DP vs Gas on Pulling

RayChez wrote:

1BryNelson wrote:
RayChez says a dp is better in a crosswind than a gasser. You are a nut. And how do you justify a statement like that!

I can tell you do not know anything between a gasoline coach and a diesel pusher. I do not want to start a big argument about which is bothered by cross winds and which is not. All I will say is test drive both on windy days and you will see that it is like day and night in the difference. You can ask anybody that has had both and they will tell you the same thing.

I used to love the floor plan of my 36'gasoline coach, but driving back from Utah going through the Virgin River gorge it was so windy and I could barely keep the coach on my side of the two lane road. Now with this 38' diesel pusher I hardly notice any wind buffing. It would have to be very strong winds to notice. I say the weight difference between the coaches. My gasoline coach weight 19K lbs, the diesel pusher weighs 39K lbs. That is a difference of 20K lbs. Plus the diesel pusher has bigger and better sway bars, airbags that adjust automatic.

You are comparing apples to oranges and making a blanket statement. You had a light weight gasser and you are assuming that all gassers handle the same as yours. One of the heavy weight gasser chassis, like the W24 will handle differently than your 19K F53 chassis. It also makes a huge difference if your weight is not distributed properly. Too light on the front axle of a gasser OR a DP and the coach will wander all over, no matter what air bags or trac bars you have on the rear. If you use just weight as your determining factor, than every automobile and pick-up truck would be all over the road on a windy day. They obviously are not.
I have had both a DP and now have a gasser and I know from actual experience how to properly load and set up a coach for highway travel. Loading the coach to close to the maximum on the front axle is important and I also use four corner air bags to adjust for the wind conditions, much like the air bags on my previous DP.
The facts are that blanket statements just do not work. On this forum there have been owners complaining about how their DP handles in the wind, as well as gas coach owners with the same complaint. They never post their actual front and rear axle weights so it is not possible to know if the wandering is due to poor weight distribution or suspension problems. They just automatically blame the coach. Anyone that tows a trailer knows about proper weight distribution and it is just as important in a motor home.

RayChez wrote:

1BryNelson wrote:
RayChez says a dp is better in a crosswind than a gasser. You are a nut. And how do you justify a statement like that!

I can tell you do not know anything between a gasoline coach and a diesel pusher. I do not want to start a big argument about which is bothered by cross winds and which is not. All I will say is test drive both on windy days and you will see that it is like day and night in the difference. You can ask anybody that has had both and they will tell you the same thing.

I used to love the floor plan of my 36'gasoline coach, but driving back from Utah going through the Virgin River gorge it was so windy and I could barely keep the coach on my side of the two lane road. Now with this 38' diesel pusher I hardly notice any wind buffing. It would have to be very strong winds to notice. I say the weight difference between the coaches. My gasoline coach weight 19K lbs, the diesel pusher weighs 39K lbs. That is a difference of 20K lbs. Plus the diesel pusher has bigger and better sway bars, airbags that adjust automatic.

He's not wrong in that. The DP weighs a lot more foot for foot compared to a gasser. It stands to reason based on that alone that the DP will be better in extreme wind situations.

That being said, I would personally still rather have to slow down a bit in a gasser in heavy wind than own a DP (Notice I didn't say drive a DP).

1BryNelson wrote:
RayChez says a dp is better in a crosswind than a gasser. You are a nut. And how do you justify a statement like that!

I can tell you do not know anything between a gasoline coach and a diesel pusher. I do not want to start a big argument about which is bothered by cross winds and which is not. All I will say is test drive both on windy days and you will see that it is like day and night in the difference. You can ask anybody that has had both and they will tell you the same thing.

I used to love the floor plan of my 36'gasoline coach, but driving back from Utah going through the Virgin River gorge it was so windy and I could barely keep the coach on my side of the two lane road. Now with this 38' diesel pusher I hardly notice any wind buffing. It would have to be very strong winds to notice. I say the weight difference between the coaches. My gasoline coach weight 19K lbs, the diesel pusher weighs 39K lbs. That is a difference of 20K lbs. Plus the diesel pusher has bigger and better sway bars, airbags that adjust automatic.

RVUSA,

I think I've heard stories about stretched Class C's like mine, early on having frame problems. You won't find a F53 Chassis or a late model E450 frame buckling. These vehicles for what they are are very capable. They ride A lot rougher than a nice DP. I'll give you that!

Wow RVUSA in all my limited expierence I've never heard of that. Another off the wall bulls... thought thrown out there.

1BryNelson wrote:
I've run a diesel since 1999 Ford 7.4ltr 675,000 miles. This on a 1ton with a 4500lb camper in the bed. When I decided to go Class A the only thing I hated was no bus front door in gas rigs. That's my only regret. Diesel's are only worth it if you are hammering on miles. A low mileage person like I'm going to be, no need for diesel.

Another advatage of the diesel is much less likelyhood of the frame buckling. Gassers get it way too often.

berreez wrote:
Help me understand something. If a DP has 300hp and a 6 speed transmission will it out pull a Gas A with 362hp and a 5 speed tranny if both were pulling the same amount of weight?

I asked this because I just attended the Kansas City RV show over the weekend and this was what I was told. They also said if you get a gasser much over 34’ it really struggles when towing a toad.

My gasser pulled a Toyota Yaris all 4 down at 65 MPH with no problems at all. My engine was a Chevy 496 CI with a Allison 5 speed tranny. I can't speak for any other vehicle!

RayChez says a dp is better in a crosswind than a gasser. You are a nut. And how do you justify a statement like that!

RayChez wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:

OhhWell wrote:
These days, they should both last the life of the house easily if not abused. Plus, for what I have heard the repairs on the DPs go for, one could put a whole new fresh engine in a gasser.

From some of the posts on this forum, the cost for just a radiator on a DP will cover the cost of a new long block engine on a gasser.

You might be right, but you get what you pay for. The ride alone from a diesel pusher surpasses any thing a gasser has to offer.
I had a gasser and got rid of it six months later. Terrible on cross winds.

I can't help it if you got a bad gasser, or just didn't distribute your load properly. I had a DP and now have a gasser that does fine in 50 MPH crosswinds. All it took as a small investment in four corner air bags. I also know that my ECM will throttle back my Workhorse chassis at 78 MPH because if have driven it that fast. It handles just fine. I didn't have a problem with the DP, I just found a gasser floor plan that was more suited to the way we travel. I still feel the floor plan is the most important as both engines will get you where you are going, and get you to the top of the hills, and we spend more time parked than on the road. Obviously you had a poor gasser but don't think that your poor choice means that all other gasser coaches are not suitable for their owners.

I've run a diesel since 1999 Ford 7.4ltr 675,000 miles. This on a 1ton with a 4500lb camper in the bed. When I decided to go Class A the only thing I hated was no bus front door in gas rigs. That's my only regret. Diesel's are only worth it if you are hammering on miles. A low mileage person like I'm going to be, no need for diesel.