Enough Power to Climb Western Mountains

[GiraAmerica]

I am planning a trip from Texas to Seattle and on to Alaska thru BC and returning via Alberta to Montana and then home to New York. We travel in a 2001 Airstream Land Yacht XL 390, Cat Diesel 330 Turbo, Allison MD3060. We weigh total 32800lbs, 4400lbs of which is the Liberty we tow. I have been told I will be under powered with this combination. Can anyone shed some first hand experience on this for me.

Thanks

[wolfe10]

In a word, you will be just fine.

Your Caterpillar 3126 has 330 HP and more importantly 860 lb-ft of torque at 1,440 RPM.  Combined with your Allison 3000 transmission it is more than adequate.

As with any machine, you will want to insure that all systems are in top condition before the trip.  Be sure this includes cleaning the front of the CAC (Charge Air Cooler).  Failure to do so is the most common cause of overheating in a rear radiator DP.

If you are not familiar with the "care and feeding" of a DP, might be a good idea to have someone who is go over the coach with you before the trip.

[GiraAmerica]

Thanks.

 

[rsbilledwards]

I would agree with Brett, We live in Colorado, west of Denver and our power comes from a 330 CAT and have made it up every mtn we have tried. Sometimes it has been a slow go but it has never failed to get us home. Our weight is similar. If the load seems too heavy going up a pass, unhook and drive the Jeep, short distance, no big deal. Have a great time.

 

Bill Edwards 

[obedb]

Just about what our GCW is and we have a CAT 330. No trouble  with Monarch Pass in Colorado 11,312 ft above sea level.

Usually top out between 25 to 30 mph and I never have the accelerator flat on the floor. A little left. You will not see altitudes like that on the Alaskan Highway. Any where you travel in Alaska with a motorhome will not approach that. Don't let your friends scare you. Just make sure that your CAC and radiator have been cleaned, air filter serviced, belts are good.

[john_harris]

Ditto on the CAC and radiator.

A bit of trash and a sandwich wrapper can significantly increase coolant temp on even a moderate grade while not even noticed on level ground.

[jlandon13399]

As a side note to this topic those of us who have gasoline units will see a significant decrease in power at altitude.  Has anyone turbo charged or supercharged a newer Ford V10 362 HP engine?  If so what are the approx costs and what issues can be caused by doing so?

[obedb]

We traveled to Colorado at least eight times or more with our Ford 460 cube gas engine. I did things to soup it up that were not mainstream, but it would pass most anything but a gas pump.  You would not want to try that stuff with a newer V-10, but folks seem to like the Banks modifications. Have you tried your unit on some passes?  Remember that mountain passes are usually only a small part of the trip.

[manholt]

Agree with Brett.  Also be aware of much higher cost for fuel and parts in both Canada and Alaska!

Jack, give Banks a call.

Good luck to you, both.

[jleamont]

Jack, I installed a Banks power pack on my last coach with a V10. It ran great after, no fuel mpg improvement but more power, the headers also cut down on heat up front that my DW always complained about. The foundation of the Triton engines that didn't come with a supercharger from the factory is not there to add one in my opinion, the connecting rods are small and thin to make it light enough to spin at high rpm's.

[wildebill308]

On 6/21/2016 at 0:29 PM, jlandon13399 said:

As a side note to this topic those of us who have gasoline units will see a significant decrease in power at altitude.  Has anyone turbo charged or supercharged a newer Ford V10 362 HP engine?  If so what are the approx costs and what issues can be caused by doing so?

The other upgrade I would look at is the tuner by 5 Star http://5startuning.com/

Many people happy with how they improve performance and shift patterns.

Bill