Stock exhaust on Chevy?

[Forester Fred]

I have a 2015 Forester 2301 built on a 2014 Chevrolet Express 4500 chassis. We just got back after a one week trip and the last bump that we hit on a rough road was too much for my tailpipe. Apparently it rusted through right at the last bend before the end of it where it's attached to a hanger.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out if Forest River modifies the exhaust system, like making it longer, shorter, re-routing it, etc. when they build a Class C or do they just go with what Chevy or Ford sends them. My auto repair guy can't take a look at it for a couple weeks and he's concerned that it won't be a stock exhaust pipe. Has anyone run into this with a Forester or Sunseeker with a Chevy? Do you know if it's a stock exhaust system? Thanks

[NMWildcat]

Any shop that specializes in muffler/exhaust should be able to custom bend pipe to fit any vehicle. Doesn't matter if it is stock or not.

[Forester Fred]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Any shop that specializes in muffler/exhaust should be able to custom bend pipe to fit any vehicle. Doesn't matter if it is stock or not.

I'm kinda out in the boonies. We've got one garage in the area - no post office - one dinky general store. I don't even know where my closest muffler shop is! Probably about 50 miles away in the closest city, I'll have to check. Thanks.

[Duckogram]

NMWildcat is right. I am also pretty sure that neither Chevy (or Ford) or ForestRiver made that pipe. The chassis are sent to a shop that does factory
authorized modifications. That includes drive shafts, exhaust, brake lines, fuel lines, wiring harnesses and anything else that needs to be stretched. YMMV

[The Evil Twin]

Part of what Duck says is right. Except that chassis cabs do leave the factory with exhaust in place. Sometimes it is left as is. Other times it is modified. An example is Ford F450 Chassis that are converted to bus service. The exhaust exits on the rear curb side (where people would be standing) and it is rerouted all the way across the rear to exit on the left side.
Anyway, start with the Chevy dealer. Have them look it up by VIN and see what they have.

[BehindBars]

Most class C frames are modified by an upfitter to extend the wheelbase. When sections are added to the frame, the drive shaft, fuel/brake lines, exhaust, etc. need to be extended as well. However, your 2301 is a short unit and may be on a standard, unstretched frame. What you might do is find specs for your model’s wheelbase, then find specs for a stock Chevy cutaway chassis wheelbase. If your wheelbase is the same as a standard Chevy 4500 cutaway, then your chassis was not stretched by an upfitter, and it probably has a standard Chevy exhaust. You should be able to do that research on the Internet.

It seems really strange that an OEM exhaust would rust out in just 6 years, but it is what it is.

[karykatz]

Forester Fred

We do modify the exhaust. You will have to take the coach to a muffler shop and they will be able to get you back on the road traveling. Look out for the big pot holes.

[The Evil Twin]

^^there ya go!

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by karykatz

Forester Fred

We do modify the exhaust. You will have to take the coach to a muffler shop and they will be able to get you back on the road traveling. Look out for the big pot holes.

I assume a Class C cutaway chassis is delivered to the upfitter with a factory exhaust system. If the chassis wheelbase does not need to be extended for a certain motorhome model, what modifications are done to the exhaust? It would be nice to know if the exhaust is composed of OEM or aftermarket components.

[Forester Fred]

Originally Posted by karykatz

Forester Fred

We do modify the exhaust. You will have to take the coach to a muffler shop and they will be able to get you back on the road traveling. Look out for the big pot holes.

Thanks Kary, I'll try to find a muffler shop.

[MR.M]

5 yrs to have a exhaust pipe rust through is horrible . They are not using quality exhaust pipe when doing modifications . Chevy is using an aluminized steel that does not just rust through in 5 yrs.

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by MR.M

5 yrs to have a exhaust pipe rust through is horrible . They are not using quality exhaust pipe when doing modifications . Chevy is using an aluminized steel that does not just rust through in 5 yrs.

I think you’re right. It was way back in the last century, probably in the 80s when I last had an OEM exhaust rust out. Apparently FR or the upfitter is using cheap components.

I did have the exhaust break in half early on with my 1995 class C Fleetwood. Apparently the factory frame extender put in an exhaust pipe that was too short. A muffler shop had to weld in an extra two or three inch section of pipe to remove the stress on the whole exhaust system.

[Forester Fred]

Well, problem solved. I found a little 1 man custom exhaust place about 15 miles away from me. Got in yesterday and he took care of me. The scary part is the tailpipe has rusted all the way through and when he grabbed the old pipe it fell off. I’m glad it didn’t happen while I was driving on the highway. That 3’ piece of pipe could have hurt or killed someone never mind the damage it would have caused to a vehicle behind me.

He custom cut and bent a 3” diameter stainless steel pipe for me and mounted it all up tight. I took the heat shield off and hit it with some heat resistant paint and he mounted that too. This tailpipe should last the life of the rig.

[Goatdog]

Looks great.
You gotta admit the rumble of that Chevrolet V8 sounds so much better than the uneven firing of the Ford V10.

I have a 2014 Sunseeker 2500TSon the Chevrolet chassis. Your post made mm e curious and I just checked every inch of it. Solid as the day it was built and I'm on the salt-laden coast of Virginia. My coach may or may not have the exhaust extended by FR, but I couldn't see any obvious sign of such.