bluebirdPT36
NE Tn
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Joined: 11/16/2011
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What is B50 life? Does that mean that half are still running and half aren't?
My opinion is that majority of premature failures are result of coolant problems/overheating, not lubricant related.
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grldst
Dallas, GA
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Joined: 12/10/2003
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Motor home engines are not setup the same as construction equipment, that is for sure. Look at a D6 cat dozer for example. It is equipped with a C9 engine, rated at 185 hp. (It also has a huge radiator.)
Setup this way, you can run that engine wide open all day, day after day. We recently rented a D6 that had over 6000 hrs. It ran and sounded like a new machine yet. I'm sure they expect that engine to do 15,000 hrs before doing any major repairs.
6000 hrs would equate to 250 to 300,000 miles.
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rgatijnet1
Florida
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Joined: 06/22/2009
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DanTheRVMan wrote:rgatijnet1 wrote:I've had some large gasoline and diesel construction equipment and without a doubt, the secret to longevity for any engine is regular use and proper maintenance.
Engines that are left to sit for long periods of time, that receive maintenance based on hours of use or infrequent mileage, never last very long.
The reason why most commercial buses and commercial trucks rack up hundreds of thousands of miles is because they are used and maintained properly.
I agree
But even if you are a full timer part of owning a MH is parking it and enjoying the surroundings.
For a MH owner moving every week might be ideal, but I do not know if I would do that.
Moving at least every other week would be ideal in my mind. It certainly would be nice to move it at least once a month as to many MHs sit to long.
I guess that is what I was saying. I know the AVERAGE mileage that is stated by many sources is 5000 miles per year for an RV. From an engine usage/longevity, that is not very much. I believe the insurance companies/NADA, etc use 12,000 per year as the average mileage for an automobile. I would not expect a motor home that is used for only 5000 miles a year, for the first 10 years or so of it's life, to make it to 200,000 miles with a new owner, without a lot of expensive work being done. By the same token, I would expect an identical unit to easily make 200,000 miles if it were used 20,000 miles or so a year and maintained properly.
I've restored some very low mileage vehicles that mechanically were in worse shape than most high mileage vehicles.
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wolfe10
Texas
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Joined: 10/08/2000
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bluebirdPT36 wrote:What is B50 life? Does that mean that half are still running and half aren't?
My opinion is that majority of premature failures are result of coolant problems/overheating, not lubricant related.
Googled B50, and Detroit Diesel was the first hit-- the same definition applies to all engine manufacturers:
The B50 life—an engineering term that means the point at which half of the engines are still running and half require rebuild.
Brett Wolfe
1993 Foretravel 36' U-240
Cat 3116, Allison 3060
FMCA Forum: www.community.fmca.com/index
Caterpillar RV Engine Owner's Club: www.catrvclub.org
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N7SJN
SE Washington State
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Joined: 01/26/2011
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Just a thought, as an old farm boy equipment would sit from one harvest to another and would still fire up for the next season. I would like to hear from the full timers who only use their rigs twice a year, going north and then going south, in the mean time their rigs just sit.
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