What exactly is a Workhorse Chassis?

[John999]

I'm new here.  My first post was in to introduce myself and advised I was exploring the possibility of buying a used MH, preferably an older diesel pusher.  However, I ran into a used gas model in excellent condition and corresponding very good price.  I started to think this over and thought maybe I should consider a gas model as a starter unit just to see if this is what I want to do.  The unit is equipped with the Vortec 8.1 with the Workhorse Chassis.  I believe it also has the Allison transmission and I figured that was a good thing. However, I really couldn't find any detailed information on exactly what is the Workhorse Chassis exactly. I thought it was an upgrade over older gas model chassis, one that is more heavy duty.  But, that's all speculation on my part and now I'm beginning to think it's a company that supplies motorhome parts with the brand name "Workhorse".  So, can someone detail what a Workhorse Chassis is and if in fact it's an upgraded chassis or not? 

I'm encouraged to hear some good reports on the performance of the Vortec 8.1 vs reports of other gas powered motorhomes being unable to climb hills while at the same time the engine is screaming to where you can't hear yourself think.  My brother has an older RV with the V10 ford and he says he dreads having to go over steep grades and so would I when he said his speed can be as slow as 25 mph in 2nd gear if not almost shifting down to 1st to make the hill without too many tractor trailers passing him. 

 

[2dalake]

Workhorse was the successor to the old Chevrolet P-30, P-32 truck/van chassis.  The Workhorse was/is a sturdy motorhome chassis and was a favorite for many manufacturers for years.  It has been discontinued. 

The 8.1 Chevrolet big block V8 is a sturdy engine as is the Allison tranny.  As with any used rig, just make sure it was maintained properly.  The one nagging issue with the Workhorse was a problem with the brakes.  Apparently some of the Bosch disc brakes had a problem with sticking calipers with overheating and damage to the rotors.  There was a major recall on those when WH was still in business. 

We owned a 32' gas coach on the older Chevy P-32 chassis with the 454 V8.  It had plenty of power for that coach pulling a small car.  How well the coach performs on hills will obviously depend on the size of the coach, how it is loaded and what you plan to tow with it. 

There is a Workhorse chassis-specific forum on IRV2.com.  There are a bunch of Workhorse experts and owners of those rigs on that forum.

 

[drisley]

My rig is on the W22 Workhorse and I really like it. Seems to drive smoother than the Ford. Engine noise is still there, but doesn't seem as bad up the hills. That Allison transmission is rock-solid, whereas I had some issues with the tranny on my last rig (Ford).

In the end, tho, I wouldn't make a buying decision based on the chassis. They're both good.

 

[Clay L]

Workhorse was a spin off from GM/Chevolet. Many of the employees had been GM employees.
They were bought by Navistar and stopped making the motor home chassis a few years ago after GM stopped making the 8.1 liter engine for vehicle use. Supposedly they are going to make a motor home chassis again.
You can download a document Workhorse put out in 2005 or so with info and specs on the chassis and 8.1 liter GM engine HERE.

 

[Isaac-1]

Ok the short version:

The P-30 / P-32 chassis series was introduced by GM/Chevy about 40 years ago, around 1999 Workhorse bought out the P-30 / P-32 assembly line for the first year or so they continued production of the chassis with the only change being the logo on the steering wheel.  Then in 2000 or 2001 they introduced the wide track upgrade for the P-32 chassis which simply widened the front tire track so the front tires were then inline with the outer rear tires instead of inner rear tires.  P-32 chassis were built on until about 2005, and may be found on some models of motorhomes even later using previous years chassis's.  The P-30/ P-32 motorhome chassis used leaf springs on the rear and coil springs with helper air bags on the front with independent front suspension.  Workhorse also introduced their W series of Chassis in about 2003 W-16, W-18, W-20 and W-22 with the number being the rated GVWR in thousands of pounds.  The W series was an all new design with leaf springs on all 4 corners like most medium duty trucks had.  These were continued until the economic meltdown of 2009 when Workhorse basically went bankrupt and production was suspended.

p.s. the 8.1 was offered in both the wide track P32 and in the W platform models.  On the P32 it was mated to GM 4 speed transmission either 4L80E or 4L85E

 

[A Traveler]

Be aware that ANY gas-powered motor home is going to pull high revs climbing hills.

That's because a gasoline engine develops its advertised horsepower at a much higher RPM than a diesel of the same HP. Both the Ford V10 and the GM 8.1 will have to be up around 4,000 to 4,500 RPM climbing hills if you want to keep up with traffic.

 

[John999]

Be aware that ANY gas-powered motor home is going to pull high revs climbing hills.

That's because a gasoline engine develops its advertised horsepower at a much higher RPM than a diesel of the same HP. Both the Ford V10 and the GM 8.1 will have to be up around 4,000 to 4,500 RPM climbing hills if you want to keep up with traffic.

That is one of the reasons that if I decide to go see it this Saturday I'm going to ask for a test drive and immediately take it to where hgwy I/80 starts uphill at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. That grade is steep enough for me to come to an opinion on how well the coach can handle it.  If it revs super high, has high engine noise and barely manages 40mph, I'll go back to looking at older diesel pushers. So far, the only thing I know about the powerplant and/or chassis is an emblem on the side showing a horse symbol with the word "Workhorse and Custom Chassis" underneath it.  To it's right it says "Powered by Vortec B100". I'm guessing it's the W20 or W22 chassis, the model is a 2002 Southwind by Fleetwood.

 

[John999]

Workhorse was a spin off from GM/Chevolet. Many of the employees had been GM employees.
They were bought by Navistar and stopped making the motor home chassis a few years ago after GM stopped making the 8.1 liter engine for vehicle use. Supposedly they are going to make a motor home chassis again.
You can download a document Workhorse put out in 2005 or so with info and specs on the chassis and 8.1 liter GM engine HERE.

