Wanting to hear from Class A gas powered owners

[Kevin_O_]

I have been thinking long and hard about upgrading to a (34'-36') Class A. After seeing the price difference between the entry level diesel pushers and the Gas powered I'm just wondering if the Gas would be enough?
We usually just do weekend trips and a couple week long trips a year.
The only long drive would be to Florida from Ct. so the kids can see Grammy and Poppy.

I wouldn't dare make that trip now with the kids cooped up in a pickup for that long.

So my question are:
How powerful is the V10? Does it struggle towing a car?
What size cars are you towing behind it?
What kind of MPG should i expect with a car in tow?

Thanks,

Kevin

[smacdiesel]

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
From driving a V10 powered C class I couldn't imagine how that V10 would handle in anything bigger, I see your foot down all the time. 82 pounds per HP seams to be pushing it. Id try going with a diesel.

I thought this was a Class A forum?

[Alfred622]

I opted for a Winnebago with a Workhorse 8.1 engine. Pulling our CRV and fully loaded, I get about 8.5mpg. I've got plenty of power that has never been an issue. My wife has gotten used to me passing the big boys (ie, the DP's) on grades in the mountains. But, she still gets nervous when, at a stoplight, I open the window and ask the Corvette next to me if he wants to drag to the next light.

(OK, the last part was made up, but when that 8.1 downshifts and the tranny kicks in, I feel like I could give a Corvette a good run for its money!)

[dezolen]

We tow a Honda CRV AWD and a Seadoo at the same time with our coach. Approx 7-8MPG. No problem whatsoever. I cannot justify 2x the price for a new DP

[unionman]

When you spend 90% of the time parked & 10% driving. If I get to the camp 15 min.after you not a big deal.

[CJBROWN]

10 years with our 8.1 gas, workhorse chassis, Winnebago 31 foot class A.
We bought it new, has 30K miles on it. Some years it pretty much sat due to out of work and no $$ for gas. Now that things are improving we are getting out more but gas is super expensive when you get about 8mpg. So we have to think about the cost for anything long distance. When we bought it gas was $1.65 a gal.

We have an excellent floor plan with large tanks - pretty much what you find in a DP. What we would gain is more floor space with a longer coach - at least 36' for a diesel - as well as a better ride and more quiet.

We think we'll use our gas coach 'till ready for retirement and then get a DP, sell the house, and live in it at least part time.

For weekending and vacations a gas coach is fine. It is actually faster than the diesels, at least in my short length and relatively low gross weight. Finding a car at or under 3K lbs makes a huge difference - a lighter car is just a lot easier to tow up and down grades. We get about 9mpg towing a 3K lb car if I keep the speed at 60. If I drive it 65 it gets under 8. How much you put your foot into it determines how much gas you'll use. With the bigger units with gas motor you kind have to have your foot in it all the time, especially if towing. Our chassis is gvw is 22,500lbs and the coach is 17.5K loaded. So even with a car in tow we are not even to gvw. GVCW is another 5K lbs on top of that. It's an enviable position to be in for performance.

The units didn't gain much from our 2005 model, an extra slide and full body paint. Otherwise they're pretty much the same, even the smaller diesels. Over 36-38' then you really need to look at a DP and yes they are a lot nicer.

[bsinmich]

I have the WH 8.1 in a 38' towing my Vue. I had a PT prior to that and have never gone without the toad. 8.MPG is normal for me.

[holstein13]

I own a 31 foot Gasser with a V-10 and am satisfied with it for short trips and I even drove it around the country on a 7,000 mile loop once. It did fine in the Western mountains, even towing.

My biggest problem was the air conditioner and other non-engine related problems. My point is (like so many others have mentioned) your engine choice is really not that important for the miles you plan to drive.

I am in the process of upgrading to a 600 HP ISX15 in a Newmar King Aire, but the engine was dictated by the coach, not the other way around.

The reality is that the Ford V10 is an excellent proven engine these days and will provide you years of great service and good performance. You have no need to worry about that.

It is definitely louder than a diesel pusher and your ride will be rougher, but since you aren't going to be driving that much, it is probably not worth worrying about. Now, if an additional $25 - $40k isn't important to you, then by all means, lean towards the diesel.

Find the floorplan that works for you and choose a brand you have confidence in with the quality level you want and you should end up being fine.

[wilanddij]

Gassers are whole lot easier & cheaper to service. With the amount of miles I put on in a year, lube & oil service usually needs to happen only once, and I can do it in my garage. 6.5 quarts of Mobil1 is a whole lot easier to handle than 22+ quarts of whatever my neighbor's DP takes.

[Hilltopman]

I have a 36' Itasca w/8.1 Workhorse engine and Allison Transmission. I have plenty of power ( I live in the mountains of WV) and do not put more than 6000 miles on a year. If I were going to full time and and travel extensively, yes, I would look at a DP. However, I cannot justify the extra cost and maintenance. I have found DPs require more expensive regular maintenance than gas.

[Sully2]

ArchHoagland wrote:

I averaged 7.1 mpg over 65,000 miles. So I figure that's 14 mpg if I pull a toad, right? Two vehicles for same amount of gas? So pull a toad....it doubles your gas milage!

Thats some obtuse math only used by an RVer...!!:E:S

[GGeorge]

I just purchased a 38' coachmen Encounter with a V-10. The previous motor home was a Fleetwood Storm with a V-10. I like the V-10. not a bit of trouble. My TOAD is a Corolla and tow dolly. With just weekend trips and your trip south yearly I would go with the gas. It is cheaper than diesel and and less maintenance. You dont have the mountains in the east that you have in the west and smaller hills are not a problem.

