Given choice gas or diesel powered fill time coach

All this talk of cheaper oil and cheaper gas? I don't have a MH for cheaper! I have a MH to have my things, my own bed, my own crapper and to be comfortable going down the road. Yes I run my genny going down the road in hot climates too and the dash air if necessary. It's all about the journey and the convenience and the comfort. Have fun, life is short.

We fulltime and for the last few years only travel 4000 miles per year. For the comfort and quietness and better fuel economy the DP is our choice. Not to say that there isn't many gas MH's that I'd be happy with, newer and better floor plans but our 2001 DP has served us very well over the last fulltiming years.

We sold our d.p. when we retired and bought the set up in my signature. We follow good weather and will spend up to four months in one place. With that much sitting, a d.p. was a waste of money.

I miss the traveling experience provided by our old Country Coach, but the cost of ownership is far less with the fifth wheel and RAM diesel.

Once you go over 35', the amount of Carrying Capacity (amount of stuff you can carry) goes way down in a gas MH which was not that much to begin with. Even at 40' with a DP it can be less than what most need for Full Time (3,000+ lbs) so find the CCC sticker that's required to be posted... often behind a cabinet door.
A tag axle will add 9,000+ lbs of CCC which means my DP had very little without it as my CCC is 9K and as half timers we are using a lot of it. I would rate CCC the most important concern for FT use, then floor plan. Once you go over 36' you are in DP territory.
My hat's off to those that can FT in a gas MH as you win the award for one item in, two items out... we have not learned that lesson as there is no need to.
You will hear it's less expensive to go with a 5er and a PU (been there, done that) but for what a new diesel PU and a quality 5er cost... $120K+ you can find a nice high end 10- year old DP that has taken the depreciation hit and still has many years and miles left in it for less.
The cost difference gas/diesel is not enough to worry about. One oil change every 15K miles instead of 4-5 for a gasser. There may be a $100 difference the price of tires for a a DP and big gasser... every 7-9 years.

All else the same, it's a toss up (or an ego boost). The modern gas engine will likely be running strong when the rest of the rig is trash with just normal maintenance. Likewise, if you don't do maintenance and abuse the diesel, it might not last 5yrs.

Unless you are running the carney circuit (40-50k miles per year), the fuel economy will likely never cover the higher up front cost of a diesel.

All else not the same and it's more about your needs and you get the engine that comes with it. Ie: If you want one of the big high end pushers, they only come in diesel.

rr2254545 wrote:
The fuel cost per mile is less with diesel as it gets better mileage

With the gasser based on todays price here in Minnesota 39 cents per mile based on 7 mile per gallon
The diesel pusher is 32 cents per mile based on 9 miles per gallon

Since the mileage is 22% better the diesel is more cost effective unless the price per gallon exceeds gas by more than 22%

Wait until you have to do a oil change on a diesel vs. a gasser. The difference is huge and will likely take up any savings that fuel mileage may have given you. Of course the fact that diesel has been running about 0.60 cents a gallon higher than unleaded doesn't help either!

I was looking at new gassers and drove many. I was ready to buy one. On a lark I drove a 11 year old High end DP. There was no going back as you can tell by my signature. They don't even compare.

It depends on how much you plan to drive and where you plan to drive.

We know people that go from New England to Florida in the winter and then back in the summer. While at either place they have full hookups. For them a gas unit is good because the cost to buy and maintain is less. Because they only put 2400 miles a year the added gas mileage of the diesel is not worth the cost differential.

For people that are going to live a nomadic life, the diesel may be a better choice. They will have plenty of power when traveling in the mountains, have a quieter ride and all the towing capacity the could ever want.

When buying any MH it really depends on how you intend to use it. Class A vrs Class C vrs Gas vrs Diesel vrs short vrs long and so on.

I would think that a coach with a lot of CCC would be a very important factor as a full-timer. Most likely you will be carrying around a lot more stuff than the typical week-ender or month vacationer. Having the power to push all that weight means diesel is the only way to go.