OK I'm sure this has been beaten to death... BUT as a 5th wheel owner just starting to look a getting a used 2006 - 2012 Class A. About 35 ft is a gas engine powerful? I see Ford V10 and Chevy V8 Is a V8 powerful enough in a 35 ft unit? Or should bite the bullet and go with a diesel?

was_butnotnow wrote:OK I'm sure this has been beaten to death... BUT as a 5th wheel owner just starting to look a getting a used 2006 - 2012 Class A. About 35 ft is a gas engine powerful? I see Ford V10 and Chevy V8 Is a V8 powerful enough in a 35 ft unit? Or should bite the bullet and go with a diesel?depends on what your personal wants and expectaions are. Mid level to mid upper end diesel pushers quality wise,power wise, ride wiseetc are far far superior to a gasser BUT you can buy a brand new gasser for less than the price you will pay for a 2009 ish diesel pusher.So if your serious about owning a A MH and you want the best power to weight ratio, best handling, best ride and built to higher standards brake,frame power train and suspention then a diesel pusher is the only way to go especially if your running in the mountains and pulling a toad.My 450HP isl 40 ft 4 slide unit blows by gasser going up mountain passes

I made the same switch 2 years ago. From 40" bunkhouse 5ver over to a 2012 Georgetown 351 35' gas. We love it. No power problems at all. Been from NY to Disney twice. Planning a trip out west this year. I stayed with gas mainly because the amount of vacation I can take didn't justify the added diesel expense. You probably will get a little smoother ride with the diesel though.

I have a 30 foot long 1997 Bounder with the 225 HP rated V8 Ford. I bought it new when I heard the V10 would be the only FOrd engine in the 1998 models, and I did not want the smaller engine. Sadly they improved on the horsepower and weight ratings because they also upgraded brakes and went from 3000 pound 16" rim to a 3,500 pound 19.5" rim. Anyway I have been happy with my gas engine, and really only put about 50,000 miles on it in the 18 years I have owned it. So if you will average around 5,000 miles a year, then fuel costs will not be as significant as insurance and payments. It is nice that I can do the oil change in my driveway for about $50 with only 6 quarts of oil, and a bargain oil filter when Fram is on sale for only $8 or so. Compared to a diesel with 28 quarts of oil (also need to get rid of those too) and more expensive oil filters.I found that I have plenty of power. My buddy with a 40' Country Coach (1998) that is heavier takes longer to climb into the mountains, probaly due to it's weight or 2,000 RPM redline, so the power is a LOT but RPM is really slow compared to a gas engine. The 6.8L V10 is happy to run 4,000 RPM all day long due to it's cylinders only being about 0.68 liters. A 10 liter inline 6 will have nearly 2 liters per cylinder, so the stroke is much longer and bore is huge compared to the V10. This is why RPM is so limited in a diesel, except for the V8's used by Ford and GM. Another buddy has a 1987 class C with a 460" V8 that has been rebuilt for power, increased compression, ect. It will outrun his neighbor's CAT powered 40' DP on the hills too. He just sets the cruise control at 65 and goes up and down the hills without any problems. The DP is down to 45 on most grades.Good luck,Fred.

We went to a gasser from a TT. We were disappointed at the noise and jarring ride in the gasser. Those problems can be mitigated but you cannot escape the roar of a V 10 running at 4000 RPM a foot away. The other issue is heat coming from the engine. On hot days the heat was intense. Again it can be fixed but is expensive if the manufacturer didn't do it. We ended up trading it in fo a DP. The other problem is tow rating. The max tow rating for a gasser is 5k.

High profile vehicles rock and roll in the wind. Unless you are talking Provost. I live in the mountains. I haven't had any problems. If you want to zip up mountain grades at 75 of course you'll need a diesel. Unfortunately if you do buy gas front and rear anti sway is almost a neccesity along with a steering dampener. One importantant thing to consider in a gas MH Is wheel base to length ratio. The longer the wheel base the more stable you will be on the highways and the less maneuverable you will be in tight areas like parking areas. If I were FTing I would be looking at a used Provost which is a true bus chassis with a diesel. We are out 4 or 5 months a year and our gasser is just fine.BTW higher end gassers put more insulation over the engine. Less noise and no heat.You can of course add that insulation yourself.

