Chassis manufacturers continue to reinvent the wheel by developing innovations for type A, B, and C motorhome foundations “” some with memorable names.
By Jim Brightly, F358406
Technical Editor
February 2007
Their names may be acronyms, true names, or nicknames, but whatever the title, some of the newer motorhome chassis are giving FMCA members more choices in motorhome configurations than ever before.
When an article describing the various diesel-puller motorhomes on the market appeared in the December 2004 issue of FMC (page 72), the Freightliner FRED chassis was not yet available. Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation’s FRont-Engine Diesel motorhome chassis (FRED) is the only one of its type to offer many of Freightliner’s XC chassis features, which are complemented by new design advances. These features make FRED a viable option for gas-chassis owners who are looking for the increased power, torque, durability, and fuel-efficiency of diesel.
FRED was unveiled at the Pennsylvania RV & Camping Show in Hershey in September 2005. Attendees were given a chance to participate in test drives of a motorhome equipped with the FRED chassis, and their responses were favorable. Sample comments included: “Unexpectedly quiet.” “Good ride. I really liked the better turning radius.” “The flat floor up front was exceptional “” no hump to trip over.” According to Tony Sippel, Freightliner Custom Chassis RV product manager, “Our Hershey debut was more of a ‘sneak preview’ for the retail customer. It also served to support pilot units we delivered to Tiffin Motorhomes and Gulf Stream Coach as prototypes for their production coaches.”
Among FRED’s features are a Cummins 5.9-liter 300-horsepower diesel engine with 600 pound-feet of torque; a lowered engine position that eliminates the traditional “doghouse”; 55 degrees of wheel cut; a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of up to 26,000 pounds; an Allison five-speed automatic transmission with overdrive; a Hendrickson SOFTEK parabolic leaf-spring suspension; Sachs custom-tuned premium shock absorbers; Bosch disc brakes with four-wheel antilock brake system (ABS); engine braking through an engine-mounted variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT); and an Arens touch-pad shifter.
“Advanced diesel technology makes it possible now to install a high-horsepower, high-torque engine up front and still maintain the low noise level and high performance customers demand,” Mr. Sippel noted. “With FRED, they’ll definitely get the superior ride and handling that has become synonymous with Freightliner.”
While FRED is a puller, the new Workhorse UFO motorhome chassis is a pusher of a different stripe. UFO stands for Universal Fuel Option, among several other phrases. Its innovative design offers gas or diesel options in the same footprint, which enables many floor plan possibilities. It gives buyers a choice of a gas or diesel rear engine. As such, it is the first rear-engine gas chassis the motorhome market has seen in years.
The Workhorse UFO is a 26,000-pound-GVWR chassis designed for a market niche that includes high-end gas motorhomes and low-end diesel models. The diesel option will be available in spring 2007. The gas model and the first motorhome to be built on it “” a Georgetown from Forest River “” has been touring the United States to be available for test drives.
The gas model, offered with a 100,000-mile/five-year powertrain warranty, has the same GM Vortec 8.1-liter engine that helped make Workhorse’s higher-GVWR W Series chassis a popular front-engine platform. The Georgetown coach that debuted at the Pennsylvania RV & Camping Show this past September garnered very positive test drive comments on the chassis’ ride, handling, and extra quietness, according to company representatives. Workhorse reconfigured the drivetrain and frame so that manufacturers can build upon a completely flat floor from front to back, without the intrusion of the engine and cooling system into the rear bedroom or front cockpit space.
Because the chassis accommodates either kind of engine in the same space package, coach manufacturers can build identical motorhomes with a gas- or diesel-powered frame. This makes the choice of engine a simple “check the box” procedure for the motorhome buyer. The advantages of a rear engine include less cabin noise; less cabin heat; and, without the front-to-back driveshaft, less vibration and the opportunity to build in pass-through basement storage.
“The Workhorse UFO … will enable new choices for the RV customer,” said Bob Wert, Workhorse vice president of RV sales and marketing. “It creates a whole new category of motorhome chassis.”
Beginning with its lightweight design, the Workhorse 26,000-pound GVWR UFO chassis weighs 2,000 pounds less than existing 28,000-pound-GVWR diesel chassis, giving the Workhorse UFO the same carrying capacity as the latter at a lower price tag. What’s more, gas engines provide savings in maintenance costs when compared to diesels. With less mass to move, the 8.1-liter GM Vortec gas power plant is also said to outperform equivalent diesel engines. The diesel Workhorse UFO will also have more carrying capacity than existing 26,000-pound-GVWR diesel platforms.
At the same time, the lowered engine and the new proprietary front and back suspensions give the Workhorse UFO exceptional ride and handling.
“We’ve eliminated the choice RVers often have to make between a better-riding coach versus a better handling coach,” Mr. Wert said. “You have to drive it to believe it; there’s no compromise with the Workhorse UFO chassis.”
