Chinook RV

So I used to be a Grady White owner and these RV's seem to my newbish mind, to be the GW of RV's. That appeals to me. So my first post here is an ask for help, I hope that is ok...

Our price point is that we are sub 50k and hopefully much less.

It must sleep two comfortably and if there is a way to get a 3rd, teenage girl that would be helpful but not a must. I do not want to get a money pit and so my first and biggest question... in general are there certain ones I should steer away from? We will tow about 3-4k with ours pretty reliably so what should I be considering given that?

Are there any engines that are known problems? Better engines/trans?

Finally, look at this one, Chevy platform, is this a fair deal, good choice?

https://sunshinestatervs.com/inventory/ ... k-destiny/?

Thank you so much!

Don (in Florida)

Welcome to the forum Don. That Destiny you posted sure is purdy, but sure is pricey too. The shorter concourse's are much more common and with just a little searching.. much less expensive. However, sleeping a 3rd is problematic for them. They basically are only capable of 1 really big bed in the middle.
Ford v10 engine is generally considered a good engine. There is a known issue with spark plugs backing out, but I had them replaced when I first got it (I generally do my own maintenance like this.. but for a v10 in a van cab.. I suggest letting the pro's deal with it). Never had an issue after that (a few years and 30-40k miles later). I'm unaware of an issue with the trans either.
I can only speak to the chevy 5.3L which I don't think is in many (any?) chinook. It's an amazing motor too though. It seems both chevy and ford started putting out 200-300K capable motors around the early 2000's (2002 maybe?).

Hi and welcome!

Some of this will echo Manitou's post.

The 21' Chinooks with the Ford V-10 will do well for towing (I sometimes tow a boat (4,500#) or car (3,500# but no tongue weight) with mine, to include steep mountain grades (not just Florida type towing). These would be from 1997-2005. I imagine the 460 Ford engine would do well too (19??-1996). They're not going to compete with something like the Ecoboost for low-RPM torque, but they do the job unless you always want to be the first one up the mountain.

The two possible sticking points are the sleeping three, and the rear axle weight. On the sleeping three I can imagine a few options, especially if it's not all the time.

1) All sleep inside on converted furniture. With the dinette model you can either make basically the whole living room into a bed (couch folded out and dinette folded down), or use it as two beds (couch not folded out makes thin bed, or folded out is about 45" x 72", and dinette folded down is something like 36" x 68"). On the other hand the dinette model is a little cramped, aisle-wise, during the day (but some love it - I like a bit more elbow room so went for the club lounge plan). There are also models with two beds, or couch and bed, but they are rarer. The passenger side is the "optional" that changes for the various plans. It can fairly easily be converted to whatever you want (some have made other plans into two beds, or two couch/beds; changed dinettes to club lounges, club lounges to dinettes, etc.)

There were (in older models) some passenger side couches (with the two couch plan) wherein the backrest hinged up and strapped to the overhead to make another bunk (kinda boat like).

If I were traveling as two people, I'd likely go to the two couches/beds layout. But that all depends on the individuals. The stock couch is about 45" wide folded out. As mentioned above, with the dinette model you can make the whole thing into a big bed (maybe you'd want a topper for the seams).

2) Another option would be for one person to sleep in the aisle on the floor on a Thermarest type pad. Kinda cramped but I did do that in my Chinook while I was re-modeling the couch (I didn't find the stock couch to be all that comfortable to sleep in, so I did some mods).

3) Bring a tent

4) Tow a tiny camping trailer sometimes (Scamp, etc.)

As far as the rear axle weight, that's not necessarily an issue, but just something to know. Reason I say this is if you look at the specs, you see a GVWR of 10,700# and a GCWR of 18,000# So it looks like you could tow a house. But you really can't, because of the rear axle weight rating. It's 7,500# on the E-350 chassis (most 21' Chinooks), and with a loaded Chinook you're probably at 6,800# -7,000# on the rear axle. With the ~300# of tongue weight on my trailer (it's a tandem so I don't have to have a full 10% as tongue weight), plus the physics of the overhang, that adds 550# to my rear axle weight. As you can see, that comes close to topping it out. Not a concern with a 3-4,000# trailer as long as you don't go crazy with weight in the Chinook (but clearly no-one's towing 8,000# without going way out of whack).

If you are considering a Destiny, I would suggest getting scale weights prior to purchasing. Reason I say that is I have read that the Destinys very close to max weight just as built (purportedly that's one reason they started looking into things like foam-coring - the Destiny was so close to maxed out). That could become a problem for towing, especially since there is even more storage and cabinetry right at the back. But if I had my heart set on one, I'd find out for sure by weighing vs. just going by what I'm writing. The Destiny is longer (you get a bigger bathroom and an extra dresser space) and wider (same layouts in the living area but a bit more elbow room). It's on the Chevy chassis.

