Help me understand

Hi Tom,

This is my opinion only. I wouldn't buy a Navistar engine. Most everything that you will find new will have a Cummins that uses DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid).

Prevost uses the D13 Volvo with DEF.

CAT got out of the over-the-road engine business back in 2009 or so.

I'm honestly not aware of any issues with the new Cummins engines. I'm sure someone will chime in with more knowledgeable info.

Good luck on your search,
MM.

Of the three main diesel motor suppliers, Cat and Cummins are the two best. Navistar (IH) has had a lot of issues over the years with motor technology. And I believe I read a while back that Cat no longer produces on road motors. The I6 Cummins is a proven motor with millions and millions of miles to its credit. But to be honest, if I were looking for a MH today motor choice would be low on my priority list of things. As long as it had enough power to move me down the road at a comfortable speed thats good enough.

Navistar engines are no longer offered in diesel motorhomes since Navistar sold its interest to ASV and even returned to using Cummins...Sprinter of course uses Mercedes engines and that is fine...but there are many Navistar engine Monaco's and HR's left around the country with them..The issue now is that since Navistar bailed out by selling, that the leftovers have a black eye so to speak, and there was one post by someone not too long ago of a bad DPF that Navistar would not stand behind...as Navistar is supposed to stand behind it but many facilities have treated it as a total orphan not wanting to do any work since the warranty for the engine went from Navistar to ASV adding complexity to getting paid..Stick with Cummins or Mercedes you will be glad you did...It's not that Navistar makes a bad engine, but the politics of the buyout makes for grief between customer and facility if needed...That poor guy went thru hell before the manufacturer took the motorhome and would fix it..Hopefully that's all good now.

donn0128 wrote:
Of the three main diesel motor suppliers, Cat and Cummins are the two best. Navistar (IH) has had a lot of issues over the years with motor technology. And I believe I read a while back that Cat no longer produces on road motors. The I6 Cummins is a proven motor with millions and millions of miles to its credit. But to be honest, if I were looking for a MH today motor choice would be low on my priority list of things. As long as it had enough power to move me down the road at a comfortable speed thats good enough.

I agree. Take a look at most 6 to 8 year old MHs diesel or gas engine. Probably only approx 30,000 miles on them. Admitted a few have a lot more. A diesel engine is good for more than a few hundred thousand miles. The box wears out long before the engine wears out. Now if I could buy a diesel platform and drive into an RV dealer and have a new box installed every few years I'd want a long lasting engine. The problem remains. Many RV parks don't want to accept an RV over 10 years old.

I've heard this 10 year old RV thing a few times now and my question is "how does an RV park know your rig is 10 years old"? I've asked guys who have sold motorhomes for 20+ years and they say they can't tell. So how do RV parks?

HJ

HOM wrote:
I've heard this 10 year old RV thing a few times now and my question is "how does an RV park know your rig is 10 years old"? I've asked guys who have sold motorhomes for 20+ years and they say they can't tell. So how do RV parks?

HJ

The RV owners don't know how to lie about the age when asked. :(

We have the Sprinter based C with the M-B diesel. I read here about how expensive it is to maintain, mostly based on dealer service. Dealers are a little hard to find.

I do all my own maintenance, observing M-B's specified service and products.

bullydogs1 wrote:
Navistar engines are no longer offered in diesel motorhomes since Navistar sold its interest to ASV and even returned to using Cummins...Sprinter of course uses Mercedes engines and that is fine...but there are many Navistar engine Monaco's and HR's left around the country with them..The issue now is that since Navistar bailed out by selling, that the leftovers have a black eye so to speak, and there was one post by someone not too long ago of a bad DPF that Navistar would not stand behind...as Navistar is supposed to stand behind it but many facilities have treated it as a total orphan not wanting to do any work since the warranty for the engine went from Navistar to ASV adding complexity to getting paid..Stick with Cummins or Mercedes you will be glad you did...It's not that Navistar makes a bad engine, but the politics of the buyout makes for grief between customer and facility if needed...That poor guy went thru hell before the manufacturer took the motorhome and would fix it..Hopefully that's all good now.

I guess I don't quite get this -- Navistar is still in business, and still makes engines -- they just sold their motorhome business (Monaco/Holiday Rambler) to ASV. So I could understand them no longer honoring motorhome warranties, but it seems like they would still honor the engine warranty, just as Cummins would for their engines.

I'll answer that in a word...complexity..Navistar dealers face a complexity in getting paid because ASV now owns the liabilities...Navistar dealers have to jump through hoops to make sure the engine VIN and such match up and are reported..they probably have to make a claim with Navistar who then won't pay them until ASV pays them..It's not the engines themselves...it's the logistics..and many facilities do not want to spend hours with paper work and phone calls to get their money....Not the best way to do business, but that's the truth.

There are no issues with the MaxxForce 7 and 10 engines. Only the larger MaxxForse 13+ engines have had issues with the emission system. As an owner of a MaxxForce 10 I keep hearing about "problems" with these engines in Motorhomes but I have yet to hear it from an actual owner. 99% of the negative comments on these engines are from non-owners repeating rumors. I have never had any issues with engine warranty work, it's covered by Navistar just like Cummins is covered by Cummins, not the MH manufacture.