[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? :lol:

 

[johnsandywhite]

You can never have too much power. Even then you still want more. 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 8)

 

[Grizzly]

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

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]

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

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

8O No way Jose. Built like the proverbial Brick S***house.

 

[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.