What did i do

[Chuck Linn]

Reading this form I am beginning to think i screwed up buying the gas instead of going DP which is what i was looking for. The salesman convinced me there was less maint in the 8.1 vortec and WF set up by a long shot over a DP after reading this form and finding out from him that this engine will go thru a quart of oil every 3 to 5 thousand mile and seeing all the problems on this form i may have made a big mistake does any one have any thing good to say about this setup; 35 ft hurricane 8.1 L vortec and allison 1000 with 6 speeds and cruse all of which seems to work ok on its maiden voyage of 3500 miles

[Chuck Linn]

Reading this form I am beginning to think i screwed up buying the gas instead of going DP which is what i was looking for. The salesman convinced me there was less maint in the 8.1 vortec and WF set up by a long shot over a DP after reading this form and finding out from him that this engine will go thru a quart of oil every 3 to 5 thousand mile and seeing all the problems on this form i may have made a big mistake does any one have any thing good to say about this setup; 35 ft hurricane 8.1 L vortec and allison 1000 with 6 speeds and cruse all of which seems to work ok on its maiden voyage of 3500 miles

[oemtech]

Let me be the first to welcome you to IRV2.

Next update your profile with some rig info so you don't have include each time you post a question.

Now for your concerns. The WCC is very good unit. I don't think it is anymore problem prone that a DP. Depending on what you plan to do with the coach a DP may have been over kill. The initial cost and maintenance on a DP can hurt your wallet. Go over to the Newmar forum and read some of the post there on the high end DP's.

If your coach is new you have probably have 100,000 mile warranty on the WH chassis.

If you have a 6 speed it is an Allison 2100 hundred tranny.

As for the oil usage... I too think this out of the ball park. But, until you get 10k or 20k on the rig I would not get to worried. My rig has 24k and it doesn't use a drop.

Considering that WCC has produced in excess of 30,000 units what you are reading is but a very small vocal group of folks, me included.

Hang in there and enjoy the trip. Do good maintenance and you will be ok.

[rgrstndgby]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">finding out from him that this engine will go thru a quart of oil every 3 to 5 thousand mile </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


So what is wrong with that oil usage.?. ALL (production) engines use SOME oil, and a quart every 3-5000 miles is certainly reasonable at the milage on this one. I wouldn't be surprised to see it settle at about 1 qt per 5000, about ideal in my book... As far as operating expense goes, there is no comparison for routine maint, "the diesel" outspends "the gassser" by a wide margin, and in addition, most maint. is within the ability of alot of gasser owners, most diesel maint is not..My BIL bought a 330 Cat powered journey, at the same time I bought an 8.1 gasser. Both of us bought what we wanted, like what we have, and neither would change. He is thrilled that his Cat will run 300,000 miles untouched., and I'm happy for that, as at 73 yrs old, it means he will be my BIL for another 35/40 years. ..Your 8.1/2100 package is a great one, enjoy it...rgr...

[Full-Timers]

I think I experienced most of the "problems"� talked about here on the Workhorse Forum. All were fixed easily and with little cost. Now my only expense for the last 3 years has been normal maintenance and fuel, which I can tell you has been a lot less than a diesel. I can also guarantee you that I will get to the top of a hill sooner with less throttle than a DP. Mine uses less than 1 qt of oil between oil changes at 3000 miles. I understand some use more but contrary to what "they"� say isn't the norn. I chose the Workhorse because it would have cost me an additional $50,000 for and entry level DP. I have NO regrets that I bought a Workhorse over a diesel.

[paz]

Chuck, welcome to iRV2.

I don't think Workhorse is experiencing any more problems than any other chassis manufacturer. You read about more of the problems here because those who do have problems are looking for help. For every problem you read about, I bet there are 50 or 100 owners who aren't experiencing problems to speak of. If you read the other chassis and owners forums, you will find problems there as well.

As for oil consumption, I don't think a quart in 5,000 miles is excessive. I have been in that general range of oil consumption on most of the cars I have ever owned - down a little oil just about when it's time to change oil anyway. None of those other engines were as big or worked as hard as the one in our motorhome.

[oemtech]

Paz,

A qt to 5k would acceptable. But, if you read the GM/WCC techno bulletin you will see 1 qt to 100 gals of fuel. Now that results to about a complete oil change in 3000 miles and GM/WCC still holds 3k as normal change interval. To top it off GM says this normal for up to 36k. Now if you have a standard GM warranty, at 36k you SOL. But,with the 100k WCC you MIGHT get a new engine if oil consumption is considered excessive.

There are only a couple things that make a engine use oil.
1) The rings don't seat...
2) The bore is to big... see reason 1

One other thing GM/WCC say is normal... Startup piston slap. If the engine is built right there is no piston slap (see #2).

