Dear Dave,
We are looking at going from a 5th wheel to a Class A. I am looking at an 8.1L gas pusher in a 2007 Forest River Georgetown 391SE. (They were possibly made in other years besides 2007.) I am wondering if you could comment on these? Were they a UFO [Universal Fuel Option]? Many thanks. —Ed, 2007 Forest River Georgetown 391SE
Dear Ed,
Workhorse Custom Chassis (WCC) bought the Chevrolet P30 Chassis Division and made several great changes. They started with a heavier chassis rail and getting rid of the individual front coil springs and going to the leaf springs. Those allowed for more weight-carrying capacity and solid handling.
Chevrolet V8 Vortec engine
They used the Chevrolet V8 Vortec engine in the front originally. They then offered the Universal Fuel Option (UFO) chassis, which had the Vortec gas or diesel option designed in the back of the rig. This allowed manufacturers to build a flat floorplan without the engine “doghouse” in the way, as well as place the entry door up front.
The Vortec engine has been a solid engine for many years and there is definitely nothing wrong with it. The UFO concept was introduced in 2007 at the PRVCA Hershey show and featured a tight 55-degree turning radius and Allison 6-speed transmission. However, it was not a very popular model as earlier models of the Oshkosh with a Ford 460 had overheating issues that made people hesitant of it, even though Workhorse had no issue with it. It also cost $20K more than front engine gas models and only got 6–7 mpg. Since the rig you are looking at is more than 39 feet long, I would strongly recommend test driving it to see if it has the power to get up the hill and tow, if needed.
All the reviews I have found over the past few years indicate owners are very pleased with the handling and even the power, mostly on 36-foot units. One consideration is parts, as Workhorse went out of business in 2009 when Chevrolet discontinued the 8.1L Vortec and the RV industry went into the toilet.
There is a company called Workhorse Parts, here:
3912 Harrison Ave.
Centralia WA 98531
855-782-4070
OR:
Precision Sales & Service, here:
451 64th Place South
Birmingham, AL 35212
205-591-2266
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Can the Vortec engine in the Adventurer we’re looking at handle our mountains?
Dear Dave,
We are looking at an Adventurer which has the Vortec 340 HP engine. The Adventurer is 37 feet. Is it true that this particular engine was discontinued as it was not enough torque? We live in a mountainous area and this is very important to us. —Linda, 2007 Adventurer
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
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Interesting history that it was an Oshkosh/Ford platform that had the overheating issue. Most of what I’ve ever seen on the topic, which admittedly was not a lot, indicated it was an overall rear gas engine issue.
I wonder why moving a gas engine to the rear would up the price $20K! Much shorter drive shaft and exhaust. Was there a real cost driver to that or just a profit boost?
Mikal
The cost had more to do with the larger frame rails, air suspension, tires, etc., than the traditional gas Ford.
Dave
Thank you, Dave! 🙂 Great answer! Nice review of the engine and chassis, as well as links to two sellers of parts! 🙂 I don’t think you could have been more thorough. Thanks again, and safe travels! 🙂