Front Engine Diesel

[rawyllie]

I am looking at buying my first RV. It will be used. I looking at Newmar. I just seen for the first time a Newmar with a front end diesel. It looks to be reasonable as far as price.

Can anyone give me the pro's and con's on this particular rig. I thank you in advance .This web site has been extremely helpful. I am looking forward to my new adventure .

With your help I hope I will not start out by dropping the Ball.

Signed, overwhelmed in Dallas

[wolfe10]

Welcome to FMCA and the FMCA Forum.

Here is an earlier thead on just that subject-- a good place to start: http://community.fmca.com/topic/966-front-end-diesel-vs-pusher/?hl=%2Bfront+%2Bengine#entry4717

[Howde]

rawyllie,

We have a Tiffin Allegro Bay FRED (front engine diesel) and love it. This is our 2nd year with it. Our first motorhome was a 32 ft gasser. We found the FRED so much smoother of a ride, quieter, and comfortable. My husband loves it; he does the driving. We have no affect from truckers passing us as we did on the gasser.

Some of the negatives you will hear on a FRED are noisier in the cab, and heat from the engine. We haven't found any of these problems. We can carry on a discussion much easier in our FRED over the gasser. If you feel heat from the engine, you can have it insulated as many other FRED owners have done.

If your chasis is a Freightliner, they have a 2 day class for FREDs. We took it last year and found it very informative. There were about a dozen FRED owners from a variety of RV makers. Everyone loved their FRED. Freightliner also will service your RV while there.

[danshan432]

When we were looking to buy we had a salesman tell to rent first before we thought of buying and make sure RVing was for us. We rented and I started researching. I looked at every FRED I could find and the floor plans is what turned us against them. I still think manufactures should make a FRED option on their gas A's. We put a list of what we wanted and then searched the floor plans. Out of all the plans we decided on the Vista 35F because of the layout. It also came with a bath and a half. Because the smaller units did not come with a stacked washer dryer we chose the Vista and were lucky the dealer had an extremely good carpenter. They removed the 1/2 bath interior and installed the stacked unit plus put in shelving to take up the rest of the room. I still wish they would make the smaller RV's they have with a gas engine and put the FRED in them. We had to make take some of our want list off to get what we felt was necessary. Our gas has done good in the rocky's and Mojavie. If manufactures start to understand the FRED is the better choice for the smaller A maybe we will be able to go to the VIsta floor plan with a FRED.

[ralph0808]

Danshan432,

I know this is off topic but who was the dealer for the 35f and remodel with stacked w/d?

Thanks

Ralph

[hermanmullins]

rawylie,

As Brett said, Welcome to the Forum.

I live in the DFW area, and if I may help you send me a Personnal Message.

Herman