Banks System

[roadtraveler]

I read where someone had a Banks System and it said it added to the power on a gas MH. I have a Bay Star 2903 and it also climbs hills at approx. 35mph. I am curious, what is a Banks System, does it void a warranty, is it expensive and does it really make a difference? I tow a GMC Canyon which is a light smaller pickup and wonder if 35mph is about what it should do. Thanks

[dennis45]

Originally Posted by roadtraveler

I read where someone had a Banks System and it said it added to the power on a gas MH. I have a Bay Star 2903 and it also climbs hills at approx. 35mph. I am curious, what is a Banks System, does it void a warranty, is it expensive and does it really make a difference? I tow a GMC Canyon which is a light smaller pickup and wonder if 35mph is about what it should do. Thanks

I have a Banks System on my Diesel and can tell you that it is a well engineered product and will perform as advertised. There are a number of other "Horsepower Boosters" on the market that make big claims and IMHO, are OK if you really understand what you're buying.
But, Banks have a very good reputation of supplying a product that you can be sure will not cause you grief down the road. As to warranty, I would ask your dealer IE, Ford if there are any warranty concerns. This forum is not the place to answer that question. Hope this helps.

[gruelens]

Basically it is an aftermarket kit that is installed on your engine. It helps air get into and out of your large displacement engine (factory plumbing restricts this). This then helps produce more power and give slightly better economy. There is much more to a Banks system than this simple explanation.

http://www.bankspower.com/


It is a high quality product that does what it claims. The big decision is....... does the increased power/torque and fuel saved justify the price. I have had a Banks System on both a Ford 460 and Chevy 8.1L in gasser MHs.

[PanJH]

The v-10 came in various configurations/hp depending on the year. What year is yours ?
I put a Banks system on our 1999 v-10 37 ft MH . The 1999 was a 2 valve/cyclinder that had 275 HP. The Banks system helped a lot. It consisted of a new air filter ( K&N), intake tract,headers, a chip ( aka ottomind) and a transmission controller (transcommand). I put it on in my driveway in maybe 6 hours.
If you have a newer version there will be improvement, but not as marked.
The '00-04 as 310 HP ... in 2005, they went to a 3 valve head and the hp increased to 362 hp One thing on the v-10 is don't be afraid to rev it up. It sounds scary and like it's going to blow up, but keep it above 4000 rpm.... it'll run there and above with no issues. The ECU will prevent over rev's so floor it.,

[roadtraveler]

Originally Posted by PanJH

The v-10 came in various configurations/hp depending on the year. What year is yours ?
I put a Banks system on our 1999 v-10 37 ft MH . The 1999 was a 2 valve/cyclinder that had 275 HP. The Banks system helped a lot. It consisted of a new air filter ( K&N), intake tract,headers, a chip ( aka ottomind) and a transmission controller (transcommand). I put it on in my driveway in maybe 6 hours.
If you have a newer version there will be improvement, but not as marked.
The '00-04 as 310 HP ... in 2005, they went to a 3 valve head and the hp increased to 362 hp One thing on the v-10 is don't be afraid to rev it up. It sounds scary and like it's going to blow up, but keep it above 4000 rpm.... it'll run there and above with no issues. The ECU will prevent over rev's so floor it.,

Ours is a 2014 and I believe 362hp. I normally keep it at 3000rpm going a hills. With a Banks System going up a grade at 3000rpm would I notice a big difference? Is the mileage really better? Thanks

[demoon]

I had a full Banks on my 2001 v-10 and it did nothing for performance and less than nothing for gas mileage. The bottom line, purchased from Banks, and installed locally by a Banks approved shop was just under $5000. Absolutely not close to worth it in that configuration. I now have a 2006 v-10 with the larger engine on a 34 foot class A, and it outperforms the 01 which was a 30 foot class C, with the Banks.
I will not say that Banks is not quality made, because it is. I believe that in the right application, the 275hp v-10, many diesels, Ford 460's and some Chevy products the system will help performance, but it does very very little for a newer v-10.
Let the v-10 do its job at higher rpm's and spend the money on gas.

[Mike and Cha]

You are making the same mistake I made when we first bought our 2014 Canyon Star 3610 (same engine bigger chassi) ..I was afraid to run up the rpms going up grades, and was also doing about 35mph. Going down hill using the tow haul was even more rpms on the engine. I went and talked to a Ford rep and he told me I was actually "babying" the engine and they were designed to run at high rpms to get the power you need and you cannot overtach the engine as it won't let you.

