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

I owned a 36', '94 Fleetwood with Freighliner chassis pushed with a Cummins 5.9L 190HP engine and it was really slow going up hills, let alone mountains. I'm not a speed demon myself and I'm retired but it really got annoying that sometimes I'd only be able to get to 15 MPH up a grade. Made travel through mountains rather stressful. Never pulled a car with it because it was limited to 1300 LBS tow weight and I couldn't find a car that lightweight.

I think you should look elsewhere. I have a 36' Winnebago now with a 330HP Cat and do tow a 2200 lb car. Great combination size/weight ratio. Although I do slow down a bit in the mountains, it's still much better than the 190 HP.

Do yourself a favor and forget that small engine.