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97 Magna

Yahoo Message Number: 57474
Hello all,

Don here in Montana. I am looking at a '97 CC Magna. It has a Detroit Diesel 330 HP.
What kind of mileage can we expect? The engine has 100K and idles at 50lbs warm. Seems to fire right up. Gen-set has 3500 hrs and must have been run all 100K? Weird! Previous owners must not have known about the inverter? What inverter brand do you all recommend?
The gas struts are all weak...is there a salvage co. that has these?

Thanks for any help. Don

Re: '97 Magna

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 57476
Have a 97' Magna with the same engine. Note you have a Gillig Chassis, a big plus. Very nice road rig. That unit has a higher rear end ratio because of the engine. Shifts into 6th just about 60. Milage depends on how you tow. The best we have gotten, with a heavy 22' trailer, is 8.5, but our engine only has 41000 and not broken in. Plus the timing was way off. 50 lbs. is normal and what ours reads. Go new with the struts, Camping World and on-line for good prices. Suspect the inverter died long ago and gen ran in it's place. A good inverter is around $2000 or more, but cheaper then a new power plant. Xantrex is a good brand. A very nice RV. Ours had been setting for 3 or 4 years and required a summer to get all the systems up and running, but I learned my coach. Make sure you have two manuals, the chassis and the one from Country Coach that shows wiring etc. They are priceless.

You didn't mention price, but be sure you leave plenty of room for possible new tires, batteries, inverter, brake checks, etc. One can sink in another $10 g. real easy. Does it have a slide?

Leonard Kerns

97' Magna
5418

Re: '97 Magna

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 57483
Hi Leonard, Thanks for the reply. On this coach there is a heating or cooling unit above the head of the bed. There is also a unit below the bed at the foot.

What are these?

On your coach is there a thermostat to handle the 2 furnaces and the 2 air conditioners?

Does yours have a rear air conditioner off the main engine? What kind of control for the rear air?

Thanks a bunch, Don

Quote from: Leonard Kerns\[br\
] > > Have a 97' Magna with the same engine. Note you have a Gillig Chassis,
a big plus. Very nice road rig. That unit has a higher rear end ratio because of the engine. Shifts into 6th just about 60. Milage depends on how you tow. The best we have gotten, with a heavy 22' trailer, is 8.5, but our engine only has 41000 and not broken in. Plus the timing was way off. 50 lbs. is normal and what ours reads. Go new with the struts, Camping World and on-line for good prices. Suspect the inverter died long ago and gen ran in it's place. A good inverter is around $2000 or more, but cheaper then a new power plant. Xantrex is a good brand. A very nice RV. Ours had been setting for 3 or 4 years and required a summer to get all the systems up and running, but I learned my coach.
Make sure you have two manuals, the chassis and the one from Country Coach that shows wiring etc. They are priceless.

Quote
>

You didn't mention price, but be sure you leave plenty of room for
possible new tires, batteries, inverter, brake checks, etc. One can sink in another $10 g. real easy. Does it have a slide?

Quote
>

Leonard Kerns

97' Magna
5418

Re: '97 Magna

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 57484
Hi Don,

I own a 96/97 Magna with 115k and it runs great. Give me a call and I can give you the info on the gas struts for the doors. I bought mine at campreland in houston. The numbers are different from the orignals but they work great. 281 787 3016.

Lonny

Coach# 5369

Quote from: don_orla2010
>

Hello all,

Don here in Montana. I am looking at a '97 CC Magna. It has a Detroit
Diesel 330 HP.

Quote
What kind of mileage can we expect? The engine has 100K and idles at
50lbs warm. Seems to fire right up. Gen-set has 3500 hrs and must have been run all 100K? Weird! Previous owners must not have known about the inverter?

Re: '97 Magna

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 57485
Hello,

The engine is a 330 HP Series 40. It is a 4 cycle and the 92 Series is a 2 cycle.
The coach is on a Gillig chassis.

I have been asking some dumb questions only because I have not taken ownership due to a slow closing of some property in SD. I can't take the unit apart yet to find out what works and what doesn't. I will be buying new tires (drivers Toyo) and installing 4 solar panels, a new headliner, and carpet. The list goes on but I feel it will be worth it when we finally hit the road.
The gen-set has 3500 hours and for a small engine that is a bunch. I might be in the market for a newer gen-set. This will be our last coach. People have been fantastic with answers and I hope I will be able to pay back on fiberglass and paint problems. Thanks again, Don

Re: '97 Magna

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 57493
The one above the bed is the over the road air. It runs off the engine A/C compressor along with the dash air. The one on the floor is the Wabasco hot water heating system. Yes on the thermostat, above the door. The original is a 4 button superseded by a newer 5 button unit. To update requires the thermostat and updated control boards for each A/C heat pump unit.

The control for rear air is in the bedroom, mainly fan speeds. The on/off is controlled on the dash.

The on floor heat is divided in three zones, bathroom/bedroom, kitchen area and front dash area. One good thing about CC, all parts are normal parts that can be found with dedicated on-line searching.

Leonard

97' Magna 5418

Re: '97 Magna

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 57494
Don't get all the same. Different doors require different pressure units. Check the old.

Leonard
97' Magna

Re: '97 Magna

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 57515
Leonard,

You are a wealth of info. If we cross paths I owe you a steak dinner of montana beef. You answered all I need to know for now. I don't remember controls for the rear air but I will look again. Were the Wabasco units standard on the Magna's? Hope it is there. At the floor there is a approx. 20" x 20" box....will check it out.
I will update all circuit boards and I am sure it needs a new thermostat.
I don't have manuals. I can get one from Gillig like I did on my present coach. The CC manual I might be out of luck.
I wonder how the ceiling panels come down. It has faux and is stained. I want to glue in a white vinyl that is cleanable. The wife has carpet picked out at Costco so remodel should go fast if the mech. checks out.
We will be dry camping mostly and I will install some solar panels. A guy just sent me the formula for the batteries to panels. thanks again for all your help, Don
 

Re: '97 Magna

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 57520
Ours came with 4 solar panels, have not been impressed so far. We purchased a small 2000 Honda Generator for the last coach. It supports this coach's needs and changes the batteries and runs all day on a fill. We like to camp in the shade when we can dry camping, our favorite camping, so solar panels are not the best solution in our area, neither is wind an option. The little Honda fills the bill very nicely. Very quite.

The best steak I have every had was in South Dakota when we visited Mt. Rushmore. Love to try Montana beef. VBG

I'm not sure about what was standard for heaters. Could have two gas furnace. Good luck on checking it out. I could not have survive without the CC manuals.

Leonard

97 Magan 5418