Given choice gas or diesel powered fill time coach

2cAmerica wrote:
Which and why if given choice gas or diesel powered (36 - 40 foot) coach with 2500 - 3500 lbs toad attached for fill time usage?

Thank-you

For full time I would rather have a rear engine diesel chassis under the house and I would rather have a 40'. I'm not much of a minimalists and would want the two under floor storage compartments that a long wheel base allows. Also in the 40' range the living area opens up a bit more with the option of two full length sofas and a bit more kitchen counter space.

I currently own a 32' gas coach that serves us well as weekend vacationers but our long range goal is part timing in a 40' DP.

Well, since I have a DP, I wanted to read all the posts, weigh the differences as I see them, and then offer my opinion. Money is an issue. Maintenance is an issue and floorplan is an issue.

So two years ago we went looking. Looked at all of them from about $230K and cheaper. I wanted to be around $150K, honestly. So off we went and drove them. Here is what I found, with living in the Mile High state weighing into the equation.

1) A DP is quieter, more powerful, and runs cooler. Driving a diesel vs a gasser was very different and we just liked the quiet ride and smoothness of a pusher.
2) We needed to be in it a LONG time, like 10-13 hours at a time driving. The efficiency of a diesel and comfort where paramount.
3) Floorplans. We needed as much space for the buck as we could get. 40ft just seemed perfect. No tag but big enough for personal space for a family of 4 in it for long periods of time.
4) We travel to the south, and it is hot in the south. We wanted a big genny and 3 A/Cs. No gasser offered that.

We also found that pics where of no use because the coaches all seemed so much different in person. We found the Discovery 40G that met all our needs. The diesel is quiet, runs cool up and down the mountains, and will accommodate a long, long leg of a trip. 100 gallons of diesel at 7-8 MPG will run us 700-800 miles at a time, and the genny is very, very efficient running 3 A/Cs and keeping us very comfy. No motorhome gets better than 8, gas or diesel, so don't believe the hype on the forum of those that get better than that.

In the end, the pusher was a no brainer. I didn't like the noisy, hot doghouse and most smaller bunkhouses were just not right for us.

I learned a few things in research:

1) The nicer the MH, the heavier it is. Therefore the pushers are usually a lot nicer and handle the weight much better.
2) Maintenance is a little more difficult on a pusher, but well worth it. Especially if you can do it yourself.
3) You are not so limited in the TOAD and/or a trailer.

I wasn't set on a pusher or a gasser. I drove both with the floorplans I liked and chose. Neither is better than the other. Just don't pick one until you drive both.

WW

I have a 2003 Damon Intruder; gas.

It has Corian counter-tops, Sharp convection microwave, porcelain toilet, Pioneer sound, and other quality items for the "house" portion of the RV.

When I last walked into RVs at a show, the interior build quality was not as clearly defined in final price, and not really any better then the interior build quality that my RV. Most of the interior is VERY PRETTY, but I'm not convinced of the long term build quality.

My toad is a Jeep Wrangler and my RV drives/rides better then it does. I've no doubt that a Diesel RV would ride like a Cadillac but I just don't live that high maintenance life style.

As far as mountain driving goes, I have done it. Does it REALLY matter if it takes 30 minutes longer to get up and down the pass if you are full timing? I go both directions, up and down, faster then the loaded semi's on the passes; not much faster, but I'm not in the slowest vehicle on the road.

If one's budget can afford the best of the best then go for it. If one has a budget with a limit, then for a full time rig, offsetting the cost of diesel power-plant and paying more for quality in the house just makes sense to me.

ragatijnet1 quote......."I have had both DP's and gassers and as far as I am concerned, the power plant has nothing to do with determining the best coach for a full timer. The floor plan that works still trumps any engine......"

It may seem that way to you, but the way I see it, there really isn't much of choice. And, here's why: it's a given that most fulltimers prefer to buy a motorhome with a floorplan that suits their needs. But, it's my experience that most suitable floorplans require a lot of square feet of space. Of course, there's also basement carrying capacity. For fulltiming, the bigger the better,....because even the largest motorhome is a small place to live. BY the time you get this floorplan, and all the other desirable features, you end up with something so heavy that the manufacturers decided that the best choice is a readily-available chassis(s) which happen to be diesel pushers. And, THAT'S why the majority of us end up with a big diesel pusher.
You might respond with the fact that not everyone wants, or needs, a big diesel pusher. That's true, but IMO opinion, a few years of fulltiming will convince them otherwise.
Most of us prefer to live in a larger space, than what a small motorhome offers.
That's why most of us who have fulltiming experience almost always recommend a big diesel pusher.

choose the floor plan that is best for you.

2cAmerica wrote:
Which and why if given choice gas or diesel powered (36 - 40 foot) coach with 2500 - 3500 lbs toad attached for fill time usage?

Thank-you

How many miles a year and would hope for at least 25K to warrant the diesel's extra cost. As for roominess, check out a 2013 Newmar 3953, as one of their 40ft gas pullers with four slideouts and 1 1/2 baths. Not much need to worry about being king of the hill and some of the other riding comforts of a DP, if you're going to be sitting still most of the time.

sluper wrote:
The "Safety Factor" of the diesel engine exhaust brake should make this a no brainer issue for the MH. Talk to someone who has traveled the mountains in a gasser and needed to use the "Run Off Lane". Ask those people what they prefer and it will almost unanimously be the diesel.

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I usually put 15-20,000 miles a year on my coach and most of it is in the Western mountains. I have NEVER seen a gas coach in the "run-off" lane on any of the mountain passes. In fact any vehicle that ends up in the run off lane, with the exception of a mechanical problem, was being driven by a driver that did not know how to descend a hill. An exhaust brake will not cure stupidity or correct a driver that does not know how to drive in the mountains.
I have had both DP's and gassers and as far as I am concerned, the power plant has nothing to do with determining the best coach for a full timer. The floor plan that works still trumps any engine.
The last few postings about coaches that ended up flipped off of the highway because of a flat tire were DP's. Maybe that should be considered also. :B

The "Safety Factor" of the diesel engine exhaust brake should make this a no brainer issue for the MH. Talk to someone who has traveled the mountains in a gasser and needed to use the "Run Off Lane". Ask those people what they prefer and it will almost unanimously be the diesel.

Ductape wrote:
Not all of us use our bank balance to determine what we drive. We buy what we like. We like NFS CG.

I've read many claims that a larger unit won't limit where you go, but oddly we don't see them there. ;)

I agree with Ductape, it depends on how and where you plan to camp. I like NFS,COE,NP,SP and BLM type camping. I like a small Class A for that reason. It is hard to find a 30-34 ft DP that has enough power and that rides well. A CC Intrigue or Allure is the exception but they are hard to find. If you go over 36 ft I would buy the DP.

I could compare vehicle choice to several things, but being in home repair bussines, water heater is a good one.
You can spend $600 for WH that will blew up after 5 years, or you can spend $800 on WH that will last 12 years and save you money on better efficiency.
Point is that not too many buyers want to see anything farther than 2 years ahead.
$100 in the pocket today for most have higher value than $1000 saved in 4 years.