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Old 06-28-2022, 03:26 PM   #1
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40 Dynasty with 400 hp

Anyone have experience towing a Vehicle (5K# Grand Cherokee) with a 42' Dynasty with a 400hp Cummins? Looking at a 07 with tag axle. We plan to travel to Denver area plus Front Mountain range often. Son has just moved there. Is 400hp a little light for a 42-footer towing a vehicle?

Thanks in advance, coming from a 2015 GMC 3500 Dually towing a 38' Montana Fifth wheel.
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Old 06-28-2022, 04:19 PM   #2
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Most of the 400 HP Cummins ISL engines are rated at 1200 ft lbs of torque.
Cummins also produced 425 and 450hp ISL versions but torque is still limited to 1250 ft lbs because the Allison MH3000 transmission is limited to 1250. Some of the ISL engines can be uprated to 425 or 450hp depending on the fuel system and year (but torque output remains the same).

Most folks find 1200 ft lbs to be enough to tow a car or small trailer. Of course altitude and heat are your enemy.

If you truly want more power, look at the Monaco Executive or Signature. They are the same chassis and almost the same coach but will come standard with the 500hp Cummins ISM (1550 ft lbs) and an Allison MH4000 transmission.
With a good search you can also find Monaco Executives, Signatures, and Holiday Rambler Navigators with optional 525hp, 600hp, 650hp, and even the Detroit Series 60 engines.
Surprisingly, the used prices of the bigger engine coaches are not more than a used Dynasty and fuel mileage is the same.
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Old 06-28-2022, 04:25 PM   #3
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I had a 400 ISL in my 2007 Ellipse 40 FD
It ran like a top.
Never in 13 yrs had a problem
Towed my Jeep (4500 lbs) up every mountain pass out west no problem.
All I did was it regular maintenance every yr.
No DEF.
I’ve done Homestake and the Big Horns no problem over the years. White Mountains in New Hampshire, piece of cake.
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Old 06-28-2022, 06:43 PM   #4
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I guarantee it will do the job. The hiways are full of diesel pushers with that same combination towing everything.
You may not keep up with the big dogs going up a mountain if that's important to you.

Ray & Marilyn
03 Windsor
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Old 06-28-2022, 07:22 PM   #5
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I have an 08 withe 425 ISL. 42 ft. W/tag. I tow an 09 Silverado 4x4. Weighs about 5500 lbs. No problem but you will not be the first one up the hill
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Old 06-28-2022, 07:36 PM   #6
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Yep, no race car but I have pulled a heavy toad all over the nation and a lot out West where we came from. 400 works fine. I did have a chip on mine (08 with dpf, no def)) and it really pulled strong with that on it but I took it off because it would go into limp mode and times. Simple start and restart solved it but not worth the frustration.

About two years ago I took mine to Cummins and had the hp Uprated to 450 hp. It accelerates much better now which is what I want pulling a heavy toad. As mentioned it does nothing to the torque but the chip I had did.

I had my dynoed and it was impressive with the chip. IF you have the rear radiator fixed pitch fan, call Source Engineering and buy their fan blade setup. No moving parts and is very easy to change. The hp drag of the factory fan is around 60 hp or something like that. Just awful.

The new fan improved my mileage .5 mpg and increased my acceleration by seconds when testing to 60 mph.

The only draw back is you lose down hill engine braking because the drag has been reduced so much.

The noise level dropped 5 db standing a few feet from the back as well. I can now hear the microphone in my rear view camera when turned up. It was useless with the original fan blades.

Going down hill you absolutely should get into the gear that will hold your speed and not rely on your service brakes. Learned a very dangerous lesson in Death Valley going down a steep hill using the methods I was taught early on. A cousing that is a truck driver took me through, over the phone exactly what I was doing wrong.

Let the engine and transmission do the work they are designed to do and keep those service brakes nice and cool.

When smoke billowed from my rear brakes and my front brakes were not seeming to help much I managed to get the rv into lower and lower gears and get to a 5 mph crawl but it would not stop. Putting the transmission into neutral took a bit more of the forward pull off and at some point I risked putting it into reverse. It went into reverse and I was able to hold the hill. Smoke rising worse out of the back in. Everyone out and I jumped into the toad to start it. Dead battery. Grrr. Put the toad in park and set its parking brake to hold the RV at least.

Grabbed an extinguisher and cooled the rear brakes off.

When things settled down, got the toad running and unhooked. It was a straight shot down the hill to the RV park about two miles away so I tested the brakes a bit on the rv leaving large blocks just in front of the tires. Once convinced I could go down hill in low gear with no problem all was good.
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Old 06-29-2022, 06:08 AM   #7
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07 43 ft Camelot with 400 isl pulling an extended cab 4x4 2010 Silverado, no problems.
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Old 06-29-2022, 06:39 AM   #8
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I have a 38PKD Windsor with 2 slides. It's a heavy coach since it was the last year the Windsor was build with the full steel frame.

Your Dynasty is of similar construction.



My rig has the 350HP 8.3ISC. Considering the weight and HP it does a pretty good job handling the grades. But I have to anticipate the grade in that I start accelerating prior to the grade and then downshift to keep the RPM's up. I can usually out pace the Semi's BUT (and this is a big but) if by chance I get trapped and have to slow down it is very difficult to regain speed. Just something I have to live with but it a small price to pay to have a quality rig.
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Old 07-13-2022, 07:15 AM   #9
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My 42 Dynasty 400 W 24' trailer

I use to pull a F150 with the bed loaded, now a 24' race car trailer with tools and a car. You're not a Jack rabbit but it works. I should have a larger engine for sure but with all the problems with the ISX, I've held off
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