US motorhome engine size Forums

Grizzly

Friends of ours are hiring a MH in the US for a 3 week tour. The one they have chosen is 21ft long and looks very much like our Elddis. It has however got a 7 litre engine !

Can anyone explain why it should have an engine 3 times bigger than ours ?
It seems like gross overkill.

G.

Drummer

They are American? Nuff said? Laughing

johnsandywhite

You can never have too much power. Even then you still want more. Very Happy

Having said that. I would have thought a 21ft ('C' class?) would have been a 5.7?

Maxonian

Even though it is only 21' long, it probably weighs 10,000 - 12,000 lb.

The 6.5 litre engine in my Gulfstream, which weighed 16,500 lb, only produced 190bhp. Clearly a poor power to weight ratio compared to a typical european mh weighing 7500 lb (3400kg) with 128bhp (Fiat 2.8JTD) and certainly not overkill.

Raymond

Grizzly

Raymond; I'm not very up on this. Why would the US motorhome be so very much heavier than a European one ?

G.

johnsandywhite

What a silly question. Because they are built better. They are based on TRUCKS and not on little VANS Cool

Grizzly

Right...I'll go and hang my head in shame. Embarassed

At risk of showing even more ignorance; is the habitation part of a US motorhome the same construction as a European one ( dare I say it but I think a bit flimsy) ?

G

johnsandywhite

pomme1

Unfortunately some - not all - are styled like one as well! The real reason for the ridiculous engine size is that given the price of fuel in the States, Americans have no incentive to develop efficient engines, preferring to rely on brute force and ignorance.