Since talking to the rep I have driven the MH how it was designed to be driven with much better results. I am able to climb 6% grades at about 45mph with the rpms at about 4600, coming downhill I try to keep it around 4600 using the toy haul mode and use my brakes very little. They even say this is still babying the engine but that is ok with me. I don't use the toy haul going uphill only on downhills. On the flats/rolling hills I'm usually going between 58-65 mph at about 2400 rpms which gets me the best gas mileage. I have gotten as low as 6mpg to as high as 10mpg depending on the terrain, and I seem to average about 8mpg. So far I am real happy with it and we have about 7500 miles on it so far.

[roadtraveler]

Originally Posted by Mike and Cha

You are making the same mistake I made when we first bought our 2014 Canyon Star 3610 (same engine bigger chassi) ..I was afraid to run up the rpms going up grades, and was also doing about 35mph. Going down hill using the tow haul was even more rpms on the engine. I went and talked to a Ford rep and he told me I was actually "babying" the engine and they were designed to run at high rpms to get the power you need and you cannot overtach the engine as it won't let you.

Since talking to the rep I have driven the MH how it was designed to be driven with much better results. I am able to climb 6% grades at about 45mph with the rpms at about 4600, coming downhill I try to keep it around 4600 using the toy haul mode and use my brakes very little. They even say this is still babying the engine but that is ok with me. I don't use the toy haul going uphill only on downhills. On the flats/rolling hills I'm usually going between 58-65 mph at about 2400 rpms which gets me the best gas mileage. I have gotten as low as 6mpg to as high as 10mpg depending on the terrain, and I seem to average about 8mpg. So far I am real happy with it and we have about 7500 miles on it so far.

My rpm goes up to 6000 I believe. Can you do 4600rpm with it going to 6000 rpm tops? Is yours the 6.8, 362hp and 413 cubic inch? Really good info! I would have never guessed I could rev it up that high.

[millerj]

I would not put a Banks system on a motorhome engine that was still under warranty. I would wait until after the warranty expires. I put a Banks electronic brake system on a 3/4 ton Chevy Duramax diesel pickup truck and had several issues getting it to work properly. When you read the Banks literature you will find they are not responsible for any damage the system may cause to any part for any reason. My chevy dealer told me that if I had an engine or transmission problem with the Banks brake system on the truck it could void the warranty.

[roadtraveler]

Thanks for all your advice. I think I will forget about it. If I can rev up to 4500 rpm and not hurt anything then that is what I will do. Thanks again!

[Mike and Cha]

Roadtravler, yes we have the same engine, just a bigger chassi, but with the same rear end ratio. My tach goes to 6000 rpm, but I have never ran it that high. Going downhill one time it got up to about 5,000 rpm for a real short time. According to the Ford rep you can't overtach it as the engine will automatically shut down....he said 4600 rpm is no problem. I was worried about going that high until I started doing it and it actually ran and sounded better, and a I flet it was a litte easier on the engine maintaining the speed. My heat guages both engine and tranny did not move under that stress, and we were climbing a 6% grade in about 109 degree heat.....Mike

[roadtraveler]

Originally Posted by Mike and Cha

Roadtravler, yes we have the same engine, just a bigger chassi, but with the same rear end ratio. My tach goes to 6000 rpm, but I have never ran it that high. Going downhill one time it got up to about 5,000 rpm for a real short time. According to the Ford rep you can't overtach it as the engine will automatically shut down....he said 4600 rpm is no problem. I was worried about going that high until I started doing it and it actually ran and sounded better, and a I flet it was a litte easier on the engine maintaining the speed. My heat guages both engine and tranny did not move under that stress, and we were climbing a 6% grade in about 109 degree heat.....Mike

Would have never guessed you could go that many rpm's. Next time we get on the road I will run it like that and see how it does. Thanks allot!

[Tetonchief]

The Banks system is a good system--their web site does a great job of describing it. I have the system on my '12 CS 3856 (intake, exhaust and tuner). As for warranty: The saving grace for consumers is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975. The act states that a dealer must prove that aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before it can deny warranty coverage.
I also have aftermarket exhaust and intake on my Scion xB--it increased HP and MPG significantly. Think of it like an athlete that buys the best equipment, eats the best foods, has a lower pulse and BP, etc--maximum performance and endurance. Your engine will do the same--perform better and longer under less effort. If you are planning on keeping your MH for any length of time the cost is worth it--that would be the main deciding factor.