I am looking at class A MH and wanted some feedback on a gas model vs a diesel. I believe the diesel to be more costly to maintain however they should outlast a gas. Any advice would be appreciated

Yes gas is less expensive but most gas motor homes do not have the chassis that give you a nice ride. If you do your own maintenance you will save. The interior is what will sell you on a motor home - buy what your better half likes.

You will no doubt receive many and varied opinions on your post. If your RV lifestyle will involve logging high mileage on a coach, perhaps a diesel powered unit would be the best choice. In our case we opted for a gas powered coach as we wouldn't be logging high mileage. Our travels average 5-6k miles annually spending 3+ months at any one location.Insofar as we would be living in the coach more than traveling in it, we gave priority to a coach with a comfortable, livable floor plan that would best suit our needs.Fortunately we found one in our 2000 gas powered coach we currently own which is now almost 17 years old with 91k miles and still in great shape.Wishing you the best on your choice of a coach, and may you enjoy many fun, safe and trouble free journeys.

any post you receive saying that diesels are not more expensive will, in the fine print, say that they do their own maintenance. I think it has been about 50 years since I changed my own oil. ;)bumpy

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that diesels are not more expensive. That's a new one on me.To the OP. If you do a search, you'll find hundreds of posts on this very subject. To answer your two statements...yes, diesels are more costly to maintain. Keep in mind, even the smaller diesels require at least 18 quarts of oil, large oil filter and in most cases two fuel filter. In addition, a very large air (and costly) air filter, hydraulic filter, water filter, and a host of other required maintenance items. Even if you do you own maintenance, the cost of the oil/filters will be far more than a gas rig.And....if it is maintained correctly, more than likely the diesel "engine/trans" will out last a gas engine/trans.There are a host of other pro/cons that you need to consider and your best bet would be to do a search like I first mentioned.Good luck in your quest.Ron

For the vast majority of motorhomes, the relative longevity of the engine is irrelevant. Other parts (such as house stuff) generally wear out well before the drivetrain is worn out. The current Ford V10 engine and transmissions are quite reliable and long-lived if given proper basic maintenance.For class A motorhomes, a diesel engine nearly always also implies a rear engine chassis, usually with air suspension, while a gas engine would be in a front engine chassis with leaf spring suspension. There are definite advantages to the former in terms of comfort when traveling, which technically have nothing whatsoever to do with the engine technology but still come along with it. (In other words, there's no inherent reason why one couldn't construct a rear engine gas powered motorhome with air suspension, or a front engine diesel unit, but they are both largely nonexistent.)

Gas vs diesels | Good Sam Community

52 Replies

LVJ58
Explorer
Dec 26, 2016
You will no doubt receive many and varied opinions on your post. If your RV lifestyle will involve logging high mileage on a coach, perhaps a diesel powered unit would be the best choice.

In our case we opted for a gas powered coach as we wouldn't be logging high mileage. Our travels average 5-6k miles annually spending 3+ months at any one location.

Insofar as we would be living in the coach more than traveling in it, we gave priority to a coach with a comfortable, livable floor plan that would best suit our needs.

Fortunately we found one in our 2000 gas powered coach we currently own which is now almost 17 years old with 91k miles and still in great shape.

Wishing you the best on your choice of a coach, and may you enjoy many fun, safe and trouble free journeys.
ken1961
Explorer
Dec 25, 2016
Yes gas is less expensive but most gas motor homes do not have the chassis that give you a nice ride. If you do your own maintenance you will save. The interior is what will sell you on a motor home - buy what your better half likes.

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Gas vs diesels

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