Is 4L85E Transmission designed by Allison???

[Keyman]

Some time ago I was on a RV dealer lot looking at a midsize Class A. The salesman stated that it had an allison transmission. I asked him if he was sure it was an allison and he said "it wasn't manufactured by allison but they designed it, same thing".
  I recently talked to someone selling a 30' Winnebago and he stated that it had an allison transmission. I said that I thought it would have been a 4L85E. He said "it is, that transmission was designed by allison, same thing". Is there any truth to this or is it just BS from someone trying to make a sale?

 

[Ron]

Some time ago I was on a RV dealer lot looking at a midsize Class A. The salesman stated that it had an allison transmission. I asked him if he was sure it was an allison and he said "it wasn't manufactured by allison but they designed it, same thing".

About the only way I would believe that is if one could get Allison to confirm it.  Beware many salesman are known to tell you whatever they perceive you need to hear to close a sale even if it isn't true.  I wouldn't take a salesmans word on it I would check with Allison.

 

 

[Ned]

A Google search on 4L85E will turn up lots of information.  It's apparently a GM transmission.  Who designed it, I have no idea, but it's not made by Allison and I doubt it's the "same thing" at all.  It may be a perfectly good transmission.

 

[Ron]

A Google search on 4L85E will turn up lots of information.  It's apparently a GM transmission.  Who designed it, I have no idea, but it's not made by Allison and I doubt it's the "same thing" at all.  It may be a perfectly good transmission.

It may be a good transmission but I have reservation about the statement that it was designed by Allison.  Maybe by GM which once owned Allison I believe but it was a different division.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The 4L85E is built by the GM Powertrain division. Maybe Allison engineering had some input - it's the same corporation afterall - but I doubt if "designed by Allison" is even remotely accurate.  The 4L85E is merely the latest improved model of a long line of GM Turbo Hydramatics that GM Powertrain division (previously the Hydramatic division) designed and built for use by all GMs car & light truck divisions.

I'll be charitable and suggest that the salesman was mistakenly thinking of the Allison 1000 series transmissions, which were indeed designed by Allison but are actually built in the GM Powertrain plant, same as the 4L85E is.

Never believe an RV salesman... the odds of getting accurate information are similar to playing Lotto.

 

[82corvette]

The 4L85E is amodified version of the old Turbohydramatic 400. It has been lengthened & retrofitted with overdrive. This is a tough transmission.

 

[Keyman]

Thanks for the feedback. I have heard this sales pitch several different times now and I thought it was about time that I find out the truth. I'm wondering if salesmen make inaccurate statements like this, and then the owners go for years not really knowing what they have in their units. Today I saw an add for a motor home with a workhorse chassis and a V10 motor. I don't think so.

 

[Ron]

Its just another case that supports what we mean when we recommend not believing everything a salesman says.