Diesel or Gas?

[PDGotro]

We are beginning our research to purchase a motorhome - Class A or Class C - diesel or gas! Interested in opinions from experienced owners on advantages and/or disadvantages of gas and/or diesel - we travel in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Carolinas, etc with a GMC truck (gas) pulling a 27ft fifth wheel. Also, interested in opinions of the Winnebago/Itasca and/or Fleetwoods...We also, have been reading in the "blog" section about diesel or gas - great info there! Thanks!!

[bizsmith@yahoo.com]

Personal opinion: diesel pusher is quieter and I like the flat floor in the front, dislike the front entry prevalent in pushers. It all boils down to personal preference.

[hermanmullins]

PDGoto,

Welcome to the Forum. If you haven't joined FMCA please do.

You will meet many wonderful new friends and have a blast. bizsmith has a point about the front entry. Its not ab problem for us but if that might bother you there are several manufactures that make mid-entry coaches.

As bizs. said a pusher is much quieter then a FRED or gas coach. FRont Engine Diesel. We are on our third coach, the last two being DP. Loved everyone of them.

Again Welcome and will be looking for you on the Road.

Herman

[Guest BillAdams]

If you consider the overall usage of your RV, the least amount of time you will use it is driving down the road. I travel full time on business and while I rarely stay anywhere longer than about a week, the average number of driving days for me has only been about 60 days per year. I live in the coach 365 days. Now, what do you think is more important to be the engine/ride or how I am able to with comfortably with the floor plan and amenities inside the coach.

So, in a sort of round-about way I am trying to say that you need to make the choice of your coach based on the floor plan and the coach standard and accessory options. This is almost always lead you to the engine type by default.

[Koliver]

IMHO, it is all a matter of weight. If you want to have all the amenities, your weight will be more than a gas engine can comfortably handle and you will have a Diesel. If all you want can be accommodated in a coach weighing much less than 20,000 lb, gas is what you will get. It is only in that narrow weight range between where the smallest diesels come into the market and the largest gas top out, that a choice can be made. There the factors such as flat floor, engine noise, type of fuel, reliability, longevity, will come into play. For me, the smaller coaches were out, so there was never a choice of gas. Having an engine that will need its first major overhaul when I am 140 yrs old (at present usage rates) is comforting.

[campcop]

WE previously had a 33' 5th wheel and 3500 D/A Silverado. WE wanted to get something similar in size, not over 35'. WE looked at DPs and gas both, most DPs were 40' or better. We looked at both the 30 and 35' Winnebago Vistas and really liked the floor plan of the 35F. WE also did not want to spend a lot of $$... the Vista fit nicely in the amount we wanted to spend. So besides floorplan and length, $$ will be a consideration as well.

WE travel several months out of the year, generally about 5-6k total. I admit it took some getting used to to hear the gas engine working compared to the diesel truck I had but the cost of operation is about the same for us. I know the big DPs get better fuel economy but we did not want to spend the extra $$. If we were to live fulltime again, then we might consider a DP..

[five]

Money is an important consideration. The gassers are cheaper and, normally, smaller. The diesel is much more powerful, and since it's in the rear (on most), quieter, more fuel efficient which makes a much more pleasant driving experience, and can haul a larger rig/toad. As an example the tow rating on my DP is 15,000 lbs. Figure out what you want to spend and go from there, that may help you decide which to get.

[wolfe10]

Actually, it is a little more complex than that.

When we bought our coach, for exactly the same price, we could have purchased a new high-end gas coach, entry level diesel or used high-end diesel.

We chose a used high end diesel. We have put 135,000+ miles on it-- virtually trouble-free.

No right or wrong answers here-- decide what best fits YOUR needs.

[Guest BillAdams]

I will only reiterate that you need to buy a coach with a floor plan that fits your needs. A DP you hate is not going to be as good of an experience as a gasser that you love (an vice versa).

[andyshane]

We've just wrapped up our first year in our first rig. It's been a learning experience, for sure!

