The title says it all. We started out with a trailer, moved to a 5th wheel and now are contemplating moving to a class A diesel pusher in the 34-36 foot range. We just started researching and have a ton of questions, mostly about the vehicle parts. I think we have enough experience to check out the house parts like water supply, waste system and refrigerator etc.First, about service--do RV dealers, that sell class A units, also work on the running gear? Or, do you have to take the coach to a heavy truck repair center to get engine or chassis work done?Are there any inherent advantages of one chassis/engine combo over another. We have experience with Cummins engines in our Dodge trucks, but see a lot of units have Cat engines. Are they similar in performance and reliability?How many miles can you go before brakes need service and how much does it cost? Would it be prudent to change out all the belts and hoses on a rig that old and what kind of cost are we looking at.How many miles can we expect to get out of a set of tires and how much do replacement tires run?How reliable are things like self leveling jacks and the electric steps and more importantly how much does it cost to repair those types of things?

Most, if not all, rv dealers are just that; the rv. In our area the dealer takes the motorhome to Freightliner for warranty repairs. Since we are out of waranty and orphaned we deal with a local freightliner garage that also services rvs. The selection of motorhome will determine which chassis the manufacturer is. There are not that many players; I know of Spartan and Freightliner. There may be others that have a smaller market share. Cummins is the only player in the under millon dollar market since Cat dropped out around 2005 or 2006. We're happy with our Cat C-7, all the power we need. We've gone cross country two or three times without any issues. We service once a year, oil change and fluids topped off and belts checked. Definitely have belts and fluids changed initially. Get an estimate but expect expensive labor rates for any work. Tires will age out rather than mileage out, The rule of thumb has been 6-7 years then replace. We pushed it and kept track of unusual sidewall cracks; when they showed up we replaced tires. We got 8 years out of our Goodyears and replaced then with Michelins and have been happy with them. No better or worse than the Goodyears. Jacks and steps are as reliable as you are as far as doing routine maintenance. Keep them clean and lubricated. As with any luxury item labor will be high and parts are usually not. We prefer manual jacks to auto leveling systems. You're asking all the right questions. Now hopefully you will get a diverse response for you to sift through. Good Luck !

Look at the Super C's also. We are looking at Class A and looked at the Super C. Seems more comfortable driving to us and easy access to the entire engine. Just a luxurious inside with huge tow ratings.

1) some RV service centers will do the routine oil/filter changes on a MH. But for anything other than the routine service, you need a truck shop. 2) although Cat is no longer in the on-road engine business, there are lots of old Cat driven MH's out there. Personally I'm happy with my Cat and had no issues with it over 40,000 miles and 8 yrs. But Cummins is also a quality engine. In my opinion its more important that your engine/chassis match the size/weight of the rig rather than which brand name is on it.3) These heavy duty truck brakes in light RV use will last longer than the MH, unless they're abused. With an engine brake, you rarely need to use the wheel brakes.4) to me it would depend on what kind of service records/feedback from the previous owner. If I wasn't convinced the previous owner did all the required routine maint, then I would change all the fluids & filters; the belts can be visually inspected and should be obvious if they are damaged. I would carry spare belts rather than replace them up front. If you include the coolant and transmission fluid in "all fluids & filters" you could be looking at $10005) other than blowouts from abuse, your tires will be replaced due to age, not mileage. Somewhere between 7 - 10 yrs max, you should replace the tires, whether they have 20,000 or 100,000 miles. Prices vary widely by brand, size, quality; my last set of 6ea 275/70 22.5 Michelins cost about $500 each using the FMCA member discount.6) the dependability & life of mechanical systems like the auto leveling jacks are directly related to proper use & maint. My 8 yr old levelers have needed nothing other than a bit of hydraulic fluid topped off a few yrs ago. Like any hydrl sys, the common issues are hydrl seals leaking, not complete failure/replacement.reading all the instruction & owners manuals, and following the proper use & maint can eliminate a lot of issues and repairs. But complex mech & electr sys can break down for any reason at any time.I have both a diesel MH and a couple of 5th wheels, I spend slightly more per yr avg on the MH maint than either 5'er, not enough to make much difference. But I self perform all my service & maint.barmcd wrote:First, about service--do RV dealers, that sell class A units, also work on the running gear? Or, do you have to take the coach to a heavy truck repair center to get engine or chassis work done?Are there any inherent advantages of one chassis/engine combo over another. We have experience with Cummins engines in our Dodge trucks, but see a lot of units have Cat engines. Are they similar in performance and reliability?How many miles can you go before brakes need service and how much does it cost? Would it be prudent to change out all the belts and hoses on a rig that old and what kind of cost are we looking at.How many miles can we expect to get out of a set of tires and how much do replacement tires run?How reliable are things like self leveling jacks and the electric steps and more importantly how much does it cost to repair those types of things?

