5.9l Cummins Used Motorhome

GJax wrote:
I'm new to the forum. I am looking at getting out of a trailer and have an opportunity to get a 97' Damon Motorhome with the 5.9l 180hp Cummins, w/ Allison Trans on a Freightliner XC chassis. Has under 60k miles. The price seems right. I was looking to see if anyone has good or bad thoughts on this setup. I can't seem to find much info on regarding this set-up. I know the 5.9 isn't a powerhouse but I'd be towing a Ford Escape, about 4k lbs, so not a big load. I understand the Freightliner chassis is a plus. Most trips would be under 1500 miles, occasional mountain trip is possible. Any thoughts good or bad is appreciated.


I've also looked at the Class C's but seems most have the Ford V10 and I've read too many horror stories. They don't seem to get longevity on the engines and seem to have problems. Timing Belts and Valve problems when they get to about 100K

First off, the 5.9, no it's DEFINITELY not a powerhouse but it goes down the road ok IF you're not in a hurry. I would not even consider pulling anything behind one.

Secondly, I'm not sure what V10 'horror stories' you're referring to. In fact a quick search of this forum doesn't ring up any. We have a bunch of them in our fleet, mostly in F350/450/550's, none of them lead an easy life and some of them are well north of 300,000 miles (500,000 km) and have had nothing but routine maintenance. In fact we stopped buying diesels for the most part in smaller trucks because the V10 was cheaper and more reliable.