cptdav
North Mississippi
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Joined: 05/05/2001
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Anybody have a mercedes in their motor home? I have heard great things and just wondering how they perform compared to a cummins or cat.
JD
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jedfoley
Alvin, TX
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Joined: 05/27/2007
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Don't believe the hype.
I'm sure their truck engines are comparable, but not superior. One of my best friends has been a MB mechanic for years, and certified on diesels for a decade. Very solid performance, but not superior to Cat or Cummins is his verdict.
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50pascals
rochester, ny
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Joined: 01/10/2008
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The truck shop around the corner says the Mercedes is better than the Cummins. They are better engines. He said the only reason Dodge doesn't put a Mercedes in their pickups is because then no one will buy them! 8-) "Mercedes" doesn't sound nearly as impressive as "Cummins."
Of course size matters. The Sprinter chassis is a small Mercedes. Comparing this to a 5.9 or 8.3 Cummins is not nearly right.
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djevans
Tennessee
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Joined: 03/24/2002
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They'll have to pry my CUMMINS from my cold dead hands...Yup, it's THAT good.
Don . . . near 36.171N 086.784W, TN near here
WA4ZFN
2003 Fleetwood Revolution 40C - Saturn VUE
350hp Cummins ISC
- - - P i c t u r e s - - -
I'm confused, WAIT! Maybe I'm not!
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jedfoley
Alvin, TX
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Cummins doesn't currently make an engine small enough for the Dodge Sprinter. Or the Jeep Grand Cherokee, for that matter.
How long did Benz own Dodge? And they never put a diesel in their heavy duty trucks--even as an option. Those companies began sharing common parts and systems within a year of their merger--witness the Chrysler 300 and Crossfire which were "mostly" Mercedes Benz.
There are plenty of people who are in love with the Mercedes Benz name who would choose it over Cummins based on the "brand name" alone.
I think MB makes an engine with comparable displacement to the 5.9 or 6.7 liter Cummins, which they mount in their big SUV. I'd like to see its HP and torque vs. that of the Cummins. Otherwise, we could go back and forth all day in subjective banter.
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jauguston
Bellingham, WA
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Joined: 07/03/2005
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If I remember correctly there were some Mercedes engines installed in class A motorhomes and they had to be removed and replaced with something else as they didn't have EPA compliance. I think Mercedes figured the market was too small here to justify the cost of the compliance. Too bad.
Same problem with the Smart car. They are mostly turbo diesel engine powered (800cc) in the rest of the world and are VERY economical but the diesel doesn't pass polution standards here.
Jim
Jim, Sharon and Buddy the Yorkie
1999 Gulfstream Sun Voyager 31' ISB Cummins 210 uprated to 275
275 RV injectors
Trippe-Lite 1800w inverter 4-6v GC batteries
3- Kyocera 130w solar panels
1987 Suzuki Samurai tintop Toad w/VW 1.6 turbo diesel power
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jedfoley
Alvin, TX
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Good point, jauguston. I have a Frieghtliner chassis, and without a doubt, Mercedes will make an engine available again as soon as they get the kinks worked out.
I guess the proof will be in the pudding...
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Hyall
Davie, Florida
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Joined: 03/26/2004
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No problem here, I have cummins in our service trucks and upgrading trucks with MB engines (32trucks) and not any more expensive to repair than a cat or cummins as per labor and parts
* This post was
edited 07/15/08 12:10pm by Hyall *
2007 Gulfstream TourMaster T40B MBE 926
2007 Honda CR-V
MC Honda VTX 1300R grey is faster
MC Shadow Aero 750 wife's
DON'T WORRY ABOUT NOTTIN - NOTTIN IS ALRIGHT
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jagbev
Ottawa, Ontario
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Joined: 05/23/2006
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We have a 2006 MBE926 (non-ULSD) engine in our 2007 Phaeton:
- 7.2 L
- 330 hp (@2200 rpm)
- 1000 ft-lb (@1300-1600 rpm)
- 1235 lb
It's smooth and has plenty of power/torque to get me where I'm going. The Cat C7 (350 hp, 860 ft-lb) engine was offered as standard, and the MBE926 was a no-cost option (spring 2007). Ordering the higher-torque MBE926 was a no-brainer to me.
I consistently get 10 mpg on our Phaeton, travelling 55-60, not quite fully-loaded, towing a Jeep Liberty.
For 2008, Tiffin switched to the EPA07 Cummins 360 ISC (360 hp, 1050 ft-lb, 1630 lb weight). From what I've heard, it's also very good, but heavier.
I'm very happy with the MBE926.
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zmotorsports
Utah
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Joined: 11/29/2007
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We have the new Mercedez engines in our last batch of Sterling OTR trucks at work and I was a little concerned because corporate spec'd them out with a little taller gearing than I would have being here in the western states (corporate is in Cincinatti). However once they arrived and the drivers 'learned' how to drive them they are performing fairly well (actually better than I expected) but as mentioned parts are more expensive than our last Cummins and Detroit engines. Mike.
Mike & Chrystal (F315002)
2003 Monaco Dynasty/ 26' Haulmark Edge trailer
1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee toad
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