E450 back in 2012. Took it into my local Ford dealer who has a commercial truck division and they brought everything up to date. Drove great and handled well (like new) until I sold it in 2016 and bought another Class C on the same chassis. My 2017 Minnie Winnie is on a 2016 Ford E450 V10.
This chassis handles great on the road.

[Capt Steve]

I have owned my 2012 {2011 Ford chassis) Nexus E-350 for 8+ years and 69,000 trouble free miles. You should be happy with your new C and know that the V-10 mated to the 5 speed Torque Shift trans {that I assume we both have} is virtually bulletproof albeit a tad thirsty.

My best advice... use your Tow Haul 100% of the time, not just towing or loaded heavy. Have your rig weighed loaded as you typically travel. Then go to the tire manufacturers inflation/load tables and inflate each tire for the load it will actually be carrying {I add a 10% fudge factor but that's just me}. If your tires are 5 years old or more, regardless of how good they look plan on replacing them. I didn't and a single blowout did $4,181 in damage and could have killed us if it had been on one of the front wheels.

If you have any ride/handling issues don't run out and throw a bunch of money searching for solution for which there may be no problem {the government does this a lot but I digress} Having your tires properly inflated and a proper alignment it should drive just fine in almost any conditions. Sometimes the E-350/450's need more caster, around 4.5 for the left front and closer to 5 degrees for the right. If set up in this manner and assuming nothing in your suspension system has worn out you should be fine without throwing thousands into after market junk.

I switched to full synthetic, with excellent results, for the oil, trans and differential as soon as i bought our coach but it only had 6,205 miles at that time. Check with your mechanic as to the advisability of doing so on your coach based upon the mileage/years. I also, under the heading of preventative maintenance, had the fuel system treated/cleaned recently. Hoses and a coolant flush may be in order {not knowing what service records you got with your coach}.

Best of luck with your new rig, hope you are as happy down the road as I have been...

And as always, opinions and YMMV.

[chs]

Originally Posted by Capt Steve

I have owned my 2012 {2011 Ford chassis) Nexus E-350 for 8+ years and 69,000 trouble free miles. You should be happy with your new C and know that the V-10 mated to the 5 speed Torque Shift trans {that I assume we both have} is virtually bulletproof albeit a tad thirsty.

My best advice... use your Tow Haul 100% of the time, not just towing or loaded heavy. Have your rig weighed loaded as you typically travel. Then go to the tire manufacturers inflation/load tables and inflate each tire for the load it will actually be carrying {I add a 10% fudge factor but that's just me}. If your tires are 5 years old or more, regardless of how good they look plan on replacing them. I didn't and a single blowout did $4,181 in damage and could have killed us if it had been on one of the front wheels.

If you have any ride/handling issues don't run out and throw a bunch of money searching for solution for which there may be no problem {the government does this a lot but I digress} Having your tires properly inflated and a proper alignment it should drive just fine in almost any conditions. Sometimes the E-350/450's need more caster, around 4.5 for the left front and closer to 5 degrees for the right. If set up in this manner and assuming nothing in your suspension system has worn out you should be fine without throwing thousands into after market junk.

I switched to full synthetic, with excellent results, for the oil, trans and differential as soon as i bought our coach but it only had 6,205 miles at that time. Check with your mechanic as to the advisability of doing so on your coach based upon the mileage/years. I also, under the heading of preventative maintenance, had the fuel system treated/cleaned recently. Hoses and a coolant flush may be in order {not knowing what service records you got with your coach}.

Best of luck with your new rig, hope you are as happy down the road as I have been...

And as always, opinions and YMMV.

I agree (with one caveat) I replaced my front and rear stabilizer bars and steering stabilizer which made a big difference and at minimal cost ($1,100.00). I also had the (as you suggested) the caster increased. Drives like a dream now.
I also added more insulation to the engine cover and the floor (without removing seats) While this has nothing to do with the ride, it made a big difference in noise, which in turn makes for a better ride. As for the floor insulation, that took care of the excess floor heat on the passenger side also. Bugged the crap out of my wife.

[SergioP]

Originally Posted by chs

I agree (with one caveat) I replaced my front and rear stabilizer bars and steering stabilizer which made a big difference and at minimal cost ($1,100.00). I also had the (as you suggested) the caster increased. Drives like a dream now.
I also added more insulation to the engine cover and the floor (without removing seats) While this has nothing to do with the ride, it made a big difference in noise, which in turn makes for a better ride. As for the floor insulation, that took care of the excess floor heat on the passenger side also. Bugged the crap out of my wife.

I did the same thing basically. The bigger bars made a big difference. Of course a good caster alignment helped too. Adding insulation to the floor and engine cover really helped with the noise and heat. Now we can be barefoot in the passenger seat without getting burned. One other benefit was it made the generator quieter too. It’s right behind the drivers seat.