Can you put a more fuel efficient engine into a 1 ton RV van?
by admin on Monday, December 13th, 2010 | 4 Comments
It’s a ’76 dually with a Dodge engine; the RV part is MINT and the price is great. This RV new is $95,000, it’s all fibergass and will last forever, so the back can be refurbished on and on. It’s not an aluminum POS with a rubber roof.
If I got a newer engine from the junk yard would that be prohibitive?
from previous experience, put a 2.2L 4 cylinder in it,
it all depends on the size of the new engine.
if the engine is bad buy a short block. not an engine from the junk yard…. you wont know what your are getting until you do all the work of installing it.. dont change engine types.. the engine that the van came with has been chosen with weight of the vechicle and a ease of going down the road.. to get better mileage just dont go as fast that is the only wayl
Nothing will make a vehicle like that very efficient. Its heavy and not aerodynamic. You could do some custom work and stick a diesel in there but the cost of doing that would probably cost more than the gas you will ever save.
A 2.2 L 4 cylinder wouldn’t even be able to move something that heavy. Too small an engine can kill your mileage because it has to work so hard.
Chrysler-Dodge offers, guaranteed, “in the crate”, brand-spanking-new engines to build or rebuild any of it’s vehicles. These new engines will offer the best mileage for their price, compared with a junkyard piece. You may also consider a new or re manufactured transmission. Fuel efficiency is a combination of both, engine and transmission. Going this way may cost you a little bit more initially, but it will save you a lot (fuel, repairs, time stranded on the highway) in the long run, specially if you plan to keep your RV for several years.