[rk911]

Kevin O. wrote:
I have been thinking long and hard about upgrading to a (34'-36') Class A. After seeing the price difference between the entry level diesel pushers and the Gas powered I'm just wondering if the Gas would be enough?
We usually just do weekend trips and a couple week long trips a year.
The only long drive would be to Florida from Ct. so the kids can see Grammy and Poppy.

I wouldn't dare make that trip now with the kids cooped up in a pickup for that long.

So my question are:
How powerful is the V10? Does it struggle towing a car?
What size cars are you towing behind it?
What kind of MPG should i expect with a car in tow?

Thanks,

Kevin

everything else being equal the V10 will be fine. our 2000 ford chassis Itasca suncruiser has the V10 and, other than a few, select steep pulls out west, it has enough power for us. and on those few, select steep pulls she gets us to the top but not in a hurry.

we've been towing either a 3200-lb jeep wrangler or a 3600-lb jeep liberty since 2003 and we don't even know it's back there. I keep very complete gas records and there's less and a 1-mpg difference between towing and not towing.

the size of the toad will depend on how much weight your gas coach can handle and that depends on knowing the various weight ratings for your MH (GVWR, GCWR and GAWR) plus the actual weight on each axle as the MH is loaded and configured for travel. in general, the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

• the GCWR (gross combination weight rating) of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel (includes fuel, fresh water, food, clothing, people, pets, supplies, eyc)

• the weight rating of your tow bar

• the weight rating of your hitch

as I mentioned our mileage with the MH is roughly the same towing or not. I tend to drive faster on the 4-lane highways...usually 62/63-mph. over the last 14-seasons our overall MPG is just shy of 7-mpg.

good luck to you.

[JimM68]

Hmmm, that age old question... diesel or gas?

It really does come down to a question of money. pound for pound, dollar for dollar, a DP costs a lot more. And that differences multiplies as they get newer.

If I had known how nice a drive a DP was, I'd have started with a DP. And would still be driving that coach today.

As for pulling up a hill...
Many here must have way better power that I...
MANY mountain passes lug my Monaco DP down to 45 mph in fourth, and a few take her to 35-40 in third. Let's please be sure to note that at 2200 rpm, 35 pounds of boost, and one thousand plus foot pounds of torque... that cummins is forty feet behind me and the missus, and if it wasn't for the tach and the boost gauge, we would not know she was running...

Those same hills had my old pace arrow ('99, 275hp v10, 26k lb chassis) in first gear, screaming at 5500 rpm, doing 25 mph!

'course, I never claimed to get 10 mpg in a motorhome either... more like 7 in the diesel, 6 in the v10.
And no, that 1 mpg difference will never ever in my and my son's lifetimes, cover the cost difference between the two.

So it does really come down to money. How comfortable do you want to be? How much are you willing to part with to get there? They do make some pretty nice gas motorhomes, back then and now. They say the now ones are way better, our then one wasn't bad.
But I'm never going back.

[willald]

How powerful is the V10?

PLENTY powerful enough for what you want to do. I've owned two V10s - one in the Ford Excursion we used to have that towed (very well) a 34' TT, and one in the 36' class A we have now. I've never had any problems going as fast as I want to. And, we do travel through the mountains quite often.

FYI, Ford boosted the power on the V10s long about 2006, with 3 valve-per-cylinder heads and a newer intake manifold. This boosted its output to 362 horsepower, and 457 foot-lbs of torque. Our Excursion we had previously had the older V10, the MH has the newer one. You can definitely tell a difference in power, the new V10 definitely has more 'throat' and throttle response than the old one did.

Does it struggle towing a car?

No. I've towed a 4600 lb minivan behind our 36' MH, and (now) a 3700 lb Ford Fusion. V10 handled both just fine. It gets a bit 'loud' when it kicks down a gear when pulling through the mountains, but the V10 is made to turn those high RPMs, and will run just fine that way.

What size cars are you towing behind it? See answer to last question. 🙂

What kind of MPG should one expect? Obviously a lot of factors enter into that, but I average around 7 mpg, towing or not. Same I got, I might add, when towing the 34' TT with a V10 powered Excursion.

Sounds like your use, camping style is about the same as ours - weekend trips and a couple week long trips a year. For us, a gasser MH fits much, much better for numerous reasons. I think it would work well for you, too, as long as everything else about the MH you chose is right (floorplan, price, etc).

One thing I just HAVE to say here, about one poster's comments:

From driving a V10 powered C class I couldn't imagine how that V10 would handle in anything bigger, I see your foot down all the time. 82 pounds per HP seams to be pushing it. Id try going with a diesel.

A V10 powered class C on an E450 (or E350) chassis) has a 'watered down' version of the V10, that only puts out around 305 horsepower. The v10 that goes in the F53 Class A chassis puts out 362 horsepower.

Sooo, its not really a good comparison, comparing a V10 powered Class C to a V10 Class A that has over 50 more horsepower. Not to mention the handling difference between an F53 class A chassis and an E450 the Class C is on.

I think a V10 gasser Class A would work great for the OP (original poster). Especially on the long trips to Florida. Its really, really nice having everything at your disposal on the road - bathroom, kitchen/refrigerator, etc.

[brandonrv]

That Ford V10 is a beast. It will do what you are asking of it.

It's going to be more noisy while doing it, and might not get as good of gas mileage. Definitely wont outlive the diesel, but they still build them to go 250k+ miles

I had a similar question recently, and after much investigation I concluded that it's better to buy a higher end gasser than a lower end DP in my opinion.

Couple of things to look at more importantly with the gasser are how well it's built. What sort of roof it has on it, and that the wheel base ratio is.

The shorter the wheel base it has on it the more it's going to want to wander and if it has a long tail on it the tow will pull at you.

If you can find something with a long wheel base and possibly factor in some shock upgrades you'll also be able to solve the problem of not driving as well as the DP.