Verona 36VSB Power

[dcgettinby]

We now have a build sheet/price quote on a 2020 Verona 36VSB. Very exciting, and very scary ($$$!). One more question before taking the final step:


How do Verona owners feel about power?
(2020 specs list 350 hp, 1150 ft-lb torque.)


We live in the west, so there are probably more mountain passes than in other parts of the country. That being said, travel in the west is not just all up and down. And when it is up and down, we know we will never keep up with the higher powered (and much higher priced) detroits/volvos/etc. At the same time, we don't want to feel like we need to get out and push either.


So, what do you Verona owners feel about performance?


Thanks much!

[twc88]

dcgettenby

I have not had my LE all that long so others will have more input than I, but coming from a class A to a Renegade I am pleased with power. The LE is heavier and my 17 only has 1000 ft lbs and power is sufficient, and you are correct it is not a power house but gets the job done well. I live in the east and there are only a few pulls that have to be made out here, but find it looses about half of what my DP did. Power was a concern of mine also before I bought, and the deciding factor was so what if I get to top a few minutes later. Better fuel mileage is also a positive.

Tom C

[tdeperte]

I just picked up our new 2019 Verona 40 VRB In Iowa last week. It has the same specs. On the way home I was disappointed in the power propelling this coach. I found my foot to the floor many many times. I live in the west (Phoenix) and am concerned how it will perform in the mountains. I haven't had a chance to drive in the mountains out here yet.

I did have the Allison trans in the correct mode. One interesting item. If I accelerate using the cruise control vs the pedal the performance was greatly improved. The coach would increase speed at twice the rate of the pedal alone. I don't know why these coaches are configured this way.

Now, these are heavy coaches and mine is heavier than yours will be. Maybe I was expecting too much considering the weight involved yet the increased performance through the cruise control tells me the power is there, someone doesn't want us using it.

[netjam]

Have a 17 40vbh...a bit bigger than yours. I live in the west and frequent the mountains on interstates. Your concern about power is a good one. 18 wheelers will easily pass you on hills with your foot on the floor. After 2 years I’m used to it and can cope but thre is a definate lack of power. Specs show 350hp, 1000 torque.

[dcgettinby]

I do appreciate your comments, despite the less than encouraging news. I suppose one shouldn't ask the question if one really doesn't want to know the answer!


After looking for more than a year, we really thought we had finally found "the one". Now, it's not so clear . . .

[DeetsMaggie]

dcgettinby,

We have a 2018 36vsb and our toad is a 2016 F150 @ ~5000lbs. The folks responding above did not indicate wether or not they were towing, and a 36VSB is lighter by some than a 40 footer.

We live out west and our first trips were thru Wyoming and Montana, encountering many grades from 3 to 4 % climbs and a few long grades at 6 and even briefly at 7%. We doubt we'll ever encounter any longer of steeper than those in this sampling. Also, I think I drive the coach relatively easy, generally at 63 to 65 and only rarely faster. Just don't feel all that need to be at 70 or higher, although the rig does feel solid and stable at 70 with the toad. No buffeting when passed or passing. We favor state parks and forest service campgrounds and so we tend to travel with a good load of water on board.

We find the L9 engine power to be fine fine. On the really steep and long grades ( 6 to 7% and miles long) we top the pass at ~53 to 55 mph with foot on the pedal, but these grades are really not that common. In fact they are uncommon. Dropping a gear, resting your foot, and keeping the rpms where they want to be is a better option for I think in these long/steep cases. On the 3 to 4% grades, which are what most of them are, we nearly always stay in cruise control at 63-65. On steeper grades in warmer weather the fan clutch kicks in and engine temps drops quickly. Some driving without our toad prove the F150 in tow does make some difference, not at all on flat ground, only on rides. All seems to work well. The coach is nicer than any RV we've ever owned and in fact nicer than anything we ever thought we'd own.

