I have a solution. This is a controversial solution, and therefore not everyone will do it.
There are those that will post EPA stories of people being fined. There are those that will talk about warranty issues or other legal issues. For those that are too concerned about those things, I strongly suggest that you do not proceed with the solution I am talking about.
For those that are sick of the threat of being stranded, and the loss of performance for a vehicle that you purchased and paid good money for, I present to you a complete solution.
Yes, you are at risk for voiding your warranty, but only if you do something stupid. Done properly, no one can tell what was done.
The process involves tuning your ECM/ECU to remove the SCR/EGR/DPF profile settings. There are *many* ways to do this. There are several programmers on the market to for the DYI, which is the route I am most familiar with. There is also the Delete as a service (or online) method, such as this site:
Cummins ISX DEF SCR EGR DPF delete | ECM TuneUPs
You will need to backup your settings before you apply the new tune. This backup is very important as you will restore this before you take your RV to cummins, freightliner, spartan, etc. Anyone that is going to plug into your ECM will potentially see the modified program, so you do not want it to be seen. Always restore before taking it in.
This is a 5 minute job, and involves a laptop, a connection cable, and software.
Performance tuners are not new. They have been used on Dodge/Jeep/Chevrolet/Ford/Ram/BMW/Toyota, etc for years. All performance tunes backup the settings and tell you to restore before going to the dealer.
After the software is installed, you then remove all SCR/EGR/DPF/DEF cables--leaving the sensors in place. Finally, you need to reroute the exhaust around the first filter, and out a new muffler. This is a key part to being able to go back to original. You want to ensure that if you have a problem on the side of the road, you can easily restore your RV to the factory original settings and exhaust flow.
WIth the DPF filter bypassed, you will want to plug the ends, as most of the time this is just going to be hanging around doing nothing at all. You don't want birds building nests in there.
Finally, drain your DEF tank, and store it bone dry. If you need to take it into cummins, you can worry about grabbing some and putting in fresh DEF before you take it in.
I know have several coaches running in this configuration, under factory warranty. Although I have not done this personally, I am now convinced that this is a solid plan and will be keeping this in mind for the future.
Don't forget--if this offends you, or scares you in any way, it is very simple to just not make any changes and keep driving your RV the way it is.
