Class A Ford V10 performance

[cross21114]

Based on MD license requirements of a Class B non-CDL, we might have to change our rv purchase from a diesel to a gas so my wife and friends can help with driving. We will have to stay with a GVW of no more than 26,000#s but will also be towing a car as a toad.

Can anyone jump in with their experience with a Class A using the Ford V10? Seems like that it the chassis most builders are using. How do they tow and how is the MPG. Any other observations would be appreciated.

We would like to do trips in the West so lots of mountains.

Thanks,

[timmac]

Jbird wrote:


tmac,are you saying you maintained I70 speed hauling up to the tunnel?

Had no problem staying around 45 mph, only when I got behind a slow trucker than I had issues trying to pass as many cars just kept coming, but other than that I was impressed myself as I thought it would struggle over the Rockies on I-70 with my weight but it did not, I will never fear a mountain again while towing.

[Jbird]

timmac wrote:

Ivylog wrote:
Without a turbo charger some of the passes out West will be interesting...even unhooking the toad and driving it over. Depending on what your normal driver's licence says about what you can drive...once out of MD most LEOs will not know about the B. If your normal Class C licence list the 26,000 weight have the DW get the B.

No reason to unhook your toad or trailer with the V-10 going over the Rockies, my V-10 motorhome with a stacker trailer total weight of 26,400lbs did very good heading west on I-70 from Denver to Vegas, stayed up to speed and did better than some semis..

tmac,are you saying you maintained I70 speed hauling up to the tunnel?

[tropical36]

cross21114 wrote:
Based on MD license requirements of a Class B non-CDL, we might have to change our rv purchase from a diesel to a gas so my wife and friends can help with driving. We will have to stay with a GVW of no more than 26,000#s but will also be towing a car as a toad.

Can anyone jump in with their experience with a Class A using the Ford V10? Seems like that it the chassis most builders are using. How do they tow and how is the MPG. Any other observations would be appreciated.

We would like to do trips in the West so lots of mountains.

Thanks,

I've never seen an engine that lacked in power for getting up a mountain. Might have some tranny overheating with some that are overloaded a ton or so, with the GCWR.
With the DP and that being my choice, I wouldn't let a license thing get in my way, with the many alternatives available.
As for MPG they're all about the same and the least expense in the overall cost of ownership, beginning with the depreciation per mile. Most over rate what they get for mpg anyway and the only real way to know, is with having an on-board computer that figures the overall mileage over a long period of time. I can do the math all day long and even look at the present computer readouts going down the road of 7.5 or more, but at the end of the day and since the coach was born, 10yrs ago, it's 6.1. This could change for the better eventually, as we've had this rig for less than a year.

[irishtom29]

The new generation 3.5 Ecoboost is making 450 hp and 510 torque in the Raptor and 647 hp and 550 torque in the GT. I'd like to see Ford make an Ecoboost pusher chassis with air suspension and brakes. There were rumors of a 5 liter Ecoboost V-8 but it seems that was probably wishful thinking.

I owned a 2013 Ecoboost 150 and it pulled my 24' KZ toy hauler like crazy. I have
a 1 liter Fiesta Ecoboost toad and the little bugger goes like you wouldn't believe and with lots of low end power. And has averaged 41+ mpg and I drive it hard.

[Bruce_Brown]

Drew,
Yes...and no. On paper, sure, in the real world, no.

As I'm sure you probably know, HP is calculated using torque values ((RPMxTorque) / 5252) so yes, add enough RPMs and you can manipulate the numbers any way you want.

In your example what you're saying is take the 4000 RPMs, multiply it by 2.5, and at 10,000 RPMs the V10 will do the same job a big diesel does at 1,600 RPMs.

Possible? Well...maybe. Practical? Not really.

Again, that is NOT a knock on the V10. The V10 is a great engine, it's just not a big diesel.

Now...if Ford would develop a new, bigger Ecoboost for MH duty it might be a game changer. The torque the EBs are making at low RPMs is impressive. I see some of the new Class Cs are using the new 3.5 EB with great reviews.

My wife just bought another new Explorer. The last one had the NA 3.5L, this one has the 2.3 EB. The new one is 10 HP less, but has 55# more torque. This one is night and day better driving than the other one. More torque at a lower RPM, plus we're seeing a little better MPG. We're happy.

[DryCreek]

Gjac wrote:
This is an important point that many on here miss when we talk about performance. Another point is that a gas MH will have the same 362 HP whether it is a 38 ft MH or 28 ft MH. As DP's get smaller their engines get smaller and less HP. Some 34 ft DP's come with 300 or 275 HP and a much higher wt. So if you are looking at short gas MH, performance will not be an issue.

