Having a motorhome or recreational vehicle can be necessary for people who enjoy going out on frequent trips. These motorhomes often include a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. To support these different features, having a heavy-duty engine is important. Cummins is a famous company that manufactures such engines, and two of their best engines are X15 and ISX15.
Cummins X15 vs ISX15
Cummins ISX15
The engine in your vehicle is one of the most important parts. This is because it is directly responsible for the performance of your motorhome. For this reason, the ISX15 model from Cummins is one of the best engines that you can get.
The equipment runs on diesel which ensures that you will get amazing mileage on your vehicle. The horsepower on this engine varies from 400hp to 600hp. It has a total torque of up to 1950 pounds, which means the user won’t have trouble driving around their vehicle, even with a high load.
Additionally, there are several variants for the product which you can choose from. While the overall build for them is the same, there are minor tweaks done on the engine to make sure they suffice different needs of the vehicles.
These engines are inline-6 diesel engines and are designed with the duel-fuel configuration. This means that the engine can be operated on natural gas as well as diesel. The engines are designed with the maximum peak torque of 2,050lb/ft, while the clutch engagement torque is around 1,000lb/ft.
Cummins ISX15 is designed with six cylinders, and with the 15-liter design, it will be easy to fill it with 14 gallons of diesel. Moreover, there are various components in this engine that help optimize the performance of the engine.
1. Cooled Recirculation
If you choose the ISX15 engine manufactured after 2002, the engine will have the EGR system. It is the exhaust gas recirculation system, and it promises recirculation within the engine to prevent overheating and keep the combustion temperature in check. In addition to keeping the temperature in check, it also helps reduce emissions and MPG.
2. Ventilation Systems
It comes with an advanced crankcase-based ventilation system, so you don’t need to worry about replacement. In particular, it can be replaced after three to four cycles of oil changes, promising better usability and operations.
3. Interbrake
Interbrake is the patent feature of Cummins, and it is designed to reach over 600 braking horsepower. It will help control the vehicle without compromising the integrity of the brakes. In addition, it will prevent the wearing and tearing of the brakes.
4. Dual Overhead Camshafts
The engine designed and manufactured before the year 2010 has a dual camshaft system. The first cam is designed to create a high pressure for the fuel injection to create clean power . The second cam is designed with lobes for operating the brakes. In addition, the second cam helps operate the exhaust valves and intake valves, promising complete combustion.
On the other hand, if the engine was designed after the year 2010, it will have a single camshaft system and rail fuel system that helps inject fuel with the help of piston pumps.
5. High-Pressure Injection Design & Filter
The engine is integrated with the high-pressure fuel pump system, which creates a streamlined and clean combustion phase. In addition, it is designed with a particulate filter which reduces the accumulation of particulate matter, promising seamless performance.
6. Integrated Controls
All the ISX15 engines designed and manufactured after 2010 depend on the ECM (integrated electronic controls), which helps control the engine’s after-treatment. It also syncs the interaction between the cooling fan, ABS, engine brake, and transmission to optimize the engine performance.
7. Cylinder Liners
The engine is designed with well-designed cylinder liners that help ensure a better flow of coolants. In addition, the engine doesn’t require frequent maintenance as it can operate for over 15,000 miles after every filter and oil change.
8. Turbocharger
The engine’s turbocharger is designed with a sliding nozzle that helps boost the reliability and durability of the engine . It is integrated with electric actuation that improves the control and response for adjustment. Moreover, the turbocharger also helps increase the RPM.
Aside from this, there are some issues as well. Most of these are related to the camshaft, which can prevent the flow of oil in your engine.
However, the company recommends that if your vehicle starts to run into these issues, you can easily get the camshaft replaced with a new one. In some cases, the user might even have to get their rockers replaced.
Cummins X15
The X15, in general, is considered to be the best engine that you can purchase for a motorhome or an RV. This is a direct upgrade from the previous ISX15 model. In addition, the company is still rolling out new versions of the X15 after every few years.
These are equipped with newer features and improved mileage. When comparing the two models, you will notice that Cummins X15 has a 20% fuel economy improvement. Aside from this, the camshaft problems that users had reported are fixed.
In addition, the cleaning intervals for your DPF system have been improved. The user is now able to push out their vehicle to 800,000 miles before requiring a cleanup. As far as the oil drainage is concerned, you should now be able to run your vehicle for about 50,000 miles.
Nonetheless, these values might differ depending on how you drive your vehicle. In addition, there are various new features in the engine.
1. VGT Turbocharger
The engine is designed with the VGT turbocharger, which promises the highest standards of durability and reliability. In addition, it promises a reasonable throttle response. It is integrated with the Xtra-high pressure fuel injection system, which promises 15% higher horsepower and 60% higher torque as compared to the previous models.
2. Diesel Features
The engine is designed with selective catalytic reduction, diesel particulate filter, and diesel oxidation catalyst, which makes it a reliable engine. For instance, it reduces emissions and helps keep the particulate matter at bay. The best thing about the filter is that it complies with the stage 5 emission regulations.
3. EGR
Cummins X15 is integrated with an advanced exhaust gas recirculation system which helps attain clean operations with high levels of output.
4. Connected Diagnostics
Cummins X15 is designed with connected diagnostics, which is a well-designed remote monitoring technology. It allows the users to connect the engine wirelessly with the system for quick analysis and suitable practices, whenever the engine generates a fault code.
5. Guidanz Technology
The engine is integrated with the Guidanz Technology that promises streamlined diagnosis to ensure on-time repairs. In addition, it inspects and analyzes all the components to speed up the automated repair process.
6. Engine Customization Technology
X15 is designed with an OTA (over the air) engine customization system, which allows the users to upgrade the calibration of the engine instantly. In simpler words, the users won’t have to take the motorhome to the dealer to upgrade the configuration, leading to higher productivity and low downtime.
7. Ease Operations
The X15 engine from the Efficiency series is integrated with the ADEPT features and EX ratings to ensure reliable transmission. The EX ratings promise advanced optimization of the powertrain to enhance the system performance.
8. SmartTorque2
Commonly known as ST2, it is designed to offer a higher torque rate, which helps increase the RPM from 1150 RPM to 1240 RPM. In addition, this torque technology improves the fuel economy and offers optimal communication to ensure that drivers can optimally operate the vehicle.
It can automatically sense the operating gear, grade, and weight of the vehicle to automatically choose the right torque. For this reason, it can be used for driving up the fills and merging on busy highways without overheating.
The Bottom Line
On a concluding note, Cummins X15 is an advanced engine with better RPM and fuel economy. In addition, it doesn’t have the rockers and camshaft issues, which means it takes the lead on Cummins ISX15.
