Cat vs Cummins
WE are considering trading our 36' gas coach for a diesel pusher. I've been trying to educate myself before getting too deep as this represents a major investment for us common working class people. ...
Forum Discussion
Davesparks2001 - You did not mention your budget range...
But assuming that you can always drop years to remain in budget range, I'll share my thoughts on engines for 40' or plus DP's.
1) Buy the largest displacement CAT, Cummins or Detroit engine you can. This usually moves you up into the higher quality coaches, which is a good thing too.
2) BIG BLOCKS provide more HP/Torque, and do not need to work as hard as mid size (ISC/ISL or C7/C9). Quite often by working easier, they provide the same, if not even better MPG. (Coach dependent, based upon gear ratio's too.)
3) BIG BLOCKS can usually be found with 2 or 3 Stage Jake Compression Assist, and or liken Foretravels, Retarder equipped Allison Transmissions. IMO, a great safety feature is having plenty of Braking HP for mountain decent. Especially if you plan on towing any have toads, or say a trailer too.
CAT vs Cummins vs Detroit? I'd take any of them. I would just do your homework on the specific manufactures and models that you like, that come equipped with a BIG BLOCK engine.
I've always recommended to 'Drop years to remain within budget, and buy the highest quality coach that you can.'. I also suggest reserving a cushion of funds to do any catch up maintenance that maybe required. Establish a baseline of condition so you know what needs to be maintained going forward.
If you decide that you are mostly flat land traveling, nothing wrong with a ISC/ISL C7/C9 mid block engine. These are usually in either entry of mid level coaches, and quite often do not have as much weight as the higher end coaches. So the power to weight ratios can be favorable.
I personally lost the battle, made one heck of a mistake. Let the DW look inside of a 40' coach that had the largest galley we'd ever found in a coach. While I was lucky this was a coach on our short list, I was unfortunate that it had a mid size block Cummins ISL engine. While the Power to Weight ratio are 'OK', and we have now traveled 45K with it, I do wish I had been able to hold off until we found one our preferred models that had the optional BIG BLOCK engine. (This is a Country Coach Allure, a well built coach. My sweet spot for the CC line was the Intrigue, with the optional C12/C13 BIG BLOCK.)
Happy hunting, and when you get the new ride - enjoy!!!
Smitty
But assuming that you can always drop years to remain in budget range, I'll share my thoughts on engines for 40' or plus DP's.
1) Buy the largest displacement CAT, Cummins or Detroit engine you can. This usually moves you up into the higher quality coaches, which is a good thing too.
2) BIG BLOCKS provide more HP/Torque, and do not need to work as hard as mid size (ISC/ISL or C7/C9). Quite often by working easier, they provide the same, if not even better MPG. (Coach dependent, based upon gear ratio's too.)
3) BIG BLOCKS can usually be found with 2 or 3 Stage Jake Compression Assist, and or liken Foretravels, Retarder equipped Allison Transmissions. IMO, a great safety feature is having plenty of Braking HP for mountain decent. Especially if you plan on towing any have toads, or say a trailer too.
CAT vs Cummins vs Detroit? I'd take any of them. I would just do your homework on the specific manufactures and models that you like, that come equipped with a BIG BLOCK engine.
I've always recommended to 'Drop years to remain within budget, and buy the highest quality coach that you can.'. I also suggest reserving a cushion of funds to do any catch up maintenance that maybe required. Establish a baseline of condition so you know what needs to be maintained going forward.
If you decide that you are mostly flat land traveling, nothing wrong with a ISC/ISL C7/C9 mid block engine. These are usually in either entry of mid level coaches, and quite often do not have as much weight as the higher end coaches. So the power to weight ratios can be favorable.
I personally lost the battle, made one heck of a mistake. Let the DW look inside of a 40' coach that had the largest galley we'd ever found in a coach. While I was lucky this was a coach on our short list, I was unfortunate that it had a mid size block Cummins ISL engine. While the Power to Weight ratio are 'OK', and we have now traveled 45K with it, I do wish I had been able to hold off until we found one our preferred models that had the optional BIG BLOCK engine. (This is a Country Coach Allure, a well built coach. My sweet spot for the CC line was the Intrigue, with the optional C12/C13 BIG BLOCK.)
Happy hunting, and when you get the new ride - enjoy!!!
Smitty
