lewi7722 wrote:
I am in the market for an upgrade to my motorhome. Recently bought a 24 foot enclosed trailer and fill it with sand toys up to 10,000 pounds. On a recent trip with just over 9000 pounds my gas rig barely made it home over steep mountain grades here in Far Nothern California (20-25 mph)...it was terrible.
Due to being in California I can't legally be over 65 feet which leaves me a maximum of 36 feet (actual length) for a replacement motorhome. In looking it appears the Cat motor has 850 lb feet of torque and the Cummins is at about 650-700 in the years ranging between 2003-2007 both have about 300 hp. Thinking about a 2006-2007 Fleetwood Expedition 34h with the Cat motor.
Questions is: What speed can I expect going up long 6% grades? What has your experience been towing heavy loads? Thanks for your replies.
ps. i read alot and rarely ever post, not quite the newbie it looks like.
Well Sir,
CAT, in it's last motors for road use before they decided to exit the "over the road" engine production, produced 860 ft. lbs. in both the 3126 (multiple versions of that model) and, the later one I have, the "C-7". Those versions, in road use, came in the 300, 330 and, 350 horse power, all as stated, in 860 ft. lbs.
They're all good motors. Our coach, an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 and, the Allison 3000MH trans, pulls our present toad, an '11 GMC 1500 Extended cab (5,300 lbs.) and, in the bed of it, a 2008 Honda Goldwing, weighing right at, 900 lbs. and, a Rampage Lift, weighing right at 275-300 lbs. So, we're dragging around with us, about 6500 lbs.
The coach does great with that kind of load. Yep, it slows down on grades. On the grade just north of Bishop CA, it will cut down to right at about, 35-38 mph. But, if you've been there, that's a serious grade. Anything less than one like that, we hover between 45-55 mph.
I can't speak for any Cummins 'cause we've not owned one. But, I do have a buddy that's got a '99 Fleetwood Discovery, about a 36' model and, he's got the 275 HP Cummins in it. He's had the "Banks" kit installed now for almost the full time he's owned it and, I don't know what that kit kicks that engine up to in terms of HP and torque but, I will say this, he's real hard to keep up with and, he pulls a fully built Jeep which tops the scales at around 5,000 lbs.
And because most motor home manufacturers don't put large motors in small motor homes, (with very, very few exceptions), that's what you're looking at in terms of HP and torque.
You can go to a larger coach and find bigger motors but, the price tag skyrockets and, so does the length. That motor in ours, does absolutely great with that load. We hovered around 8.0 mpg on our recent 4,000 mile trip. The temp stayed where it was supposed to and all was good.
Scott
