Class C Advice

[ducksquasher]

Hi All,

We are looking at a Class C E450 chassis/motor combo. We like the FR Forester 3271S. We will tow a car like a Hyundai Santa Fe behind it. We think it is a good fit for us as we look at upgrading from our trailer. We are going to be needing a new tow vehicle eventually and we anticipated buying a new truck/trailer (always wanted a new diesel truck/5th wheel) as we didn't really ever like the floor plans of the Class C's. This new floor plan is great and we love the idea of all being in a motor home on the road.

To my question...I always wanted a diesel truck with whatever trailer behind it for piece of mind knowing I could go wherever I want (over the Rockies, across country, etc) without worrying about overheating a gas motor, pushing too hard, etc. Any feedback on limitations with a Class C gas motor or am I overly cautious?

Thanks in advance!

[Steeljag]

Good read over on the Forest River Owners Group Forums by a gentleman who describes his South Carolina to Alaska and backtrip in his 2017 3011DS Forester, pulling a Jeep ! He describes that V10 and six speed as working great .

I have that same RV and have traveled the east coast from Ohio, WV, NC, SC, Bama, Ga and pulling our Jeep JK just fine ! I have also heard the “ horror stories” about screaming engines, but we did not experience any of that ! Newer RVs ? Six speed ? I don’t know, but it’s nice to drive, plenty of power, sooooo nice my wife can get me coffee, tea, food, while I listen to music and travel down the road !

That V10 and six speed is nice !

[ducksquasher]

Thanks everyone...sounds like my Hyundai Santa Fe is a no-go being AWD for flat towing?

[FunTwoDrv]

I'll share our experience... our 32' "C" rides on a 4500 Chevy chassis and weighs about 11,500 ready to go. We towed a 3700lb car from Raleigh to Spokane and back with layovers in Nashville, Estes Park, Spokane, Salt Lake City, Durango and to Estes Park a second time. We pulled mountains it seems like every day...LOL. Met many folks along the way with large Ford powered "A's" and "C's" pulling toads over the same mountains. No one we spoke with ever seriously complained of lack of power. Oh yeah, several passed us along the way! Those V10's are very impressive!
Don't let that V10 scare you away from what you want. I will however, second those comments by Ron regarding weight and loading.

Good Luck,
Gary

[Hank85713]

we have a 28ft winnebago aspect and tow an hyundai elantra. it weighs in just under 3000 lbs, The SF will be a bit heavier and most are limited to 5K towing. Now yes the v10 will pull everything but it is not going to be anything you can compare to a diesel. I looked for a diesel rv, found a couple but they were left wanting in the coach areas which is the wifes domain. Pulling the elantra has had at 25-30 mph at time in colorado pulling grades and that is with the 5 star tuner installed. It does rev high for hp but you also need torque to keep it going and the torque range is below the hp range so its kinda hard to match up. On the flats its fairly good. My 28ftr weighs in at just under 13K with partial water tank, full of gas, empty sewage tanks, full lpg. Not much is carried in it as storage space is limited inside and out we average around 8mpg overall towing and not towing. Have seen 10-10.5 in flats in kansas and nebraska but usually that is short lived.

a towed is a good idea but need to match the needs and then be compatible with the rv. Dont see many hundai/kias but be aware you can only 4 down with the standard trans.

[DrewE]

The Ford V10 is pretty well bulletproof. You can go over any mountains that have roads up them, though it may not be the quickest vehicle on the road (but also not the slowest). You also should not have any trouble with it overheating, assuming there is nothing malfunctioning and no add-on in front to block the airflow.

Do be aware that the V10 is a high revving truck engine, so it will sound like it's about to self-destruct when you push it fairly hard and it's making power. It won't; but some people really don't like the noise, or think it betokens something horrible.

One reason that many people like to have a towed vehicle, besides the obvious utility if camping for an extended period of time at one place and touring around, is to have a sort of escape pod should anything break down with the motorhome. If you take care of the motorhome, it's not at all likely to be disabled in the middle of nowhere; but perhaps having another vehicle will ease your mind.

[ron_dittmer]

The E350 and E450 cut-away chassis with the gas V10 engine and transmission has a very solid marriage. I just don't hear anyone on any forum complaining that their E-Series-V10 overheats or under-performs. And a lot of them tow vehicles including myself.

There are people who just love the idea of owning a diesel. Those who want a mans-man diesel will upgrade into a super-C chassis with a serious diesel engine. If I described you, then look at a "Super-C" chassis class-C. If you really don't care, stick with the Ford with gas V10, tow a typical tow vehicle and you will do fine. If towing something challenging like a quad horse trailer, that's different. Then think about getting a Super-C.

The only issue with the E450 I know of is that it's E-rated tires are an Achilles Heal for the heaviest of E450-based motorhomes. When the rig gets into the 30+ length and filled with people and stuff, the tires get over-loaded.

That long Forester 3271S with queen bed, bunk beds, and huge cab-over bed seems ripe for over-loading. Then comes the tire blow-outs. If only a tire was made to handle the heaviest of loads for the E450, but none exist

That Forester 3271S really should have been built on a Super-C chassis. I found the specs for the 3271S HERE but even Forest River is shy about specifying it's length. Adding that too much of the house rests solely on the rear axle along with that full-length slide-out, I would be concerned of over-loading the 4 rear tires.

Don't assume Forest River takes into consideration 6 people, a full tank of fresh water, a tow vehicle, and all the rest for their load-safety figures. They do say 12,500 is the dry weight. Do the math.
How much does 55 gallons of gas, 44 gallons of water, 42 pounds propane, your family of 6, food, drink, gear, clothes, tow vehicle tongue weight, etc. etc. etc. You might find yourself driving the motor home, and everyone else following behind in what you hoped was going to be your tow vehicle.