Gas or diesel class c

I had a e450 v10 and it was loud and the dog house got hot too. It works and I would say I know I wanted the f550 instead of the sprinter and the doghouse e450. I will say that you will not fit the truck nozzles into these sized coaches so no truck lanes for me. I had a 200 gallon tank in the Foretravel and I only used the truck lanes.

D.C.,

Right on .... however maybe ya just plain gotta be an American Iron Lover to appreciate the V10 in a Class C.

Folks seem to think engine torque is superior to torque where it counts - at the drive wheels. Horsepower plus the right gearing are what, together, make torque at the drive wheels. The last time I checked, most light truck diesel mills do not come near the maximum horsepower of the good old 2-Valve V10 in our rigs. What they provide is less horsepower - but higher engine crankshaft torque at low RPM - so that the gearing to make any given required drive wheel torque can be less aggressive. Propelling a given weight up a given grade at a given speed requires a given amount of horsepower to get the work done, regardless of the spinning crankshaft torque where the horsepower is originating from.

HOWEVER that being said, folks seem to be afraid of RPM to get the horsepower out of an engine for making torque through gears. A diesel takes care of this fear .... as it produces it's (lower than the V10's) horsepower and higher (than than V10's) crankshaft torque by thumping along at a relatively low RPM. FWIW, the later 2-valve V10 is not necessarily a crankshaft torque slouch at it's approximate value of 420 ft-lbs..

Diesels have/had some definite advantages for meeting certain criteria due to the nature of how they have to get the energy out of their fuel. But much of their historic advantage has been eliminated through modern manufacturing methods that can now produce high RPM gas engines that last a long time with lighter engine weight. For many diesel applications, their only advantage left now is the fact that their basic fuel contains more energy per unit volume. So unless fuel suppliers swamp out this advantage with pricing - they can carry one along the road requiring less fuel cost per mile.

As for me, I like the spirited response and higher RPM whine of ten cylinders spinning fast. It's more "exciting". :B

Desert Captain wrote:
Yes the Mercedes diesels get 16/17 mpg {and no, they don't get better than that in the real world}, and you can look forward to recouping your initial investment in about a quarter of a million miles assuming you never need to have any work done on it...

As always.... Opinions and YMMV

:C

If I could only get close to 16 in my Mercedes diesel. :(

If the OP is going to tow get a V-10. Anyone who complains their V-10 doesn't have enough power needs to get to the gym and work on strengthening their right leg and then start using it.
:B

Unless a V-10 has something seriously wrong with it {not likely}, it requires no, none, zip, nada after mark garbage to make it pull like a freight train{just put your foot down}. If reliable, bulletproof and can be serviced just about anywhere without refinancing the coach are high on your shopping list... then get a V-10. Yes the mileage will be single digit {who cares it is an RV}, I consistently see 9.5, YMMV.

Yes the Mercedes diesels get 16/17 mpg {and no, they don't get better than that in the real world}, and you can look forward to recouping your initial investment in about a quarter of a million miles assuming you never need to have any work done on it...

As always.... Opinions and YMMV

:C

Chevy stopped making the Duramax 4500 for 2016. And it was never available with the RV prep package. Only the 3500 was.

The are re-releasing a diesel for 2017 model, but it is the 2.8L version from the Colorado. I don't think I'd want that in a large Class C. Maybe something Sprinter sized would be ok.

JohnS has a Super C, even though it's under 30-feet. F550, V10 Gas or 6.7 Diesel confirms that. Different Animal. The Ford Based Class C's on E-Series chassis have about as many disadvantages in Diesel as we hear about in Gas.

Ford isn't doing Diesel in E-Series anymore, but Chevy is, in their recently (last few model years) 4500 Cutaway/Class C chassis. I think... I know it's available in a Box Truck Chassis. It's billed as Duramax/Allison. If it's the pickup truck power plant, all tweaked up to max HP, could be very interesting. If it's de-tuned like many of the diesels used in pickups, are when installed in anything else, then...? Ho Hum...?

We've been to Georgia/SC mountains with our 31' (signature) towing a Corolla. Sure it could use more power, but it downshifted and we ran along just fine. Could probably pass some of the diesels, but that's not the point and it'd be screaming RPM's to do it.

Our first Class C was smaller, had a carbureted 460. Towing a smaller Toyota, we'd leave diesels behind on the grades.

FTD, I agree that gas stations are a PITA. The big turning circle of a stretched E450 makes it even worse. And there isn't gas on most of the truck lanes anymore. Used to be a lot of gas powered box trucks and moving trucks, but I guess they're all gone. I really wish more travel centers would put in "RV Lanes" and of those, they wouldn't point them At The Building like virtually all are.

Well, to me getting gas in a 30' C pulling a toad is a real PITA! For that reason alone, I'd seriously consider diesel. At least you can fuel a almost any truck center.

Good Luck,
Gary

I just bought a 29 foot born free on the ford 550 chassis. The power and mileage are great. I had a 24 foot born free with the V10 and got 8-9 mpg with a gas generator that hates ethanol gas. This one has a diesel generator bigger tanks and gets 12 mpg hands down much better then the e459 v10.

Various reasons as noted, you need to buy what you want taking some consideration in on other owners reports. I was looking for a diesel found a couple but on 1 wife said too small, the other had been a live in model and showed it. The 6.0 in each performed well. The other we found was also used I liked it wife said looked too used interior wise! So you know you have to keep the chief happy. Ended up with a V10, an ok engine in my mind not the wonder beast many seem to claim. I also have a F350 with the 6.0 so know its limitations. V10 struggles mightily on long pulls at altitude, (denver area), has a tendency to rev highly when it starts to struggle to overcome its less torque. I added a mikes 5 star tuner, it did help civilize the engine transmission combo supposed to add some HP and Torque due to fine tuning and it does help.

As noted diesel c's are few and far between but everything in an rv is a compromise it seems. In a class A I would go for a pusher vs a front engine setup but thats me. I dont worry about 'resale', 'repayment' issues, thats not what rv is for. Just like your home its either a house or a home, houses are eventually for resale, home is where you will want to be/stay. My opinion and others may vary.

Also this: The diesel power plant is significantly heavier than the gas one. A long wheelbase Class C, say a 31-ft with a 220-in wheelbase, is likely to be overloaded on the front axle.