Class A Gas or Diesel

If moneys a concern and a 2006-2012 diesel pusher is just too much money then buy a older Diesel pusher but if you plan on lots of travel and want to live in it for 6 months and have a quite, smooth, good handling,good steering, powerfull
well constructed, good tow capacitys, etc etc etc definatly don't buy a gasser go diesel pusher. you will not be disappointed
no noise as you drive up a mountain trail.2000 rpm.
gassers are screaming at 4000-4500 RPM it drove me nuts when I had gassers

msturtz wrote:
We went to a gasser from a TT. We were disappointed at the noise and jarring ride in the gasser. Those problems can be mitigated but you cannot escape the roar of a V 10 running at 4000 RPM a foot away. The other issue is heat coming from the engine. On hot days the heat was intense. Again it can be fixed but is expensive if the manufacturer didn't do it. We ended up trading it in fo a DP. The other problem is tow rating. The max tow rating for a gasser is 5k.

$150 of Dynamat products will take care of most of the heat and noise. A proper alignment (lots of caster) and some Koni FSD shocks help a bunch on the ride and handling. There's no way I would spend the extra money for a DP-------------nor do I have to worry about the costs of replacing a turbo or injection pump on a diesel.

As for power, we have been more than satisfied with our "old" 310 hp V10 even though we have a 5000 lb toad behind us.

High profile vehicles rock and roll in the wind. Unless you are talking Provost. I live in the mountains. I haven't had any problems. If you want to zip up mountain grades at 75 of course you'll need a diesel. Unfortunately if you do buy gas front and rear anti sway is almost a neccesity along with a steering dampener. One importantant thing to consider in a gas MH Is wheel base to length ratio. The longer the wheel base the more stable you will be on the highways and the less maneuverable you will be in tight areas like parking areas. If I were FTing I would be looking at a used Provost which is a true bus chassis with a diesel. We are out 4 or 5 months a year and our gasser is just fine.

BTW higher end gassers put more insulation over the engine. Less noise and no heat.You can of course add that insulation yourself.

We went to a gasser from a TT. We were disappointed at the noise and jarring ride in the gasser. Those problems can be mitigated but you cannot escape the roar of a V 10 running at 4000 RPM a foot away. The other issue is heat coming from the engine. On hot days the heat was intense. Again it can be fixed but is expensive if the manufacturer didn't do it. We ended up trading it in fo a DP. The other problem is tow rating. The max tow rating for a gasser is 5k.

I have a 30 foot long 1997 Bounder with the 225 HP rated V8 Ford. I bought it new when I heard the V10 would be the only FOrd engine in the 1998 models, and I did not want the smaller engine. Sadly they improved on the horsepower and weight ratings because they also upgraded brakes and went from 3000 pound 16" rim to a 3,500 pound 19.5" rim.

Anyway I have been happy with my gas engine, and really only put about 50,000 miles on it in the 18 years I have owned it. So if you will average around 5,000 miles a year, then fuel costs will not be as significant as insurance and payments.

It is nice that I can do the oil change in my driveway for about $50 with only 6 quarts of oil, and a bargain oil filter when Fram is on sale for only $8 or so. Compared to a diesel with 28 quarts of oil (also need to get rid of those too) and more expensive oil filters.

I found that I have plenty of power. My buddy with a 40' Country Coach (1998) that is heavier takes longer to climb into the mountains, probaly due to it's weight or 2,000 RPM redline, so the power is a LOT but RPM is really slow compared to a gas engine. The 6.8L V10 is happy to run 4,000 RPM all day long due to it's cylinders only being about 0.68 liters. A 10 liter inline 6 will have nearly 2 liters per cylinder, so the stroke is much longer and bore is huge compared to the V10. This is why RPM is so limited in a diesel, except for the V8's used by Ford and GM.

Another buddy has a 1987 class C with a 460" V8 that has been rebuilt for power, increased compression, ect. It will outrun his neighbor's CAT powered 40' DP on the hills too. He just sets the cruise control at 65 and goes up and down the hills without any problems. The DP is down to 45 on most grades.

Good luck,

Fred.

I made the same switch 2 years ago. From 40" bunkhouse 5ver over to a 2012 Georgetown 351 35' gas. We love it. No power problems at all. Been from NY to Disney twice. Planning a trip out west this year. I stayed with gas mainly because the amount of vacation I can take didn't justify the added diesel expense. You probably will get a little smoother ride with the diesel though.

was_butnotnow wrote:
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 a V8 powerful enough in a 35 ft unit? Or should bite the bullet and go with a diesel?

depends on what your personal wants and expectaions are. Mid level to mid upper end diesel pushers quality wise,power wise, ride wise
etc are far far superior to a gasser BUT you can buy a brand new gasser for less than the price you will pay for a 2009 ish diesel pusher.So if your serious about owning a A MH and you want the best power to weight ratio, best handling, best ride and built to higher standards brake,frame power train and suspention then a diesel pusher is the only way to go especially if your running in the mountains and pulling a toad.My 450HP isl 40 ft 4 slide unit blows by gasser going up mountain passes