Class A Gas or Diesel | Good Sam Community

barmcd
Explorer
Feb 02, 2016
msturtz wrote:
lcseds wrote:
So I saw a mention of it earlier, but if one had to choose between a low end DP like a Winnebago Forza vs a gas unit, would that be worth the extra bucks? Or would you have to go to a higher level DP to make a significant difference. In other words, how would a entry level DP stack up against a mid level gasser?

For us we started with a higher end gas and ended up with an entry level DP. It still has Corian counter tops but vinyl flooring and low end wood finishes i.e. photo finish. The OEM chose an Allison MH2100 transmission and Cummins ISB 300 rather than the more common MH2500 and Cummins ISB 340. This limits the maximum GVWR to 26,000# and GCWR to 30,000#. These types of compromises are common in this price range. Funny thing is the Freightliner Custom Chassis my OEM chose was actually a 28,000# GVWR 33,000# chassis but was "de-rated" because of the transmission. These sorts of compromises were ok with us because all gas units max out at 26,000# and GCWR of 30,000# but you are limited to a maximum toad weight of 4,000# for some and 5,000# for the rest. This would prevent us from towing our Suburban and possibly even our Acadia. This is where the compromises come into play. We chose to limit our options to units that have a 6,000# minimum tow rating. As it is our entry level DP has a maximum tow rating of 10,000# provided that GCWR and GVWR ratings are observed. We also don't like the long rear overhang and long turning radius of a gas unit. Now that we have our DP the ride is very nice compared to our former GAS MH.

The long overhang of a gas coach is something people overlook. I guess it's because of the drive shaft, but it does add some complications.
msturtz
Explorer
Feb 02, 2016
lcseds wrote:
So I saw a mention of it earlier, but if one had to choose between a low end DP like a Winnebago Forza vs a gas unit, would that be worth the extra bucks? Or would you have to go to a higher level DP to make a significant difference. In other words, how would a entry level DP stack up against a mid level gasser?

For us we started with a higher end gas and ended up with an entry level DP. It still has Corian counter tops but vinyl flooring and low end wood finishes i.e. photo finish. The OEM chose an Allison MH2100 transmission and Cummins ISB 300 rather than the more common MH2500 and Cummins ISB 340. This limits the maximum GVWR to 26,000# and GCWR to 30,000#. These types of compromises are common in this price range. Funny thing is the Freightliner Custom Chassis my OEM chose was actually a 28,000# GVWR 33,000# chassis but was "de-rated" because of the transmission. These sorts of compromises were ok with us because all gas units max out at 26,000# and GCWR of 30,000# but you are limited to a maximum toad weight of 4,000# for some and 5,000# for the rest. This would prevent us from towing our Suburban and possibly even our Acadia. This is where the compromises come into play. We chose to limit our options to units that have a 6,000# minimum tow rating. As it is our entry level DP has a maximum tow rating of 10,000# provided that GCWR and GVWR ratings are observed. We also don't like the long rear overhang and long turning radius of a gas unit. Now that we have our DP the ride is very nice compared to our former GAS MH.
barmcd
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
lcseds wrote:
So I saw a mention of it earlier, but if one had to choose between a low end DP like a Winnebago Forza vs a gas unit, would that be worth the extra bucks? Or would you have to go to a higher level DP to make a significant difference. In other words, how would a entry level DP stack up against a mid level gasser?

That'd be up to you. I'm a chassis/engine over everything else type of person. I'd rather have a Formica counter and diesel engine than a gas engine and solid surface counter top. I'd have a very difficult time driving a gas coach very far.

