adequacy of vectra engine

[halo2]

I'm looking at 36' Vectra and wonder if owners have generally found the 350 hp Cat to have adequate power. I havn't seen it in the Winnebago literature, but I'm guessing torque is around 850 ft/lb. One can always use more power, I'm sure, but have you owners been satisfied with it?
Thanks for all the useful info on this site.
Mike

[MaverickBBD]

Mike, what year are you looking at? Most Vectras I am familiar with have the Cummins.

[porscheracer]

Mike,

Our '05 36RD Vectra has the C7/350 CAT. Power is more than adequate. Bob-tailed it will do anything you could reasonably expect, and we almost always tow either a 4500# Dakota or a 9500# trailer. We DID upgrade the tires and hitch on it to get the towing capacity we needed.

The only downside is the fuel economy. It's about 15% below what the folks with Cummins ISC / ISL engines are reporting. We get low 7's to mid-6's depending on load and speed.

[BBBEEBOP]

We are happy with the 350 Cat on our 2005 40FD, gets us where we are going and we average about 7.5 mpg pulling an 04 Ford Explorer. Everyone wants more power but the Cat is sufficient for us.

[halo2]

Originally posted by MaverickBBD:
Mike, what year are you looking at? Most Vectras I am familiar with have the Cummins.

It's a 2006 Vectra 36'.
Thanks all for the info.
Mike

[DonGee]

There are those who never ever have enough power but I haven't heard anyone complain about the cat, only that they will not put them in future motor homes. "If it ain't a cat it's a dog"

[MrTransistor]

Hi Mike,

We now have almost 80,000 miles on our 40WD with the CAT C7. I couldn’t be happier with the CAT engine. The Freightliner coolant reservoir leaves a bit to be desired, but you’ll get one of them no mater which engine is installed.

As to mileage, seems like the bigger the engine, the better mileage at higher speeds compared to a smaller engine with your foot to the floor all the time. The smaller engine at lower speeds should provide better mileage. Our last trip was just over 5000 miles. With the cruse control set at 60 MPH we averaged 8.97 MPG. We are loaded up as full timers and have two motorcycles hanging off the back. I am very pleased with the mileage.

[Jeanne M.]

We have a 2005 Horizon with the 350hp Cat. We are more than satisfied with the power! We have a 7% grade we have to travel to get out of town and the Cat pulls us up at 55 mph or better. Even if someone else going slower than us gets in front of us, we can pass and still recover nicely! Our Southwind gasser was lucky to pull us up at 25 mph - I'd say we're happy!

[dstinch]

2006 journey here. All the above, good power,7-7.5 mpg. Love it. Don

[Norton]

I am very happy with the performance of our Cat 350. We recently left the Northwest and headed to Arizona for the winter and our fuel average was 8.95 mpg.