Why are there so few Fr.E.D.?

GWolfe wrote:
Been looking at Class As lately, more out of curiosity than anything. Why don't manufacturers offer more diesels in the front engine chassis? Seems like it would be a win/win other than price but at the price the manufacturers ask for some of these another $10k would be a drop in the hat.

I don't know much about the chassis suppliers but I'm guessing the chassis aren't built by Ford/GM/ or Ram and maybe that has something to do with it.

Anyway just my winter wonderin going on, thanks.

It all about noise - nobody would want to sit over a diesel engine - the lack of noise was a main reason we traded in our Class A gasser on the diesel

Noise, engine hatch area, loss of cross storage space and door location are my concerns with front engine MH's. To be clear my front door and steps are located at the PS foot area and hence take very little additional wall space.

But of course there are also advantages.

If noise was the main issue, they would never sell a diesel powered pick up truck. The newer engines are quiet. Even the newer gas powered RV's are quieter than they were a few years ago.
On my gasser, my front storage area is a pass thru as are two other basement compartments.

Seems like with the latest batch of diesels and how quiet they are the noise thing wouldn't be as big of deal. In the sub 30' MH all you can get is gas front engine except in the Sprinter(?) chassis. I'd like a 24'-28' model with a decent tow rating, 7-8k, that could climb a mountain pass without too much struggle and an exhaust brake for going down the other side.

Wouldn't the storage space you loose in the front be gained in the back?

Thanks for your replies, just trying to educate myself.

GWolfe wrote:
Wouldn't the storage space you loose in the front be gained in the back?

Yes, placement of all of the equipment determines the storage space.

Best to look at individual rigs and what's available inside and out and your type of travel.

For us with extended summer travel pass through storage with 18" vertical clearance is desirable.

Interesting posts as outside storage is usually not a selling factor. It's the inside wow factor.

Price

The main chassis supplier for gas class A motorhomes is Ford, and they don't offer a diesel version.

I rather doubt there would be as much of a performance difference between the gas and the diesel version if they did offer one as some here would assume. It's unlikely that the diesel would be a lot more powerful, though it would presumably run at a lower RPM (and, of course, have a higher torque at that RPM to get the same power) and so sound different. Being turbocharged, it would also not lose power at altitude to anywhere near the degree that the normally aspirated gas engines do. On the other hand, the diesel would likely weigh more.

In my opinion, the main advantages of rear engine diesel motorhomes have little if anything to do with the diesel part and a great deal more to do with the rear engine (and air suspension/brake) parts. One might equally well ask why rear engine gas motorhomes are so rare.

Noise
Diesel pickup has the engine in front of the driver
Not between the driver and passenger, like a Fred

OP, look at Super C , built on diesel truck cab, with engine out front

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Even the newer gas powered RV's are quieter than they were a few years ago.

Maybe you haven't driven a new Ford gasser with V10 up a hill, they are **** noisy!!

janstey58 wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Even the newer gas powered RV's are quieter than they were a few years ago.

Maybe you haven't driven a new Ford gasser with V10 up a hill, they are **** noisy!!

You are probably right. My GM/Allison powered gasser just chugs up the hill and I can still hear my wife complaining about something. :B