which one? class A or Pusher? Why? thanks

r2young3390... sometimes I miss out on the letters.... I know DD, DS, DH, DW (the D is for Darling or Dear....daughter, son, husband, wife, etc.)... what is a MR Daughter?

MM.

Hey thanks for all the great info! I need an RV for my MR daughter and her seizure dog to stay with me while im working..........So I guess a gas RV will do just fine if I find the one we love...the Bounder rv from fleetwood we like alot with the sectional couch and the fireplace under the flat screen tv!

thanks again!

Francesca Knowles wrote:
I'm thinking there's a bit of terminology confusion in this O.P.'s mind- he's posted a couple of times about what kind of tow vehicle he'd need for a certain fiver, emphasis on diesel rigs. See thread here.

Looks to me like he's using the term "diesel pusher" to refer to a tow vehicle, not a Class A.

Sounds to me like maybe he's changed his mind, with what type of RV he might like the best. In both cases, he leaves out the amount of travel vs sitting in one place for what may be long periods and most important with choosing the proper unit. Also, how much local travel will be required of the dinghy or large truck, once parked.

r2young3390 wrote:
Im new to this--going to do travel nursing on west coast/south area. Which rv should I buy? A new Class A or a used DIESEL Pusher? I dont think I can afford a new pusher.........and why??? thanks all!!!
Sorry I meant DIESEL pusher..........or a class A gas rv?

I'd say the best bang for your buck will be a used Gas Puller and anytime you buy used, your depreciation per mile goes down and the single most expensive cost of ownership. Forget the MPG and think DPM, as stated. Now, if you can do with 37ft max, won't be driving much more than 10K miles per year with fairly long term ownership, don't do much of your own work and wish to enjoy less maintenance costs, then go with the gas, as said.

If you will only be using the vehicle to live in at each new nursing location, the absolutely most important consideration will be the floor plan. Will you be happy living here?
Also, if that's you plan it sounds like you will be parked for months and then move to a new nursing location for months again. If that's how you will use the coach then the type of coach you buy is not that important as you will only be experiencing the ride/handling/mileage issues a few times per year.

As others pointed out, my first consideration would be a floorplan I like in the budget I want.

A DP will certainly drive better than a gasser (better suspension, better brakes, more power, usually higher towing capacity, etc - IMO, it a bit like comparing a school bus with a charter bus) but the gasser will still get you where you are going and costs significantly less.

As far as fuel cost, DPs do typically get slightly better mileage but not enough to offset higher fuel cost of diesel (we just travelled from Ontario to Florida last week and the whole way down diesel was typically $0.70 to $0.80 (or more) more expensive than regular (i.e. about 20-25% more). With our old gasser (98 Pace Arrow), we'd get a solid 7.5mpg, we our newer DP (03 Tiffin Phaeton), we get maybe 8.5mpg (usually more like 8mpg) so the mileage increase is not enough to offset the higher fuel costs and our cost per mile is higher. Maintenance is also higher. With a gasser you can get an oil change at many Walmarts for $70. With a DP, you can get an oil change at SpeedCo for $280 (I think) and that's if there are SpeedCos in your area, otherwise you might spend $300-$400 on an oil change. With the DPs, you also need to replace transmission fluid every 2 years (or 4 years if you are using synthetic fluid) and that's a good $400+. I think most gassers have 100k mile transmission fluid change interval. Tires are also typically larger so more expensive on a DP.

Finally, you need to check your state requirements. In most areas, you can drive a gasser with a regular drivers licence but many States / Provinces require higher class license to drive a DP (e.g. I'm from Ontario, Canada so need a commercial straight-truck licence to drive our DP and an air brake certification (e.g. I need the same someone would use to drive a dump truck or garbage truck). This isn't a huge issue but it's a bit of a pain (i.e. my wife is not licenced to drive our motor home because so far, she doesn't want to have to do the test (and because it's a test for a commercial licence, you need to know tons of things that are useless unless you're a truck driver).

I'm thinking there's a bit of terminology confusion in this O.P.'s mind- he's posted a couple of times about what kind of tow vehicle he'd need for a certain fiver, emphasis on diesel rigs. See thread here.

Looks to me like he's using the term "diesel pusher" to refer to a tow vehicle, not a Class A.

r2young3390 wrote:
Im new to this--going to do travel nursing on west coast/south area. Which rv should I buy? A new Class A or a used DIESEL Pusher? I dont think I can afford a new pusher.........and why??? thanks all!!!
Sorry I meant DIESEL pusher..........or a class A gas rv?

r2young3390,
Well, as you can see, lots of answers/opinions. Your dilemma is shared by many folks who are anticipating entering the RV world. There's lots to consider. As has been stated, most diesel rigs do have a better ride. There's a reason for that. It's normally because of air ride suspension. Most gas rigs either ride on coil springs or, the old dinosaur "leaf" springs. The leaf spring versions usually ride the roughest.

Floor plans are a major consideration. Just what tickles your fancy is all up to you. Looking at them in pictures (as in floor plan layouts) doesn't cut it. You have to look at them IN PERSON, to get real feeling for just how the look, feel and apply to your passions.

Obviously the longer the coach, the more room and usable space for all the intended gear you might want to take along. And that includes the outside too.

How much time you spend in the coach on a daily basis could be affected by the size of rig you purchase, diesel or gas. The smaller ones have tendency to cause a bit of claustrophobia. It all depends on a persons/couples demeanor and ability to handle certain situations.

The smaller ones do have some distinct advantages in terms of parking, finding camp spaces, handling in city/crowded type driving etc. But, the smaller ones also have limited towing capabilities too. So, if you plan on towing a toad, a good plan would be to actually KNOW what that toad weighs before you make a decision on make, model, length, type of engine etc.

As stated, there's lots to consider. While the diesel rigs do have a somewhat better ride, it comes at a cost. The tires on most of them are considerably more expensive than their gas counter parts. Brakes are almost a non-issue due to the fact that about 99% of the diesel rigs out there come with a minimum of an exhaust brake which aids tremendously in braking and, lengthening of the time between brake maintenance.

I do my own oil changes on our diesel and yep, it's a bit higher in cost but, not all that much. The oil pan is a 19 Quart pan vs a 7 quart on our previous rig, a 34' Bounder with the V-10.

But, in all reality, the smartest thing you could do for yourself is, go out to an RV show where a bunch of them are being sold together. That way you don't have to drive all over the planet and try and remember what you just saw. You simply walk into and out of each one and can form opinions without the major task of driving to residences and more. And, you can go right back in case your memory is fuzzy on certain items.

Good luck.
Scott

You mention you want to use it for travel nursing. So I have to ask, are you just looking for a place to stay while on the road for work, or are you looking for an RV for the fun of RVing too? I have known several travel nurses and they often stay at the extended stay hotels when on the road. The cost of using extended stay hotels may be a lot cheaper than buying and staying in a motorhome. If it were me and I were traveling like that for work, I'd use my motorhome no questions asked for a lot of reasons. But I already have the motorhome and I'm not buying just for a place to stay while working. I don't know that I would buy one if that were the only reason I was buying it.

Fuel MPG is not really important. The difference annualized is minimal.
Depreciation and repairs are way more.

I have had two gas coaches and now a new 05 DP. To me the difference is lots of power uphill, better ride, better brakes quieter ride and can carry/tow more weight.

If you aren't bombing around the Rockies all summer, you might not need a DP. If you are parking it way more than driving it, you might be fine with a gas unit.

You might want to consider a fifth wheel or TT.