Newbie with specific project in mind

[sebdavid]

I find a lot of "8V92" engines in the older Prevost, along with some Detroit series 60. Do you know what the difference is and whether I need to stick with the series 60?

[sebdavid]

What about running costs and maintenance for a Prevost compared to a "normal" diesel pusher? Anyone know about that?

[Ubetcha]

Series 60 the way to go newer engine not as noisy does not leak oil all over like 8v92 good on fuel lasts forever and lots of power

[sebdavid]

Hey guys,

Reviving this thread hoping some of you have some insight on the SUPER C class RVs I've been seeing out there. Seems like it would be the perfect fit of less expensive than a full Class A or Prevost, with enough towing capacity for the racecar... I'll post in the Class C section if no one has much info here.

[OLYLEN]

I see lots of opinions but not many doing it. I'm 38 foot towing 20 foot and at a total of 63 foot and towing at around 7500#. At 330 HP I'm a bit under powered for the passes but chipped up to 396 NO on the dyno ant about 1000# torque now I am good, out run the semi's and a lot of the lower powered RV's. Would I like more power "YAH" do I need more, not really for the short time I need it. I do travel the west ad have hit a lot of the major passes and to Alaska. You do not need 600 HP, but I would get at least a C9 or OLD in the 400 HP range with the available 36 -38 foot MY. Then depending on you budget get the highest end coach you can afford, but do watch your over all weight. JMO

ON EDITED DIDN'T SEE HOW OLD THE OP POST WAS !


LEN

[Gordon Dewald]

Depends upon the trailer you buy. You are talking aluminum so it should be light. Most MH can pull enough to take care of the trailer. There are some better deals on steel trailers but they are heavier.

Anything more than 350 hp will give you enough power. Unless you have to blister from one track to the next the extra hp is nice but also comes with higher fuel costs. Someone will say there are exceptions and they would be correct for some applications. It is finding the application. You will be able to run very well most of the time and the few times you are spending climbing hills you will be climbing with the semi's.


First consideration would be the floor plan. What works for you and how you are going to live in it. This will be the most frustrating thing you will have to deal with if you have issues.

Super C have 40,000 axles and will be way over your requirements. Also expensive to buy and maintain. IMO they are more expensive than comparable Class A. A lot of MH with tags are able to tow 15,000 so should handle your requirements.

Have you considered a toy hauler? This puts you into the realm of 5ers. You would then have a tow vehicle for running around once you were at the track. How much does your car weigh?

Have you considered a Super C toy hauler? Depending upon your living space requirements this might be an option.

Bottom line is you have to figure out the living arrangements that work for you. If you spend time inside with work something that has a dedicated work space aside from you living/entertaining space should be considered.

[gemini5362]

Do some research if you decide to go with a class A I have a 2005 38 ft Allegro Bus Power wise it will handle the 10,000 pounds towing weight It is rated for. I tow a 4500 pound car and I never notice it. I would tell you to get at least a 2006 model. Allegro buses and several other models with the 400 cummins engine has an overheating problem. I am not sure what changes were made in 2006 but the issue seems to be in 2005 and older. I have had the problem. When I was headed west over the rockies in 100 degree plus weather the cooling system had trouble keeping up. I had to downshift to 3rd and 4th gear to keep RPMs up in order to keep from overheating. I have a fix in mind that the next time I go that way we will see if I can fix it but basically the problem is stacked radiator, a/c condenser, charge air cooler and with all of that the radiator just needs to be bigger.

the 38 foot with two slides is going to be plenty big enough for one person. My wife and I live in ours 5 to 6 months out of the year with out any problem. The slightly shorter unit will help with length and weight requirements.
Should be in the 90 to 100 k for a 2006 allegro bus.

[sebdavid]

Thanks for your comments. Reason I'm considering a Super C is for towing capacity; I wouble be towing pretty much constantly and I figure getting a normal Class A would push it close to its limits (when the RV is loaded and pulling an enclosed trailer with the car, tools, spares etc. it could actually be over the limit) would increase wear and tear.

With a Super C I would be way under its capacity, so no wear and tear problem, and no wondering about overheating when going up slopes.

I would be living in the RV full time for extended periods, so I need a bit of interior space, not too much, good storage, and good autonomy (water/power) for when I can't or don't want to plug in at a campsite.

Gordon, you say Super Cs are expensive to buy and maintain. I would argue they're not that expensive, many of them can be found between 60 and 100K which is in my range. What about maintenance? What makes them more expensive to run? I would have thought due to their heavy duty nature, they'd actually be LESS maintenance-intensive than normal Class Cs or even Class As?

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by sebdavid

Gordon, you say Super Cs are expensive to buy and maintain. I would argue they're not that expensive, many of them can be found between 60 and 100K which is in my range. What about maintenance? What makes them more expensive to run? I would have thought due to their heavy duty nature, they'd actually be LESS maintenance-intensive than normal Class Cs or even Class As?

How heavy do you think a race car, trailer and tools will be? I am towing a stacker (6300), ML350 (5,000) and 3 motorcycles (1500) and my weight is about 13,000 lb.