A 55-degree wheel cut makes the motorhome more maneuverable in tight spots than other gas chassis, and is said to be comparable to the diesel chassis available today. The drivetrain uses an Allison Series 2000 six-speed automatic transmission that includes transmission grade braking; ultra-protective synthetic transmission fluid; a standard push-button shifter; and a five-year, 200,000-mile transmission warranty. The new “cool pack” coach cooling system configuration developed by Workhorse has also been successfully tested on a UFO chassis in 116-degree Fahrenheit conditions in Death Valley.
As noted previously, the diesel option has yet to hit the marketplace. Company representatives note that the diesel version equipped with the Cummins ISB 6.7-liter engine (340 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque) is expected to be available in the spring of 2007. A UFO powered by an International MaxxForce 7 6.4-liter engine (650 pound-feet of torque and horsepower to be determined) is expected to be available in the fall of 2007. By the way, all three engines will be mated to the same Allison 2000 model transmission.
Let’s move now from the newest chassis design to the innovative mid-engine chassis from Spartan Motors that was introduced in 2001 and is designed to give RV owners more living space, storage, and improved ride and handling. The Spartan Me2 made its commercial debut under a luxury coach built by Travel Supreme and continues to be available from Travel Supreme. That motorhome featured a double slideout and a 12-foot-deep storage garage measuring 95.5 inches wide by 56 inches high, with a hydraulic lift in the rear of the coach.
Then at the 2005 National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Kentucky, Newmar Corporation introduced its 2006 All Star built on the Spartan Me2 chassis. At that time, the All Star was shown with a two-story bedroom suite in the rear of the coach. Since then, Newmar has launched a toy hauler version and cycle hauler edition of the All Star brand. More configurations built on the Spartan Me2 platform are planned for the All Star in the months ahead.
“The Me2 chassis provides maximum flexibility for a motorhome OEM who wants to create a unique living environment,” said Richard Schalter, president of Spartan Chassis. “By placing the engine in the middle of the coach and below the floor, we’ve opened up more room for OEMs to add slideouts, vary room designs, or add high-end amenities like sunken tubs, king-size beds, or a one-car garage for carrying toys. With the Me2, the only limitation for OEMs “” and their customers “” is their own imagination.”
In addition to moving the engine to the middle of the chassis, Spartan’s engineers also lowered the engine below the frame rails in the Me2 platform, enabling motorhome manufacturers to build with lower floors and increased headroom. According to company literature, with the Me2, OEMs can equip their coaches with as many as six slideouts, potentially increasing the average living space by up to 40 percent.
The chassis design also opens up room in the rear of the coach for up to 30 percent more storage, which can be used to haul a small boat, a car, snowmobiles, ATVs, motorcycles, up to six bicycles, or other leisure items that are increasingly being used by RVers. The Travel Supreme’s garage can even house a BMW Mini Cooper auto.
Because Spartan’s Me2 places the heaviest object on the chassis frame “” the engine “” in the middle of the vehicle, the balance of the coach is said to be much easier to maintain. The placement also positively impacts engine maintenance and cooling by moving the engine and radiator ahead of the rear wheels, which can kick up a great deal of dirt into the drivetrain components on rear-engine platforms.
Although Spartan offers the Me2 as a Mountain Master and an NVS chassis, both chassis use the same Cummins ISC engine as the standard power plant. The Mountain Master also offers an ISL engine as an option. The ISC provides 330 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque; the ISL boosts the horsepower to 350 or 370/400 with 1,050 and 1,200 pound-feet of torque, respectively. In addition, the NVS offers a 24,000-pound or 28,000-pound GVWR with a 10,000-pound towing capacity; the Mountain Master can provide a 10,000-pound or 15,000-pound towing capacity and GVWR choices that range from 29,000 pounds to 44,600 pounds (with a tag axle).
Ford’s F-53 type A chassis does not have a snappy name or a somewhat unusual design, but it was upgraded in model-year 2006. With an improved engine and a wider front track, the F-53 was said to be the best-selling gas-powered type A chassis in 2006.
Its upgraded engine is still a Triton 6.8-liter V-10, which now pumps out 362 horses and 457 foot-pounds of torque. All this power is routed through a five-speed TorqShift automatic transmission with overdrive and Tow-Haul Mode 4 (adjusts the transmission’s shift points automatically for improved drivability while towing a car or trailer). For improved traction and rideability, Ford equips the F-53 with 19.5-inch low-profile metric radial tires and wheels (22.5-inch aluminum wheels with matching tires are available as a manufacturer option).
Ford offers the 2007 F-53 in four weight ratings (GVWRs of 16,000 pounds, 18,000 pounds, 20,500 pounds, and 22,000 pounds) and five wheelbase options (178 inches, 190 inches, 208 inches, 228 inches, and 242 inches). These GVWR and wheelbase options allow coach manufacturers to match their motorhome body and floor plan requirements to chassis weight-carrying ability (the F-53 also has a 26,000-pound GCWR). Standard on the F-53 are four-wheel antilock brakes (ABS) and an 81-inch front tread width, with a minimum 7,500-pound-capacity front axle and a 13,500-pound-capacity rear axle.
