An Overview of the Motorhome Chassis Market

The RV Chassis
A Boon in Innovation

By Don Magary

The thriving RV market is creating positive spinoffs in many areas, but one market segment in particular that is stepping up to the plate in terms of investing in new product design and features is the motorhome chassis market. And the recent Louisville show bears witness to the innovation. While Ford continues to dominate the gasoline-powered Class A chassis and Class C cutaway motorhome segments, there are a few companies prepared to challenge Ford's impressive marketshare.

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With GM virtually out of the motorhome chassis business, lets take look at where the chassis market is today.

After achieving leadership in the Class A motorhome chassis market for the first time in 1996 and retaining that position throughout 1997, Ford continued to lead the industry in 1998 in both the Class A and Class C motorhome chassis segments.

Ford achieved leadership in the Class A motorhome chassis market for the first time in 1996 and has lead the Class C segment for many years. Through-out the first nine months of 1998, Ford's market share in Class A's was 40%, while Ford's share in the Class C segment was 81%.

Ford produced just under 15,000 Super Duty F-Series Class A chassis last year. With the introduction of the new 1999 model chassis the demand increased significantly. More than 22,000 chassis will be produced in 1998 and 25,000 to 30,000 are planned for the 1999 calendar year.

The biggest challenge Ford is currently facing is meeting the demand for the Super Duty F-Series Class A chassis and the Econoline RV Cutaway Class C chassis.

The Super Duty F-Series chassis with wide tread, heavy-duty frame, V-10 engine and a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of up to 20,500 pounds has proven itself a viable platform for today's wide-body motorhomes, many of which feature slide-out sections for added living space.

Through September 1998, 81% of Class C chassis customers chose motorhomes built on Ford Super Duty E-350 and Super Duty E-450 cutaways. The Super Duty E-450 cutaway, introduced in December 1995, now represents more than 60% of Ford's Class C sales and is a major reason for Ford's continued success.

The Super Duty E-450 chassis has a best-in-class GVWR of 14,050 pounds and provides a stable foundation for wide-body motorhomes with slide-outs - an option previously reserved for Class A motorhomes.

The cutaway Econoline includes dual airbags and 6.8-liter Triton™ V-10 gas engine, which offers more power and fuel economy than its predecessor. In addition, four wheel anti-lock brakes are now standard on all Econoline cutaways for motor-home applications. continued