I'm a boater too, and that's one thing that really appealed to me about the Chinook (and still does, four-and-a-half years after buying it, and after helping friends with projects on many non-molded-fiberglass Class C's). Even a lot of the other ones that look like a molded fiberglass shell are I believe actually put together in sections (Born Free, Dynamax, Bt Cruiser). The Chinook really is fairly boat like in its construction (although there are differences). No seams in the fiberglass (it must have been a real pain to lay them up). There are still the penetrations that you need to keep bedded (roof vents, windows, etc.) but that's impossible to avoid.

BG

I've done a good bit of work on the 460 and the modular V10. The changes in the V10 were billed as "advancements" but - without going into volumetric efficiency and manufacturing costs - the changes were mostly done for compliance and platform agility (4.6 in cars up to the 6.8 in trucks is a broad range). Although the V10 is a great motor, I'll stand up and say it is not better than an EFI 460. Pushrods and distributors are ancient tech for sure, but the 460 is just a great engine, and my personal preference (that can be a lonely place ). Whether or not either engine will do 300k miles is mildly irrelevant in an RV since it almost never happens. And with MPGs, if you get 9 miles per gallon or 13, it's really not going to matter once all of the financial dust settles.

50k is a robust budget, and you can get a great rig for less than half that. However, 3 people aren't going to be comfortable in a 21 footer. As Blue suggested, I'd just pitch a tent. We're two plus a dog, but I've rearranged everything; that's about the limit.

The 4 speed transmissions in Ford Chinooks are all basically the same (E4OD and the later 4R100). I'd grade them C+ as stock. Mine goes into overdrive with a locked torque converter at about 37 MPH, which is annoying, but that's easy to control with the OD pushbutton. They sometimes fail early, but they're pretty easy to remove, and rebuilding them to a much better quality can be done for just a few grand.

Chinooks are old, so I feel it's actually better to get fewer options unless VCRs and retro coffee makers float your boat. Low mileage is universally appealing, but realistically it's better if the rig has been used regularly. Some folks have beautiful, pristine examples and they baby them, which is awesome, but you'll pay a premium for such rigs, and you might be less inclined to really venture out. That was a confusing way to say that it's worth putting some time toward evaluating exactly how you'll use it; dirt roads/boondocking or full service RV parks. My Chinook has made close friends with a lot of tree branches, but it's always worth it.

There's really no such thing as a perfect rig, just one with the fewest compromises. Chinooks are built very well, and certainly one of the best Class Cs you can get. We love it.

So much info! Thank you all!!

Let me add some more color to our situation...
We live in South Florida and we also have a cabin in on 51 acres in WNC that we now rent via VRBO and now whenever I want to use it, it is in effect "costing me" almost $300 a night... I know, 'first world' problem.

We have room to park a camper away from the renter and still use our lake front property (the lake is away from the house). But the drive to park the camper is steep and not suited to a giant camper, so that is a consideration. So we need a camper that will allow me to tow my 22' pontoon boat about 7 miles and launch it into a nice paved boat launch (I store in on-sight in a barn). So that is one reason for the towing. I also want to be able to haul a 16' trailer with about 3-4 dirt bikes and a BMW motorcycle. All in they weigh about 1200 lbs.

We are 4 with two smallish (size wise) girls. One is graduating and off to college in 3 years. The other one is 13 and we ride bikes together and will also use the camper for rides out of state, long weekend, wife and I long weekends etc. I am semi retired and my dreive out to meet buddies at races etc, as well. So I don't really want to buy a giant camper, given this fact, we could even rent a small house nearby and or anywhere and also use the camper and keep our costs lower. So I am really looking for a camper that is versatile, I may even use it as a second vehicle back home, do any of you do that? ie Run it to the store, go pick up kids or grocery's etc? Another possibility is a pop up truck top camper, but I live in Florida and humidity is ever against me.

I welcome your sage advice and opine as I am wading through so many options. I keep coming back to these camper....the dog-gone Chinooks are so attractive...

Don

Foreboding, we have some similar wants. We have family of 4 but son about to enter senior year of college out-of-state, daughter 15. I am looking to retire in 4 years and until then I want a self-contained weekend that I can use for fly/bass fishing in SE/mid-atltanic. I also have kayak I want to tow for bass fishing.

The idea for me is to be able to get to streams at night, boondock and fish throughout day and be mobile and flexible in plans to stay or go, and have relaxing retreat for whatever reason.