I have some questions and your 31 posts since you joined did not shed much light on your situation. How old is old as you left that bit of info off. How many days a year will you use a RV? How many miles/year going forward do you expect? Why a diesel for that short a MH? Do you have a car that can be towed four wheels down? My concern is that you are now going for your third RV which may be too short for your future needs.Major repairs at a truck repair place.Previous to 04 I'd say no difference Cat/Cummins. After 04 Cummins and both will have the very good Allison 3000 6sd double OD tranny.With an exhaust brake... never need a brake job.Older than 10 years then yes change. If five years change only the serpentine belt.Most change tires at 5-7 years. Having put all the miles on mine I went 7 on the front and 10 on the rear... $500-700 depending on size.Unless you hit the steps, do not worry. A DP can have more systems than you might think.

I did the same. Tent with my son in Boy Scouts,class C to a 5er to a gas A for 14 years and now a older 36 foot DP. Ours is just another toy for us. We never want to full time or half time in one for that matter. We went diesel for a better ride much better brakes and is a lot less noisy. We have only had the diesel for just over a year and so far the cost is not that much more.

Contemplating a Change to Class A from 5th Wheel

60 Replies

JC2
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
JimM68 wrote:
The big thing a DP gets you is a smooth quiet ride.
The rest is just fluff.
Rather than a V10 screaming between your legs at 4000 rpm, you get a deisel muttering at 2000 rpm, 40 feet behind you.
Rather than shuddering over the bumps on leaf springs, you're gliding on air.

There really is no comparison.

If you can afford a new gasser, you can afford a 5 year old DP.
And the DP will be better.

I agree. Very well said.:B
prstlk
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
We are full time and run an 07 Hr ambassador. The 330 cummins and the Allison 6 have been flawless.I do all fluid and filter changes. Usually way ahead of factory recommendations. I use oil analysis to determine transmission maintenance. If your looking at a mh I would only consider a rig with opposing slides in the living area. Its night and day.
JimM68
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
The big thing a DP gets you is a smooth quiet ride.
The rest is just fluff.
Rather than a V10 screaming between your legs at 4000 rpm, you get a deisel muttering at 2000 rpm, 40 feet behind you.
Rather than shuddering over the bumps on leaf springs, you're gliding on air.

There really is no comparison.

If you can afford a new gasser, you can afford a 5 year old DP.
And the DP will be better.
mtofell1
Explorer
Nov 24, 2015
dubdub07 wrote:
dezolen wrote:
Odd my gas powered coach is very quiet other than the few times I drive really steep grades. A belt replacement might cost me $30 and I can easily do it myself as with my $30 oil change.
If my budget was $150,000 I'd buy a new gas powered unit any day which we did. Zero regrets
That's coming from a former 5th wheel owner with diesel pickup

$150K for a new gasser? For that kind of money you can get a very, very nice USED pusher. And that would make a lot more sense.

WW

I can see both sides and it's really apples and oranges. DP gets you things like Aqua Hot and air suspension but will not have a warranty, and maint. will generally cost more. Gasser at 150K will be top of the line, new. It just depends on where it will be driven, what it needs to do, what creature comforts one wants, how much risk tolerance one has for repairs and a bunch of other things.
dubdub07
Explorer
Nov 24, 2015
dezolen wrote:
Odd my gas powered coach is very quiet other than the few times I drive really steep grades. A belt replacement might cost me $30 and I can easily do it myself as with my $30 oil change.
If my budget was $150,000 I'd buy a new gas powered unit any day which we did. Zero regrets
That's coming from a former 5th wheel owner with diesel pickup

$150K for a new gasser? For that kind of money you can get a very, very nice USED pusher. And that would make a lot more sense.

