Class A Gas or Diesel
OK I'm sure this has been beaten to death... BUT as a 5th wheel owner just starting to look a getting a used 2006 - 2012 Class A. About 35 ft is a gas engine powerful? I see Ford V10 and Chevy V8 Is ...
Forum Discussion
Lots of misinformation and slanted views in this thread-------------same old gas vs diesel stuff.
First a little background. I spent much of my career engineering and operating off highway equipment with diesel engines. I understand their construction, operation, and maintenance. I am also a bit of a gear head---------------love old cars and working on them.
OK, let's start with the cheap shot about people making excuses because of money limits. There are also people that are trying to play big man at the RV park because of their own insecurities. I could easily have afforded a DP, but there are other things I can spend money on (like old cars). And the extra spending doesn't just stop with the initial purchase. Check out not only the cost of routine maintenance but the cost of dealing with turbo, injection pump, and other possible diesel engine repairs.
Gassers are indeed made to a price point and some corners get cut (like dog house insulation). However, the house part of a reputable manufacturer like Winnebago (and others) is fine (I don't need granite counter tops).
After we took our first trip in our (now old) 2000 Itasca 35U, I did indeed notice the harshness of the ride, the noise of the engine, and difficulty in driving it straight. Before our next major trip, I made some easy improvements. As I pointed out earlier $150 of materials and an afternoon eliminated engine noise at cruise and made it very reasonable when climbing mountains. A set of Koni FSD shocks greatly reduced the harshness and improved handling. A set of air bag assists on the rear also helped handling. Finally, a good alignment with plenty of caster made the handling fine----------for a truck with lots of "sail" area.
I helped team drive a friend's DP back from the Outlaw nationals at Knoxville one night. It was a Monaco from the early 2000's. It did not handle any better than my gasser nor was it any faster. It was quieter on acceleration. It did respond as expected when the accelerator was floored------------which is to say slow and steady.
To put it another way, I would not trade my MH for his even up.
And my MH only has the 310 hp V10 and a 4 speed transmission. The newer units with the 6 speed and higher hp would only make the performance better.
So far our MH has taken us comfortably and reliably to 45 of the 49 states you can drive to. The sights seen and the good times we've had would not have been any different if we would have been in a DP.
First a little background. I spent much of my career engineering and operating off highway equipment with diesel engines. I understand their construction, operation, and maintenance. I am also a bit of a gear head---------------love old cars and working on them.
OK, let's start with the cheap shot about people making excuses because of money limits. There are also people that are trying to play big man at the RV park because of their own insecurities. I could easily have afforded a DP, but there are other things I can spend money on (like old cars). And the extra spending doesn't just stop with the initial purchase. Check out not only the cost of routine maintenance but the cost of dealing with turbo, injection pump, and other possible diesel engine repairs.
Gassers are indeed made to a price point and some corners get cut (like dog house insulation). However, the house part of a reputable manufacturer like Winnebago (and others) is fine (I don't need granite counter tops).
After we took our first trip in our (now old) 2000 Itasca 35U, I did indeed notice the harshness of the ride, the noise of the engine, and difficulty in driving it straight. Before our next major trip, I made some easy improvements. As I pointed out earlier $150 of materials and an afternoon eliminated engine noise at cruise and made it very reasonable when climbing mountains. A set of Koni FSD shocks greatly reduced the harshness and improved handling. A set of air bag assists on the rear also helped handling. Finally, a good alignment with plenty of caster made the handling fine----------for a truck with lots of "sail" area.
I helped team drive a friend's DP back from the Outlaw nationals at Knoxville one night. It was a Monaco from the early 2000's. It did not handle any better than my gasser nor was it any faster. It was quieter on acceleration. It did respond as expected when the accelerator was floored------------which is to say slow and steady.
To put it another way, I would not trade my MH for his even up.
And my MH only has the 310 hp V10 and a 4 speed transmission. The newer units with the 6 speed and higher hp would only make the performance better.
So far our MH has taken us comfortably and reliably to 45 of the 49 states you can drive to. The sights seen and the good times we've had would not have been any different if we would have been in a DP.
