Front Diesel - Rear Gas?

J-Rooster wrote:
I don't understand all the loud noise from a gasser? I guess a lot of RVers drive in complete silence?

Try having a conversation when the clutch fan kicks in. You have to yell to be heard by the person in the other seat. I wished for colder days so the natural convection would be enough to cool the rad. Doubly bad when you're pulling a hill in a lower gear and the fan comes on.

After working on my AVCO I am convinced that ALL motorhomes should have the engine in the rear. it is such a pain in the a$$ to work on a front engine motorhome and my buses are much easier to reach the engine. and I have a 40 foot Flxible that is almost converted and I don't hear the engine much and it is a Detroit 8v71. It's 40 feet behind me but still not loud. The AVCO is loud when you start out. That carb is loud. I like the engines in the rear. just me.

I have a friend Roger (he's a RV.Net Poster) and he shares the driving with his wife. They own a DP Winnebago Journey and when there on the road and he's not driving he can't sleep because the diesel engine is too loud! He insulated the diesel engine compartment under his bed and he told me that didn't help very much and when the Jake Brake was applied it rattled him out of bed. I don't understand all the loud noise from a gasser? I guess a lot of RVers drive in complete silence? I have my coach stereo CD system on moderately when driving and I don't recall a lot of engine noise! I know Winnebago and Monaco both built rear end gas engines at one time.

You may want to check with Rexhall at:

http://www.rexhall.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=5

They may still have a few used Workhorse UFO rear engine gas coaches.

Best of luck

Interesting.

I wasn't trying to distort anything was just curious as we are in the market for Gas'er and got to thinking why there wouldn't be more gas in the rear. DW wishes there was less ;)

Chassis availability and cooling issues make sense though.

thanks for the feedback.

As was said, there have been both, just not many "out of the ordinary"

The most obvious is the Freightliner FRED (Front Engine Diesel) chassis, which was used by quite a number of motorhome manufacturers. This was basically a gasser chassis with a diesel engine. None of the rear engine diesel advantages, just a leaf spring gasser chassis with a really noisy front diesel engine.

Workhorse did a rear engine gas for a while, but they didn't sell enough of them, and then they left the business.

Someone made a MID-engine diesel, I think Newmar used them in some cool air ride toy haulers. Excellent idea, but maintenance was a nightmare.

One really cool gas pusher was FMC, they used a 440 dodge in the rear. Charles Kerault ran one of these, and they are still popular.

Don't forget the GMC's, they used a Toronado drivetrain (front engine front drive 455) to power a motorhome, excellent idea, also still very popular.

But we always come down to cost per unit.
Our current Ford F53's, this chassis is used in about 6 zillion medium duty delivery type trucks. This has let Ford give motorhome manufacturers a really good price.

same with the "standard DP" these are mostly variations of the basic bus chassis. Though most these days are specific to motorhomes, there is still a lot of shared parts and systems, these reduce the end cost of the "normal" chassis.

Rear diesel, rear generator. The good news is, you're normally not trying to sleep when the engine or genny is running. The front gasser was pretty loud, especially when the clutch fan kicked in.

"That being said why wouldn't the manufacturers put a Gas in the rear of the Motorhome instead of the front? Or do they and I haven't come across it yet.?"

There have been coaches with a rear gas but the cooling factor wasn't there

SabreCanuck wrote:
Reading up and looking at Motorhomes and hearing about the Heat/Noise factor of Gas versus the quiet of the Diesel, mostlyd due to engine location. Also hearing about noise factor of the generator at night when on most Gasser's is at the back under the sleeping area where most diesels the gen is in the front under the cockpit. So basically a Diesel is generally quieter all the time.

That being said why wouldn't the manufacturers put a Gas in the rear of the Motorhome instead of the front? Or do they and I haven't come across it yet.?

A rear gas engine has been done by several manufacturers. Monaco had a rear gas unit as did Safari. Having had both front gas and rear diesels, the WIND noise is the same or maybe more with a DP if the front door does not seal properly. The engine noise does not prevent any normal conversation in my gas unit and I could care less about the generator. Mine generator is in the middle and I do not boonedock so rarely use it at all other than to run it to keep it exercised.
Monaco and a few other manufacturers have also had front engine diesel rigs and the noise level on them was not objectionable. Some people with DP's do not like the engine heat right below the bedroom on the DP's and if you look at the various photos of RV fires, many of them start at the rear of the DP at the engine compartment.
Of course it all depends on what part of the facts that you wish to distort to make your argument for a diesel instead of a gas powered coach.
Most of us that have had both know that the floor plan is still the most important factor and that we spend more time parked than on the road. Both will make it up any mountain towing another vehicle. Some DP's do have a much higher hitch capacity which is important to some buyers.