Rodz wrote:
For those of you that think a DP is the only way to get power and handling, you're way off base. I had A 95 Coachman on a 460 Ford chassis. It was trouble free for many miles and handled very good. I pulled a heavy 3 axle race car trailer and the 3 speed trans gearing was the only thing I didn't like. On a steep hill 3rd gear wasn't enough and 2nd gear was too much. I switched to a Monaco with a 300 hp Cummins. In my opinion that didn't handle as good as my gasser and wouldn't pull the hills as good as my 460 Ford. I then bought a Winnebago Journey with a 350 hp Cat. The ride and handling was probably the best of any MH I've owned but still wouldn't pull the hills any better. The new F53 has a 5 speed to better match the hill grades and has engine braking. My V10 Canyon Star rides and handles extremely well and doesn't move around in the hard wind any different than a DP. The F53 on a 24/26k chassis is very impressive. I can maintain speed on hills that I would lose mph with my DP's. If I push it I can actually gain speed on many hills. I see reports of 12-15 mpg on DP's. Well......that just isn't going to happen. My 460 got 6.5 to 7.5 mpg and my V10 gets 8 to 9 mpg which is the same as either of my DP's and costs $50.00 less to fill the same size tank with gas. I'm 65 and this will be the last MH I'll buy so we decided to go new. At 100k+ dollars less than a DP it was a good decision and the more we drive it, the more we like it. The wife drove it home from a trip a few weeks ago. There was 30 plus mph gusting winds and she was very comfortable with the way it handled. She wouldn't touch our other MH's in the wind. DP or gas, get what you like but don't be afraid to get a gasser strictly based what you read from DP owners.
The Ford 460 hp engine was one of the most powerful gasoline engines put out by Ford, BUT! it was a gas hog. It would pass everything but a gas station.
Where a diesel engine has it over a gasoline engine is torque. I believe I read somewhere that horsepower is for speed and torque is for pulling power.
I still have to question how can your F-53 on the Canyon Star with leaf springs on the rear with possible air lifts and leaf springs on the front give the same ride as diesel pushers with air ride front and rear. It just does not happen. The F-53 that I used to have had the air lifts also made by Firestone, but they are just to lift the rear up and give it more carry capacity. Mine use to take 90 lbs of air.
