Diesel or Gas Class A, That's the question.

Some very good points in the previous post except one. One how many MHs out there with 200,000 miles? Also, in a truck, tractor, or transportation bus like Crown it is quite easy to open the engine compartment to routinely check everything. On many MHs it isn't that easy to access everything on the diesel engine. The only diesel MHs I have seen with 200, 000 miles on them are Provost i.e.. ones in same category where the living box is the same quality as the engine. If they build such a package you would be looking at more than a few hundred thousand dollars. My gasser will have have lots of wear and tear in 5 or 6 years. I'm betting it will have much less than 100, 000 miles. Many of the appliances installed in MHs are very worn in 5 years. However, if it were a diesel the engine would just be getting broken in and ready for another few hundred thousand miles. JMHO.

Find the trailer and then buy the truck with the specs to pull it. Read the spec's don't just ask the sales man. That spec's will probably answer your question. If you are looking at RV's, the larger class A's will be diesel. "Diesel" is a tool. If you have a large load to pull diesel is the answer but it comes at a price. Depends on what you are moving and how far and only you know that.

Modern diesel engines in a large vehicle are usually more powerful, perform better on the road, are more economical to own and run, and are very reliable. There is a reason they are in every over-the-road truck. Gas engines are powerful up to a point so are a good match to smaller Class-A motorhomes, are equally reliable, can cost a little less to maintain over the short term but long term (say over 200K miles) the diesel will catch up, and are cheaper to buy. So each has it's benefits. The key will be simply what's in the motorhome you decide to buy. A larger 40 or 45 foot model will have a big diesel engine. A smaller 30 foot model will probably have a gas engine. Mid-sized you usually can find either. Modern diesel engines are both suffering and benefiting from pollution controls. They need DEF, they are far more complex and electronically controlled with all the attendant sensors and computers, and that can mean higher repair costs if something goes wrong. The upside is they are more efficient than ever before, and can get astounding fuel mileage. At the end of the day, what matters is the view out the front window!

Brian