Cummings ISB 5.9L Turbo Diesel 300hp
I'm new to the diesel engines so how many different Cummins engines do they normally use for RV's? Someone was telling me that the ISB 5.9 is small for a diesel pusher?? So please done rip on me if ...
Forum Discussion
explorenorth wrote:
I'm looking at buying a 2002-2005 Winnebago/Itasca 32-footer with the 300hp (several possibilities at the moment). It will be towing a Chevy Tracker, with lots of mountain routes - the 32-foot maximum is to get into some odd places in the Yukon and NWT in particular. I've already ruled out the 275hp models as not having the power I'll need (ie the Winnebago 32T), but the 300hp will do the job, I think. I spent the last 35 years of my working life driving diesels, 350 Cummins and old Detroits, so have a decent knowledge of the pros and cons. The big question is the $/mileage one - what sort of mileage can I buy and still expect to put lots more on before the big bills for maintenance start arriving? My thought is that if I can get in under 120,000 km (80,000 miles) for under $55k, it will work out well. Any thoughts on that will be appreciated.
Our 32' Itasca Horizon, Cummins 5.9, Allison trans. . . 140,000 kilometers since 2009, Vancouver Island to Mexico every year, once the long way around via Alaska and the east coast--a 10 month trip.
No engine or trans problems except: Blew the serpentine belt on a Mexican toll road--7 hours to get going again: NO SPARE BELT :S I have one now :B We now have a very slight rear seal leak that we will have taken care of this summer.
We towed a Chevy Tracker 2 door for a couple of years with this rig(including the Alaska Trip) and then a 4 door Jeep Wrangler convertible for the next three. It handled both quite well. Just don't be in huge hurry. It handled better than the older (97) 30' gas Class A we had before.
The cruise control and exhaust brake make going down hills a piece of cake. As I said though, don't try to rush. According to our Silverleaf PC we have averaged 8.3 MPG over the last 20,000 or so miles. We tend to keep the speed down to about 60 or a bit over (lets 6th gear kick in) unless traffic dictates otherwise (busy traffic in 65 or 70 zones.) We NEVER drive it at 70.
PS: Had the slide motor fail in Whitehorse. Waited almost two weeks for parts then drove about 5 K down the Alaska Highway with both slides out to the shop!
