Community Forums

RSteele · 06-08-2016, 09:49 PM

You must have driven some DP's with a maxx force 7 or other problems then. I just got back from driving I 80 through the sierras and the I 5 grapevine Memorial Day weekend. A friend has a 37 foot Monaco with a v-10. We both had 20' trailers loaded with off road toys for about 5500 lbs. He kept up fine until we got the long steep hills, then he was waaaay behind. This guy is a super competitive racer and hates the fact that he crawls up hills while I leave the cruise control on at 55-60 mph. He would redline his coach if he could to keep up so he wasn't taking it easy. Same thing with my Father and I towing our 21' boats. He had a Thor infinity with a V-10 and it was the same story only that coach is only 32'. There is just no way the ford 6.8 V-10 with 457 ft lbs of torque is going to beat a DP with a Cummins 9.0 ISL with 1250 ft lbs of torque up a long 6% grade even with the 6,000 pound weight difference. A short hill where you can maintain your momentum in the v-10 both coaches will be the same. I'm not at all opposed to a gas Motorhome, I have owned 2 and 1 with the V-10 the other had a Vortec 8.1 while they did OK they sure as heck didn't climb hills like a Coach with an ISL. That's just giving folks who read this stuff false hope and maybe make them think they are doing something wrong or something is wrong with their coach.

MattTaylor · 06-09-2016, 04:11 AM

I think the OP said his coach is a Winnebago Sightseer. If that's the case, it's about 13 foot tall and 100% bulletproof. Drive it like ya stole it until the wheels fall off and have a blast doing it.

We've yet to find even one mountain it can't climb while towing max weight. As for climbing speed, it's not a race car & we're retired, so what's the rush ..

ernest917 · 06-09-2016, 07:00 AM

RSteele....

You are 100% correct !!!! That's the point I tried to make with my earlier post....

OLYLEN · 06-09-2016, 08:53 AM

I would disagree, have a 31' Mini Wini towing a 4-runner up the grapevine and over the Siskiyous and was keeping up with ALL the DPs that were towing and passing some that were towing. Some of these are the dreaded 7% grades. Comparing a light DP with an ISL, and heavy class A with a V10 is comparing non like rigs.

LEN

ernest917 · 06-09-2016, 10:29 PM

LEN....

Quick question - what's your 31' weigh??? What's your tow weigh???

I'll bet combined they weigh MUCH less than a 40' 30K lb diesel towing a 5500 lb tow....

You've go to compare apples to apples not apples to oranges....

Mr_D · 06-09-2016, 10:56 PM

Funny thread!

Our rig weighs about 50,000#'s and we tow a 4,500# Ody. But 650 hp and 1,950 lb ft of torque will get us up the hill. The big thing is the 1950 lb ft from 1,100 to 1,600 rpm. 1,350 rpm is 60 mph in 6th.

skypilot_1 · 06-10-2016, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Funny thread!

Our rig weighs about 50,000#'s and we tow a 4,500# Ody. But 650 hp and 1,950 lb ft of torque will get us up the hill. The big thing is the 1950 lb ft from 1,100 to 1,600 rpm. 1,350 rpm is 60 mph in 6th.

Mr D,
Is your engine the ISX CM870 or 871, both are HPI and have the injector camshaft, not common rail. I believe the 871 is DPF. In EPA 010 Cummins went to the CM2250 which is DEF. Have you had any reliability problems ? Amazing how folks want you to believe that a normally aspirated 457 lbs @ 3250 will out perform a turbo diesel. And the diesels pullin a greater load at that.

Redridge · 06-12-2016, 01:29 PM

I think, more important is going down hill... brakes vs exhaust brakes. Its very scary overheating brake fluid.

Scatterbrain · 06-12-2016, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redridge

I think, more important is going down hill... brakes vs exhaust brakes. Its very scary overheating brake fluid.

Oh yeah. I remember doing that on more than one occasion in my old class C Winny. Nothing like the smell of burning brakes coupled with the feeling of a pedal going to the floor to wake you up in the morning.

Granted you can cook the brakes in a DP too (I've done it on a long 9% grade in N.C.) but at least the exhaust brake offers more help than just engine braking on a gas motor.

To the OP. Drive carefully and you should be fine. Mind your downhill speeds and use the engine/transmission to help slow the coach and you'll be ok out here in the west.

I just got back from a trip to Sequoia and Yosemite and there were plenty of gas coaches running around out there. There are plenty where I live here as well, despite having to climb to steep grades to get here.