Diesel or Gas Class A, That's the question.

[2peasinapod]

We'll be going full time in about a year, Never did the RV thing but we need an adventurous change. Wondering about the pros & cons of both. Fuel, Maintenance etc.

Thanks.

[Effy]

koda55 wrote:
When did they stop making the V10? we saw them in the new 2014.

x2 - not sure what that was about. Ford v10 is in every new class A out there.

[koda55]

When did they stop making the V10? we saw them in the new 2014.

[Fixed_Sight_Tra]

No one makes a big gas engine anymore. They are all pretty small and although the hp ratings are okay they have to make them work hard to get the numbers. I doubt we will continue to see the longevity we have in the bigger engines.

The low sulfur diesel is a hassle and doesn't work as well and costs more. Cat even decided to get out of the road engine business.

I personally would have chosen a big gasser like a V10 over diesel but now that they don't make them anymore I don't know. As I've said before we are getting fewer and fewer choices.

[Gjac]

I don't think that gas or diesel is the first question to ask. I think the question is how do you plan to use the MH and your camping preferences. If you like NF.NP,SP's that are more secluded with few amenities. Then a shorter MH would be better. If you like RV parks with all the amenities like FHU,s longer stays a larger MH would be nicer to live in. Do you want to travel more or camp more? I think peoples camping style changes with age. Many start as travelers and after seeing what the want to see end up staying more long term in RV parks. I think that is why a lot of people on this forum start with a small gas MH and if they like the life style end up with a 40 ft diesel. I know many that buy 5th wheels because they go south for 6 mos and north 6 mos and don't want a diesel sitting that long. So as John Wayne said rent for awhile try both types of camping then decide. A mh less than 33 ft would would probably want to be gas and one over 38ft would want to be diesel.

[TyroneandGladys]

Two school districts in the area are no longer buying diesel buses because the diesels after 2006 are not as reliable as they used to be and they are much mote expensive to repair. One has gone propane and one has gone CNG. Also the process used to remove the sulfur from the fuel in the US lowers the lubricating qualities of the diesel. To my understanding fuel systems that are identical in the US and the rest of the world have a higher failure rate in the US,

[adondo]

Bumpyroad wrote:
yep, 5,000 miles a year is more reasonable than 20K.
bumpy

I'm thinking the vast majority of motorhomes get driven about that a year. Probably a huge percentage are used on weekends or a national park trip, then they sit for months. There are gazillions in ads that are 15 years old and have less than 30k miles.

I'm also thinking the OP is talking about living full time, and that doesn't automatically mean motorhome living. One disadvantage to a motorhome's slides: they need to be small so it's livable on the road. A trailer or 5th wheel's slides can all but touch in the middle because nobody's riding there during travel. (They'd darn well better not be!) Some 5'ers 'inflate' to small apartments when set up.

With a trailer, 5th wheel or otherwise, the dingy is also the tow rig, and if it's a diesel, is much cheaper to operate/maintain than a large OTR (Over The Road) based diesel engine.

[Bumpyroad]

adondo wrote:
The OP asked about going full time RV'ing in a gas or diesel motorhome. Somehow, this has turned into an argument about antifreeze fires. Let's stow it, please. :M
hey, I learned something new, antifreeze can burn

But and however, I think a lot of gas rigs don't get nearly the miles racked up, (weekend usage) so it can come down to a diesel's yearly expense verses a gasser's being driven only 5k or so a year, in which case, yes the diesel is much more expensive,

yep, 5,000 miles a year is more reasonable than 20K.
bumpy

[adondo]

The OP asked about going full time RV'ing in a gas or diesel motorhome. Somehow, this has turned into an argument about antifreeze fires. Let's stow it, please. :M

As for taxes and licensing, the OP's going full time soon as they said. I've had full time relatives base their address/residency in Texas, and I assume it's because you can vote without living there in a stick house, (A lot of states bar voting unless you have a house you occupy for a large % of the time) the taxes and licensing is cheaper or better, etc. (There's a lot of Texas plated RV's out there) That's something to research, maybe thru FMCA. In fact, joining the Family Motorcoach Association would be a good idea anyway for such benefits as mail forwarding. I know if/when I ever go full time, I will NOT be based here in my home state of Washington for a laundry list of reasons.

