Some musings on future power trains
As an owner of a 32ft DP with a Cummins 6.7 diesel and two F150 pickup trucks with 3.5 Ecoboost engines I have long felt that the Ecoboost outperforms the Cummins used in this application, is quieter ...
Forum Discussion
OP here, I feel the need to make a few comments.
I used the 3.5 PowerBoost engine for an example simply because it is the only hybrid engine I am aware of that is available right now and I never said to use it in its current form or output levels. I just used for illustration of what could be.
That said, as far as I can tell everyone throwing shade at it has no first hand experience with it. I own two. The first is a 2013 model I gave to my daughter for driving to college and towing her horse trailer around. I picked the truck because it had been on the lot long enough to get some serious discounts. I don't even know what type of trailer tow package it has but she used it to pull her 3 horse trailer for several years then moved up to a gooseneck with living quarters. The only trouble we have had from the truck is with the brakes and it is over 130,000 miles now. The second EcoBoost is a 2016 model that is equipped with max towing package and has been pressed into service towing an equipment trailer giving me a GCWR around 18,000lbs. No trouble after nearly 5 years and 21,000 miles of pulling the trailer in addition to grocery getting. My experience trumps the opinions of speculators in my book.
I want a package that can be used with current technology boondocking or even in Glacier NP that has no power run to the campsites and very limited generator hours. The package I suggested would do that. The Ecoboost is so quiet that you could probably get away with running it all the time, especially if the exhaust was run up to the roof.
Heavy vehicles have the potential to get more benefit from a hybrid drive system than light ones since the benefit is derived from saving energy that would otherwise be put into the brakes and that is a function of the pull of gravity plus momentum(both mass related) minus the air drag. The mpg may not increase as many miles per gallon but the number of gallons saved would be much more in a motorhome than in a Prius.
A good hybrid system could take a lot of the peak loads off of whatever motor is used.
The PowerBoost 3.5 is rated for 530lb-ft of torque, 90% as much as my Cummins. That is a peak output but it could probably be increased with a little effort and a few thousand dollars.
I am looking for a package that doesn't run the price through the ceiling. I think that I what suggested might even enable a price reduction.
I used the 3.5 PowerBoost engine for an example simply because it is the only hybrid engine I am aware of that is available right now and I never said to use it in its current form or output levels. I just used for illustration of what could be.
That said, as far as I can tell everyone throwing shade at it has no first hand experience with it. I own two. The first is a 2013 model I gave to my daughter for driving to college and towing her horse trailer around. I picked the truck because it had been on the lot long enough to get some serious discounts. I don't even know what type of trailer tow package it has but she used it to pull her 3 horse trailer for several years then moved up to a gooseneck with living quarters. The only trouble we have had from the truck is with the brakes and it is over 130,000 miles now. The second EcoBoost is a 2016 model that is equipped with max towing package and has been pressed into service towing an equipment trailer giving me a GCWR around 18,000lbs. No trouble after nearly 5 years and 21,000 miles of pulling the trailer in addition to grocery getting. My experience trumps the opinions of speculators in my book.
I want a package that can be used with current technology boondocking or even in Glacier NP that has no power run to the campsites and very limited generator hours. The package I suggested would do that. The Ecoboost is so quiet that you could probably get away with running it all the time, especially if the exhaust was run up to the roof.
Heavy vehicles have the potential to get more benefit from a hybrid drive system than light ones since the benefit is derived from saving energy that would otherwise be put into the brakes and that is a function of the pull of gravity plus momentum(both mass related) minus the air drag. The mpg may not increase as many miles per gallon but the number of gallons saved would be much more in a motorhome than in a Prius.
A good hybrid system could take a lot of the peak loads off of whatever motor is used.
The PowerBoost 3.5 is rated for 530lb-ft of torque, 90% as much as my Cummins. That is a peak output but it could probably be increased with a little effort and a few thousand dollars.
I am looking for a package that doesn't run the price through the ceiling. I think that I what suggested might even enable a price reduction.
