Celebrating the growing popularity of RVing and the increasing luxury RV market, Ford introduces the most capable motor home chassis to the new 2008 F53 Super Duty Class A lineup that has been fully re-engineered for better driving dynamics, more diverse offerings and reduced noise, vibration and harshness. The new chassis borrows heavily from the industry’s most capable heavy-duty truck – the new 2008 F-Series Super Duty – and was proven out on many of the F-Series “Built Ford Tough” truck durability tests to improve on the Ford RV’s 25 percent quality advantage customers reported in Ford surveys.

Ford offers the best-selling RV chassis in both the Class A and Class C (E-Series chassis) markets. The launch of the new package options in Class A expands Ford’s F53 Super Duty Class A line-up to six offerings, ranging from the “tailgater’s special” 16,000-pound gross-vehicle weight rating (GVWR) chassis through the new capability leader, 26,000-pound GVWR chassis, that gives builders the opportunity to offer the most advanced, most luxurious RV bodies yet.

Ford’s new 24,000-pound GVWR package firmly settles into the heavy class of motor home chassis, one of the fastest growing RV class segments. Going one step further, the new 26,000-pound GVWR package sets a new best-in-class marker for motor home chassis capabilities, providing a stunning 30,000-pound gross combined weight rating.

“Ford’s new heavy-duty F53 Super Duty chassis allows customers to continue bringing more of their home to their home on wheels,” said Shelly Smith, marketing manager, Ford F53 Super Duty motor home. “Motor home builders are adding more luxurious amenities such as granite countertops and slide outs so we met the challenge with the most capable RV chassis ever.”

Components such as the new heavy-duty steering system, class-leading Dana rear axle and suspension, increased capacity front axle and suspension, four-wheel anti-lock brakes and 50,000-PSI (pounds per square inch) ladder frame are all integral components to provide class-leading capabilities, ride comfort and predictable handling.

The 6.8-litre Triton™ V-10 engine’s best-in-class 362 horsepower and 457 foot-pounds of torque provided help support the largest motor homes with plenty of power on the highway. The powerful engine is matched to Ford’s exclusive and proven TorqShift® automatic overdrive transmission.

The new, high-end F53 models also features a new, more robust steering system with a new steering gear that, combined the new suspension, improve ride and handling. Steering and handling are complimented by the 50-degree wheel cut (increased from 42 degrees) for a tighter turning radius. Specially tuned stabiliser bars, Bilstein shocks and higher-capability front and rear springs make the ride more comfortable.

“We engineered the top-of-the-line F-53 models to provide the same steering precision, ride comfort and quietness as the rest of the line-up – just at much higher loads,” said Laurie Call, chief engineer, F53 Super Duty. “We think the driving dynamics and comfort, combined with our quality record, will lead to more customers demanding Ford chassis from their dealers.”

Ford will launch an unprecedented marketing campaign with a strategic shift of emphasis to retail customers from the previous campaigns centered on motor home dealers and builders. Even though Ford doesn’t sell to retail customers, the goal is to build awareness of Ford’s leading motor home product innovations and reinforce its quality heritage so retail customers specifically request F53 models from dealers.