Gas vs diesels

[Coffee_Grinder]

I am looking at class A MH and wanted some feedback on a gas model vs a diesel. I believe the diesel to be more costly to maintain however they should outlast a gas. Any advice would be appreciated

[stepdad]

This past spring I traded in my gas 2000 National Seabreeze for a 2004 Winnebago Journey DP. I got caught up in the diesel pusher hype. Quieter, airbags, blah, blah, and more blah. Was it worth it? Nope. If I had to do it over again I would have traded in the National Seabreeze with no slides for a nice gas model with some slides.

IMO, diesel pushers are over-hyped and not worth twice the payment (or more).

~John

[dubdub07]

Effy wrote:
As others have said this has been discussed on this forum countless times. Dp's are pretty much like anything else, you get what you pay for. If you want a smoother, quieter ride with (in most cases) better amenities and quality, get a DP. But you gotta pay to play. Diesels cost more, everywhere from purchase price to maintenance. Some say it's a wash due to intervals and I say that's not really true. A gasser isn't much more in terms of maintenance than a large gas truck - because that's what it is. A diesel with all it's various filters, larger oil capacity, air bag suspension, air brakes and diesel techs required - the list goes on and on, cost more. If money were no object we'd all be driving DP's. The gasser market is a large one because of the price point to get into a Class A. If money was truly equal, gassers would cease to exist because Dp's are just so much nicer from all other aspects. But they cost more - for a lot of reasons. You need to decide what you want out of a MH. You want top notch ride and better quality and have deeper pockets, get a DP. If the destination is your goal and you have a tighter budget, get a gasser. Or if you want a DP on a budget but don't mind going 10 years older, look at older DP's. I can tell you my next MH (if I ever buy another) will be a DP. I bought a gasser because my budget dictated that. If I had a bigger budget I'd be driving a DP.

How objective is this post? Effy has stated this very accurately. A DP is something of a luxury in the 40ft+ range. I can't see a "need" to have a DP. The drivetrain in all the MH's, gas or diesel, will long outlast the house. Maintenance is expensive, even to do it yourself. I will say, doing it yourself gives you a better understanding of the coach's workings....

I bought my DP new. DO NOT BUY NEW!! Buy a gently used coach. It will save you thousands and thousands!!!

WW

[dezolen]

I get such a laugh out of this topic. DP's are the only way to go according to those that have them "but" then I read how some are noisier than others(so they are not that quiet as some would lead one to believe) I sure don't like standing beside one when it's standing still let alone be in one. Then I read that to get the good handling one must have a tag axle. Then one must have a side rad to be able to work on one easily. TEHO and I'm very happy with my late model gas coach and see no reason to spend $$$ to "upgrade". If money were no object I might consider a tag axle, side mount rad DP but I don't have unlimited budget.

[tropical36]

Coffee Grinder wrote:
I am looking at class A MH and wanted some feedback on a gas model vs a diesel. I believe the diesel to be more costly to maintain however they should outlast a gas. Any advice would be appreciated

I used to provide a long dissertation as to the pros and cons, when answering these type threads and which I'm most sure you'll be getting from some of the others.
Now, I can only say, that we finally decided on a DP and after driving it all over for the last 6 mons., there's no going back.

[Effy]

As others have said this has been discussed on this forum countless times. Dp's are pretty much like anything else, you get what you pay for. If you want a smoother, quieter ride with (in most cases) better amenities and quality, get a DP. But you gotta pay to play. Diesels cost more, everywhere from purchase price to maintenance. Some say it's a wash due to intervals and I say that's not really true. A gasser isn't much more in terms of maintenance than a large gas truck - because that's what it is. A diesel with all it's various filters, larger oil capacity, air bag suspension, air brakes and diesel techs required - the list goes on and on, cost more. If money were no object we'd all be driving DP's. The gasser market is a large one because of the price point to get into a Class A. If money was truly equal, gassers would cease to exist because Dp's are just so much nicer from all other aspects. But they cost more - for a lot of reasons. You need to decide what you want out of a MH. You want top notch ride and better quality and have deeper pockets, get a DP. If the destination is your goal and you have a tighter budget, get a gasser. Or if you want a DP on a budget but don't mind going 10 years older, look at older DP's. I can tell you my next MH (if I ever buy another) will be a DP. I bought a gasser because my budget dictated that. If I had a bigger budget I'd be driving a DP.

[bleeder_guy]

This past October we decided to upscale our C to an A gas. I was looking for a Gas A and NOT a DP. While looking we found a 2008 Damon Astoria diesel. It only had 3800 miles on it. After a test drive which included an overnight. I was sold. The DP pros that others have mentioned are all true. The upkeep is a wash because of the greater mileage between doing services. The differences between a DP and a gas A are night and day.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, shop with an open mind.

