Cummins & Bounder motorhomes

[rspinks]

I've been working on my gasoline powered buddy for over a year trying to drag him to the dark side, extolling the virtues of the Cummins diesel and the power potential. Piers' burnout videos have helped a great deal . I couldn't convince him to swap a 4bt in his 4-Runner, but he is considering buying a motorhome with Cummins power.



There are a few Bounder motorhomes of '92 vintage for sale that he is interested in. What version of Cummins b-series is in these motorhomes, ie: which pump, HP levels, etc? Does anybody who owns one have any comments on power level, fuel economy, etc? He wants to pull his 4x on a trailer so I imagine he will want to bomb it a little.



Moderators-please relocate this thread as necessary for proper exposure.



Thanks.

 

[duaneparks]

I believe you'll find the B series in them tuned to about 180-190 hp depending on the year. They went to the 235 and then to the 275 hp versions later.



It's not bad since the motorhomes themselves are less than 108 inches wide and they don't have slideouts, all of which add weight and wind resistance (in the case of the width).



HTH.



Duane

 

[rspinks]

Thanks Duane, do you happen to know what fuel pumps were supplied on which years? Did Cummins supply VE rotary pump motors through '93 like with the trucks, then switch over to the P7100 for '94 to '98?

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I'm going to move this over to the General Diesel forum for better exposure.

 

[Evan A. Beck]

I've worked on countless Bounder motorhomes, and they are fairly good.



As for power levels, the 12V B-series usually came in either a 190 or 230 HP version. There were no 235 or 275 HP 12V B motors. Those are 24V ratings. If you buy one, be sure to get one with a 6-speed Allison AND air brakes if you can. The 230 motor is better, but the 190 is good too.



If you can afford it, step up to a 12V 8. 3L (C-series) model. TONS of power, quieter than a 5. 9, and air brakes are usually standard equipment. Most motorhome 8. 3L engines are rated at 250, 275, or 300 HP.

 

[dmurdock]

Just tell him to look for one of these badges

 

[Evan A. Beck]

Oooh... An ISL... 8. 9 liters of POWER, plus a real engine brake. The 450 HP ISM is even more fun!!!

 

[rspinks]

Thanks again and the question still stands regarding which fuel pump would be on a '92 motorhome. The ISM is 10. 8L and available in both 450hp/1450tq and 500hp/1550tq versions for motorhome applications. I'd think that would be more than adequate .

 

[98rammer]

just to note... may dad was in the market for a camper once but never got one. we had looked at everything from the beginner class C to the $1+ million ones (well, he could never afford one in his lifetime, but it was fun to look! ). i know that i was the best selling motorhome many years ago, but we found the quality to be pretty bad. some of the hose ports were built on unsturdy blocks of wood. there's other stuff that i can't remember, but basically, we stayed away from the bounders after a real close up look. maybe some of you have had great luck--so i'm not trying to make make anyone mad here.