2006 30' MH w/ 6.0 chevy engine under powered????

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aad

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Posts
22
Hi.
I'm looking at a 2006 Fourwinds 5000 series 28A. It's a 30 foot Class C with the Chevy Vortec 6.0 v8.
Does anyone know if this unit would be under powered compared with the Ford v10 or the Chevy 7.4 liter?
Seems like the engine is small for a unit this size. Any idea of the chassis capacity as well?

Thanks.

Allen Duquette
 
Depends on the weight of the unit.  The engine will definately have less power compared to the Ford V-10 (6.8 litre/413 cubic inches) and the bigger GM (7.4 litre/454 cubic inches) or the GM 8.1 litre/496 cubic inches.

The GM 6.0 is only 364 cubic inches, not much bigger than the long running 350 cubic inch (5.7 litre) engine.  There is no replacement for displacement.

That said, the 6.0 runs great.  I would say it ran better than the GM carbureted 454 engines of the early-mid 80's, but then that isn't saying much.

I know many of the smaller Class "C" motorhomes of the mid-80's only had the 350 cubic inch engines in them compared to the larger "C"s and the Class "A"s which had the 454 cubic inch engines.

I would drive it and find a grade to really work it and decide for yourself if it has enough power.

Mike.
 
Don't be afraid of the Chevy 6.0. I had one in a 6,500 lb pickup truck a few years back. I pulled a 12,000 lb. toyhauler 70 miles per hour for more than 700 miles and had no problems. Not a lot of cubic ins. but plenty of power
 
The Ford V10 is a 6.8L engine, so a bit more displacement than the Chevy V8.  In a 2006 RV, the 6.0L could be either the 300 hp version or the 345 hp LQ9 version, which came out in 2006. The RV chassis sometimes lag behind in getting the latest engines, so you would have to analyze the VIN to determine exactly what it is. 345 hp compares favorably with the 2006 Ford V10.

I would expect it to be adequate but no race horse. But no 30 foot Class C is going to be more than an adequate performer.
 
Thanks everyone. Good responses.
I have driven the unit, which is dealer owned. Seems to move okay unloaded. My concern is when you are fully loaded on long trips with steep grades. I have driven the 6.8L Ford and found it adequate in the Rockies; although it was a 26 foot m/h not a 30 footer.

Thanks Gary. I'll see what I can glean from the VIN.

Allen Duquette
Wrentham, MA
 
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