With their latest chassis developments, Ford Motor Company and Workhorse Custom Chassis, the only two suppliers of gas engine Class A motorhome chassis, have blurred the differences between them and come closer to competing with diesel powered chassis for Class A’s weighing up to 24,000 lbs.

Workhorse’s latest W24 chassis now has a top weight rating of 24,000 lbs vs. Ford’s new F-53 chassis which tops out at a rating of 22,000 lbs. Ford has 362 horsepower vs. Workhorse’s 340 hp. Ford claims torque of 457 at 3250 RPM and Workhorse says theirs develops 455 torque at 3200 RPM.- not a significant difference. Ford's V-10 Triton engine is a 6.8 liter and Workhorse's CM Vortec V-8 engine is a 8.1 liter.

How do wannabee Class A motorhome owners differentiate between the two when shopping for their dream coach? The best way is try both and see which one suits your driving style best. When contacted, spokespersons for neither company would come forward with meaningful data comparisons beyond what is published in their specifications. Both claim to have the most powerful gasoline platform - whatever that means. I have driven coaches built on both chassis and would hesitate to make a recommendation based on any performance differences between them I could discern. I do think that if Class A buyers are considering purchase of a motorhome that exceeds a gross weight of 20,000 lbs. they would be wise to also test a diesel powered unit. Both new Ford and Workhorse chassis will drive their rated weights acceptably but for coaches weighing ten tons or more a diesel powered unit will drive them with less strain, better passing acceleration when you need it and go up grades in faster.

Of course, the other factors to consider are warranty and service. Here again there is little meaningful data to help a consumer make a choice. Both company's warrant their chassis for three years or 36,000 miles and have service centers across the country. You won't make a disastrous mistake by choosing a motorhome equipped with either a Ford or Workhorse chassis. You probably will pay a premium for choosing Workhorse because it is more expensive than the comparable Ford chassis. The majority of Class A manufacturers make their gas powered Class A motorhomes available on both chassis.

You can obtain specifications, locate a service center, find a Class A manufacturer and ask questions by going to their respective websites; www.fleet.ford.com and www.workhorse.com or call toll free numbers 1-800-343-5338 for Ford and 1-877-294-6773 for Workhorse.

John Bowler is the author of the eBook All About Class A Motorhomes.

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