Automatic transmissions usually don't give the best/better gas mileage therefore the practicality of looking at manual transmission as well as some of the latest developments in "automatic" manual transmissions for better mileage is an option? YES or NO??

I can't believe you would ever recover in fuel savings the very high cost of retrofiting an old motorhome to a manual, and forget it on a diesel pusher!

Given the advantage of overdrive and the need of wide ratio spread in a heavy RV, the available wide-ratio overdrive transmissions are very few.

Additionally, manual transmissions lack a torque converter. Anyone who has driven the old 4 spd hydramatic (which had a fluid coupling) and a THM400 which had only three speeds with a TQ has seen first-hand the advantage of a TQ.

A manual trans would be good if it had enough ratios, but I question the ability of many RV drivers to operate one. Heck, I have marveled (while waiting) at the ability of many to fill their fuel tanks or dump their other tanks.

Pop Quiz!! Where did we last see a Barth motorhome with a manual trans?
Hint- It was a floor shifter.

I'm remembering at least two. Both diesel pullers. One had a Cummins 555 engine and the other was on a Hendricks or Pierce chassis.

bill's memory is better than mine, because I don't remember either of these, but I'm pretty sure I remember another one.

quote:

Originally posted by Danny Z:
...but I'm pretty sure I remember another one.

This one Danny? 1984 Euro - Standard Shift - 25' w an 8.2L Detroit







I also believe that one of the IVECO Diesel Barths had a manual shifter in it too.

quote:

Originally posted by Danny Z:
bill's memory is better than mine,

No memory here. I don't think I ever looked at that one.

I did a conversion of a Greyhound 4501 Scenicruiser with a Detroit 8V71 and I took the 4 speed trans out and replaced it with a Road Ranger 10 speed. I used an air shifter set up from a garbage truck.

It worked very well and then being a young foolish man thought it was the greatest!!

Hmmmmm, many years later, that 6 speed Allison with a lock up torque converter sure it nice!!!

On the subject of mileage, I don't think over all there would be any improvement in mileage going with a manual trans vs. the 5-6 speed with a lock up torque converter. Vs. the 4 speed autos maybe a bit, but certainly not enough to pay for the conversion over the useful life of the coach.

BillNY gets the prize, even though I had forgotten the Euro. I was thinking of the Iveco when I posted the question. Now we know it's not the only one.

I'd pay money to see them pop a wheely in that!