GM Duramax -vs- Ford Powerstroke DIESEL

[trx680]

I want to ask which is better for a class C or Super C but that will be a Ford/Chevy debate.
So which do you prefer?

Any certain years to avoid?

I guess the GM can come with an Allison which is a plus.

But how do they compare?

How is the power for worse case scenario ....a super C ?

[kendall69]

Ford has issues with it's 6.0, the 7.3 was bullet proof so I went GM.

I had two Duramax Diesels and they both overheated. One was a 04, other an 05, that was it for me. Especially when I took it in for service and the service manage actually had the stones to tell me over heating on a diesel is " NORMAL" When I called GM to complain they said they never heard of the problem, even though they already had dozens of buy backs.

I Switched to Sprinter diesel and now I have nothing but problems with Mercedes Sprinter.

I've had it now with diesels and just bought a 2014 Ford V-10 and have never been happier.

[VaBuckeye]

McKenney Va?? I'm at the other end of I85 from you.....squirrel level

Yep, that's where I am. Nice that someone is close by from the forum.

[trx680]

VaBuckeye wrote:
I guess I am a lucky one. I just bought a 2006 Super C on a Chevy C5500 chassis with the Duramax/Alison power train 10 days ago. It has 15,000 miles on it. So far I love it, plenty of power, get up and go, and the engine brake through the mountains of WV was outstanding. This is my first diesel so I can't speak about the Ford options, I just know that the 36 footer I have now is more than I could have hoped for.

McKenney Va?? I'm at the other end of I85 from you.....squirrel level

[VaBuckeye]

I guess I am a lucky one. I just bought a 2006 Super C on a Chevy C5500 chassis with the Duramax/Alison power train 10 days ago. It has 15,000 miles on it. So far I love it, plenty of power, get up and go, and the engine brake through the mountains of WV was outstanding. This is my first diesel so I can't speak about the Ford options, I just know that the 36 footer I have now is more than I could have hoped for.

[ronfisherman]

The last Super C built on a GM C5500 chassis was 2010. So if you are looking for new or almost new it will be the Ford engine.
Looking for new it's Ford or International.
Prior to 2011 models were almost exclusively built on the GM C5500. In 2007 Gulf Stream built some on the International chassis. They had a 6.0 liter International engine. Similar to the Ford engine. But with International controls. Not a bad chassis but not as good as the GM C5500.
HP programs for the Duramax are readily available. Not easy to come by for the International. I have no info on current model Ford engines.

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

You used to be able to buy the C5500 chassis with motorhomes on them, and the Duramax 6.6L V8 engine. You can not buy that chassis new anymore, but it sure was nice, with a decent payload and 19,500 GVWR.

You can still buy the F-550 chassis with a 6.7L GVWR and some manufactures produce motorhomes on them, such as Heartland.

The E-450 had a few diesel engines in them, but only a fraction of the motorhome market came with the 6L diesel engine option, basically it was due to most manufactures producing motorhomes on the lighter curb weight and much less expensive gas chassis, and using a much lower cost gasoline generator. Add to that, the 6 Liter diesel engine has proven to be very expensive to keep out of the shop, requiring some upgrades to prevent the exhaust gas cooler from leaking water into the engine! So a E-450 chassis will normally not have enough cargo rating to consider as a motorhome chassis, if you plan on putting much stuff inside, or tow anything with a 500 pound hitch weight.

The much older 7.3L diesels offered in E-350 at the time did not have much GVWR, and thus even more limited cargo rating. That said, you might find a used ambulance built on a dual rear wheel E-350 or E-450 that is in excellent shape, due to all the care the mechanics must take of ambulances. And Ford REQUIRED that the ambulance package included the diesel engines, until about 4 years ago.

So basically the only picks in diesel motorhomes with a decent cargo rating would be the GMC or step up a few notches to the International chassis, or Freightliner. However those last two where only built with specialty companies, for huge dollar clients!

Hopefully you can find a Duramax equipped 5500 chassis motorhome out there somewhere! Yet most of the 5500 chassis where built with the also capable 8.1L V8 gas engines.

Fred.

[calamus]

Have a chevy now love the duramax and allison but Im thinking of going back to ford for the next truck I just like the looks more.

[Trackrig]

I'd take the GM for the Allison braking. Other than that, they're close enough that it doesn't matter. I love the diesels, I have several (daily driver is a 3/4T 4X4 diesel CC LB). On my last truck I switched from Chevy to Ford because Chevy had rounded off the cab too much for aerodynamics so the cab making it feel cramped.

Bill