Hey all, I'm new here but I've been reading for about a year regarding these.
Ive been looking real seriously at lmtvs, diving into engine differences and operating concepts, different variation limitations and ideas of outfitting. Im not rich, but im selling both my houses and moving into an lmtv full time starting in the pnw in winter, so this is gonna be interesting.
It seems at this point that my best\most inexpensive option would be to find a m1079 with a box or a flatbed m1078 and drop a bumper pull trailer onto its deck (I've seen some awesome builds this way but not with an lmtv)
I have chosen to seek out the cat 3126 for its mid-point of mechanical ease (3116) and solenoid injectors (c7). The 3126 DOES have an ecu which means it can throw error codes, and it can be tuned up or down.
I have read VERY mixed statements about these trucks, all their engines, and everything that makes them tick and tock. The one truth that appears to stick through is that if youre not willing to be the one covered in oil and grease, crawling around and fixing your rig yourself, then these trucks are not for you. I just happen to be typing this with dirt on my hands and probably my face, so i feel like im okay there.
The 3126 and c7 share their HEUI injector design, and the high pressure oil pump actuation as well. Cat has released a fix it kit that eliminates the dreaded 'metal in the injector' problem and as far as ive read, that bulletproofs these engines. I have not read of faulty blocks cracking like some have said, but if it DID happen, a used 3126 is about 5-7k vs 10-12k for a used c7 (******?!). Most of us will not be driving these engines for 350-550k miles which is their projected life expectancy.
Im looking for opinions and suggestions. Im kind of rolling the dice on a pool with murky water and diving in headfirst with no swim trunks on here, mid life crisis style. Im competantly mechanical, will have a handful of spare presidents to burn, and im looking to hear from those who have spent enough time in\on\around these trucks to know whether they could commit to full time life in them. Design layouts, considerations and limitations. I need to get at least 9mpg avg when said and done which i feel rules out something bigger, and the only real plan is that if it all works out, I'll be debt free and able to reconfigure my life so that what i have now ill be buying outright next time around.
Thanks for reading and responding!
-hodor
Ive been looking real seriously at lmtvs, diving into engine differences and operating concepts, different variation limitations and ideas of outfitting. Im not rich, but im selling both my houses and moving into an lmtv full time starting in the pnw in winter, so this is gonna be interesting.
It seems at this point that my best\most inexpensive option would be to find a m1079 with a box or a flatbed m1078 and drop a bumper pull trailer onto its deck (I've seen some awesome builds this way but not with an lmtv)
I have chosen to seek out the cat 3126 for its mid-point of mechanical ease (3116) and solenoid injectors (c7). The 3126 DOES have an ecu which means it can throw error codes, and it can be tuned up or down.
I have read VERY mixed statements about these trucks, all their engines, and everything that makes them tick and tock. The one truth that appears to stick through is that if youre not willing to be the one covered in oil and grease, crawling around and fixing your rig yourself, then these trucks are not for you. I just happen to be typing this with dirt on my hands and probably my face, so i feel like im okay there.
The 3126 and c7 share their HEUI injector design, and the high pressure oil pump actuation as well. Cat has released a fix it kit that eliminates the dreaded 'metal in the injector' problem and as far as ive read, that bulletproofs these engines. I have not read of faulty blocks cracking like some have said, but if it DID happen, a used 3126 is about 5-7k vs 10-12k for a used c7 (******?!). Most of us will not be driving these engines for 350-550k miles which is their projected life expectancy.
Im looking for opinions and suggestions. Im kind of rolling the dice on a pool with murky water and diving in headfirst with no swim trunks on here, mid life crisis style. Im competantly mechanical, will have a handful of spare presidents to burn, and im looking to hear from those who have spent enough time in\on\around these trucks to know whether they could commit to full time life in them. Design layouts, considerations and limitations. I need to get at least 9mpg avg when said and done which i feel rules out something bigger, and the only real plan is that if it all works out, I'll be debt free and able to reconfigure my life so that what i have now ill be buying outright next time around.
Thanks for reading and responding!
-hodor
