We're still trying to choose a Class B. Our latest concern is about chassis. Is there a significant difference between Chevy, Dodge & Ford? Does it vary by year of manufacture?
I don't have a lot to offer but I can tell you that my '98 Dodge Road Trek 190 is pretty good on the road. In high winds I can be moved back and forth on the road.
I'm sure there are others who have info on which years, manufactures and chassis are to be avoided.
You might want to pair down the question and ask about a few specific years / Manufactures.
Hope that is a start.
Rich
If I'm going to work the rest of my life, I'd better start to retire on the weekends.
- '98 190 Roadtrek Popular -
We're still trying to choose a Class B. Our latest concern is about chassis. Is there a significant difference between Chevy, Dodge & Ford? Does it vary by year of manufacture?
Thank you!
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn,
When I was debating Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge, I simply thought about my local service providers. Which local shop provided the best service ... where would I feel comfortable going for chassis service?? In the tiny town where I work, Ford service happened to be the most reliable.
All three brands have their pros and cons. If you don't have a strong preference for one over another, think about who you feel most comfortable with locally for service.
My two cents ...
QJane
Sportsmobile RB30 w/pop-top
inside a 2002 Ford E350 2WD
And for the Dodge, we'd need to know whether you mean new, or a little used, or older. The MB/Dodge Sprinter is entirely different than the Dodge Ram Van 2500/3500 that it replaced, and has already undergone a generational update.
Jim, "I must be growing up. I own lots of plants that I don't smoke."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
You are going to get some good advice here on which vehicle to chose I'm sure. The final decision is of course yours. I decided on the RT 04 Popular which was on the Chevy express 3500 chassis. We love it for many reason.
Great gas mileage (15-16 mpg) at high way speed, very good highway manners on the road and very comfortable. Very quick and stops great. The front drivers seat are very comfortable and the windshield and front windows provide a large unobstructed viewing.
But, most of all, I did a survey of every Express van owner I saw for about 6 months. These vans are bullet proof so to speak. Out of about 30 people I talked to only two had equipment failures (water pumps). Owners had from 40K to 240K miles on these vehicles. Maintenance is also very reasonable- $80 every 10 months - $180 the next 10 month cycle. I put synthetic motor oil in every time and that adds $40 to the costs.
I my 42k miles I have had no problems and no repairs. I love our RT.
But an important point is how you like the road manners of the vehicle so drive them all and check them out. Your are hopefully going to spend a lot to time behind the wheels so your personal impressions are very important.
gjane has a very good point. My Dodge dealer is just about useless (and 40 miles away), but do to an odd set of circumstances, my local corner garage has a Sprinter-certified mechanic. Small-town, personal service can't be beat.
Being the owner of a 2006 Pleasure way class B motor home, the pleasure we have is in the coach part. The Sprinter part not so much. Compared to Ford and Chev. the sprinter new cost's $15-20k more, they lose there value faster, they cost far more to maintain, on the road you may have to drive hundreds of miles for a dealer, they get 20 mpg (diesel) Chev. 15 mpg (gas) but gas is about $0.80 per gallon cheaper than diesel. they Handel and look better than Chev or Ford
Thank you all for sharing this very helpful information. As you can see, we don't even know how to ask the right questions, or how to ask in the right way. Still, everything you've shared has moved us up the learning curve. We will be purchasing a used vehicle, but we don't have any particulars in mind yet--we're really, really beginners trying to learn as much as we can.
Thanks again for sharing your experience and knowledge,
I'm also learning. I think the best thing I'll do is see a ROADTREK at a dealer about 1:45 away in Rockford. I won't be buying this year, but I'll be able to see if its something I really want or something that is just really appealing to my eyes. I know I want a 'stealth' appearance and have it serve muliple purposes. As a car for everyday use as well as camping, traveling, "hotel" and perhaps full-time living which I'm considering (simplifying my life as much as possible right now)
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