Brother in Law wants to not get in financial trouble

i think you BIL is wise, assuming he is planning to pay cash.

Mondooker wrote:
First thing we did was limit the search to gassers as they are much less expensive to maintain.
What do you guys think?

Diesels are not more to maintain, they cost more to buy because they are better at the job than a gasser.

RV's, in general, are black holes for your money. They cost to maintain, they don't appreciate, and you can buy a lot of motel rooms for $200k. Real Estate is a much better place for one's money. Yet we still buy RV's. Go figure. lol

Tom/Barb wrote:

Mondooker wrote:
First thing we did was limit the search to gassers as they are much less expensive to maintain.
What do you guys think?

Diesels are not more to maintain, they cost more to buy because they are better at the job than a gasser.

Diesel engines also last longer without any major mechanical problems compared to a gas engine. If your plan to RV for 5 or more, the Diesel engine will serve youi better. If you plan on RVing for only a couple of years and then sell your RV then going with a less expensive Gas engine might more sense. Most people I RV with get better diesel milage compared to the gas rig. Diesel will also make step mountains easier on you and your engine.

If losing $80,000 will cramp his style he is best to pass on the RV thing.

time2roll wrote:
If losing $80,000 will cramp his style he is best to pass on the RV thing.

Outstanding answer.
Rving is costly, no doubt about it. No one on this planet can say for certain, that a gas coach or a diesel coach is NOT gonna cost something in the near or, far future. These rolling Kleenex boxes are man made and, ANYTHING man made can and often does, BREAK.

1. Yes, the diesels will cost more up front, based on all factors being equal, year/type etc.
2. Yes, they are a bit costlier when it comes to maintenance due to a lot of factors.
3. Yes, they not only are more heavy duty, which means they perform the task at hand, towing, hauling, braking, handling and more with more ease than a gasser, but, in most cases it's at a more comfy ride too.


4. Most gassers are cheaper, based on again, a give year/make/model etc. vs a similar year diesel.
5. Most gassers are at least somewhat, cheaper to maintain. The average air cleaner for an F-53 Ford, V-10 chassis is around what, maybe $10-$30 or so. Ours is $135.00.

6. Most diesel coaches, have at least one of two different types of auxiliary brakes. Either an Exhaust brake or a Compression brake. Both are extremely helpful in grade braking and, prolonging the life of the service brakes to upwards of around 150K - 175K miles or more. So, that can off-set some of the higher costs of a diesel vs a gas unit.

It's really kinda tough to blurt out an accurate answer that's gonna satisfy all angles of approach here. On one hand, you can just advise to go purchase an older diesel (i.e around say, '06-'09 ) or so and be done with it. Or, take a look at the potential floor plans, engines, chassis, maintenance costs, tire size (cost issues there too) and make an informed decision.
Scott

Diesels cost more because...well it's actually that most higher end rigs come with diesel because that's what people paying a lot of money expect.

Reality is there isn't a lot of lifespan difference between gas or diesel. The rest of the rig will typically fall apart before the engine dies. Likewise there isn't a lot of maintenance cost difference (gas has a slight edge but not enough to worry about).

For the same reason diesel rigs are more expensive to maintain...they are higher end with more bells and whistles that can break (bells & whistles that are not part of the diesel).

As others have mentioned, go into it as if the entire cost is a loss...if he's still good with it, proceed.

There is one situation where diesel really starts to make sense...if he's going to spend a lot of time in the mountains...the turbo will mean he doesn't lose a lot of power at altitude and you can get an exhaust brake to help come down steep grades.

To say nothing of the quietness of having the engine in the rear on a diesel. You can actually have regular conversation while underway. :)...Dennis

There are some decent Diesel Pushers you can find out there for 80k. I would have a complete checkout done at a Freightliner Facility before buying one. I have seen some 15 yr old Journey's going for that with not a lot of miles on them. If he is going to finance it is easier to do that while working than it is sometimes to do after retirement. We had to show statements from our business merchant account, online sales for a few months to show consistency, and everything before bank said Yea you can afford it.

Tom/Barb wrote:

Mondooker wrote:
First thing we did was limit the search to gassers as they are much less expensive to maintain.
What do you guys think?

Diesels are not more to maintain, they cost more to buy because they are better at the job than a gasser.

Sorry, but after 25 years(that's when Diesel motorhomes became mass produced) of dealing with Diesels versus gassers, having a Diesel just is like the difference between a Hi line Mercedes and a Cadillac. BOTH will do the job, but you pay more for the Mercedes because you can afford it. NOT because the Mercedes does a "better" job. Same with Diesels. I have had scores of customers(usually fulltimers) that have traded in Diesels for Gassers because they realized they had in excess of 50k invested in the Diesel upgrade cost from a gasser and that cost just sat there when they were camping. These are people that drive less than 10k a year which is the norm. If you want ALL the bells and whistles(added weight) in your Motorhome, then Diesel is the way to go. Doug