I agree. The 3-valve V-10 in our 29' Winnebago performs acceptably for the application. The great thing about the 18k GVWR chassis is that the drivetrain is the same one rated for GCWR of 26K, so the margin for a toad is more limited by your hitch than what you've got loaded on board.

[DrewE]

Bruce Brown wrote:

irishtom29 wrote:
A 24,000 pound, 320 HP Ford V-10 gasser has a better power to weight ratio than any DP at GVWR I'm aware of; I did the ciphering on quite a few. The gasser power comes at a higher RPM so needs to rev higher than a diesel. But the Ford V-10 runs high revs reliably.

First let me say I'm a big fan of the V10, but...

In MH duty torque is far more important than HP. The 460# of torque the V10 has just doesn't compete with the 1000# + (ours is 1200#) of a big diesel.

With that said, in gasser duty the V10 has a great reputation and by most accounts the current version is the best - and oddly on paper it has less HP and more torque than the previous versions. :w

I understand that the new version mainly has less horsepower because it's rated at a lower RPM, I think due to some emissions requirements (though I don't recall whether it's noise emissions or combustion byproduct emissions). The power curve is pretty much the same as for previous versions, and the internals are not changed at all though the ECU programming may well be tweaked.

Torque in and of itself from the engine is pretty nearly meaningless to vehicle performance. An engine producing 400 ft-lbs of torque at 4000 rpm (roughly 300 hp) can be substituted directly for one producing 1000 ft-lbs of torque at 1600 rpm (also roughly 300 hp) by introducing a 2.5:1 reduction drive.

[Bruce_Brown]

irishtom29 wrote:
A 24,000 pound, 320 HP Ford V-10 gasser has a better power to weight ratio than any DP at GVWR I'm aware of; I did the ciphering on quite a few. The gasser power comes at a higher RPM so needs to rev higher than a diesel. But the Ford V-10 runs high revs reliably.

First let me say I'm a big fan of the V10, but...

In MH duty torque is far more important than HP. The 460# of torque the V10 has just doesn't compete with the 1000# + (ours is 1200#) of a big diesel.

With that said, in gasser duty the V10 has a great reputation and by most accounts the current version is the best - and oddly on paper it has less HP and more torque than the previous versions. :w

[Gjac]

irishtom29 wrote:
A 24,000 pound, 320 HP Ford V-10 gasser has a better power to weight ratio than any DP at GVWR I'm aware of; I did the ciphering on quite a few. The gasser power comes at a higher RPM so needs to rev higher than a diesel. But the Ford V-10 runs high revs reliably.

This is an important point that many on here miss when we talk about performance. Another point is that a gas MH will have the same 362 HP whether it is a 38 ft MH or 28 ft MH. As DP's get smaller their engines get smaller and less HP. Some 34 ft DP's come with 300 or 275 HP and a much higher wt. So if you are looking at short gas MH, performance will not be an issue.

[timmac]

opps :C

[cross21114]

Chum lee wrote:
Ford had at least 3 major versions of the V-10 in the F53 chassis in the US. 275 hp, +-315 hp, +-360 hp. To get an accurate response, you really need to state which version is in your budget. The older versions (1999) were 275 hp. Newer (3V), higher hp and more expensive.

Chum lee

Thanks to all who responded. If we go gas, we'll likely be new or a year old at most. Seems like most list the V10 at 320hp. Did see one which showed 360hp.

Still struggling with the decision. I agree that driving without Class B is risky even if out of state. One of my hunting buddies has said he will upgrade his license. Wife is still hesitant.

[timmac]

Ivylog wrote:
Without a turbo charger some of the passes out West will be interesting...even unhooking the toad and driving it over. Depending on what your normal driver's licence says about what you can drive...once out of MD most LEOs will not know about the B. If your normal Class C licence list the 26,000 weight have the DW get the B.

No reason to unhook your toad or trailer with the V-10 going over the Rockies, my V-10 motorhome with a stacker trailer total weight of 26,400lbs did very good heading west on I-70 from Denver to Vegas, stayed up to speed and did better than some semis..

[Chum_lee]

Ford had at least 3 major versions of the V-10 in the F53 chassis in the US. 275 hp, +-315 hp, +-360 hp. To get an accurate response, you really need to state which version is in your budget. The older versions (1999) were 275 hp. Newer (3V), higher hp and more expensive.

Chum lee

[Heisenberg]

The Triton V-10 offers the most bang for the buck.