Class A Gas to Seneca with Cummins

[TNortham]

Looking for feedback....
We currently have a Tiffin class A ford v10.

Love the Tiffin.
Very disappointed in the Ford v10 performance.

Ride is extremely rough.
Road sway can be white knuckling and scares the crap out my wife to the point she will never drive.
We go to Colorado Rockies every year so I am not pleased with v10 gas performance.

I would input from those have have made the transition from ford v10 to Seneca with 6.7 diesel.

I am certain the cummins power is fine.

Concerned about the ride.
Road handling.
Sway
Rear Air ride with front spring - is this ok?
How does it handle in strong cross winds?

Thanks for sharing!

[wwsmith111]

I am sure that you are also considering the price difference between gas and diesel which is significant. The diesel may get better fuel mileage, but I don't think it will cover the cost difference. That is one reason I still have a gas pickup. A $200 trip quickly becomes a $300 trip...

[Mr.Oz]

I have driven the v10 class A. There is no comparison to my Seneca. Plenty of power while averaging 11mpg, driven through Nebraska with high winds towing a 27ft trailer no problem. It tracks straight, very relaxing to drive just set the cruise @63mph (seems to be the sweet spot) and enjoy the ride. No white knuckles. My wife enjoys the ride (bonus) which makes the trip that much better. I'm going to experiment with the air pressure in the tires (we are lightly loaded) to make it ride even better. We just love this unit.

[Mr.Oz]

Originally Posted by wwsmith111

I am sure that you are also considering the price difference between gas and diesel which is significant. The diesel may get better fuel mileage, but I don't think it will cover the cost difference. That is one reason I still have a gas pickup. A $200 trip quickly becomes a $300 trip...

I have my gas trucks also but IMO once you get into a larger RV diesel is the only way to go. I have no patience to have the throttle flat on the floor going nowhere, no matter what the cost difference in a larger unit. I'm not talking about a 600hp monster diesel just step up to a diesel. Our Seneca is 350hp and 660 torque which works just fine.

[anav8or]

We just moved up from an E-450 platform to a Seneca and couldn't be happier. Although the V10 in our previous unit seemed to have plenty of power, the ride and handling were terrible. I would be completely tense the whole time I was driving the thing making long trips uncomfortable. The Seneca is a joy to drive, stable and with power to spare. The mileage is better than the V10, although I consider it a wash when you take into account the higher price of diesel. We have a 2015 with the air suspension. I believe the earlier Freightliner models used springs in the rear which resulted in complaints about harsh rides.

Good luck with your decision.

Ty
2015 Jayco Seneca 36FK

[hsteveberry]

We just downsized from a class A pusher Diesel to a new 2015 Seneca and are very happy. The Seneca handles and rides better and gets about the same milage. The power seems a little stronger in the Seneca and it tows our jeep very well.

Steve
2015 Jayco Seneca

[Shultz01]

We went from a 31-foot Fleetwood Jamboree class C with an E450 V10 to a Seneca. Handling and power is much better as to be expected with a Freightliner chassis and a Cummins diesel. We can load more, tow more and do it all with piece of mind. When that Ford gas V10 would down shift going uphill it was a bit scary.

What? I can't hear you over the engine.

I said it was a bit scary!

Oh!

[LSA376]

The chassis is the best part of this coach. Having P-30 Chevy's, W Series Workhorse, etc.. The M2 chassis with the rear air bags and 22.5" wheels is night and day above the gas pullers. Wind, big rigs, down hills, towing are no longer anxiety issues, still would like more power on the long uphill grades but that's due to the amount of weight I seem to be constantly towing. Going from the Class A to the Seneca has a few disadvantages such as:


Front seats and cockpit can't be used as additional seating while camping (miss the swivel front seats)


Small front windshield, lower elevation - No view out the front while camping


Minimal driver / passenger storage - The Class A had pull out drawers, glove box, center console, M2 is very limited. Working on some solutions to add storage


Advantages -


Dash heater and AC cool driver and passenger quickly (small cockpit)


Driver and passenger doors


A real frame and engine in front of you God forbid an accident


Easy access to engine


An attention getter - Lots of people ask about the rig at stops


Good mileage - While towing 8,000lbs I averaged 10.5MPG @ 65MPH. My last gas Class A averaged 6.5.

The ride - Confident inspiring, the combination of rear air bags and 22.5 wheels help smooth out the road. and make for a stable ride I did weigh the coach and lowered tire air pressure to 85psi from the 110psi they were at which; made things even better.

No sway - I have towed a 3,300lb car, 6,000lb boat and 8,000lb trailer with no issues what-so-ever.