Some lessons learned that might help guide you:

• Experienced owners agree that gas is better suited to infrequent use, diesel is best for an RV that drives regularly
  
• A diesel pusher is quieter when driving because the engine is not up front, between the two seats
  
• Contrary to intuition, having the engine in the back makes for better stability, eg passing trucks generally don't sway diesel rigs, while some gassers will exit the lane when a large truck passes them
  
• Diesel reliability is enhanced by diligent filter changes
  
• Diesel engine longevity is much better than gas engines; but, maintenance on diesels, when it's needed, is more expensive
  
• In general terms, a gas engine is performing nearer to its rated capacity doing RV duty. In diesel pushers, the engine is often performing a fraction of the work it was engineered to do, eg long-haul trucking
  

We have a 2005 Fleetwood Excursion 39S with 95,000 miles. It runs like a watch, travels down the highway as if on rails. We bought it from friends, who put 15,000 miles on the rig in a single long trip. Aside from vinyl-clad cabinet framework and Hehr windows that fog at the five-year point, I've found the craftsmanship to be on par with much more expensive rigs. The biggest layout shortcoming is a "pinch point" at the top of the entry steps. This rig has the Spartan MM chassis; both Spartan and Fleetwood reps have been helpful when needed.

By the way, the friends who'd sold us this RV and upgraded to a Newell disliked their new bus so much they sold it and now own a 2003 Fleetwood Discovery.

It's no secret that the market is in a slump, you should be able to purchase a good rig for close to wholesale throughout 2012.

Best of luck!

[tajfish]

Greetings,

I have enjoyed camping in many shapes over the years starting as a young lad born in '50 with parents that liked to go camping. I have been RVing in a motor home for the last 20 years. My first real Motor Home was a borrowed Dodge powered gas class A. I then bought a class A Fleetwood Pace Arrow 26 footer. We enjoyed that for many years. It got about 8 mpg with a 454 cu in gas engine and was just right for the time. We liked Fleetwood and their response to our questions and parts support so well that when we bought our existing RV we looked for another Fleetwood product. We have been in our 2003 Fleetwood Discovery now for a little over 4 years. It is a diesel and gets about 8 mpg.

We like the feel of the diesel pusher much better traveling the mountains and the flats. When kept properly serviced the DP (diesel Pusher) is a pleasure to drive and just has that feeling of not having to work hard at all to move the weight of a 38' Motor Coach and all the "stuff" we deem necessary to be comfortable on our trips now. The diesel does seem to be more expensive to properly maintain but it may be because of the way it is accomplished, ie we only change the oil every 11000 miles but it takes 26 quarts of oil when we do. I do most of the repairs and maint. myself. I belong to the Discovery forums and there is always someone that had the same issue and can walk you through the steps. My advise would be if your going on long trips and are in this for the long haul (time wise) I would go diesel. Short trips to the lake etc maybe gas would be cheaper to get into.

Main thing is to remember two things;

Spend some time learning about your rig and how to maintain it and, regard it as a hobby so you enjoy maintaining it.

Get out there and enjoy the country and its beauty..take time now. There is a great diversity in the landscapes of our USA. RVing is a great way to enjoy them.

God bless and safe roads to you....

[Briarhopper]

Large part depends on what you like and want like Bill said.

A diesel will likely outperform a gas coach of the same size and be cheaper to operate but generally cost more to purchase, which can be offset by going used as Brett mentioned.

Class A or C is just the basic configuration. The technical difference is whether or not it has a bed over the cab, but due to the chassis C’s have driver and passenger doors. If you're thinking big, a Super C like one on a Freightliner Columbia chassis has a more accessible engine which may help on service cost as many places charge more for working on Class A motor homes due to the engine access on many is crawl under it or go thru the cab or bed. Not a huge point, but a point.

Between Fleetwood and Winnebago, I have looked at both but owned neither. Have spoke to Winnebago on the phone when considering buying one and they were helpful. Whatever brand you may be looking at, call the maker and ask some questions. Look at older coaches of prospective brands and see how they hold up.

Best approach I think would be to treat it just like buying a house. Look for the house first and then just make sure the truck (chassis) it’s sitting on is plenty big enough to put the house where you want it safely and tow whatever garage stuff you need or want. On that note, big coach does not always mean big tow capability. If you plan to tow something make sure the tow capability is adequate. You can make a lot of improvements to your new home, but not likely you can change the capabilities of the chassis very much.

Happy hunting.