WW
barmcd
Explorer
Nov 24, 2015
mtofell1 wrote:
barmcd wrote:

Is the more robust engine and transmission worth the 3-4 extra years in age?

Not a DP owner yet but from doing extensive research I've decided the older coach with the larger engine is likely the route I'll go. And it's more than just the engine. The price point of a few years older gets a MUCH higher quality coach.

From reading this and other forums I generally see people a lot happier with the high-end brands. And like you'll find in researching, reliable maintenance history is worth more than low miles to most. I've found some of the best looking coaches on private party sales. Look for the Craigslist ads with the million dollar homes in the background :) People with houses like that tend to take care of things. I won't totally rule out a unit on a dealer's lot but it's more difficult to get accurate history.

That's our impression too and why we're looking at brands like Newman, Moncaco and Country Coach. One of the issues I'm having is the price range we're looking at pushes us into the 1999-2001 model years and it's more difficult to find the Hp and torque numbers we want in those years.
barmcd
Explorer
Nov 24, 2015
Gjac wrote:
barmcd wrote:
After many hours of research we've decided what we want in our motor home. We're looking for a 38-40 foot RV with a 8.3 Cummins mated to a 3000 six speed Allison transmission with a 10,000 lb. towing capacity. We just need to find a coach we can live with that meets these requirements in our price range. We're going to try to find a 2004-2007 Winnebago Vectra or Ultimate Advantage, Monaco Knight, Itasca Horizon, or Holiday Rambler Ambassador that has a floor plan we like. Is there anything we should be concerned about with these coaches?
What led you from 34-36 ft to 38-40 ft range? Is it your camping style? How you plan to use the MH? or other reqs?

We started out looking at 32-34' coaches, but didn't find any floor plan that provided everything we wanted. We're more travelers than campers as we tend to camp--that seems like an odd word to use when you're in a 38' 5th wheel or mobile home--on trips. We're both educators and have taken 6-8 week trips over the summer since we bought the first RV. The wife took early retirement a few years ago and I'm probably going to retire in two years. The plan is to travel for 4-6 months and return home for the winter and spring.
mtofell1
Explorer
Nov 23, 2015
barmcd wrote:

Is the more robust engine and transmission worth the 3-4 extra years in age?

Not a DP owner yet but from doing extensive research I've decided the older coach with the larger engine is likely the route I'll go. And it's more than just the engine. The price point of a few years older gets a MUCH higher quality coach.

From reading this and other forums I generally see people a lot happier with the high-end brands. And like you'll find in researching, reliable maintenance history is worth more than low miles to most. I've found some of the best looking coaches on private party sales. Look for the Craigslist ads with the million dollar homes in the background :) People with houses like that tend to take care of things. I won't totally rule out a unit on a dealer's lot but it's more difficult to get accurate history.
Gjac
Explorer III
Nov 23, 2015
barmcd wrote:
After many hours of research we've decided what we want in our motor home. We're looking for a 38-40 foot RV with a 8.3 Cummins mated to a 3000 six speed Allison transmission with a 10,000 lb. towing capacity. We just need to find a coach we can live with that meets these requirements in our price range. We're going to try to find a 2004-2007 Winnebago Vectra or Ultimate Advantage, Monaco Knight, Itasca Horizon, or Holiday Rambler Ambassador that has a floor plan we like. Is there anything we should be concerned about with these coaches?
What led you from 34-36 ft to 38-40 ft range? Is it your camping style? How you plan to use the MH? or other reqs?
barmcd
Explorer
Nov 23, 2015
The first motor home that we found wasn't in very good condition. While we were at the lot, we saw what we thought was another diesel pusher with the gas class A's and it turned out to be a 2008 Winnebago Destination rear engine gas coach. It was a nice looking coach. What are the actual differences between a diesel pusher and gas pusher?