I am in the market for a Class A motor home. I've camped with bumper pulls and was looking at going to a nicer/newer bumper pull to make the wife happy. In between the decision to get a newer bumper pull and now I borrowed a 2004 Tiffin 34' gas motor home for a weekend trip and have decided to go to a used class A instead.I have a good baseline of what I'm looking for. Nothing more than 8-10 yrs old, preferably newer. Something between 32 and 38 long. I have a laundry list of likes and wants as far as floor plans and options. Where i'm stumbling in my hunt is diesel vs gas based on my experiences with that motor home. The 04 Tiffin I borrowed was a ford v10, not sure of the transmission. I found that when I got into the slightest of inclines, the transmission would down shift leaving the engine screaming like a banshee. Was horribly aggravating. Were not talking climbing mountains, where I would expect a noticeable deficiency in climbing. Do more modern Ford gas engine/transmissions experience this?Is the Chevy workhorse package any different?Was there a deeper issue with this particular motor home? (very well cared for unit, so i doubt it)Banks and other performance companies sell performance kits, do these help with this situation?Thanks for any guidance.

More modern Ford units have more gears so the downshift doesn't increase the RPMs as much as the older units. The newer ones also have a little more horsepower which also helps. I have heard that the Banks systems can help a little as well as a reprogramming of the engine computer can help a little. I have a 2000 V10 and it does scream , I think it helps to take it out of overdrive before the hill and try to keep the RPMS about 3000 - 3500 and it doesn't seem too bad to me.

The Ford V10 is a high revving engine (for a truck engine). It produces decent power, but mainly at relatively high rpms, and it does make noise when doing so. Provided you don't mind the noise, it will get you up any hill or mountain in decent shape--though of course no motorhome is going to keep up with a modern passenger car in such situations.The current models may be a bit better than you experienced due to the newer 6 speed transmission introduced a year or so ago. The gears in it are more evenly spaced, particularly in the upper gears, so the downshifts should not be quite so dramatic. There are also noticeable differences between motorhome makers in how well they isolate the engine noise from the cabin.The Chevy is a little less rev happy, I believe.Needless to say, a diesel pusher will be noticeably quieter, partly because the engine runs at a much lower speed and partly (not a small part) because it's much farther away from you when you're driving.

I have a V10 in my 2015 Thor Vegas and love the engine and especially the transmition. Its all the engine you need and mine does not scream like you are saying. 2004 model may be the reason.

We had an old gasser (P30 chassis) for 2 years and the noise when the fan clutch kicked in was THE reason we bought a DP. We couldn't see doing anything bigger than a hill in the gasser. Now the only way I know about a downshift is the number on the shift pad.

My previous motor home had a 8.1 liter gas, GM engine, traveled the Rockies, towing a 4 door Jeep with no problem. I always tried to keep the RPMs around 4000. Speed was usually 40-50 mph on bigger mountains.

Trying to figure out what i want and what I need

15 Replies

bobkatmsu
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2017
My previous motor home had a 8.1 liter gas, GM engine, traveled the Rockies, towing a 4 door Jeep with no problem. I always tried to keep the RPMs around 4000. Speed was usually 40-50 mph on bigger mountains.
jplante4
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2017
We had an old gasser (P30 chassis) for 2 years and the noise when the fan clutch kicked in was THE reason we bought a DP. We couldn't see doing anything bigger than a hill in the gasser. Now the only way I know about a downshift is the number on the shift pad.
Dennis12
Explorer
Dec 23, 2017
I have a V10 in my 2015 Thor Vegas and love the engine and especially the transmition. Its all the engine you need and mine does not scream like you are saying. 2004 model may be the reason.
DrewE
Explorer III
Dec 23, 2017
The Ford V10 is a high revving engine (for a truck engine). It produces decent power, but mainly at relatively high rpms, and it does make noise when doing so. Provided you don't mind the noise, it will get you up any hill or mountain in decent shape--though of course no motorhome is going to keep up with a modern passenger car in such situations.

The current models may be a bit better than you experienced due to the newer 6 speed transmission introduced a year or so ago. The gears in it are more evenly spaced, particularly in the upper gears, so the downshifts should not be quite so dramatic. There are also noticeable differences between motorhome makers in how well they isolate the engine noise from the cabin.

The Chevy is a little less rev happy, I believe.

Needless to say, a diesel pusher will be noticeably quieter, partly because the engine runs at a much lower speed and partly (not a small part) because it's much farther away from you when you're driving.
tiffy2000
Explorer
Dec 23, 2017
More modern Ford units have more gears so the downshift doesn't increase the RPMs as much as the older units. The newer ones also have a little more horsepower which also helps. I have heard that the Banks systems can help a little as well as a reprogramming of the engine computer can help a little. I have a 2000 V10 and it does scream , I think it helps to take it out of overdrive before the hill and try to keep the RPMS about 3000 - 3500 and it doesn't seem too bad to me.

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Trying to figure out what i want and what I need

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