W25.5

[M&EM]

off topic but--

I'd agree with roqueii.
If you were driving your motor home properly and respectfully then a visit to the dealer sounds in order.

I have driven ours over most of I17,I70,I84 and I90, and plenty of scenic state roads thru those same states at max gcvw for close to 40k miles. We have an over all average mpg of 7.1. I think that's in ther correct ball park. Sure, I would like to do better then that at todays gas prices. And I can by slowing down to 55 or 60 and that's a fact.
I would like to get up hills faster then my mh will do it. But that is the nature of the beast and I don't plan to run it into the ground to force it to be faster or to keep up with anyone. I probably could keep the engine wound up at max RPM and such and go a bit faster but for what purpose other then to give everything in the drive train a workout and probably heat up my dog house too. Not to mention burying my MPG.
If time is of the essence, perhaps a dp would not be the answer either.

[skipsor]

Surfride, at the risk of hijacking this thread even more than it already is, you need to get your MH to a respectable Workhorse shop and have them look into your problems. I routinely go to Bridgeport, Ca from SoCal and pull Sherwin Grade out of Bishop and Conway Summit out of Lee Vining, both of which are near or over 8,000 ft and I do it at 50-55 mph with my '04 32' Brave pulling a 4300# S10 ZR2 4WD, and I get right around 7 mpg.

This year I expect to get more due to the Ultrapower upgrade.

[Fred and Bonnie]

While lots of you disagree with Surfside, I respectfully agree that pulling close to the GCVWR up the West side of I-70 approaching Eisenhower Tunnel in CO will bring the W24 to its knees, 25 MPH at 5,000 RPM. Anyone who says a gas coach will perform at high altitudes is just kidding yourself. Flat ground and moderate hills are no problem.

Fred

[rogueii]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Fred and Bonnie:
While lots of you disagree with Surfside, I respectfully agree that pulling close to the GCVWR up the West side of I-70 approaching Eisenhower Tunnel in CO will bring the W24 to its knees, 25 MPH at 5,000 RPM. Anyone who says a gas coach will perform at high altitudes is just kidding yourself. Flat ground and moderate hills are no problem.

Fred </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Surfside was in a W-20, 32 Ft RV. He has to have something working against him and it is not the WH chassis or the 8.1 Vortec.. I drove the whole Northwest last year, from FL throught Rapid City, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, Glacier, Nt St Helen, Mtn Rainier, Mt Hood, Crater Lake, on to Sandiego, up to Las vegas, through NM to CO, all the way to PA and back to FL--11,000 miles. Not many RV's passed me on any Hill.

I was totally stock. I changed everything after I returned. I averaged about 7.5 mpg. I use my generator almost all the time. I drive at about 68 mph. I hit some fairly high passes in that trip. I was pulling about 25,500 #'S

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

From Driver... May I offer that there isn't an alternative and that the 8.1L Vortec powers and moves our motorhomes down the road with all the confidence that one can reasonably expect from the technology...
-------------------

I agree with you Driver, but let's not forget that the 8.1 engine replaced the 7.4 gas engine which was primarily used in pickups and light to medium GM trucks. When motorhomes started getting bigger and heavier it made since to replace the 7.4 with the bigger 8.1 engine. Motorhomes are getting bigger & heavier yet again. So who's to say this shouldn't happen again, if GM were to come up with a bigger engine. Or, maybe it's time to go with a diesel motor like the "Fred".

Also I agree with Fred and Bonnie. Throw in an even small amount of head wind and you'll be running in 2nd gear. I live in Colorado and most of my driving is here, almost always mountains. Mine too does very well in the low elevations. For those that are saying they're fully loaded and passing many others in these mountains means their winding those engines to the top.

[edgray]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Or, maybe it's time to go with a diesel motor like the "Fred". </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Please understand that "FRED" comes equipped with the Cummins ISB 5.9 L engine, which advertises 600 lb-ft of torque and advertises 300 HP. It is the same engine used in the Dodge PU trucks.

While the 600 lb-ft of torque is an improvement over the 8.1 L gas engine's 455, and should allow the ISB to be more "powerful", the GM motor develops more HP - 340 is advertised. You need both torque AND HP to go down the road. I have not driven a "FRED", but several dealership salesmen who SELL a motorhome built on "FRED" told me "it won't get out of its own way, its a dog". Previous to that conversation, I was thinking noise was going to be a big issue, but they said "it is pretty much the same as gas, except for the turbo whine" ED

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

Agree'd "edgray", I wasn't referring to the 'Fred' regarding it's 300HP ISB, just the fact that they are now building a diesel front engine chassis now. From what I've heard and read a 300HP diesel engine is too small for any motorhome chassis, front or rear engined.

I think in time we'll see the 300HP replaced with a larger diesel in the Freightliner Fred chassis, because consumers will complain about it's lack of power.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by wa0mqe:
I think in time we'll see the 300HP replaced with a larger diesel in the Freightliner Fred chassis, because consumers will complain about it's lack of power. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Subsequent to that they'll complain about price and gas engines will continue their market dominance, if only for FE applications. It is doubtful that the current FRED will take any significant business from the gas chassis manufacturers.

[FrontRangeRVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DriVer:
It is doubtful that the current FRED will take any significant business from the gas chassis manufacturers. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Agreed