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09-02-2016, 12:17 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 979
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Enough Horse Power???
My cummins 8.3 is rated at 240 HP. I just weighed my coach at 24,600. That is topped off with fuel and water. This does not include my toad which is 2800 pounds and I tow it four wheels down. So all total I have 27,400 going down the road. It does bog down going up steep hills but always makes it over in the lower gears. The engine gets a lot warmer, up to 220-230 sometimes going up the long steep hills. Question is.... at 240 horse power am I way under powered?
__________________
U.S. Army Retired, 2002 Beaver Patriot Thunder
40 Ft, CAT C12, 455 HP, 1550 Ft Lbs Torque
Towing 2019 Chevy Equinox, AWD Turbo Diesel
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09-02-2016, 12:25 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 14,891
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IMO all you need is enough power to get to the top of the hill. We travel at a sedate pace and are able to get anywhere anyone else is able to go.
We are currently running 119 lbs per horse power so are on the low end of power to weight.
__________________
Gordon and Janet
Tour 42QD/InTech Stacker
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09-02-2016, 12:35 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,848
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240HP probably has 660# torque
Torque gets it up to speed and over the mountains.
1990 year model so for for 26 yrs it has been adequate
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09-02-2016, 12:39 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 5,868
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You are at 114 lbs per horsepower.
My 8.3 is at 121 lbs per horsepower with 300hp.
Your horses are not working as hard as mine are.
Cut back on their feed until they pony up! 
__________________
Dean
1995 38' CC Magna #5280 **** Sold after 21 years of enjoyment.
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09-02-2016, 01:03 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,777
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MO Fred
My cummins 8.3 is rated at 240 HP. I just weighed my coach at 24,600. That is topped off with fuel and water. This does not include my toad which is 2800 pounds and I tow it four wheels down. So all total I have 27,400 going down the road. It does bog down going up steep hills but always makes it over in the lower gears. The engine gets a lot warmer, up to 220-230 sometimes going up the long steep hills. Question is.... at 240 horse power am I way under powered?
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MO Fred
I can't say about your 240 hp Cummins, but my 250 hp Cat engine has always been enough power for my 22,260 lb coach with my 2,800 lb Saturn ION toad attached, (25.060 lb total). 
Mel
'96 Safari, 148k miles
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09-02-2016, 01:24 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,400
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You can "never" have enough horse power but in the absences od such--keep your RPMs up in the "sweet spot" [probably 1800 to 2000][eg manually down shift tranny] to ensure max engine fan speed and proper engine cooling on long grades....
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Old Scout
2015 IH45 Foretravel
2003 Alpine 40' MDTS [Sold]
New Braunfels, Texas
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09-02-2016, 01:45 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
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I have 650 hp and it's not enough!
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
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09-02-2016, 01:48 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 14,891
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_D
I have 650 hp and it's not enough!
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And you can never build a big enough storage shed. LOL
__________________
Gordon and Janet
Tour 42QD/InTech Stacker
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09-02-2016, 01:50 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 2,457
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit
240HP probably has 660# torque
Torque gets it up to speed and over the mountains.
1990 year model so for for 26 yrs it has been adequate
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Yup. That's what truck climbing lanes are for. 
__________________
2008 Itasca 37H
2011 & 2012 Len & Pat's "One lap of America"
27K miles & 41 states in 13 months
 Yellowstone Lake 6-1-2012
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09-02-2016, 01:54 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 14,891
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A lot of the roads you and climbing lanes you are talking about were built with gas engines and small diesel.
__________________
Gordon and Janet
Tour 42QD/InTech Stacker
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09-02-2016, 02:52 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Urbanna, VA
Posts: 1,159
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If it gets you where you want to go safely, at a speed you find acceptable, that is all that matters.
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09-02-2016, 03:48 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Spring Valley AZ
Posts: 1,226
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I'm at 135 lb per hp. when towing.  Crank up the XM and watch the scenery.
My temps never go over 215, 205 with no tow.
__________________
Don, Mary and Spooky
'00 Bluebird Skoolie Conversion
Geo Tracker/Dodge Neon/Aprilia Scooter towed
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09-02-2016, 06:27 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: What? Like right now? ;-)
Posts: 1,302
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AS that 8.3 has no emission, I would think it would be able to be upgraded, the alison, I have my doubts. You spend much time in the hills?
Do you have any electric fans for added coolign?, is there any space there?
Id start with that, see if you can get the temp down. Then look at current boost levels - you might be able to add some - depending on the age of the motor.
__________________
2003 Scepter 40PDBB - Roadmaster RR8S - Cummins ISC350 - purch aug16
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09-02-2016, 07:20 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 979
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmy braden
AS that 8.3 has no emission, I would think it would be able to be upgraded, the alison, I have my doubts. You spend much time in the hills?
Do you have any electric fans for added coolign?, is there any space there?
Id start with that, see if you can get the temp down. Then look at current boost levels - you might be able to add some - depending on the age of the motor.
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Thanks for the advice. Just last week I put two relays and two switches in to manually control the four radiator fans. My coach is different than most because the radiator is all the way up front. One could confuse my coach for a gasser the way it is configured. Even with the fans not working the coach ran at 190 or below 95% of the time. It's just on those rare occasions when going slow climbing a long steep hill does it start to warm up. I am sure with the fans working now that this will help and the temperatures will not rise so high, but I have not had a chance to try It yet. I am encouraged what I have heard on this forum. The coach may be slow at times but at least we'll get there. Thanks everyone!
__________________
U.S. Army Retired, 2002 Beaver Patriot Thunder
40 Ft, CAT C12, 455 HP, 1550 Ft Lbs Torque
Towing 2019 Chevy Equinox, AWD Turbo Diesel
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