[FreshAir]

Oil use. When I first picked up my 05, 8.1 at 700 miles and to apx 3,500 miles I thought, Oh, Oh, I got an oil burner here. Since then, now at 13,500 and change at 3,0000 miles I have never had to add any oil between changes. I think it's less than 1/2 qt per 3,000 miles.
I love that Work Horse, except for a busted rear spring clip, I have not yet had any of the issues that have been talked about in length on this Forum.
Chuck, you did good. You'll love it. Enjoy.
Pat

["007"]

Chuck welcome to irv2.
Have owned Fords in earlier years this is my first Workhorse and maybe last. I will not survive the 200,000 this one will get.
Use Mobil-1 syn both engine and Trans. change oil every 6000-7000 miles because it was dirty not short on oil.
Could not ask for a better ride and power. You can see by my signature that I have added a few things but only for more mileage and power which I also did with my Fords.
Congrats on your new coach many safe and happy miles.

[Argosy]

I think you might be worrying yourself a lot for no reason. You just went 3500 miles, what problems did you have? How much oil did it use?

People post on forums to vent because of problems or for solutions to problems. How many posts about 37,000 problem free miles have you read, don't you think those chassis are out there? No company will stay in business building even 20% garbage. That is the nature of internet forums.

I'm not sure the salesman steered you wrong. There isn't a lot of difference between the house portion of a gasser and diesel, especially lower end diesels. Construction and materials are the same, appliances are the same, etc. I have never understood the rationale of paying a hefty premium for a chassis and drive train that will last 300,000 miles under a house that will be getting pretty used up at 100-120,000 miles. I kind of like the thought of everything getting used up at the same rate, makes the decisions of investing in repairs a whole lot easier.

I worked on and around gas and diesel trucks for 30+ years. Diesels aren't trouble free. They generally do go longer before they have problems, but they are a lot more complex and way more expensive to repair than a gas motor. An injector pump costs nearly as much to replace as a gas engine, a long block costs two or three as much. Radiator prices aren't even comparable, charge air coolers and turbochargers don't exist on gassers. Air brakes aren't problem or maintenance free, check the price on a treadle valve compared to a master cylinder, compressors don't come cheap.

The people who buy diesels because they are problem free generally are correct, the ones who get bit with repair bills are often amazed that they dropped $5500 to get back on the road, then they complain. That is the nature of internet forums.

Enjoy what you have, trade it if you really think you made the wrong choice, get some towing coverage if you believe disaster is imminent. But you aren't going to enjoy this if you worry yourself to death about a potential problem every time you put the key in the ignition.

[DriVer]

Congratulations on the purchase of your new motorhome and I think you will do just fine. Here is a little something for you to take with you on the road.

Why Worry?

There are only two things in life to worry about:

Whether you are well or whether you are sick.
If you are well, then there is nothing to worry about.
But if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about:
Whether you are going to get well or whether you are going to die.


If you get well, then there is nothing to worry about.
But if you die, there are only two things to worry about:
Whether you are going to go to heaven or whether you are going to go to hades.

If you go to heaven, then you have nothing to worry about.
But if you go to hades, you'll be so busy shaking hands with all your friends, that you won't have time to worry!

So, Why Worry?

[Cruzer]

Now that's a sermon I never heard before.

[Cruzer]

The difference between a gasser and a DP isn't best related by maintenance/service aspects.

I had a 2003 Suncruiser/Workhorse. It had a few issues with melting plug wires, cracked exhaust manifold, etc. It also used oil. I had to add a quart of Mobil One every 1-2 thousand miles, depending on conditions.

On my 2004 Bus and the 2007 I have the Cummins 400 ISL. Neither of these engines has ever used a drop of oil - ever. The engines are more robust than the gassers and there will be less repairs made over their lifetime.

However, my 8.1 Vortec was a simple oil change with spin on filter. It really was no different than servicing a pickup. I also do my own service work on my Allegro Bus. The oil needs to be changed every 20,000 miles so it's an annual thing for me. The extended service intervals and zero oil usage is nice BUT, when I do service the engine the oil filter is expensive and huge and I need 28 quarts of oil.

Basically, a diesel is a savings plan. You don't spend money very often but when you do, it's a lot, so they pretty much even out over time. Overall, we love our diesel but I just wouldn't figure maintenance costs into a comparison with a gasser. You can add a lot of oil to a smaller engine before you exceed 28 quarts.

[oemtech]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I had a 2003 Suncruiser/Workhorse. It had a few issues with melting plug wires, cracked exhaust manifold, etc. It also used oil. I had to add a quart of Mobil One every 1-2 thousand miles, depending on conditions. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The burnt plug wires and cracked manifolds are coach builder problem do to poor air flow.

The oil consumption is a GM build problem that they don't want to address.. "This is a normal and within GM acceptable limits" is the usual answer when you complain.