The wife and are have started looking at used gas Class A motor homes. We are mostly weekend warriors and once or twice a year we take a week long trip somewhere. We use our current RV as a mobile hotel more so than camping. We take our dogs with us when we travel.Anyway, I have pretty much been set on only looking at gas motor homes since we only put about 2000-3000 miles a year on our current TT. I have been looking at used motor homes in the 3-8 years old range and am starting to notice that the price between gas vs diesel starts to shrink once you start getting 5-8 years old (in some cases anyway). Since this is a big purchase, I want this to last at least 10+ years and want to make sure I purchase exactly what we want/need the first time. I have a friend of mine that has owned multiple gas and diesel motor homes and he is adamant that I should also consider a diesel. He says once I ride in a diesel motor home that I will think it's worth the extra money. Anyway, just curious what others think about a 5-8 year old diesel. Still quite a bit more money than the gas put I could probably stretch the budget a bit. I just always get freaked out about the extra maintenance cost but my friend points out the maintenance windows are longer on diesels so I don't have to do them as often. He is someone who is retired and has traveled across the country twice already in the last year so he is pretty biased towards the diesel!

If you are talking 2K-3K miles per year driving during the next 10 yrs., I would stick with gas. If you are going to retire soon (next couple of years?), then maybe I would consider a diesel. In my opinion, a diesel does not like to sit, they like to run! We put about 10,000 a year on ours as we use it once a month. We have already put 6,000 miles on our new one since November (had 3,100 at delivey so we are showing almost 10,000 miles).Another thing to keep in mind is an 8 yr. old coach is going to start needing things just from age whether it's a gas or diesel. Tires for sure and some of the windows (if double paned) may have started to fog. Check everything!Good luck,MM.

We started with a gas class C and the experience is similar. Class A gas have: Spring suspension, shorter fuel range (80 gallon fuel tank vs 100 - 150 on a diesel) , and depending on the manufacturer can be very loud. It depends on how long you travel away from hookups. There is no question that diesel engines last longer.Class A gas pros Lots of floor plans available Lots of inventory Lower initial cost May have disc brakes Class A gas cons Poor towing capacity typically no more than 5,000# Very loud inside depending on floor and doghouse insulation Longer rear overhang (be careful getting fuel) More frequent service than diesel Service centers are typically only at Ford Truck and motorhome shops that have limited hours of operation Harsher ride with spring suspension Coach systems are not as integratedMay need suspension and or steering upgrades depending on the manufacturer. Lower fuel economy less than 10 MPG is common 5 - 8 is very common in older units Shorter range typically 300 - 500 miles Smaller tanks (80 gallon fuel is common, 30 - 80 gallon fresh water, 40 or less gallon grey and black, 10 - 30 gallons of propane) Class A diesel pusher benefits Quiet ride with no engine noise Soft stable ride due to full air suspension Typically have well integrated coach systems Automatic Generator start (depends on year) Panoramic front view Very quiet diesel generator Excellent turning radius for the size of the coach (a 33’ DP will usually have a 208” wheelbase and a 55 degree wheel cut and can turn around in a standard street) Fantastic, fuel capacity (Typically starts at 90 Gallons and goes up to 200 gallons of diesel depending on chassis) gives a realistic range of 1,000 miles on flat ground. Excellent water tank capacity – typically starting at 90 gallons and ending up at about 150 gallons Well integrated coach systems More living space for a given coach size Engine exhaust braking system (Pac Brake, variable vane turbo or other great system) Usually any truck diesel shop can work on them and many are open 24x7 Chassis and drivetrain lasts a very long time Long service intervals Better manufacturer support Have tow ratings starting at 5,000# to 50,000#, depending on coach some very inexpensive units have tow ratings of 10,000# Large battery banks Large residential refrigerator (less common on older units) Heated wet bay Neatly run wiring Weight ratings starting at about 26,000 GVWR up to 55,000# GVWR with a tag axle with GCWR ratings of 30,000 up to 80,000. Better fuel economy for similar sized units Class A diesel pusher cons Limited inventory Higher initial cost Higher cost per hour for service Typically more complex due to better integrated systems Limited floor plans (I only found a few floor plans that had bunk beds and a 10,000# tow rating)

