RE: Anyone Like Chinook Motor homes?
Hi Cranky,
I just this last month Jun 2010 bought a 2000 e350 Chinook Concourse with 63,000 miles on it, like brand new inside and out and I gave 27,000 and would do it again tomorrow.
This unit came with 13,500 Air/Heat Pump on top, luggage compartment on top, a 3 way apartment size fridge with freezer, a combination Microwave/Convection Oven, a 4 burner range with an oven below it, a built in Coffee maker. Mine came with two swival seats and a fold out table for a dinette. Bath room is the usual pot in shower and one small closet. Also Stereo/CD-DVD with TV and four speakers. Has a fold out couch for a bed, it sits fine as a couch but for a guy with a bad back the bed part is no good. My unit weights in at 9,000 lbs loaded with water and 38 gals fuel. Mine came with a 6.8L V10 with 4.10 gears in the rear end. The Chinnok is fairly well areodined and glides thru the air rather easily. I have checked mileage at 55 MPH, 60 and 65 MPH, mile per gallon range was 10.9 to 11.2, 11.2 was the best I could get and that was at 60 mph. I did install one of those Tornados in the air intake, it did raise the mileage to 13.3, an improvement of 2.1 mpg. The V10 has more power and torque than I will ever use so I am in the process of installing 3.73 gears in the rear end, should raise the mileage 3 maybe 4 mpg, I am hoping to 16 mpg. I am going to try one of the Hydrogen generators with a flash chip and see if I can get the mileage up to 20 mpg or so.
If the Chinook were still made today they would be the same price as a new pleasureway (out of Canada) they are 91,000, 89,500 on sale, just in case you were wandering why you don't see many of these units around (I looked at the new Pleasureways and I liked the Chinooks better)
I do have a 1986 Ford e250 Festa, that's a turtle top, 6 foot wide instead of 8 foot, sleeps two over the cab and two on the fold down dinette, has almost everything (except air ( does have a place for air) that the Chinook has, bottom of the doors are a little rough but the body in in real good shape, could stand a little paint on the outside, other wise it will drive anywhere and the price recommends it. . . 3900.00 The only reason I didn't use it myself is because I am a 300 lb big boy and I needed a little more room.
Steve
slieland@hotmail.com