Any Ford RV/ Motorhome experts on here?

[Rembrant]

For the past couple years Mrs. Rembrant and I have been loosely toying around with the idea of getting a motorhome....more so her than me...but still, the interest is there even if it is in passing. The for sale ones show up in my random trucks searches, but she actually looks for them.

In looking at a year range of the mid 1980's into the mid 1990's, the mid-90's machines are clearly much nicer...and most of the time quite a bit more money. I've been leaning way more towards an older rig...mid 1980's. We have no intentions of driving cross country or anything, certainly not at this point and time. It would really just be for vacation time and the odd long weekend to travel within a 250-500 mile radius.

A 1985 Ford popped up for sale semi-locally with quite low miles (only about 40k on it). It's a smaller one...I think 23 or 24 ft, with DRW and presumably a 351w...that's what they all seem to have in that size range. Seller says it has been well maintained and comes with service records. Belts and fluids have all been done and general maintenance is up to date.

Camper body aside...I don't really need to know anything about that part, is there anything one needs to know about the cab and chassis portion of these things? Any issues or problems to be aware of? Are they money pits? Bad idea?

351w with auto trans and DRW...

Any comments from the 80's Ford 1-ton experts, good or bad?

 

[Gary Lewis]

I'm not a one-ton expert, but I do have some experience with vehicles that have sat for some time w/o being driven. So I'd enquire as to the last time the vehicle was out on a reasonably-long run - something like 100 miles or more.

I say that because when we moved to the UK we left our van with my parents with the agreement that they would drive it frequently. But that didn't happen, and when we got back and started driving it lots and lots of problems cropped up all at once.

I don't know if it was because it hadn't been driven that it had so many problems. Or, if all those problems would have come up during the time it was supposed to have been driven, and they just cropped up all at once when we did drive it. But I have more faith in a vehicle that has been driven frequently than one with lower miles but is rarely driven.

And another thing I'd find out about is the rear axle. I should know how to figure out what it should be, but that process is escaping me at the moment. Anyway, there was some discussion recently about certain rear axles and how difficult it is to change the brake shoes on them. So I'd find out what it has to understand how easy it'll be to maintain.

[85lebaront2]

I'm not a one-ton expert, but I do have some experience with vehicles that have sat for some time w/o being driven. So I'd enquire as to the last time the vehicle was out on a reasonably-long run - something like 100 miles or more.

I say that because when we moved to the UK we left our van with my parents with the agreement that they would drive it frequently. But that didn't happen, and when we got back and started driving it lots and lots of problems cropped up all at once.

I don't know if it was because it hadn't been driven that it had so many problems. Or, if all those problems would have come up during the time it was supposed to have been driven, and they just cropped up all at once when we did drive it. But I have more faith in a vehicle that has been driven frequently than one with lower miles but is rarely driven.

And another thing I'd find out about is the rear axle. I should know how to figure out what it should be, but that process is escaping me at the moment. Anyway, there was some discussion recently about certain rear axles and how difficult it is to change the brake shoes on them. So I'd find out what it has to understand how easy it'll be to maintain.

It sounds like what is called a class C motorhome. If so it is on a cab and chassis E350. They were built as a cutaway, with the cab portion open at the back. First item, the year is the year the motorhome builder finished the unit, the cab and chassis may be from 1 to 2 years older. Second item, could very likely have a 460 in it as the 351W wasn't real happy with both the weight and wind drag.

Many of the smaller motorhomes were severely underpowered, having Dodge 318s, Chevy 350s and Ford 351s and since many people like to take a "toad" (small car that can be towed behind) along, it needs enough power to do this also. Unfortunately, Ford was not the prime choice for the bigger (class A) units so most of them came with Chevy 454s, these barely got single digit mpg and since they were based on a P30 (think bread truck) chassis the front end was so overloaded they had air bags inside the front springs to carry the weight.

I have worked on a lot of these when I had my shop.

[Nothing Special]

I have a class C motor home, but a lot newer than you are talking about (mine's a 2015 E-450). And my folks had a 1980's vintage travel trailer. So I can't speak to some of the specific issues you are asking about, but maybe I can offer some helpful insights.

Roof leaks aren't that uncommon in campers (you kind of need to keep maintaining the roof every few years). So in an older camper it's not at all uncommon to have had leaks and therefore mold (that's what ultimately caused my parents trailer to be scrapped).

As far as the truck portion goes, all in the '80s and most in the '90s were built on 1-ton chassis. They are pretty much overloaded before you even start filing tanks and packing food and gear. So staying with a smaller unit is really a good idea. Getting into a newer chassis makes the E-Superduty and then E-450 possibilities. Personally I decided I needed that to be able to tow my Bronco safely and legally.

