Trading up to Diesel

Most important is, Purchase what you can afford. Second is, Motorhomes are a bad investment so spend no more than you are willing to lose in depreciation in the future. So find the best deal you can. Finally after you purchase, Forget everything I have post and ENJOY!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

When we traded up to a diesel, we had a list already made out of the must have.

Had to have four slides.
Had to have a combination washer/dryer.
Television front and in the bedroom.
Large shower.
Refrigerator/freezer in the side bay area.
At least 40 feet.
Minimum of 400 horsepower with 1200 ft pounds of torque.
Side radiator.
No carpet in the front, only in the bedroom.
Had to have a CB.
Big one was at least a 2 stage Jake brake. Did not want an exhaust brake.
Side by side refrigerator/freezer with ice maker.
Minimum 2000 watt continuous inverter.
Did not want one with a regeneration or def system on it.
Convection microwave/oven.
Way to air up tires from onboard compressor.
Heat pumps with 15,000 and 13500 a/c.
Bay doors that open back to front.
Slide trays in bay area.
Auto generator start.

The old rule is you need one hp per 100 pounds. So 350 hp = 35,000 lb GCWR coach. 500 hp = 50,000 lb etc

Thank you. We would like a diesel pusher for the extra power and some extra features like washer and dryer. For us it is "trading up". We would like about 40 ft and will be retiring soon and plan to spend at least 6 months in rv. There are two of us with two small dogs although would like to be able to have a hide a bed for a grandchild or two to visit.

Here is what I (not necessarily you) would look for:

-Engine displacement 8.3 liters or greater

-Highest CCC capacity so you can carry lots of your stuff

-Large tankage for fuel(150 gallons), water(100 gallons), waste(60 grey, 40 black) and propane

-Side radiator

-Full body paint

-Designed with a good floor plan while parked and also a good floor plan rolling down the road

If you can target older models that were the manufacturer's flagship when they were produced you will be getting the cream of the crop.

Good News ! I found a diesel for the OP....

CLICK --> Diesel MotorCoach !

Just wondering, Why is it trading up? Spending more money?

I agree a lot depends on floor plan and what you are going to use for and how long.
We traded up from a 1988 32' Gasser to a 2003 39'DP last year.
We Also agree maintenance is EVERYTHING. Battery age, Tire age, and maintenance records on chassis, engine, tranny, generator, and appliances if available are all good things to see. We thought we found a very clean unit with only 40K on the CAT 330HP diesel. Ran without any problem except the owner said the engine would loose prime after sitting for a few days and it was very hard to start. After asking and researching on forums it appeared that the problem of the diesel loosing prime was a good possibility and sometimes hard to discover so without having it checked by a diesel mechanic we purchased the RV. But much to our dismay it turned out to be a lack of maintenance that was the issue. The $70.00 Air Filter had a whole in it so big you could fit your fist into the holes Unhappily it took about $18,000 to fix the so called problem of 'Loosing Turbo, Head, and clylinders washed out pasted manufacturer tolerances.

What size MH do you want? If you want something bigger 38-42 foot the answer is easy. If you are looking at something 30 - 35 ft the answer is more difficult. Start with how you will camp. What kind of CG's do you like to visit NP,NF,SP's or FHU CG's? How often will you use it several times a year, mo's at a time of full time? Are you retired or still raising a family? What is your budget for the MH?

I agree with the big motor but on the other hand my 330hp Cummins has pulled my 32ft trailer and race car all over the Eastern US just fine----tops steepest mountain so far at 55mph. So if not towing that big or bigger should be fine. I have put 100,000mi + on mine pretty much trouble free. Also Allison 6spd trans is a +.