LX vs LXi

[David Brady]

The LX has a 247" wheelbase versus the LXi's 259" wheelbase.

Check out http://www.vintagebirds.com/ for additional specs and

differences between the LX and LXi. I think Pete pretty much

summed it up. I might add:



LX: Fresh water: 108 gal, black 75, gray 75; 12R22.5 tires;

175 gal fuel tank; GVWR 48600 lb; 200 Amp alternator;

12.5 KW generator; 3 basement doors per side.



LXi: Fresh water: 120 gal, black 80, gray 90; 315/80/22.5 tires;

300 gal fuel tank; GVWR 52200 lb; 300 Amp alternator;

15 KW generator; 4 basement doors per side; shore power cord

auto spooler.





The interior appointments are a world apart.



David Brady

'02 LXi, NC



Pete Masterson wrote:

Looking at the photos I've seen of the various LX and LXi units,
they appear to be variations of the same chassis. The length difference
all appears to be behind the rear axle, although that may be an optical
illusion as I've never seen a longer and shorter coach side by side. (I
can assure you that the extra rear overhang of the longer units is not
without some annoyances when encountering driveway dips, etc.) I
suppose somewhere you might find specifications that list the wheel
base of the various models.

The specifications given on the Vintage Birds site, describes
near-identical running gear for the different models -- but the GVWR
differences would suggest slightly different components in the axles,
etc. The one earlier model, the BMC that used a different chassis, had
a lot of family resemblance but is still fairly obviously not the same
chassis as the 'regular' Wanderlodges built in the same years. The 40,
41, and 43' LX and LXi appear to be near identical in every visible way
in the exterior views, so it appears that the chassis is the same. The
primary difference in the resale value would appear to be related to
the slightly lower hp engine and value difference of the variations in
fittings.

The "missing" 50 hp in the Cummins engine might be noticeable,
but not critical to the use and enjoyment of the coach. (Indeed, my '95
has a 470 hp DD S-60 and there have been times that I'd sure like to
have the 30 extra hp the DD S-60 in the '96 had ...). Other than that,
Cummins makes well regarded engines used in a wide variety of heavy
equipment.

Indeed, I recently read a report that stated that DD, owned by
Daimler (of Germany) will, in the future, only be used in Daimler
produced products. Daimler owns Freightliner (trucks and RV chassis),
Orion Bus (transit busses), Setra (highway busses), Sterling (trucks),
Thomas (school bus), Western Star Trucks, and Mitsubishi Fuso (outside
the US). They will continue to provide service to existing DD engines
no matter what installation they may have.

Anyway, I would not be adverse to having a Cummins engine
powered vehicle. DD, Cat, and Cummins are (and have been) very
competitive heavy equipment engine manufacturers for many years. Over
time, one or another has on top, but all have been competitive. I note
that the 2009 Wanderlodge uses a Cummins 600 hp ISX engine. The only
downside to the Cummins engine WLs is that there are very few of them
so finding list-members with direct experience might prove difficult.
(But the manysimilaritiesfrom model to model and year to year
will still make the online list/forum beneficial.)

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Apr 10, 2008, at 5:52 PM, tumble_weed_ft wrote:

Pete:

Thanks. Great information. Does the LX have the same chassis
and

steel siding / roofing as prior Wanderlodges and the LXi?
Other than

the lower horsepower, is the Cummins engine considered
inferior to

the DD?

Dave

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