What do you drive every day? I drive a sports car or a motorcycle. What I drive and how it drives is important to me. For others, what they drive has no value to them as long as it's reliable or economical. Their vehicle is simply an appliance. If you are one of those types, then a higher end gas coach may be the way to go.
lcseds
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
So I saw a mention of it earlier, but if one had to choose between a low end DP like a Winnebago Forza vs a gas unit, would that be worth the extra bucks? Or would you have to go to a higher level DP to make a significant difference. In other words, how would a entry level DP stack up against a mid level gasser?
-Gramps-
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
Floorplan, you will spend ten times as much time sitting as you will driving, and so look for what you fit best in and make the fuel secondary.
msturtz
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
rgatijnet1 wrote:
The best coach for anyone is the one that suits their needs today. The type of fuel used is not that big of a deal. Actually getting out of the house and traveling is what it is all about. Having had tents, travel trailers, Class C and Class A coaches, as well as diesel and gas powered Class A's, I have found all of them have done exactly what I wanted them to do at that time of my life. I also have several thousand miles behind the wheel of a million dollar plus Prevost Liberty coach. It is unfortunate that many diesel owners want to degrade or attempt to look down upon gas coach owners when they themselves are driving a cheap imitation of a real DP like a Prevost or Marathon based coach. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all DP's are not equal, just like all gassers are not inferior to all DP's.
All RV's are better than sitting on your butt at home or spending your time driving a car from motel to motel in search of a comfortable bed without bedbugs. Of course you can always travel by air, miss everything in between destinations, and still have to deal with the bed issue. To each his own and enjoy what you have and don't belittle others for their choice. It only shows your own ignorance.

For me it boils down to the requirements of an individual RVing family. There are very high end gas class A rigs that are very well made and have great sound insulation and suspension upgrades. Typically these coaches max out at 26,000# GVWR and max out at 5,000# tow rating. Most have tow ratings of much less. If you need more than 5K tow rating you must get into a DP chassis.
Cloud_Dancer
Explorer II
Jan 03, 2016
You are correct, in my case. Every motorhome I ever bought was a compromise. For sure the first 5 gassers were. But, even when I finally custom-ordered a new big diesel pusher, I knew that the one I really wanted was much nicer and better. However, I gotta say that my diesel pusher was/is better than ANY front-engined gasser that there was/is.
You wouldn't believe the one I'm wishing for today.
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Jan 03, 2016
The best coach for anyone is the one that suits their needs today. The type of fuel used is not that big of a deal. Actually getting out of the house and traveling is what it is all about. Having had tents, travel trailers, Class C and Class A coaches, as well as diesel and gas powered Class A's, I have found all of them have done exactly what I wanted them to do at that time of my life. I also have several thousand miles behind the wheel of a million dollar plus Prevost Liberty coach. It is unfortunate that many diesel owners want to degrade or attempt to look down upon gas coach owners when they themselves are driving a cheap imitation of a real DP like a Prevost or Marathon based coach. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all DP's are not equal, just like all gassers are not inferior to all DP's.
All RV's are better than sitting on your butt at home or spending your time driving a car from motel to motel in search of a comfortable bed without bedbugs. Of course you can always travel by air, miss everything in between destinations, and still have to deal with the bed issue. To each his own and enjoy what you have and don't belittle others for their choice. It only shows your own ignorance.
427435
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
JetAonly wrote:

I have no desire to drive the Alkan highway. If I can't put a plug in my flat then I'll call in the service truck. I have no place to be at any time specific time. I'll start the genny and party on...

Enjoy your travels!

I've been in more than a few places without cell phone coverage. Like some say, it's not the destination, but the trip. ;)

Visiting Alaska was great, but traveling along the Alaska Highway was the best part.
dezolen
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
Just to stir the pot a little further from what I have read on some DP forums to get the true stable, smooth ride one has to have a tag axle DP and for easier maintenance a side mounted radiator or its not worth having a DP.
Seems anyone who has a DP has to have one better than anyone else.