350 HP ICE vs. 350 HP Diesel?
OK, newbie here and aspiring RV'er. What comments can be made about the advantages/disadvantages of a 350 HP internal combustion engine vs. a 350 HP diesel engine in a class A camper (assuming all oth...
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rgatijnet1 wrote:tempforce wrote:
one thing they forgot to mention above and in the test...
how long the engines will last and how much fuel each used to perform the test...
the diesel will usually last between 750,000 to 1 million miles before overhaul... the gas engine should last around 150,000 - 200,000 miles...
also the diesel engine will usually get 1/3 to double the mileage of the gas engine, with the same gearing/load ect.
Yep, I'm sure that Motor Trend could have modified the test so that the diesel performed better. Maybe change the gearing, load the gas coach more, etc. Since you brought up mileage, according to the test, the diesel got 18MPG max and the gas engine got 17mpg max. Not a huge difference, especially since diesel fuel costs more The OP asked for a comparison with all variables being equal. The Motor Trend test was pretty equal as to comparing the two different types of engines.
Yeah but some people don't like having their core beliefs challenged. HP is HP and you are stuck with what your engine puts out. Torque can be increased all day through gearing. It's just the way it is. The engine with more power (HP) is going to pull more weight faster (note, I didn't say vehicle, just engine).
I could take the engine out of our coach, install pedals under the steering wheel and enough gearing to deliver 2,000 lbs/ft of torque to the transmission. I could then pedal our 20,000 lbs coach right on up a 10% grade BUT I sure as heck wouldn't be going very fast.