Secondarily, it would be used with wife and daughter or just daughter to explore weekends. When traveling with daughter I thought a small teardrop or "bedroom" trailer would fit the bill. This way she can have own "room" at night with climate control....and I don't have hassle of dealing with tent, esp. in foul weather. We did this last weekend I can't wait to when I don't anymore.

With a $50k budget you can easily get a nice early 2000's Concourse plus a small bedroom trailer (https://www.brxtrailers.com) and still be under budget. Downside is trailer negates beauty of 21' Chinooks maneuverability, but you can park the trailer, unhook and explore, of course can't also tow boat.

Someone mentioned also sleeping in aisle, this could work. I was supposed to look at Chinnok yesterday or today but came down with big cold, hopefully I can get there tomorrow or Sunday to see if aisle sleeping will work. In my younger hiking days I used a Down Air Mattress that was good well below zero I will bring along to see if it fits.

I did look at Destiny and extra room and bigger bath with shower is great, but overhang is long and I thought scraping would be issue were we go. If you have steep driveway could be issue as well. However, I have seen plenty Destiny's at ir under $50k.

Good luck, compromises are always difficult.

foreboding wrote: June 22nd, 2018, 6:15 am So I am really looking for a camper that is versatile, I may even use it as a second vehicle back home, do any of you do that? ie Run it to the store, go pick up kids or grocery's etc?

Mine is my primary vehicle. I have a Goldwing and a work vehicle as well. I take it to the grocery store all the time and have hauled a lot of mulch from Lowe's stacked up in the back. It fits well with a little overhang in parking spaces, but I always park at the back for the walk as well as to keep people from dinging it with their doors.

Good to hear a few more specifics.

Some random thoughts:

--A relatively light pontoon boat on a short haul on pavement: Although I don't recommend towing overweight, you could do this with just about anything. Of course you could also do it with the Chinook, but no need to have one for that. The 1200# bike trailer is close to the same thing. My wee Subaru will tow 1500# (if the trailer has brakes). That said, if you want to trailer AND camp, then obviously a Class C is good as you can't tow the boats and camper trailer at the same time in most places.

-- Storing at a cabin (or parking for extended periods) I feel the Class C is working against a person in that situation. You have an engine, six tires, etc. just sitting there. Want to change vehicles down the line? Oh goodie, you get to replace both the engine vehicle AND the camper part.

-- Sleeping four is not the Chinook's forte, although where there is a will there is a way. A typical 25" x 80" Thermarest (self inflating) camper pad fits in the aisle of a club lounge nicely and they are super comfortable, IMO.

--- I wouldn't be too excited about putting my two kids into the "belted positions" in the back of a Chinook. First of all, they are only lap belts. Then, either you are sitting sideways (couch), or maybe have a table in front of your face (dinette). (Club lounge chairs aren't belted at all.) None of the former arrangements sound very good to me in a crash. Granted, all of life is a gamble so that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but it's a consideration.

-- To me a strong point for a Chinook is being on the move. Long trips it's great to just pull over and have your living room a step away (and an indoor step at that). Also you can drive it like a car (more or less) and yet... it's a house! Also like you say you can trailer boats and things while still having your camper (the Chinook).

So what would I consider in the same situation?

1) The Chinook would be a contender, although I see its niche as a solo or couple rig.

2) A travel trailer for keeping at the VRBO site.

3) What about something like a Sportsmobile? They have (some) layouts with four real seats with belts, plus if you get the pop top you have two actual double beds. The up/down arrangement gives you a surprising amount of privacy between the two beds. You can tow just as much as with the Chinook (even one on the E-250 chassis would work for your light tows - many are on the E-350 though). No dual wheels to deal with. You could STILL tow a camper trailer at times (for spreading out), but you wouldn't have to/or tow your boat or motorcycles. If you get a 2WD version they cost a bit less, but with your budget you could get a newer 4WD (but still used) with four captains chairs. You might have to compromise to a porta-potti (but could tow trailer). Some have a "real" bathroom though. I think the sleeping arrangements in a pop top would be preferable to a Chinook for either parents with two kids, or two friends on a bike trip who may want a bit of separation and privacy. The pop top is not as good for stealth camping, but the lower bed is usable with it down (and you can rig up a kid bed across the front seat area).

All that said, if what you really want is a Chinook, well, they are very nice!

I have seen people in Chinook with 4 or 5 (2 adults and 3 teenage kids) people, so it is doable, but not as good of an arrangement compare to for single/couple due to the size. I admit that I have done it myself on short trips, and we have a great time. But I would really want to change the lap belts to something more modem, but being otherwise more responsible, defensive driver will help.