A 5-8 year old coach will be 15-18 years old by the time you plan to get rid of it. At the high end of your expected usage, you will add another 30,000 miles to the existing mileage on whatever coach you buy. You will not wear out the engine, whether it is a gas or diesel power plant. Your friend racks up a lot of miles, so for him a diesel MIGHT be the best choice. Many of us have had both diesel and gas coaches. I have never heard of anyone on this forum actually wearing an engine out, whether it is gas or diesel. There have been instances of both engines having catastrophic(very expensive) failures but it was due to some other outside cause rather than the engine being worn out from just racking up the miles. Based on your description of the type of trips you plan to take, I would recommend a gas coach and save the extra cash to buy other items. With short trips the larger fuel tank is not very important. With your schedule, you will be spending more time parked at your destination than driving down the highway. I would concentrate more on a floor plan that you both like and put the type of engine way way down on my list of things that have any importance in your enjoyment of the RV lifstyle. .

I drive my motorhome in the range that you indicated! That's why I didn't buy a D.P. and stayed with gas. If you still want to get a used D.P. I suggest you browse www.DemartiniRV.com

I use mine just like you said you use yours but hoping to use it more. I don't buy into the diesel sitting garb. A gasser dosent like to sit either. My Ford diesel sat for over a year without being used and had no problems with it. How about all the farmers that let their equipment sit and use it a few months. For me the ride and brakes are number one even if I'm just going across town. I would look for a older high quality DP.

Used Diesel Motorhomes | Good Sam Community

nightshift
Explorer
Mar 06, 2015
Hey Burch,
When I was considering going class A, I almost bought one of these.

Pretty high end unit for a short diesel. In the end I went diesel class C. It suited my needs better.

You can still find a few of them around. I seem to recall 2000 and later were the better ones.
Gjac
Explorer III
Mar 05, 2015
mike brez wrote:
Just get This one and call it a day. Nice power to weight. 32 foot.

. I was going to suggest the country coach allure 32 foot to the op , these are nice motorhomes but they are hard-to-find. Does anyone on here know how they handle compared to a longer DP's.
JimM68
Explorer
Mar 05, 2015
Mike,
That single slide country coach is AWESOME!

To an extent, this seems to be turning into the typical gas/vs diesel thread....

And to add my 2 cents, diesel is better, always, that's why they cost more.

We've had both. The gasser was loud, always. Horribly loud going uphill. It was bumpy, always. It scared the DW. If I was running alongside (her side) a truck, I was deathgripping the wheel and being blown all over the road, and she was FREEKING OUT!!!

In our DP, I pass or run alongside trucks anytime I want. She isn't a fan, but she doesn't freek out or yell. I steer with one hand while eating, drinking, or petting a dog with the other.

In my limited experience, the difference is startling
AllegroD
Nomad
Mar 05, 2015
Yes. Mike that is a great price and nice looking coach.

Having said that, I understand the OPs concerns of DP vs gas and more importantly "bang for the buck". We looked at our long term usage and this is why we decided not to go diesel. Diesel for the same year and ammenities was 75-150k more. Our usage is similar to the OP and we expect that we might live in it for 3 month tours but never go full time. We found a 2013Tiffin Allegro 36LA (gasser). We like that length and floor plan. We like our patio area. To get the same price point with similar ammenities, in a DP, we would have to go 5-7 years older and then the available "modern" amenities were slim or we would need to add more money, time and labor to updating the ammenities. At 7 years, unless the current owner had already updated, all electronics (stereo/TV/nav) would need upgrading. We tried buying into a lower coach with our first coach but found the upgrades we wanted wqas becoming very expensive to install/mod. That is another reason we chose the 36LA. It had 90% of what we wanted.