Thanks for the link, finally I now know what the Workhorse Chassis is and apparently there are quite a few good upgrades involved.  Unfortunately the numerous links for more information about the chassis directs you to the Workhorse website but that's where it ends, Workhorse is no longer supporting it.

 

[Isaac-1]

I bought a Workhorse (yes it has the Workhorse logo on the horn button) 2002 P32 wide track chassis motorhome with the 8.1 and 4 speed 4L80E transmission about 6 weeks and 1,500 miles ago.  In that time I have yet to drive up any sustained substantial grades, just some long rolling hills crossing southern Alabama and Mississippi.  And one thing that may take you by surprise if you get the engine warm on your test drive is the roar of the electric cooling fan going on high, it sounds a lot like the roar of an automatic transmission down shifting, just slightly quieter.

p.s. this may be the document you are looking for trekdocs.com/pdf_server.php?file=WorkhorseChassisGuide1995-2006

 

[Old_Crow]

Back in the 80's and early 90's I was a motorhome tech at a Chevy dealership.  You wouldn't believe the number of coaches I drove for a transmission problem that turned out to be normal operation of the fan clutch. 
The first time my wife heard our Sportscoach do it, she thought I'd blown it up.  That fan clutch will kick in when the temp gauge gets to half way and kick out when it's back down to 1/4 scale.  Did that all the way over Wolf Creek pass this summer...twice, with the motor turning about 3500 in second gear.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The W20 & W22 came out in 2002 and it offered a 5-speed Allison automatic as one of its upgraded features over the P30 chassis with the same 8.1L engine. It was a much superior chassis, more rigid, greater capacity, and provisions that enabled much larger storage bays than the competing Ford or their own P30 chassis.

One warning: the W-series went through a serious recall problem with faulty brakes from Bosch and it took far too long to get them all fixed.  Odds are heavy that any Workhorse W20/W22 now in use has had the recall fixes applied, but it's something you would want to verify.

There is an active Workhorse Chassis Owners Club at http://www.workhorseclub.com/

 

[German Shepherd]

Your first instinct was correct,stick to it and don't fall for the shiny object,,, find a good old well taken care of DP as you first intended. The workhorse chassis and its "auto park brake" will be a nightmare,, look it up,gas mileage will be horroble, and Ford's chassis is just as weak. Stick to your first gut instinct, its usually the right one. I searched long and hard to find my old 1993 Pace Arrow DP and it was well worth the long search.

 

[road king]

HI,  I own a 2004 Winnebago Adventurer 35U with the Workhorse W22 Chassis and I have driven all over the US including a lot of Canada and Alaska.  It tows a 2004 Honda Element with ease even up hills and mountains.  Was on the Interstate between Rifle Colorado and Denver Colorado where it was a real test.  Saw a lot of diesels on the side of the road with the engine hoods up letting them cool or some other engine trouble.  Winnie went up the hills and mountains with ease and not over 3800 rpm on the tac.  Yes, the fans do make some noise but that's ok because it keeps the engine cool and it does not let it run hot ever, especially in the summer.

You can go buy a diesel but remember the added cost of maintenance for gas verses diesel is unbelievable.  I can change the oil for less than $40.00. Not so with a diesel.  Gas is cheaper too. Parts are cheaper as well and most Chevrolet dealers can repair a problem.  Also Camper World can work on them too. Plus, don't forget, Winnebago can replace a lot of the parts on older models such as tanks, etc that may be needed over time. 

I have looked at a lot of floor plans since I purchased mine new and have found few that I would consider trading for.  For two people, it is perfect and easy to maneuver anywhere.  Also, there are a lot of older Adventures out there for purchase because Winnebago made a lot of them.  Find a good used one and be very HAPPY.  Good Luck.  Al

 

[jlazar]

I had a 37ft Allegro Bay  with the 8.1L on a W24 workhorse chassis.  It was not involved in the brake issue.  Drove very well, stopped well and climbed well.  I took it from Texas to Las Vegas/Reno and then to California.  So I hit some good hills pulling a CRV.  When climbing a steep hill, it will rev high.  The secret is to just move over with the trucks and take your time.  You will get there just a little slower.  I had a tech tell me that the 8.1 had a feature built in whereby if the revs went above what was a safe level, that the fuel would be cut of momentarily to protect the engine until the revs came back down.  This could result in what sounded like a backfire but upfront.  I learned to just watch my tachometer and downshift if the revs started getting too high.  Sure you would slow down but it was not a big issue.  Climbed for several miles at a time this way.  You will find that over hours of driving, you are only talking minutes where you are climbing and it would be an issue.

 

[KandT]

Your first instinct was correct,stick to it and don't fall for the shiny object,,, find a good old well taken care of DP as you first intended. The workhorse chassis and its "auto park brake" will be a nightmare,, look it up,gas mileage will be horroble, and Ford's chassis is just as weak. Stick to your first gut instinct, its usually the right one. I searched long and hard to find my old 1993 Pace Arrow DP and it was well worth the long search.

Keep in mind you aren't just buying a chassis.  23 year old couches, beds, water heaters, pumps, levelers, basements and the like all have a serious toll taken on them.  Faucets leak and old plastic can get brittle. Forget about an old tv and tech system. 

Oh and by the way start to take a look around at smaller commercial buses and the like and notice how many are built on the "weak" Ford e450 chassis.  They seem to be doing ok.  This ain't their first rodeo.

You aren't buying a Yugo here or a Porshe.  Ford and Chevy know what they are doing although neither is perfect they will get you there just fine as long as the coach was reasonably maintained.