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Originally Posted by MBSNewbie
What do you think of the Ford chassis/powertrain vs. the MBS one? I'd love to hear your perspective (+/-) since you owned the MBS for 6 years.
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Prior to owning the MBS I owned two Ford E-Series motorhomes. We went to the MBS for the usual reasons, to downsize and get better fuel mileage.
First the negatives. Over that 6 years we had three issues with the MBS. A pcv valve went out during a long trip and while that's not usually a big deal on an MBS it is because it causes loss of any turbo boost. With that the MBS could not exceed about 40 mph on a flat surface. This was an expensive repair but fortunately covered by warranty since emissions-related was covered for 5 years I believe. Also the starter went bad. This cost me around $600 to repair as I recall. MBS units are more expensive to repair simply because they are MBS. Lastly was the propensity of this model to get flat tires, always in the right rear. I had 3 flats during the 6 years.
The Fords I previously owned had no mechanical issues. I hope my new one is the same, but we'll see!
On the positive side, the MBS drives nicer than the Ford, I.e. it's steering seems more precise.
The Ford, however, seems less "tipsy" than the MBS and feels like it has a lower center of gravity. Also, the brakes on the Ford are extremely better than the brakes ever were on the MBS.
The MBS got 14 mpg on average. The Ford from what I've read will get 9 or 10. Over 6 years and the miles I drive the difference in fuel price, however, would never come anywhere near close to the difference in chassis cost.
The MBS would tow only 3500 lbs. The Ford is rated as high as 10,000, however the 5000 lb. hitch will be good enough for me. This was one of the reasons for me switching back to Ford.
I think the MBS probably has less engine noise than the Ford, which makes sense as the Ford engine cover is partially intruding into the cockpit and makes double the HP and torque of my MBS.
Ford has better acceleration.
The Ford is wider than the MBS so that also makes the MBS seem more nimble.
In the looks department, that's subjective. The Ford definitely looks more "manly" IMO whereas the MBS is more "Euro".
Legroom is similar. Passenger area of the Ford is tighter than the MBS. It's a little easier to move out of the cockpit seats to the coach in the MBS due to the Ford engine cover, however the cockpit and coach floor levels are very similar in the Ford whereas in the MBS there was a step into the coach. Kind of a trade-off.
That's about all I can think of. I hope I've answered your question.