You will like the chassis.

[Mr.Oz]

Did you lose any fuel economy with lower pressure in the tires?

[LSA376]

Didn't seem to change at all.

[byrdbody]

We went from a V10 E450 to a 37' Seneca. First bought and drove a new Allegro about 60 miles and turned back around returning the unit. OMG what a disaster trying to drive the Allegro. Told the dealer didn't know what we could do but I wasn't taking the Allegro home with me. Dealer was great and put me on the Seneca. consistently delivers 10mph with plenty of power. Drives like a dream and couldn't be happier with it.

[Jopopsy]

Originally Posted by byrdbody

consistently delivers 10mph with plenty of power. Drives like a dream and couldn't be happier with it.

You must be retired and have plenty of time.

[Jopopsy]

E450 chassis stretched to accomodate a motorhome definitely require a lot of modifications (JRide) to become 'driveable' again. Even then, it has to be adjusted correctly (I'm looking at you MorRyde and your slack helper springs !).

My correctly adjusted Greyhawk drives lights out better then my Minnie Winnie did. No comparison.

[Pfflyer]

Originally Posted by wwsmith111

I am sure that you are also considering the price difference between gas and diesel which is significant. The diesel may get better fuel mileage, but I don't think it will cover the cost difference. That is one reason I still have a gas pickup. A $200 trip quickly becomes a $300 trip...

Do the math. Lets assume your gas class c gets 10mpg and my diesel class C gets 14mpg. Right now regular unleaded is around $2.19/g and diesel is $2.29/g After 1000 miles you will use 100 gallons x $2.19 = $219.00. After 1000 miles I would 71.428 gallons x $2.29 = $163.57
If gas stayed at $2.19/g diesel would have to get to $3.08/g for your trips to cost less than mine. On my Sprinter chassis Melbourne I get anywhere from high 12's mpg to 15mpg depending on how fast I drive and I take about 1mpg hit for a/c.. On my trip to Colorado I averaged the high 13's.
Diesels do cost more but seem to hold the value longer than gas which may help justify the higher price. Diesels usually are less maintenance if you use them regularly. Only negative for diesels now is all the emission crap on them.

[Wade]

I'm doing just the opposite, today I traded my Seneca in for a Tiffin Class A. After four break downs with a DEF/emissions issue I couldn't trust the diesel in the Seneca anymore.
I only have one day experience with the V10 or the Tiffin, but I drove it home through the mountains today and thought the ride was better than the Seneca. Neither one has the power that I would like, but I trust the gas engine.
The Seneca had 19,000 miles; bolts came up through the flooring so I had to get new flooring and it left me stranded on four trips with DEF issues.
I think mine was a lemon, as others on forums don't seem to have the DEF issues that mine had. Jayco and Cummins have a very good warranty service, so mine was not a money problem, I just didn't like to be stranded at truck repair shops while on vacation.

[ripples2ya]

Big help for my towing behind 2016 Seneca was Cummins upgrade/reprogramming of chip 350 to 380hp and Allision reprogram of transmision from economy to performance mode (both within warranty). Made a big difference towing up the steep grade hills of Texas.

[Oma/opa]

Transmission reprogramming is quite common but I never heard of the reprogramming of the engine by Cummins. Can you elaborate on this

[ripples2ya]

I stopped by a Cummins service center in Dallas and ask a service manager if they could increase the power and torque and stay within the warranty. He said he could do an upgrade for $350 which would increase torque and power from 350 to 380hp by reprogramming factory settings. Doing this along with transmission reprogram improved my towing up steeper grades considerably. Instead of bogging down at 45mph, I now can tow up a grade at 65mph. Sorry that is as technical as I can get on what Cummins did.

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by ripples2ya

I stopped by a Cummins service center in Dallas and ask a service manager if they could increase the power and torque and stay within the warranty. He said he could do an upgrade for $350 which would increase torque and power from 350 to 380hp by reprogramming factory settings. Doing this along with transmission reprogram improved my towing up steeper grades considerably. Instead of bogging down at 45mph, I now can tow up a grade at 65mph. Sorry that is as technical as I can get on what Cummins did.

Would be very interested if you could expand on your upgrade. Do you possibly have a service receipt that lists what they did? Our engines were 340 HP with 700 lb/ft of torque stock, do you have any idea what they upped the torque to?
For many of us that could be the best money we have spent on our Senecas! Thanks in advance.

[Roundtowner]

Thanks, Rob for the request. I too would like that same information. I'd like to improve my 2015 36FK also.