New to diesel owner
We have owned three gas MHs since 1998. Today we purchased a Tiffin 34' diesel pusher. I loved the driving control and the layout. Since we plan a long trip this year, seemed to be a good upgrade. K...
Forum Discussion
Congrats on your new coach. I was in your shoes some 8 years ago, and I am still learning, especially from the pros on this site.
To get you started, my first, and hardest thing to understand was the function of the accelerator in a DP vs a gasser. In a gasoline motor, when going up a hill, you depress the accelerator to increase engine RPM, and climb the hill. In a DP, the engine and transmission work together. Higher RPM does not mean better. You need to learn the "sweet spot" in your engine, mine is around 1400 to 1700 rpm's, you can usually find the sweet spot on the manufacturers web site. When going up a hill, you keep your RPM's in this "sweet spot" and you let the engine/transmission decide what gear to be in. Coming down the hill, you use your engine brake, or exhaust brake, to keep your speed down and under control, trying to avoid using the brakes as much as possible.
Then, there is the issue of air brakes, which act totally different from hydraulic brakes and feel quite different. Air pressure, supplied by on-board compressors, keep your air lines under pressure and your brakes retracted. Stepping on the brake pedal allows air to release, which then allows the brake pads to come into contact with the rotor/drums (depending on what kind you have). Usually beginners stomp on the brakes, causing sudden jerking in the coach. You will need to get a good feel of your brakes and how feather them to slow down or to stop.
There's a lot more that you will need to learn. Plan on using the "search" feature of this site under the Class A Motorhome category to find out a lot more about fueling, filters, tires, and general handling and maintenance.
To get you started, my first, and hardest thing to understand was the function of the accelerator in a DP vs a gasser. In a gasoline motor, when going up a hill, you depress the accelerator to increase engine RPM, and climb the hill. In a DP, the engine and transmission work together. Higher RPM does not mean better. You need to learn the "sweet spot" in your engine, mine is around 1400 to 1700 rpm's, you can usually find the sweet spot on the manufacturers web site. When going up a hill, you keep your RPM's in this "sweet spot" and you let the engine/transmission decide what gear to be in. Coming down the hill, you use your engine brake, or exhaust brake, to keep your speed down and under control, trying to avoid using the brakes as much as possible.
Then, there is the issue of air brakes, which act totally different from hydraulic brakes and feel quite different. Air pressure, supplied by on-board compressors, keep your air lines under pressure and your brakes retracted. Stepping on the brake pedal allows air to release, which then allows the brake pads to come into contact with the rotor/drums (depending on what kind you have). Usually beginners stomp on the brakes, causing sudden jerking in the coach. You will need to get a good feel of your brakes and how feather them to slow down or to stop.
There's a lot more that you will need to learn. Plan on using the "search" feature of this site under the Class A Motorhome category to find out a lot more about fueling, filters, tires, and general handling and maintenance.