Not sure what you are looking for when you say the towing is much greater on a Super C (C+). From my perspective the only way you can do that is with a tandem drive C+. Axles max out at 20,000 so two axles will give 40,000.

I think if you compare the same year A and C+ you will find the C+ will be more. You will have to compare single axles on A and C+ to tandem C+ and tag A

The 40,000 lb rear end on a tandem drive has another rear and and a couple more tires to maintain.

Heavy duty nature does not have a lot to do with it. If you are looking at a tandem C+ it is heavier but a single is likely on a frame that is very similar to what will be on a Cl A.

I was checking a 34G, 36G Nexus - single axle. It has a 19500 GVW, 300 hp engine, 5 speed Allison and 10,000 lb hitch. Much the same as a comparible A. It is difficult to compare as I tried a 37 Winnebago Vectra but the Vectra has a 400 hp engine. It also has a 10,000 lb towing capacity.

Not sure what you are considering but IMO you will be able to find many Cl A that will fill the bill. And likely for less $$.

I guess you will have to do the numbers.

[sebdavid]

Gordon, a lot of what you said was way above my paygrade.

I'm not sure how heavy an enclosed trailer, car + spares will be, but here's what I thought and have been told up to now:

Class A front engine: not enough towing capacity
Class A diesel pushers: enough towing capacity, but quite long
Class C: not enough towing capacity
Class Super C: plenty of towing capacity, shorter than class A, heavy duty commercial vehicle chassis, engine, transmission that will be understressed compared to a Class A diesel pusher, and less expensive.

I'm not sure I need the extra length of a Class A, and I am guessing it must be an extra headache when manoeuvering, in parking lots etc.

I was also told Class As especially, once loaded up, didn't have much extra GCWR left because they are so close to their GVWR.

From your comments, it seems it's more complicated than that. My problem is that looking through the classifieds, it's hard for me to differentiate between various Class A RVs and establish a price range.

Thanks a lot for your comments, any additional info would be hugely appreciated.

[Duoglide1]

Tandem axles, both drive or not, only are allowed 34000lbs-not 40 due to bridge laws. That's the reason some semi trailers have the two axles so far apart.


2005 Inspire 330 Davinci, #51334. C9

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by sebdavid

Gordon, a lot of what you said was way above my paygrade.

I'm not sure how heavy an enclosed trailer, car + spares will be, but here's what I thought and have been told up to now:

Class A front engine: not enough towing capacity
Class A diesel pushers: enough towing capacity, but quite long
Class C: not enough towing capacity
Class Super C: plenty of towing capacity, shorter than class A, heavy duty commercial vehicle chassis, engine, transmission that will be understressed compared to a Class A diesel pusher, and less expensive.

I'm not sure I need the extra length of a Class A, and I am guessing it must be an extra headache when manoeuvering, in parking lots etc.

I was also told Class As especially, once loaded up, didn't have much extra GCWR left because they are so close to their GVWR.

From your comments, it seems it's more complicated than that. My problem is that looking through the classifieds, it's hard for me to differentiate between various Class A RVs and establish a price range.

Thanks a lot for your comments, any additional info would be hugely appreciated.

First thing to do is determine what weight you are actually going to want to tow. That would give you a baseline for determining the necessary towing capacity you will require. As I mentioned our car, 3 motorcycles and the trailer will be about 13,000 lbs. I doubt your race car is anywhere near the weight of our 5,000 lb SUV. A racecar and trailer for a hobby racer should be under 8,000 as a guess.

Now it gets really difficult to advise you. There are way too many unknowns for me. It sounds like you are going to use this as your NA residence. IMO bigger is better for a residence. You have to get the correct floor plan to suit your needs. What will you be storing, will the significant other be with you, do you entertain, etc?

The trucks that fall under Super C vary as much as Class A in length, power, GVWR and towing capacity. They may be considered to be industrial (whatever that means) but the manufacturer has specified a chassis setup specifically for the planned use which is a MH. It capacity will in all likelyhood be the same as a comparable Class A.

Bottom line is you have to look at the length you want (floorplan), GVWR and a towing capacity that will able to tow your car, trailer, spare parts, etc and the horsepower you would like to move from place to place.

I am not sure where you are getting your information but one I would like to address "I was also told Class As especially, once loaded up, didn't have much extra GCWR left because they are so close to their GVWR."

First you cannot mix GVWR and GCWR. Not quite true but here is how it works. The GVWR is the max weight of the coach and everything in it including any weight on the hitch. You cannot take weight from the GCWR to increase the GVWR. However as you can see some of the trailer weight will be included in the GVWR. Theoretically if you are below the GVWR it would add to the amount you can tow with GCWR. If there is a towing capacity specified that number should not be exceeded even though you may not be at the GVWR for your unit.

Our coach has a 46,660 GVWR and a 60,660 GCWR. Currently loaded the coach is 39,000.

Hope this has clarified some issues. If you have specific questions ask away. Someone will be able to help.