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DriVer · 08-03-2007, 04:17 PM

What was essentially absent in RV publications is now starting to ramp up. This month's FMCA Magazine has 3 UFO ads. 1 from WCC and 2 from WGO. There's a Destination and a Latitude ad.

I see this as a good thing and I have been looking for it and finally we're seeing more promotional materials in print about the UFO.

DriVer · 08-03-2007, 04:17 PM

What was essentially absent in RV publications is now starting to ramp up. This month's FMCA Magazine has 3 UFO ads. 1 from WCC and 2 from WGO. There's a Destination and a Latitude ad.

I see this as a good thing and I have been looking for it and finally we're seeing more promotional materials in print about the UFO.

Mutha · 08-03-2007, 04:28 PM

Mike, the WCC ad touts both the GAS and DIESEL as an available engine in this month's FMCA Magazine. I think originally the Diesel was to be announced this past spring as a part of the International offering to WCC. Have you gotten any updates from your people as to when they will actuall have an available Diesel and which engine(s) will be used?

Thanks - Glenn

Avalondanes · 08-03-2007, 04:34 PM

This is a good thing. The more you read about the UFO the more informed the RV public will become, and the demand for more floorplans will follow.(hopefully) I have test driven a Destination at my local dealer and love the chassis, just do not like the Winnie. I will wait until more are available to choose from. I hope that Fleetwood will pick the UFO up and make some good floorplans on a 262 inch wheelbase. Just have to wait and see.

Richard

DriVer · 08-03-2007, 05:54 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mutha:
Mike, the WCC ad touts both the GAS and DIESEL as an available engine in this month's FMCA Magazine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The Workhorse UFO is the standard chassis in the WGO strategy. it comes in both the 37G and the 39W. Although I have not actually checked it would seem probable that the 39W is on a 262 and the 37G is on the 242. Once thing that remains constant on rear pushers is the distance from the vertical center line of the rear wheel to the rear bumper of the coach. The length is made up in wheelbase. Again the distance between the vertical center of the front wheel to the front bumper is consistent from one model to the next.

It would stand to reason that 2 wheelbases are used on WGO models. Regarding the ad, if you look into the print WGO is telling us that the diesel is a FLCC product and although they give the HP rating of the gas unit at 340 HP what we see is displacement info on the diesel. Why? Possibly because it's the same horsepower and it just doesn't read well in print. In the ad WGO is very clear about which chassis features the diesel power plant.

Early in the conception process the possibility that the UFO could be powered by the same 6.7L ISB engine existed. Time has passed since this idea was first considered and although this would be a fine engine I believe that the dynamics have changed when Navistar became the parent company. I don't believe that Navistar would squash the 6.7L but who knows. The rumor around the campground is that WCC is going to pass on the Cummins.

International has a very nice 6.4L MaxxForce 7 engine in its lineup that when tweaked to PSD specs could prove to be quite a competitive force vs similarly powered 6.7L ISB powered RDPs. @350HP and some 650 lbs/ft of Torque it could be quite a powerplant for the UFO. Exactly "when" we will see the 6.4L engine installed in the UFO is up to rumor right now however I am confident that it is going to happen. My crystal ball says that it might be shown later this year at an RV Show with production ramping soon afterward.

DriVer · 08-03-2007, 06:02 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Avalondanes:
I hope that Fleetwood will pick the UFO up and make some good floorplans on a 262 inch wheelbase. Just have to wait and see. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Richard, Regrettably and against the wishes of his customers, Luc VanHerle said, that the UFO is only a niche product and they had no plans to build on the UFO. If you want a UFO on a Fleetwood product let them know.

Bagman57 · 08-03-2007, 09:42 PM

Historically Fleetwood has been slow to change! If the "UFO" chassis becomes very popular, then you may see Fleetwood jump in with both feet, but they are not the kind of company to step into untested waters! Bagman.

Marshall316 · 08-04-2007, 03:56 AM

Mutha,

I looked at an 08 Winnebago Destination 39W at Lichtsinn Motors while I was in Forest City last week. It was on the Freightliner XC chassis with the 6.7l 340hp Cummings.

Mutha · 08-04-2007, 10:00 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DriVer:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mutha:
Mike, the WCC ad touts both the GAS and DIESEL as an available engine in this month's FMCA Magazine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
...... Regarding the ad, if you look into the print WGO is telling us that the diesel is a FLCC product and although they give the HP rating of the gas unit at 340 HP what we see is displacement info on the diesel. Why? Possibly because it's the same horsepower and it just doesn't read well in print. In the ad WGO is very clear about which chassis features the diesel power plant. ...... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mike, the AD I am talking about is NOT the WBO AD it is the WCC AD on page 129 of the current FMCA August 2007 magazine. The main title of the AD READS: <span class="ev_code_RED">"TAKE ME TO YOUR DEALER"</span> it shows two fuel pumps, one labeled GAS the other labeled DIESEL. Beside the fuel pumps is the heading that reads: "UNIVERSAL FUEL OPTION" and below that is says "Now you can have a rear powered motor home with either gas or diesel." This is a FULL PAGE WCC UFO AD.

My original guess was that WCC would use the same V-8 diesel that International (NAVISTAR CORP) builds for FORD commonly refered to as the FORD "POWER STROKE" diesel. This is the same engine that is widely used in about 90% of all diesel school busses.

Glenn

Thudman · 08-04-2007, 12:31 PM

Saw two Destinations at a dealer yesterday, both FL chassis' w/340HP. Was not impressed with workmanship. Do not like the stove. I'd have them pull it & replace with Sharp Micro/Conv above and Amana stove/oven below. My personal preference, with the clean surface look. As I recall, the CCC was not impressive.

Thudman

DriVer · 08-04-2007, 02:31 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mutha:
Mike, the AD I am talking about is NOT the WBO AD it is the WCC AD on page 129 of the current FMCA August 2007 magazine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Glenn, I saw that and noted it in the first post in this thread.

Your assumption about the diesel engine is correct!

It'll be the twin-turbo International Navistar MaxxForce 7.

Read more click on the graphic.

Bagman57 · 08-04-2007, 03:54 PM

I would like to see two identical UFO's, one equipped with the Cummins 6.7 ISB and the other equipped with the Navistar 6.4 and have a one on one comparison test. A test showing acceleration times and fuel economy numbers. My guess is that the Cummins will come out on top! Bagman57

Mutha · 08-04-2007, 04:26 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DriVer:
.......Glenn, I saw that and noted it in the first post in this thread.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Mike, somehow I did not see where you referred to the 6.4 International diesel in your previous post until just now when I went back and re-read your post! What can I say...old age cometh along with loss of memory.

Glenn

DriVer · 08-04-2007, 09:01 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bagman57:
A test showing acceleration times and fuel economy numbers. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I'm pretty sure that they've been there and done that.

Although I haven't driven a PSD, the twin-turbos will probably spool up the PSD as quickly as a gasoline engine would spool up thereby leaving the ISB in the dust.

Coming soon at a dealer, you can probably take out an ISB FLCC vs a MF7 UFO. I'm sure that one of these publications is going to run something like that as soon as they have the opportunity.

Now if you ran a trial going from 0 to 60 and back to 0 the MF7 UFO is going to win that race because of its acceleration and Arvin Meritor WABCO HPB brakes.