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Old 10-28-2016, 11:53 PM   #1
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Ram Promaster Class C / B+

I'm interested in hitting the road full time by myself and want to buy a small class C RV, as small as possible and I have taken an interest in the new small Ram Promaster class c's and b+'s. I know many people people prefer the new ford based transit class c over the ram promaster but I'm a Chevy man and not a Ford fan and have avoided the Fords like the plague since my first bad experience with a Ford Tempo as a teenager.

I've been trying to do research on the Ram Promaster based RV's but haven't come up with all that much on this forum. I know they are popular in Europe. How is the reliability and ability to get the Ram Promaster based RV's fixed in America? I understand that the Ram's have front wheel drive and can't tow much but I'm not looking to tow anything and rear wheel drive does not matter to me either.

I'm interested in something like the Winnebago Trend. I heard they get pretty good gas mileage. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Other than the Ram Promaster based RV's, I can see myself possibly getting a small chevy based class C as I've had great luck with chevy express vans with 6.0 engines and transmissions that seem to last forever as long as maintained well and parts are easy to come by and can be fixed nearly anywhere.

Example of what I'm looking for:
https://winnebagoind.com/products/cl...rend/overview/
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Old 10-29-2016, 12:21 AM   #2
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Just FYI, the ProMaster is a Fiat Ducato...legacy Eurovan, just like the Sprinter and Ford Transit made in Europe for a long time. But the ProMaster is the only front wheel drive cab/chassis being used in North American RV's.

These RV's are nice...BUT...please be sure to check the OCCC (total max cargo weight that can be carried on the RV's tires). At an RV show I just attended, I was stunned to see cargo capacities (this number includes the fuel and water weight) being only 900lb - 1200lb

I submit the Chevy 3500 and 4500 Class B-plus and Class C's will be a much more robust RV...as well as being made in widths up to and including the full Federal Max width of 102"...not available in the Eurovan models.

Best luck
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Old 10-29-2016, 09:42 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scarab0088 View Post
Just FYI, the ProMaster is a Fiat Ducato...legacy Eurovan, just like the Sprinter and Ford Transit made in Europe for a long time. But the ProMaster is the only front wheel drive cab/chassis being used in North American RV's.

These RV's are nice...BUT...please be sure to check the OCCC (total max cargo weight that can be carried on the RV's tires). At an RV show I just attended, I was stunned to see cargo capacities (this number includes the fuel and water weight) being only 900lb - 1200lb

I submit the Chevy 3500 and 4500 Class B-plus and Class C's will be a much more robust RV...as well as being made in widths up to and including the full Federal Max width of 102"...not available in the Eurovan models.

Best luck
Thanks for the info, I was not aware of the low max cargo weight.
At one time I considered a class c based on a Mercedes sprinter but found out they are not only high maintenance but nearly everybody has transmissions problems before they reach 100k miles. Everybody I know who has the sprinter van has had problems and my grandmother had several Mercedes sports cars and sedans and all them problems and when they go into the shop you can count on spending 1k at the very least.

What I like about the Promaster based RV is most people seem to get 14-19 mpg. Tough choice but I still have time to do a lot of research before pulling the trigger. I can always default to a chevy van based class c but fuel efficiency is not that good.
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Old 10-31-2016, 11:52 PM   #4
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Ram Promaster Class C / B+

On our 2001 Fleetwood jamboree (Chevy 3500) had well over 2,500 lbs of cargo carrying capacity. I don't think it would have been possible for me to reach that if I tried.

On our 2004 Chinook Concourse (Ford E350), it was much less and I only had 200 lbs of axle capacity left on the rear duals when empty! Carrying water actually helped because of the tank location being forward and the fulcrum effect helping to shift weight to the front axle. I always wished that it had been built on the E450 chassis.

On our 2008 Winnebago view (Sprinter 3500 chassis) we have 952 lbs of cargo carrying capacity available AFTER a full tank of fuel, propane, fresh water, hot water heater, and 462 pounds of passengers factored in to that net number (3 each 154 pound adults).

I have a record of what the front and rear weighs when empty and weigh at free truck scales in Oregon while on trips. This coach is better managed as far as weights on the rear duals with plenty of rear capacity left. This past summer was the biggest test: 3 adults, 3 teenagers on a trip to Redwoods, San Francisco and Anaheim. This means extra gear and passenger weight. I am picky about what I let folks bring along and clear out any unneeded "stuff" that we have with us for shorter trips to state parks. We were well within the weight limits on the front and rear axles and overall.


Buying suggestion: pay very close attention to the cargo carrying capacity number as you are doing. I looked at a used holiday rambler class C with lots of storage and sleeping areas but it only factored 2 adults in the equation and 600 pounds of carrying capacity. We would have been overweight from day one. I looked at new coaches on the Promaster chassis but decided against them due to single wheel rear axles (less capacity) and low carrying capacity. I had Dynamax weigh a REV at the factory and it only had 150 pounds left of capacity on the rear axle. If you are considering a small Class C that is on a higher MPG chassis, the sprinter has the highest GVWR and the potential to have the most amount of net carrying capacity. Hopefully Ford will increase their transit series rear axle capacity at some point in the future. Very soon class Cs will not have the E series available and thus we may well see longer length Cs become a thing of the past.

One more thought. I chose the View in the year range I have because it had some benefits over the newest models: propane is a manual on/off valve rather than electric (saves 1 amp of battery drain and less expensive to repair; better and deeper kitchen sink with standard faucets; a stove that doesn't look like a camp stove; larger refrigerator, etc.
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Old 11-01-2016, 06:11 AM   #5
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Just had a pro master rental truck from u-haul and drove it from NJ to Nashville and back loaded to 3/4 capacity. Ride was nice fuel mileage was 15 -16 mpg. Two things that were iffy for me were the power in the hills and the seating. Was forced to look out the top 6" or so of the windshield. Seats were very bad on the back. Also had the removable floor panel to the engine pop open twice during trip. Some rough construction zones seemed to cause that.


Did like the feel of sitting up higher. Felt like when in our class A with the view.
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Old 11-01-2016, 09:38 PM   #6
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"Not a Ford fan...avoid like plague." We've all been there, a bad experience with something that sours you on that particular brand or thing. I can say the same thing about a couple of GM cars I owned years ago, but my Workhorse 8.1L and recent Chevy Express 6.0L Class B proved to be outstanding. To eliminate the Transit based on prejudice might deprive you of a RV that would be just right for your needs. Really, all vehicles from all manufacturers are good and reliable these days. The Transit is the most widely produced vehicle in the world and is refined as much as any.
I'm not trying to sell Fords, just sharing my experience. We got a '17 Transit Orion last month and after just completing a 1,300 mile trip, I am very happy with the choice. The standard gas 3.7L V6 had plenty of power to carry a pretty full load and tow a Smart car. The gas mileage improved with each tank, the last one at 13.4. It climbed up Raton Pass nearly at the speed limit. I had a Class C back in the 1970's, 400CID Dodge V8, smaller and lighter that couldn't go more than 40 up that pass and struggled to get better than 9 MPG ever. The Transit is quiet and smooth and much more comfortable to me than the Promaster. I will agree that the Chevy Express is still a good chassis as long as they make them.
If an RV you like is on a Transit, at least give it a fair objective look and leave your prejudices at home. Just saying.
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