No more 8.1L on Workhorse?

[RetiredBob]

I've been told by two different dealers (different mfrs.) that Workhorse will no longer be supplying their chasses with the GM 8.1L engine. Apparently, this is due to the engine no longer meeting gov't. emission standards. Has anyone else heard this?

[UFO Pilot]

The last 8.1 rolled off the assembly line a couple of months ago.

[edgray]

Wayne is correct. GM discontinued production of the big V-8 before the end of 2009. All the WCC chassis equipped with that engine have already been built and shipped to their customers. If you want to acquire a motor home with the 8.1L / Allison combo, you will most likely need to find one in a dealer's inventory. Ed

[UFO Pilot]

Glad I got mine!

[UFO Pilot]

Ed

Did you make it back home yet?

[edgray]

Nope.

[Gotta_P]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wthomas1 Glad I got mine!

Me too! Soon to become collector items I'm sure!

[SAS30]

If I am not mistaken? Workhorse was bought out by International Truck in the past 1-2 years. Hence the reason they finally started offering a front engine diesel(6.0 litre power stroke).If I were an engine manufacturer and now produced chassis, it would only make sense($) to us my own engine rather than purchase from an outside source! International also purchased the bankrupt Monaco/Holiday Rambler company. I was told by a local dealer that Itasca/Winnebago would no longer be using the Workhorse chassis due to that fact and all their A class gas motorhomes will now be built on the new Ford chassis. Just FYI and you may correct me if am wrong...

[cvrvr]

Tiffin is building on Ford chassis only, unless a customer specifically orders a WCC.

George

[edgray]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cvrvr Tiffin is building on Ford chassis only, unless a customer specifically orders a WCC. George

Should we assume your statement relates ONLY to front engine motor homes, such as the Allegro and Allegro Bay product lines? Does your statement also mean that Tiffin no longer uses the FCCC FRED chassis??

Please clarify, thanks. Ed

[cvrvr]

Sorry, my statement was about gas chassis's only.

George

[max49]

Hmmm, Ford has no competition in gasoline motorhomes. Doesn't that always mean the prices will go up?
If WH gets their well known problems fixed, maybe that will also help our resale values.
Either way, if only Ford makes a gas motorhome, I don't think that is good news for consumers.
Doesn't International make a gas engine any more? I know they used to because I drove a gas International tractor trailer from '70 to '74 but I guess that was awhile ago. Still seems like they could build one if they were serious about being in the MH industry.

[paz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cvrvr Tiffin is building on Ford chassis only, unless a customer specifically orders a WCC. George

To my knowledge, Tiffin doesn't build anything on speculation. They only build what the dealers order. This is true if the dealer is ordering for stock or if it's pre-sold to a customer. So if a dealer orders a Ford he gets a Ford; if he orders a Workhorse, he gets a Workhorse. But it could be Tiffin is discouraging orders for Workhorse chassis because they don't have many more in stock.

The spec sheets on the Tiffin web site still list Workhorse chassis, but it will be interesting to see what they show when the 2011 models come out.

Most Allegro Bays and a good many Allegros are built on FREDs anyway. The big problem with Workhorse for the Allegro Bay is many of the floorplans have 3 or 4 slides and need a chassis with a heavier GVWR, and Workhorse isn't making the W25.5 anymore.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49 Doesn't International make a gas engine any more? I know they used to because I drove a gas International tractor trailer from '70 to '74 but I guess that was awhile ago. Still seems like they could build one if they were serious about being in the MH industry.

Max, In my day as a wrench turner I worked on many 345 CID International motors. The firing order started at 8. These engines have points, distributor cap and all that so they are basically dinosaurs.

What I would have liked to have seen would be International Truck and Engine buy the rights for the 8.1L Vortec Engine from GM for use in their own line of Medium duty trucks however that said, I am not at all sure that the 8.1L engine can meet the emission control demands on the engine going forward. I know that gasoline engines in trucks and RVs are not the biggest hog on gasoline resources, cars are much better at that since there are millions of them.

The long term life span for the Ford V10 is not in the cards so if they are building chassis using V10s now that ain't going to last to long. Ford is developing LP as an alternative fuels for some of their RV products and this was seen at the RVIA Show this past December 09.

Going forward and in my opinion moving heavy loads and building RVs is going to accomplished using diesel engines "since" the emissions that come from these engines is basically Nitrogen and Water. Navistar is HOT on Advanced EGR and they are going to use that technology as their standard now and in the future.

Since both Workhorse and Ford Super duty will have to make RV chassis or go home, Ford may use it's PSD and Workhorse is currently using the MF7.

In a recent court case, see the MaxxForce Engine Forum, Navistar won a ruling that the industry itself cannot set what the emission standards are going to be (strategy) but a group of "neutral" automotive engineers will set the standards and not 1 consortium. Currently the SCR Group set the standard and the government bought into it and set that as a standard.

For the past many months Navistar has been in a battle with the government about it and they just recently won their case. The basis of the win if we can call it that is that SCR engines would be allowed to continue to function in violation of the emission standard as a normal operating feature. (if you run out of UREA the engine will still work). The Advanced EGR engine does not rely on UREA and as such when the engine is operating it will always be in compliance with the emission standards.

The new Ford Power Stroke engine unlike the MaxxForce 7 will use an SCR strategy and will require UREA. I am of the opinion that an engine not using UREA will be a relief to most owners who are going to forget, blow off or otherwise attempt to defeat the UREA system if they can to save the expense of having to purchase the product. It's only human nature to do so. The MF7 will do the job with no additives and no expense.

Soon you are going to have thousands of pickup trucks out there running SCR and unless you start running these things through emission testing stations, another hastle, one will never know because diesels are not normally run through emissions. In SC we do not have emission testing and yes I do see vehicles going down the road like their fogging for mosquitoes.

If Workhorse continues to develop the "L Series" (LQ4) of engines that are currently available on the W16 chassis and GM can make those engines produce more torque and horsepower for heavier application for W 20-24 use then we might see a resurgence of gas being the prime engine for RVs.

I know that Workhorse is working on it however what they have to sell right now is a MF7 and not that many OEs are buying into front engine diesels. The rumors and facts allude to OEs distancing themselves from using these types of engines. On the other hand Four Winds is doing well with the Serrano.