Floor plan was always numb er one for us. We really did not want a quad slide. Again, we have no intention of full timing. We do travel from Seattle to IL and Louisiana 2 out of every 3 summers. This means that travel comfort was important, as we do some long hours, but not the number one consideration. That is why we chose the Tiffin gasser over SOB. And maintenance is lower and easier on the gasser.

We are very happy with our coach. If we could redo something, we would get the same coach but with the RR, larger inverter and upgraded batts.

I understand the OP search and asking this excellent question. IMO DP may be a better ride but finding the right coach for type of use does not mean going right to a DP. Sometimes bang for the buck (which is my perspective on my disposable cash) is not worth it to everyone.

Good luck in your search.
SabreCanuck
Explorer
Mar 05, 2015
We are in the EXACT same predicament, right down to the cat/dog coming along.. Virtually impossible for anyone to make that decision for you as you can see there are many opinions on the subject and pretty much all true comments above.

We are focusing our efforts on best FLOORPLAN within our budget and chassis/engine later. You will go back and forth with pros/cons for years otherwise and we are finding it tough enough to choose the floorplan. LOL

We are trying to keep in mind the travel and camping we typically do... For example the less engine noise on the diesel (coach and generator) is true but if you are like us and 1000 miles away from the closest mountain then I don't know if I care about engine noise. Haven't found any gasser too much louder than my 1/2 ton pulling the current trailer on the flats. Would be nice if the generator wasn't under the bed but WE seldom camp without full, reliable power so.... Nobody ever thinks about where the Gen is located until they want to use it while sleeping or it automatically starts in the middle of the night due to the AC.

As you can see, now I'm starting to go back/forth. LOL

My $0.02 - Happy shopping.
msturtz
Explorer
Mar 05, 2015
We had similar length restrictions however we had more people. AGS is important if you have animals or kids as we do. Sometimes our 9 year old wants to stay in the coach and watch TV. I really like the AGS which can start the generator if it is too hot in the coach or if the battery drops to a preset level. The other thing with diesel is the very quiet diesel generator compared to the gas one. A 3600 RPM gas Onan generator is very loud however the QD Onan series generators are quiet and efficient. The other thing I have noticed on DP units is the use of "whole coach" inverters which means that most user outlets are running through the inverter if not connected to shore power (they have an internal transfer switch) which means you don't need to hunt for a live electrical outlet when cruising down the road. In our unit all the outlets except the roof AC are on the inverter - this includes the microwave! I love this. Gas units not so much. Usually they have small inverters that only power the TV and or entertainment center. Our DP is only 34' 6" stem to stern. In a pinch we can "overhang" the front about 30" if we need because it is only a 208" wheelbase. The cool thing is with a 55 degree wheel cut and a 208" wheel base it turns on a dime for a MH. Gas units for the same length have a much longer wheel base and less of a wheel cut - however it depends on the manufacturer.
Sully2
Explorer
Mar 05, 2015
rgatijnet1 wrote:
After having a few DP's and gassers I know that a lot of DP's are very noisy up front. Not from engine noise but from air leaks around the front door, especially as they age and the door seal deteriorates. All DP's are not as quiet as some people would like you to believe. The wind noise can be very high.

Whats THAT have to do with "gas or diesel"?.. NADA..thats what
Mr_Mark1
Explorer
Mar 05, 2015
Mike, excellent find!

MM.
mike_brez
Explorer
Mar 05, 2015
MetalGator wrote:

I noticed that many DPs have cummins engines. My friend is a diesel mechanic and really likes cummins. Are there any brands of engines to maybe avoid? I am still leaning towards the gas MH but at this point won't rule out a DP if the price is right.

I really wouldn't worry about the color of the engine. Mine has a not so popular Detroit series 40 in it.
mike_brez
Explorer
Mar 05, 2015
Just get This one and call it a day. Nice power to weight. 32 foot.