pondigger
Wi
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Hello....now I have engine questions for 40' Tiffin, Holiday Rambler, Newmar and Monacos midline coaches.....I see Cumnins with various ISsomethings letters from 325hp to over 400hp....and Caterpillars around 350hp.....I don't think I need a tag axle...but I want to pull a 5000lb boat.....Wisconsin to Florida,Arizona,Texas maybe....tho floorplans are important I guess to me the engine and chassis mean more....what will get the job done over the Smokies and other places pulling the boat without beening disappointed power and handling wise....I've seen a couple posts talking about new emmission standards after certain years....I'm obviously in early stages trying to learn about these things...haven't yet considered the cost of running one and all the other incidentals.....and if the economy stays lousy I might just have to stay home and grow tomatoes....thank you for your expertise on all replies....I appreciate them greatly....the site is a wealth of knowledge
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Tsalla Apopka
Crystal River, FL
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You also need information on the weight of the rig - empty and loaded - in order to see how much oooommmppphhh is left for towing. A light rig with the 350 may have more left than a very heavy rig with the 400+.
Denny & Karen
Florida's Beautiful "Nature Coast"
Brit,TDI,BH & Claire,TDI (Belgian Sheepdogs)
Merlot - Sheltie rescue
Glady(Morgan Mare - retired),Toes & Beemer(Barn Cats-retired)
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daveshan
Durango Colrado
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General rule of thumb seems to be 1hp for every 100lbs of rig. Our coach has a 330hp ISC (8.3L Cummins) with a 33,000 GCVWR (28,000 GVWR).
I've been at almost 32,000lbs towing my Jeep on its trailer with a good load of gear and was happy with the performance. I wouldn't mind having the engine my neighbor has in his 36' Alpine however, 400hp is always better than 330 
'99 Alpine 36SDS/8.3 ISC 330 Cummins
Or
'05 Lance 845
'06 Super duty SC/SB 6.0
Upgrades include: StabilLoads, Air Bags & Timbrens,Swaybars
Usually towing an '01 Wrangler, lifted/locked on 35"s or a mildly built '98 Cherokee on 33"s (only one locker)
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larry cad
ohio
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Adding more slides will use more HP due to extra weight. You are probably talking about the Cummins ISC which is a great engine. I would hesitate to consider a Cat engine only because a couple of years ago Cat got out of the "over the road" business. They are good engines, but are becoming an orphan. I have a 315 HP ISC in my 40' motorhome and tow a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have pulled it about 80,000 miles all over the US and have never been disappointed. However, that may be because of my expectations. Yours may be different. I also get about 9 MPG. Yours may also be different.
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Twomed
FL winters and then somewhere cool
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Try a search for 400 ISL///450 ISL///330 CAT///350CAT and you will lots of reading. There are some single axle 400ISL's out ther and that would do a great job for your boat tow job.
Happy Trails 
06 Monaco Dynasty
07 Hummer H3
FMCA 279843
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Altern
Home
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Joined: 05/15/2012
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Cat or Cummins? Doesn't matter and forget comments about Cat being out of 'over the road' business. They are fine engines. Lastly, you'll never be unhappy with higher torque and more horsepower.... so buy the largest.
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steveownby
Cosby, TN
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Like so many things, it all depends. The earlier comment about 1 up per 100 pounds of coach is a good rule of thumb. Like you learned when you were young, there is no substitute for cubic inches. As displacement goes up so does hp and torque.
The Cummins engines you are likely to encounter from smallest to largest as follows:
ISB
ISC
ISL
ISM
ISX
The Cats:
C7
C9
C12
C13
The hp rating for each engine varies by year. Torque ratings vary somewhat but are more stable.
Steve Ownby
2003 Monaco Signature
Full-time since 2007
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RedRollingRoadblock
Oregon
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Altern wrote:Cat or Cummins? Doesn't matter and forget comments about Cat being out of 'over the road' business. They are fine engines. Lastly, you'll never be unhappy with higher torque and more horsepower.... so buy the largest. Except for the fact that the C13's are certifiable POS.
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pondigger
Wi
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steveownby......would you mind giving me the hp's for those engines if you know them offhand.....why is the Cat c13 crappy....thanks a fine looking rig you have there steve....
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bluebirdPT36
NE Tn
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Something that is seldom mentioned, is that the ISL is the smallest Cummins that is available with a real Jake Brake. Don't know about Cat. Would guess maybe the C9. This is a very desirable feature.
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