Contemplating a Change to Class A from 5th Wheel

mike brez wrote:
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.

We know a lot of people with RVs who sort of make that progression. It'd be easier if you knew what you wanted up front, but you don't know how its going to go until you try it.

We want a diesel for the same reasons, more power, less noise and better brakes. It also looks like the diesel pushers have more outside storage under the coach then the gas powered coaches.

Thanks for the responses. We're not in a hurry to purchase so we're going to take it slow and do all the research we need before making a decision. All that's on our list right now is a vague notion that a Cummins diesel would be better for us because we're familiar with it and that we want a free standing dinette and night stands on both sides of the bed. We'll add things to the list until we have it right.

There is so much we don't know about maintaining the chassis and engine of a motor home, so that's where working to collect information from other's experiences. I'm happy to see that brakes shouldn't be an issue and the tires shouldn't be an issue.

Ivylog wrote:
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've had two different profiles in the twenty or so years since joining the forum. I guess I didn't post for a while and the first got deleted. Here's the answer to your questions.

We're looking in the 8-12 year old range.
We'll probably spend 3-4 months in the RV each year, probably July-October.
We've towed our trailer and 5th wheel with the diesel and like the performance of a diesel engine.
We will be towing a Jeep Wrangler sport with a soft top.

We weren't sure we'd like RVing so we bought a used trailer. We used it two years and were able to sell it for more than we paid for it and bought the 5th wheel. We had that for 12 years and just recently sold it and are now looking for a motor home.

Good luck on figuring out the best way.
I did own several coaches, that even build on commercial chassis have been "stretched"
When you buy 40' DP that was build on chassis design for 34' bus, you WILL have problems.
So 12 years ago I bought 30 years old Prevost conversion. It was rotten inside, so did full interior remodeling, but on the engine replaced one seal, valve cover gaskets, radiator clutch and some hoses. Than new brake system diaphragms.
Did not put too many miles, but brakes should be good for another 200 years at present rate.
I DIY what is my fortunate and in 12 years I spend less than $2000 on chassis maintenance and parts.
Try to beat that with so-called "Cheap" brands.

If you get a Freightliner chassis, you will be going to a Freightliner dealer for everything but the house stuff. I get my oil changes at Speedo but have the rest of the work done at my local Freightliner dealer.

Both Cat and Cummins make a good engine. I have a Cat C7 and it works great.

You should not have to replace the brakes unless you do a LOT of driving. My exhaust brake does most of the work.

You did not say how old a coach you were looking at. If you cannot get maintenance records, I would change the main belts, fluids including radiator fluid. If you are purchasing a Freightliner chassis, I have a maintenance spreadsheet that lists all the maintenance items and when they should be done. I will send it to you if you send me a PM with your email in it. I cannot attach a spreadsheet to messages on this forum.

You will change the tires at about 7 years. You will not put enough miles on the tires to worry about how many miles they have on them.

I have a 2004 coach and this jacks and stairs are working fine (knock on wood) so I cannot say how long they will last.

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.

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.

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 $1000
5) 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?

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.

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 !