There are a lot of P32 Barths out there with 454's. The engine life expectancy seems to be 100m to 125m, and then people swap. Wondered if we could put our collective experience together and figure out a way to put a modern diesel with a 5speed in a P32 chasis? Even if it cost $10000, maybe more, can you imagine a really nice 80 something Regal with a 300hp diesel that got 15 to 20 mpg? The new Winnie on the Dodge Sprinter chasis is supposed to get 17 to 24 mpg, and it's $85000 new. I'd rather have my 85 Regal with that Mercedes engine in it and have $30000 invested any day. Thought maybe Bill H and Jake might give us their thoughts on it.
Jim

I looked at a Duramax conversion, and there were several obstacles.

1. The crossmember is too high.

2. The differential gearing is wrong.

3. The Duramax requires its own transmission and computer.

4. Cost. Big time.

I did speak with a Workhorse engineer shortly after the Duramax came out, and he said they were working on it. Later, Workhorse brought out their own diesel pusher, so I guess the Duramax puller was dropped.

I would suspect that the crossmember would get in the way of other diesel engines, too, and the Cummins 5.9 is too tall as well.

I have an idea that it would be very difficult to get in at your ten grand figure. A crate 502 is around half that, and transmission, differential and computer issues will also have to be addressed.

With 154 hp 243 lbs.-ft. of torque, it would be no rocket at Barth weight, and would not deliver the mileage they estimate, either.

Jim:
I agree with you. It would be nice to drop
out the 454 V8, and put in a state-of-the-
art 350HP Diesel engine in our old Barths.
In fact, I went thru a lot of Google searches to see if there was a Diesel available to sub for the 454, when I blew
the engine in my '85 Barth. But the only
ones that might fit are the 6.2 and 6.5
GM diesels, and they don't have enough
power. I came across an ad about a new Freightliner front engine motorhome chassis
in some magazine that I read recently, but
I can't find it now. It sounded quite like
the Emgine/Trans. package might fit in our
chassis, but, alas, I can't find the magazine.

Jake Jacobson

"Freightliner recently introduced a FRED (FRont Engine Diesel) chassis for class A motorhomes. These are in the pipeline as of now. Tiffin is beginning production of the FRED based Allegro Bay and they have been seen on the assembly line down in Red Bay.

FRED will be a front engine, leaf spring chassis, simlar to the Workhorse W series. It'll have a Cummins 300 HP ISB engine with 600 ft-lb of torque and a push button Allison 2100 5 speed tranny, filled with Transynd. The wheel cut will be 55 degree and front and rear hydraulic ABS disc brakes with 15" rotors. It will come with an 80 gallon between the rails fuel tank and have 255/70R 22.5 tires, load range G. The GVWR will be upped to 26,000 lbs so that's an improvement over the W22 and W24 series but the GCWR remains at 30,000 lbs so if you decide to load it up, you'd better have a light toad. The front axle is 10K while the rear is rated at 17.5K so you do have a bit of latitude as far as shifting the cargo weight from front to rear. It'll have a 3 year, 50,000 mile warranty and can be serviced at any Freightliner dealer. "

-------------------------------------------

Looks like the current Cummins in Dodge pickups. I suspect the P32 crossmember would limit sump clearance. Overall engine height could also be an issue. But it is indeed a nice power package.

Workhorse offered the 6.5 in the P32 chassis from 99 to 03. It was not popular.

I had a 6.5 in a 99 Safari Trek. It got about 12mpg and never gave me any trouble at all, although I only drove it for a year before trading it in on a 35' diesel pusher. The only thing I didn't like about the Trek was that it had a short wheelbase and did not handle very well in spite of several thousand dollars of suspension upgrades I made. What do we hear about the 6.5? Is it ralated to that awful GM diesel in the 80's that was really a converted gas engine?
Jim

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quote:

Originally posted by humbojb:
I had a 6.5 in a 99 Safari Trek. It got about 12mpg and never gave me any trouble at all, although I only drove it for a year

Jim, was that the one that had a beam front axle?

Yes, Bill. I put shocks, super steer stuff, bell cranks, even a rear axle stabalizer, new springs etc. it still was very difficult to drive, especially if it was windy or wet.

Jim, were the front springs the ones you replaced? Were the front springs coil or leaf?

I have always admired the Trek, but it seemed that the bed would not be ideal for a couple that did not wake up at the same time. I am an earlier riser than Moma.

Bill, we replaced the front springs and air bags with springs designed for the weight we generally traveled with. It really didn't do anything for the handling. The bed was really comfortable and we invented several ways to get out of it from either side without waking the other. The twin layout in my 28' Regal is much nicer, but we did sacrifice a truly spacious bath that the Trek had.

bill,
We did like the trek, it was our first MH. The electromagic bed was novel but I am a light sleeper & slept on the drivers side of the bed. Therefore I had to be the one to either climb over Jim or get out on my side & then crawl under the bed. I did not like that & would not recommend it. You had to go to bed at the same time period.
Tere

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Here's an ad in from a local website near Houston.
Cummins 24V 5.9 Engine(COMPLETE). Machine Shop labor-lien, his loss is your gain. $2550.00 Bob's Driveline & Machine. Contact Me...

General Information
Ad #: 45159
Date Submitted: 09/03/05
Location: Woodville


Contact Seller
Email
Home Phone: (409) 283-8708

Does anybody think that the 5.9 would fit itn a P chasis?
Jim

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not sure about the p30 but i looked at a 31' john deere with a 6bt5.9 from the factory...great but not enough power for the big tow i'm stuck with....joe
[QUOTE]Originally posted by humbojb:
[B]Does anybody think that the 5.9 would fit itn a P chasis?
Jim