I think the engine/transmission is set up well although one could probably fine tune things a bit. Cruising flat and over easy grades, 63-65 mph seems to be right in the sweet spot on the rpm/torque curve, hence the opinion that the engine/transmission set up has been done correctly. Fuel mileage averages taken over a few thousand miles at a time to include flat cruising and various grades have so far been between 9.2 and 10.2 mpg which we are happy with.

I'd recommend a Scan Gage or other be added. Very illuminating to watch how your driving habits affect your mileage in real time.

If you really won't be happy if you can't top long grades at cruising speed you are going to have to open your wallet a lot wider and I expect burn more fuel along the way. We're very, very happy with the compromises made.

Best regards,

DeetsMaggie

[ragoodspeed]

Dcgettiinby: Congrats on your decision to purchase a new Renegade. I have a 17 36 VSB and love it. At this time I have 25000 on the odometer with no issues with the coach or the Cummins/Allison combo. I have yet to have the coach out west so really can not comment on what my opinion might be. There is no doubt the 350 ISL will not snap your neck but I cruise all day pulling my Cherokee Trailhawl at 68 MPH while getting 9.6 MPG. Your torque has been bumped up so should be a little better compared to mine. I truly think you will be content and get use to what the M2 offers. They are tough units. Best of luck.

[dcgettinby]

Thanks so much to all for taking your time to respond! It's very nice to have folks like you when facing a major decision.

[Doug Darby]

We just finished our inaugural 3000 mile RT to Las Vegas from Dallas. We have a 2019 Verona LE with a 28' Vintage Race Trailer in tow. The combined scale weight full was 43,560 lbs. Across west texas I had the cruise set at 71 almost all the time. I definitely learned that the cruise is the best way to maintain speed on the flat and on the hills. On the grades we encountered in NM, AZ, and NV we were able to maintain 55-60 on the 3-4% grades and even on the shorter 6% grades. We did encounter one looooonnnggg 6% grade on the newly opened I11 near Las Vegas that takes you around Boulder City and on that grade I was down to 45 mph but so was every other 18 wheeler and I was pulling up on most of them as we did the assent in the passing lane. I did the same thing mentioned above and actually dropped it from 4th to 3rd gear and just maintained the 45mph until we got to the top. We also had a pretty spiffy wind to deal with so that may have exacerbated the issue.
All in all I was satisfied with the Cummins / Allison performance considering that is about as heavy as we will ever be. Yes I have moments were I yearn for the big DD or Volvo, but all in all the I9 seems fine for my Verona with my trailer combo.
We will be heading east through Tennessee to Virginia in May and I am anxious to see how it handles the Blue Ridge Mountains also..

[deputybubba]

We have a 17 36vsb also.. Going up i17 and to Payson we are down to 4th gear. It does help to shift manually. The Allison waits to long to downshift in my opinion.

[deputybubba]

We are in Gilbert BTW

[Blakeman]

We are on a search for a used, but like new, Renegade Verona 36 VSB. Could someone tell us what your experience has been? Any information would be greatly appreciated. We currently own a Nexus Super C and like it very much, but it's not the ideal floor plan for us. We've owned all styles of RV's, except a Diesel Pusher, and we've decided that the Super C is the best style for us. Thanks

[joes2901]

What is the NCCC or CCC of the newest Verona VSB, Verona LE 38 LDG, and Verona LE 40 LTS? Can anyone remember the amount from the yellow sticker on or by the door.

I divided the GVWRs of 2019 Newmar Ventana 3717, 4037, and Verona by their engines HP/TQ and discovered the Verona is slightly better:
3717 = 104/46.9 and 6, 600 lbs NCCC,
4037 = 110/35.2 and 8,950 lbs NCCC,
Verona = 98/29.8 and ? lbs NCCC.

If Renegade would order the RV version of the L9 with 450 HP/1,250 TQ it would be a much better mountain climber in the mountains of Western North America.

[ragoodspeed]

My 2017 Verona 36 VSB has a GCVW of 60,000, GVW of 34400, front axle is 13400, rear axle 21,000. The new L9 has 1150 of torque