Choosing Gasoline or Diesel Powered?
I realize that this is a long thread but if you are pondering the Gasoline versus a Diesel based on power consideration or are wondering about adding an after market performance enhancing kit to a Gas...
Forum Discussion
I now have a 2004 Fleetwood Flair 33R with a gasoline engine (8.1 Chevy Vortec). I do not find it to be too noisy nor emasculating to drive. I really like the sound of a V8, and it is not underpowered any more than my 1993 Itasca Suncruiser with a B-series Cummins.
1. Gasoline engines use more fuel about 10% (7 mpg gasoline vs 8 mpg diesel) for approximately the same size vehicle. (10% more fuel that has 10% less BTU available at 10% less cost - I call that a wash.)
2. Just because you are paying for a diesel does not mean you are buying airbags rather than springs - both of mine had springs.
3. I prefer diesel pushers because they seem to be built better, but they cost so much more. (We really liked our no-slide Itasca diesel, but we also really like the two-slide Fleetwood - both are really cool to drive, but are much more white-knuckle to drive than our 2500 Dodge 4x4 with the big fifth wheel behind it. We found that the fifth wheels that we had were generally speaking pretty junky by comparison to the motor homes. We had a Cedar Creek 37RQLS which was poor though much better than a piece-of-junk Open Range 337RLS which was shameful display of poor quality - despite what some owners have conned themselves into thinking. I might change my tune if the frame rails on a motorhome fail as the Open Range did. I think that OR has improved, but the early ones were nothing to write home about.)
1. Gasoline engines use more fuel about 10% (7 mpg gasoline vs 8 mpg diesel) for approximately the same size vehicle. (10% more fuel that has 10% less BTU available at 10% less cost - I call that a wash.)
2. Just because you are paying for a diesel does not mean you are buying airbags rather than springs - both of mine had springs.
3. I prefer diesel pushers because they seem to be built better, but they cost so much more. (We really liked our no-slide Itasca diesel, but we also really like the two-slide Fleetwood - both are really cool to drive, but are much more white-knuckle to drive than our 2500 Dodge 4x4 with the big fifth wheel behind it. We found that the fifth wheels that we had were generally speaking pretty junky by comparison to the motor homes. We had a Cedar Creek 37RQLS which was poor though much better than a piece-of-junk Open Range 337RLS which was shameful display of poor quality - despite what some owners have conned themselves into thinking. I might change my tune if the frame rails on a motorhome fail as the Open Range did. I think that OR has improved, but the early ones were nothing to write home about.)
