Any regrets going from Gas to Diesel?

stvdman wrote:
Are the differences between a BRAND NEW CLASS A GAS and BRAND NEW entry level D/P as big as they USED to be?

Thats the market i will be in. After reading up on the chassis/drivetrain combos in the past there sure used to be...especially late 90's through about 2007.

I wonder if the GAS Class A's may have closed that "gap" somewhat now.

For me I am comparing the 2016 Ford F53 to the entry level D/P (Coachman SPORTSCOACH, Fleetwood Excursion, Thor Palazo). First comparison is teh avg $40k price differences. Then the Maintenance cost difference.

Not worried about "resale value". Just purchase and use cost. With that being my concern, I am leaning towards the CLASS A gas and the new 2016 F53 chassis.

Although I keep including 2004-2008 D/P's in the mix as they are within the same price range (TIFFEN PHATEONs, Fleetwood Revolution, etc, etc). I just worry about maintenance/repair costs, which I must say, can appear ASTRONOMICAL when comparing to a new Gas Class A.


In short if I were in a well used Class A gas, going to a new D/P would be a great idea. Going from used to used could be good, just have to be choosy. If comparing NEW to NEW or used gas to NEW D/P, thats where I would be concerned with the additional costs.

If money not really a concern...D/P ALL THE WAY!

If you can stay under the 5K tow rating and the 26K GVWR as well as deal with the incessant noise and heat from the engine, the lack of an air suspension which means a rougher ride and sway in the wind then a gas Class A coach can work fine. We seriously considered a gas Class A. This is especially true of the Tiffin and some other well made gas coaches. Another issue is range, the F53 only comes with an 80 gallon tank which means you will effectively have a fairly short range depending on terrain. The F53 maxes out at 26K and your fuel economy will be low because the engine is working so hard. Ford has done an amazing job at getting a V10 with a 5 speed transmission to do the job that a FRED diesel engine used to do. Even a cheap DP will usually come with a 100 gallon fuel tank giving it an amazing range of nearly 1000 miles because diesel engines get better fuel economy. Like I said it could be the best for your family as long as you know the limitations of the chassis and don't "push" it to do what it wasn't designed to do it could work great. BTW one last point on price. Some of the low end DP units do have significant price flexibility so you may be able to get a DP unit in the same range as a Class A gas.