I will say that I love travelling in a motorhome, but owning one is not the best part of owning one. It's great to be able to stop pretty much wherever you are and not need to take the time to check into a hotel. But it is another truck to maintain. And as Gary notes, not getting driven much doesn't eliminate the maintenance.

[Ford F834]

I prefer a travel trailer because you don’t have to insure the RV itself, maintenance is pretty much bearings brakes and tires, and you have a truck to use when you get where you are going. You also have a truck to use the rest of the time instead of something that just sits waiting for the next vacation. (I guess if you never drive the tow pig you are right back where you started, but I have plenty of other uses for the tow rig). I admit, trailering is a pain. Not being able to go straight from the passenger seat into the RV is less convenient. If I were a snow bird and spent most of my time traveling, then a motor home would win hands down, but for vacation use it seems like the trailer is a more logical choice.

 

[Nothing Special]

I prefer a travel trailer ...

Actually I agree with that except for two things.

The kicker for me is needing to bring my '71 Bronco with me. So I either need to be able to haul the Bronco with the camper or tow the camper with the Bronco. I don't want to even drive the Bronco on long trips much less tow with it, so that leaves with toy hauler trailers and motorhomes. A toy hauler that can carry a Bronco is too big for my '97 F-250, and I don't want to go that big (trailer or truck) anyway. So I'm stuck with a motorhome.

For anyone that doesn't have that restriction, the other thing is that it is nice to travel in the camper where the fridge, beds and ROOM is. Is it nice enough to offset all of the downsides you mentioned? Probably for some, but not for everyone.

 

[Gary Lewis]

I prefer a travel trailer ...

Actually I agree with that except for two things.

The kicker for me is needing to bring my '71 Bronco with me. So I either need to be able to haul the Bronco with the camper or tow the camper with the Bronco. I don't want to even drive the Bronco on long trips much less tow with it, so that leaves with toy hauler trailers and motorhomes. A toy hauler that can carry a Bronco is too big for my '97 F-250, and I don't want to go that big (trailer or truck) anyway. So I'm stuck with a motorhome.

For anyone that doesn't have that restriction, the other thing is that it is nice to travel in the camper where the fridge, beds and ROOM is. Is it nice enough to offset all of the downsides you mentioned? Probably for some, but not for everyone.

A toy hauler big enough to handle an early Bronco would be huge. My nephew just bought one to handle a couple of RZR's, and it was big enough that he had to buy a bigger truck - a DRW.

As for RV vs trailer, we had a 9 1/2' self-contained slide in camper back in the 70's and a '72 F250 to carry it. We went a lot of places and it worked for us as we had trail bikes and towed a trailer with them on it. But there was always the issue of having camp set up and then needing to go someplace.

So if we were to do it now we'd go with a 5th wheel trailer. Maybe a smaller one so that we wouldn't need a DRW truck.

 

[85lebaront2]

A toy hauler big enough to handle an early Bronco would be huge. My nephew just bought one to handle a couple of RZR's, and it was big enough that he had to buy a bigger truck - a DRW.

As for RV vs trailer, we had a 9 1/2' self-contained slide in camper back in the 70's and a '72 F250 to carry it. We went a lot of places and it worked for us as we had trail bikes and towed a trailer with them on it. But there was always the issue of having camp set up and then needing to go someplace.

So if we were to do it now we'd go with a 5th wheel trailer. Maybe a smaller one so that we wouldn't need a DRW truck.

I used to have a Wolverine 11.5' slide in camper I hauled in my 1977 F150 (after I swapped in the 390 and C6). I towed our 1981 Omni behind on a tow bar (it was a 4 speed) that way we didn't need to break camp to go somewhere.

We went from tent camping to a popup, then the slide in and finally a 30' Wilderness 5th wheel with a slide out living room and dining area. Current wife's idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn Express.

[Gary Lewis]

I used to have a Wolverine 11.5' slide in camper I hauled in my 1977 F150 (after I swapped in the 390 and C6). I towed our 1981 Omni behind on a tow bar (it was a 4 speed) that way we didn't need to break camp to go somewhere.

We went from tent camping to a popup, then the slide in and finally a 30' Wilderness 5th wheel with a slide out living room and dining area. Current wife's idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn Express.

Bill - 11 1/2' camper in an F150? My 9 1/2' was a good match for my F250, which was rated at ~9000 lbs if I remember correctly. (With a QJet on a 390/C6 combo.)

[Nothing Special]

Bill - 11 1/2' camper in an F150? My 9 1/2' was a good match for my F250, which was rated at ~9000 lbs if I remember correctly. (With a QJet on a 390/C6 combo.)

This light weight 8' pop-up was about all I wanted to carry with my '95 F-150. I added air bag helper springs in the rear and ran load range E tires (still had "C" in this picture) which made it OK. But I wouldn't have gone bigger. And when I replaced that truck I got an F-250.