RVBusiness, January/February 2018
BY BRUCE HAMPSON PHOTOS BY SHAWN SPENCE Freightliner to Enter Gas Class A Market With New MC Chassis DriveForce Engine Tony Sippel Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp s director of sales and marketing with RV Product Manager Gordie Taylor and President David Carson With current gas Class A products the typical RV salesman talks about the house because theres really nothing different with the chassis from one coach builder to another said Freightliner President David Carson We want to change that Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp FCCC has been the driving force for a number of years in diesel powered rails for the RV industry For the past three seasons company executives have also hinted at then ultimately confirmed that the Gaffney S C based division of Daimler Trucks North America DTNA was exploring possible entry into the luxury end of the gas Class A market Rumor became reality at the Recreation Vehicle Industry Associations 55th Annual National RV Trade Show in late November Centerpiece for Freightliners expansive exhibit in Louisville Ky was its new MC chassis a unit that in its 16000 to 19500 pound GVWR version company officials noted can be used with a number of non diesel proprietary engines The big news for RV enthusiasts of course is that Freightliner is in fact getting into the gas Class A marketplace The engine bolted into the forward rails of the display chassis on exhibit at the Louisville Show was a 60 liter DriveForce gas engine already EPA certified for RV use Acquiring the engine noted Tony Sippel FCCCs director of sales and marketing was every bit as important to the gas project as the chassis itself We have actually been building gas powered chassis for about 10 years now for other industries said Sippel But its always been a case of grab this brand engine or that brand engine The DriveForce by comparison is Freightliners proprietary engine 56 RVBusiness J A N U A R Y F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8
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