The 2007 F-53 chassis has a three-year/36,000-mile limited bumper-to-bumper warranty and a limited powertrain warranty of five years/60,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Parts of the vehicle manufactured by Ford Motor Company are listed in the Warranty Information Booklet that comes with the recreation vehicle.
For our final chassis choice, we leave the big boys’ toys and move down the size scale a bit to a chassis that is said to offer maximum utility and economy in the type B and type C market “” the Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter. The Sprinter Cab Chassis, according to DaimlerChrysler, offers unprecedented economy of operation with its 2.7-liter turbocharged five-cylinder diesel engine and five-speed automatic transmission. In addition, its straight rear-frame rails and available factory-prepared wiring facilitate mounting of aftermarket custom bodies.
After doing much of the assembly in two Mercedes-Benz factories in Germany (yes, it’s basically a Mercedes-Benz sold under the Dodge and Freightliner brands), DaimlerChrysler plans to complete the final assembly of the next-generation Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter van, which will replace the current Sprinter model, in early 2007 in Charleston, South Carolina. The facility at Ladson, just a few miles north of Charleston, is on the site of a subsidiary belonging to DaimlerChrysler’s Freightliner LLC. Since 2001 the Sprinter has been sold in the United States under the Freightliner and Dodge brands.
According to DaimlerChrysler officials, the all-new Sprinter brings new standards of refinement, space, and performance to the light-duty van market. The van has become even more flexible with body and engine variants meeting all requirements and adds the safety feature of the new adaptive electronic stability program (ESP), which can measure the weight of the vehicle’s load, calculate its center of gravity, and adapt its responses correspondingly.
“The Gaffney [South Carolina] plant, which currently also houses a DaimlerChrysler diesel heavy-duty chassis assembly facility operated by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, has enabled the current van to gain a firm foothold in the North American market,” added Andreas Renschler, head of DaimlerChrysler’s commercial vehicles division.
Roadtrek Motorhomes (formerly Home & Park Motorhomes) offers the SS-Agile type B coach on a 140-inch-wheelbase Sprinter. This model is the latest addition to Roadtrek’s family of type B motorhomes. At just over 19 feet long, the SS (Short Sprinter) is an attractive option for those who want a vehicle that’s really as easy to use everyday as a full-size conversion van or SUV but offers all the conveniences of a fully equipped motorhome “” and gets up to 25 mpg.
The 140-inch SS has the same specifications as the 158-inch wheelbase van used for the RS (Regular Sprinter) model except that it is 38 inches shorter with an overall length of 19 feet 4 inches and a turning radius of 22.5 feet curb to curb (compared to 25 feet for the RS).
Inside the SS-Agile is comfortable forward-facing seating for five in the two front captain seats and rear electric power sofa within a fully equipped type B that sleeps two. Immediately aft of the driver’s seat is a 59-inch-long galley with a solid-surface counter, recessed European-style propane stove with glass cover, an under-mounted stainless-steel sink, a 3.8-cubic-foot three-way refrigerator, and a 1-cubic-foot convection/microwave oven. The rear sofa converts to a king-size bed or twin-like beds (the twin bed on the driver’s side is 6 feet 4 inches long, and the bed on the passenger side is 5 feet 10 inches long).
Sliding up the size scale a bit to Winnebago Industries type C models based on the Sprinter cutaway chassis, we find the Itasca Navion and the Winnebago View. As they are quite similar in design, we can cover both models at the same time.
An important feature of these motorhomes is the 10,200-pound GVWR Dodge Sprinter cutaway chassis. The chassis features a premium 2.7-liter CDI five-cylinder turbodiesel Mercedes-Benz engine that delivers 154 horsepower with 243 pound-feet of torque, and estimated fuel economy of 17 to 19 mpg. They are equipped with a five-speed tip-shift automatic transmission, a turning radius of 23.5 feet, independent front suspension, ABS four-wheel disc brakes, and a 3,500-pound trailer hitch.
For 2007, the 23B joins the 23H and 23J floor plans that were introduced in 2006. This new floor plan features rear bunk beds and opposing sofas in the front. A dining table can be placed between the front sofas for meals created in the fully equipped galley. The private bathroom sits midcoach, and a large wardrobe is easily accessible between the bathroom and rear bed.
For 2007 the 23H and 23J floor plans both feature a front slideout room for added space. The 23H model includes a sofa slideout with an opposing dinette, while the 23J offers a dinette slideout with an opposing galley. The 23H offers a large bath in the rear, while the 23J features a corner bath and rear corner bed that easily lifts for access to a large exterior storage space “” large enough to fit two adult bicycles! The lower rear bunk on the 23B also folds up to create a cavernous storage space.
As you can see, chassis manufacturers continue to seek ways to provide innovations to open up possibilities in terms of what motorhome manufacturers are able to offer potential buyers.