Forum Discussion

Mondooker's avatar
Mondooker
Explorer
May 16, 2021

Gas Vs Diesel Yah-Yah-Yah!

Ok look, I understand diesels hold more storage, can hold and have heavier stuff. I also understand diesels have air bags and may/may not have a better ride and may/may not pull more and may/may not be quieter. But that all comes at a price!

For the sake of this conversation let’s agree on a few perimeters.
A top of the line gasser lists around $225.000.00.
A compatible diesel will be around $300,000.00.

So let’s keep our conversation located there. I don’t want someone jumping in with “hey I have a new Newmar Mountain Air and it’s better than a gasser. If you do that I’ll be prone to say something like “Im very happy for you but you’re an idiot”!

I recently spent a good amount of time in a 2021 Entegra Emblem and 2021 Coachmen Encore. Both had the new Ford V8 and the new F53 chassis. And I’m here to tell you the gas vs diesel has been blurred to say the least.

You take the difference in price and the price to maintain them and the gas stands out as an obvious winner. I’ll hear diesel owners say “Oh mine goes up hill faster” and I counter with “Have you gone somewhere a gas coach can’t”? All I hear then is Crickets. And then there’s “Oh but my diesel will go 500,000 miles and a gas will do half of that. And I say “Yes and for what you pay to rebuild your diesel, I can put in a new engine and transmission and have money left over for a month out west and summer in Alaska”! Yes more crickets.

The prevailing wisdom has been. Their all the same at the park and there's a lot of truth to that. But getting there has become much better in the new top tear gassers. I’m not saying there’s not good reasons to buy a diesel because there are. Just be smart and not buy one because someone says a diesel is better. Because that’s not necessarily right for you.

I was recently talking to someone with a known RV channel who have a Newmar BayStar and love the Coach. But they really-really-really want a diesel as soon as the can! Silly me I asked why? They looked at me as much to say “What’s wrong with you”? And I admit it’s a multiple choice questions. But if they were honest when we were done talking, they no longer had the same assurance as when the conversation started.

Get what you want but get if for the right reason and whisking a gas coach away because it’s a gas coach could be a huge mistake! Folks will add remarks below as they should. But be open minded and grounded into what you really need and then what you want will fill in nicely! Find the floorplan you like, that’s critical mass right there!