Community Forums

Heating man · 12-27-2014, 05:24 PM

I see a lot of people having problems with cat C7 engines. My question is would you buy another? I have seen several decent looking motor homes with the cat engine in my price range but a multi thousand dollar repair would be a problem for me so these engines scare me. It seems like they were very common in the ones I can afford.

wb7auk · 12-27-2014, 06:43 PM

Nothing wrong with a Cat C7 engine if you do not cut corners on service or use filters
that do not meet Cat requirements.

Cat · 12-27-2014, 07:48 PM

Yes I would.

jauguston · 12-27-2014, 08:38 PM

You see a few people that have Cat problems. You DON'T see the thousands who are not having any issues with them. Judging whether to buy anything based upon what you read on internet problems someone has is not a very valid way to decide. I love my C-7. You generally only hear from those that are mad at what ever has given them a problem. You never hear the cause.

The brand of engine in the coach you are considering purchasing should be way down the list of "Must Have" items. Number one is what floor plan does your wife want(-:

Jim

FIRE UP · 12-27-2014, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jauguston

You see a few people that have Cat problems. You DON'T see the thousands who are not having any issues with them. Judging whether to buy anything based upon what you read on internet problems someone has is not a very valid way to decide. I love my C-7. You generally only hear from those that are mad at what ever has given them a problem. You never hear the cause.

The brand of engine in the coach you are considering purchasing should be way down the list of "Must Have" items. Number one is what floor plan does your wife want(-:

Jim

This is pretty much the same answer I would have given. The OP says he's seen of or, read of, "many" folks having issues with the CAT engines in motor homes. Well, like you said, of the thousands and thousands of CATs out there, just how many are having either continuous or, repetitive operational issues? There are a few reports of the HEUI pump going bad here and there and, a fan bearing or two going south but, one can say just about the same thing about Cummins engines too.

They have had their fair share of repetitive or continuous engine problems. Not all by far but, some of them. Now, CAT did drop out of the OVER THE ROAD engines but, like many on here, there's lots and lots' of them running mile after mile without any issues. A good, solid maintenance program with good oil and timely oil filter changes, and the same with fuel filter changes, will help immensely with the longevity of the big CAT engines. Our C-7 330HP in our '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD has been a great engine.

We tow an '11 GMC Sierra 4x4 Extended Cab that carries a Rampage lift and, an '08 Honda GL 1800 Goldwing in the back of it for a grand total of about, 6700 lbs. and that CAT purrs right along without straining.

So, to "run" some potentially good coaches 'cause they have CAT power plants and, classifying them as "all bad" would be a mistake in my opinion. CAT and, many Freightliner service centers have plenty of parts, if and when needed. And that's rare.
Scott

Mr Miyagi · 12-27-2014, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heating man

I see a lot of people having problems with cat C7 engines. My question is would you buy another? I have seen several decent looking motor homes with the cat engine in my price range but a multi thousand dollar repair would be a problem for me so these engines scare me. It seems like they were very common in the ones I can afford.

If you read the threads in the four other engine supplier forums in the Powertrain Garage, you'll hear almost the same list of problematic issues. The good news is there are lots of members here on this forum who have documented a ton of great maintenance tips regarding the C7 Acert 7.2 engine.

Also, If you're not mechanically inclined enough to perform routine maintenance, you can always have it professionally maintained annually and for added peace of mind, buy an extended warranty insurance package to cover large repair expenses. Personally, I would buy either CAT or Cummings to power my choice in a coach. They have both been in service for a very long time and RV'ers have logged zillions of problem free miles with them.

ahicks · 12-27-2014, 10:08 PM

Floor plan, floor plan, floor plan.

SCVJeff · 12-27-2014, 10:31 PM

Dont forget that most folks posting here are doing so because of problems they are having, so thats what you see. You can count on one hand those posting about things things they like. Fantastic Fan is the only one I can think of. My CAT is doing just fine and have no reason not to do it again

mbrandt1402 · 12-27-2014, 10:57 PM

Love my C7. I think you need to understand two things about them:

1) The fuel injectors have a hydraulic boost built into them, with the hydraulic "energy" coming from the engine oil system. Don't skimp on oil changes or filter quality.

2) Determine if your fan bearing is sealed or needs to be greased. If it needs to be greased it would be a nice conservative plan to assume it has NOT been greased regularly (the fitting is easy to miss) and do a preemptive replacement. IIRC, the bearing changed to a sealed unit during the 2004 calendar year.

For best performance, have the valve lash adjusted (unless you know for a fact it has been done) and the ECU flashed. I got nearly a full MPG improvement.

UsualSuspect · 12-28-2014, 07:35 PM

Folks rarely post to tell you their RV started, and ran fine all day. I have a C7, and would buy one again. The same C7 engine is used in firetrucks, and many trucks. If the engine had a bad reputation you would not have seen it used as extensively as it was, and for as many years as it was produced. Engine's in RV's are an after thought, there are not enough RV's produced for any manufacturer to offer an RV only engine.

jroan · 12-28-2014, 07:49 PM

I have 2007 Cat C7 that it 50K last fall. No problems I have done the preventive maintenance as it becomes due.
Great engine

Jroan

MaverickBBD · 12-29-2014, 03:54 PM

If I could find one in the condition I approve, in a second.

Uncle Dave · 01-18-2015, 09:06 AM

Yup.

I have an all cat powered coach.

Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Uncle Dave

abrasv · 01-18-2015, 09:25 AM

I had HEUI issues with my '05 at 27K. I had bought an extended warranty thru GS for piece of mine mainly for the diesel engine. GS took care of most of the cost and it runs great now.
Even with that, I would definitely not let the engine deter me from buying another as long as there were good records of maintenance for the engine.
Things can happen with any engine out there if not maintained properly.

Jim