I was going up a grade near Mammoth Mountain, I guess 6% or a little steaper on highway 395. I was driving a Country COach with a 8.3L diesel, and my buddy was driving a Elite with a 10.4L Cat engine, both with over 600 foot pounds of torque. The other friend had a 454 GMC motorhome, outran both of us, and was at the campground gate 15 minutes before us, checking all of us in before we got there.
Those gas engines can make some power when required. The limiting factor with a diesel is most do not make as much torque as the RPM goes over 2,900, and really drops off once the govoner is reached.
Cummins are slow turning engines for a reason, the pistons weight is twice as much, rotating mass is much higher than the gas engine that is larger displacement, but making nearly as much toque, and more overall horsepower.
Change it a couple of years, to the 800 foot pound torque specs, and the diesels finally wake up.
Fred.
