Which engine is best and less hassle for 3500kg moho?

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Cemmy074

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Jun 12, 2022
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Blackburn, UK
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89,224
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Still looking moho but most private seller asking more than dealer price. And I just confused with new engines. 2.2-2.3-3.0 fiats, merc 2.1 and 2.2-2.4 transit, my old one had 2.8jtd... I don't want to suffer with pulling and don't want endless problem and not good mechanics around me. Any feedback will help. Thank you
 
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The belt on the 2.3 very rarely fails. You've just got to pay to service it every 5 years. The 2.3 is a pretty reliable engine. The faults are mainly the airbag control unit, which seems to fail if the cab battery gets low (I assume the 3.0 would be the same).

Probably not many 3.5t vans with the old 3.0 in it.

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I have the new Fiat 2.2l 140 HP mated to the 9 speed auto and love driving it. Quite a different engine than the previous 2.3l. I have had no problems on hills with my 3500kg van but have yet to tackle anything steeper than 20%. Chains seem to be going out of fashion with most engine manufacturers, I just get the belt changed at the recommended intervals. Some people don’t like AdBlue but the alternative large EGR systems used by some manufacturers until 2019 had problems too.
 
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I think you need to look at the whole motorhome together there's little point having the most reliable engine if there's loads of damp in the body or it's a totally unsuitable layout. If private sellers are asking more than dealers it could be prices are reducing and they are slower to react but the answer is simple if that's the case consider delaying and buy from a dealer!
 
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The Wino said:
I think you need to look at the whole motorhome together there's little point having the most reliable engine if there's loads of damp in the body or it's a totally unsuitable layout. If private sellers are asking more than dealers it could be prices are reducing and they are slower to react but the answer is simple if that's the case consider delaying and buy from a dealer!
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I think you'd have to be pretty brain dead to buy a damp one with a layout you hate, just because the engine is good 😆
 
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Richard n Ann said:
I think you'd have to be pretty brain dead to buy a damp one with a layout you hate, just because the engine is good 😆
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Agreed although there does seem to frequently people who think there are magic makes or models of motorhomes that can be decades old and none of them ever have problems

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Our 3500kgs Autocruise is Peugeot Boxer based with the 2.2 cam chain motor. We have driven around the Picos, the Sierra Nevada and the Pyrenees and not had a problem performance-wise.
 
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icantremember said:
As others have posted, you will have a job to beat the 3.0l .. cam chain,no ad blue and pulls like a train with similar mpg to any others.
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Is it common to find that unit on a van plated at 3,500 kg?
 
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The least technologically the better for me. I wouldn’t consider a Ford Tdci puma engine having had one before. Horrible thing. I prefer a cambelt every 5years rather than cheap manufacture.
 
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Not much between them these days but I would avoid Transits with the wet belt been a lot of problems.
Fiat discontinued the 3lt with a chain in 2016.

The new Fiat 2.2 is a nice engine quiet and smooth, we have the 180 with 9 speed auto, love it. Totally different engine to the old 2.3Lt.
 
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We have a 2019 Burstner 2.3 150 hp comformatic, up plated to 4500 kg and run pretty close to it pulls well reasonable mpg never going to be a greyhound.
 
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Stoosal said:
I would def go for a euro 6 engine. As emissions law tightens, more and more areas will not allow non compliant engines in or charge them large sums for acess.
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Only in rip off Britain! France and Germany around €5 for the lifetime of the windscreen, then again who’d want to stay in this country purposely paying lez levy’s
 
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WESTY66 said:
Only in rip off Britain! France and Germany around €5 for the lifetime of the windscreen, then again who’d want to stay in this country purposely paying lez levy’s
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….at the moment, only at the moment! All they need to do is change their legislation.
 
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Stoosal said:
I would def go for a euro 6 engine. As emissions law tightens, more and more areas will not allow non compliant engines in or charge them large sums for acess.
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I had some problems routing my way across France to Dieppe from Switzerland last week avoiding both toll roads and emissions zones. Fortunately my Garmin Camper SatNav was up to the task and asked me did I want to avoid them which, being in a 2007 van, I did. it told me that it was impossible to avoid EMZs in the outskirts of Paris but could route me via Rheims. So I chose that option. The route was a stop/start torture and quite unpleasant. So I would most definitely appreciate a Euro 6 engine but have no plans to shell out the significant sums for me to upgrade atm.

P.S. For anybody else with the same dilemma (but with a Swiss vignette which is the only bit of road paying I do) I will in future take the toll free German motorway from Basel to North of Strasbourg (or just maybe the toll free bit of the French A35) then cut across to Luxembourg then dive across from somewhere south of Charleroi in Belgium to Dieppe. Looks like a long way round but the roads will be toll free, speedy and free of emissions zones.

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Lenny HB said:
Not much between them these days but I would avoid Transits with the wet belt been a lot of problems.
Fiat discontinued the 3lt with a chain in 2016.

The new Fiat 2.2 is a nice engine quiet and smooth, we have the 180 with 9 speed auto, love it. Totally different engine to the old 2.3Lt.
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Bit of a sweeping comment Lenny, Our MK8 Tranny hasn't missed a beat in nearly 5 years. Secret is to get Ford to service them every year rather than every two and Ford have now changed the belt life specs so they're changed earlier. They also changed the oil specs June 2021 for vans built after that. It's now 5W - 30 rather than the 0W - 30 I have in mine.

The 140 Fiat is naff, Ok I suppose in a 3500kg but you'd need the 9 speed on it if you planned on towing, as you say the 180 9 speed is the way to go but not everyone can afford the near on extra £7 grand to have the two.

I have a feeling though that the OP is looking at something a little older. That for me would mean looking for an MJII 150, I'd not go near a Puma powered moho.

I'm looking forward to trying both the new 8 speeds.
 
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Guigsy said:
The belt on the 2.3 very rarely fails. You've just got to pay to service it every 5 years. The 2.3 is a pretty reliable engine. The faults are mainly the airbag control unit, which seems to fail if the cab battery gets low (I assume the 3.0 would be the same).

Probably not many 3.5t vans with the old 3.0 in it.
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i thought 2.2 belt 2.3 is chain drive
 
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My Google navigation said the route it had planned through France last month included an emission zone. I just selected OK so the warning went away 👍 I've got the sticker in the windscreen (forgot what it's called now, yellow No. 2 🤔)
 
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The Wino said:
I think you need to look at the whole motorhome together there's little point having the most reliable engine if there's loads of damp in the body or it's a totally unsuitable layout. If private sellers are asking more than dealers it could be prices are reducing and they are slower to react but the answer is simple if that's the case consider delaying and buy from a dealer!
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i ll go for dealer ,when i asked to private seller for hab check they always giving some excuse , and to be honest going to dealer looks like cheaper than private sellers ,, and after all thinking it has only 2 layout type left on list and one is ford engine other is fiat.. fiat sitting position higher than fords and but 90% use ducato engine,, just lately i saw many ford engine moho for sale ,, just wanted to know ppls ideas ,, tnx
 
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