Beau

[hermy]

And Airidon is correct. The difference is not what it used to be.

[hermy]

I believe the decision rests with how you intend to use your rig. If you are a week-ender or a once a year vacationer then the gas rig is absolutely all you will ever need. If you are a serious traveler putting on many thousands of miles per year you might consider a diesel. Will a gas rig do either job? Absolutely! Will it outlast you? Most likely. But as previously mentioned there are other considerations- ride comfort, power, noise levels, towing ability etc. As far as costs are concerned- original purchase cost of a diesel will be higher- but so will trade in allowances later. Operational costs? Tough call...
A whole bunch of this decision will be personal preference.

[Aridon]

You are either in the market to spend DP money or you aren't. Pretty simple. Unless you NEED 43 or 45 ft to get the floor plan you want and you want to spend that kind of money to get it there isn't much reason to look at DPs. Gasser will do just fine.

The maintenance on a DP vs a gass unit isn't even a consideration IMO when the cost to buy is so much higher.

While you will never have the CCC or ride comfort of a DP in a gas unit the price to step up is considerable for what you pay. Not really worth it unless you need that CCC or length for the floor plan and have the money to burn on it.

Floor plans have gotten much better over the years. Gas units have gotten better. The difference isn't what is used to be.

[garyemunson]

Yup, find one with a floorplan you like and go for it. Yes, Diesels will cost you more but the ride is way better. Can't see much difference in longevity anymore. As mentioned above, the coachwork goes to pot way before the chassis. Seen plenty of ancient, leaking piles of junk (both gas and Diesel) with perfectly running drivetrains. If you have the money to spend, you will never regret the Diesel purchase but you don't have to spend that premium to get something you will enjoy for many years.

[pianotuna]

While it used to be true that diesel engines out lasted gas ones, there are documented examples of the Ford V-10 lasting for 1,000,000 miles.

[Mr_Mark1]

Ed_Gee wrote:
??? The original poster never mentioned anything about over 40,000 pounds.....

I guess what I was saying is that the OP is asking a very vague question. There is SO much more than asking 'gas vs. diesel'. Air bags vs. shocks, different chassis's etc., oil change intervals, there so many things that are not identical.

Safe travels,
MM.

[et2]

Generally the diesel MH are diesel pushers vs front end gasses. Just looking at the engine "maintenance" it's pretty much the same - oil changes. Yes it cost more, probably double. But if it's a couple hundred dollars that your afraid of, your missing out on a whole different set of benefits. Air suspension, air brakes, no spark plugs, better gas mileage, longer engine life,quiet,and more. Honestly I have my oil serviced every year for about $300.00. Air filter every two years. Coolant checked every year. So after 3 years it's cost me about $1000.00. The benefits far exceed the negative.

Not sure why everyone thinks "engine maintenance" cost so much more. It's not that much. The other systems that go along with owning a diesel pusher add some additional costs. But you mostly won't find these features in a gasser either.

[Isaac-1]

Another thing here is that gasoline engines have came a long way in the last 15-20 years. Lets just take the big block Chevy offering from the 1990's through to when they stopped offering them in motorhomes in about 2009. In the early 1990's the Chevy motorhome engine was the throttle body injected version of the venerable Chevy 454 big block whose heritage traces back to the 1960's

The Throttle body 454 produced 230 HP and 385 ft lbs torque and was typically mated to a 4 speed automatic transmission

This was replaced by the Vortec 454, still the same basic block, but updated to modern fuel injection and ignition and achieved 290HP and 410 ft lbs of torque

In 2001 the venerable 454 big block engine was replaced by the all new 8.1 Vortec big block which was a substantially updated successor to the 454 designed for delivery truck use with an estimated 300,000 mile service life. The 8.1 put out 340 HP and 455 ft lbs of torque, initially the 8.1 was mated to a 4 speed transmission, but in later years it was found with 5 and even 6 speed transmissions.


So it is easy to see how someone with experience in a 1996 gasoline coach with a throttle body 454 producing 230HP could consider it under powered vs someone that owns a 2007 with a 340HP 8.1 mated to a 6 speed transmission could feel that it has plenty of power for a smaller class A even in the mountains.

[K_Charles]

When we were looking we found diesel MH's that were junk and gas MH's that were nice. Find one you like to live in that you can afford. Some gas units ride very nice if they have the right suspension. Some used diesel's are junk. Have fun looking.