My oil change thing was based on driving a rig about the same amount. If you're always on the move and drive say 20k miles a year, add up $49.95 oil changes for every 3k miles and its about 7 oil changes and/or $350. A diesel's service is around $400, so where's the huge difference? At Cat, that includes all filters, (I think 7 total) and chassis lube too. (Even a gasser needs chassis lube, and that's extra above an basic oil change) Granted you can use Mobile One and go 5k to 7k between changes, but the synthetic oil's more than triple the cost, so that still comes out in the end. The local lube place (NOT Jiffy Lube!) wants $99.95 for Mobile One in my Chrysler 300. A motorhome's 454 or Ford V10 is going to use even more oil than my 300's V6, so that's even more $$$.

But and however, I think a lot of gas rigs don't get nearly the miles racked up, (weekend usage) so it can come down to a diesel's yearly expense verses a gasser's being driven only 5k or so a year, in which case, yes the diesel is much more expensive, and the endless arguments about cost. But, unless you "park and plant" for much of the year, I'd think 20k miles for a full timer is pretty normal. My aunt and uncle easily racked up more than that a year moving around with a dually truck and 40' fifth wheel. They'd stay a while, maybe work camp for 3 weeks/month, then move on to another nat'l park or wherever. Like most full timers, they head south in winter, north in summer. Visit relatives on the Pacific NW, then go and see horses in Kentucky.

[wbwood]

1) Do you need more towing power/torque? If so, go diesel.
2) Are you going to be on a budget where every nickel counts? Go gasser
3) Are you going to be driving it a lot? Gas is 40-50 cents a gallon cheaper. What do they have, 100 gallon tanks? That's $40-50 more per tank. Oil changes are more expensive on a diesel. Although I do believe you can go longer on diesel oil changes. But you also have more filters to change in a diesel as well.

My in laws had a Monaco Diesel Pusher for years. When they decided to sell it, my father in law mentioned it was costing him a lot of money each year just to keep it going. He might of been talking about all the way around as far as taxes, registration, maintenance, service and repairs, but he mentioned a number to the tune of nearly $10,000 a year. That's another thing to consider. Where you live and the taxes. Will it be worth paying taxes on a diesel pusher that might cost $50,000, $100,000 or more each year?

I would definitely look at the big picture and from all sides before deciding.

[Tom_Barb]

WyoTraveler wrote:

You should check it out a liitle further because it is happening.

You show me any antifreeze that will burn, I'll show you an antifreeze that I'll never buy.

got a link to the one that will catch fire?

WoW I found a link

antifreeze fire

Bite my tongue

[WyoTraveler]

Tom/Barb wrote:

WyoTraveler wrote:

Just curious. Did you have diesel fires in a lot of those trucks because of leaking radiator hoses & evaporation of antifreeze that ignited? Seems like that is very common in diesel MHs due to how the engines are mounted in such confined spaces.

Never in all my years with my foot on the pedals, have I ever heard of an antifreeze fire.

OBTW my Newmar has an engine compartment that you can get into by lifting the bed or entering the the rear access, no problems getting to or removing anything.

most all engine compartment fires start as an electrical problem, which applies to a gas engined coach as well as a diesel.

You should check it out a liitle further because it is happening.

[John_Wayne]

Well you say you have NEVER done the RV thing before and you are now getting ready to go full time. Before dropping big bucks for a gas or diesel I'd rent one for a few weeks ( find something to do and stay inside for a day like you would need to do if it was raining) to make sure you and wife want to go full time. Could be a big savings in the long run, if you don't have to sell a rig you just bought because you can't stand the smaller space.
It would also give you an idea on what you'd want or had to have floor plan wise before buying.

[SailingOn]

When I was buying my last truck I was offered a plan for three years of prepaid routine maintenance. From the chart Ford presented, the plan for their diesel was just about twice the cost of that for their gas truck.

[adondo]

Effy sums it up pretty good.

Diesel rigs generally are much higher end quality in everything else as well. There are exceptions, but it's mostly true.

The ride can be dramatically better with a diesel, as they usually have bus based suspension systems, and are not just a house/box sitting on a bread truck frame. (i.e. air bags, BF Goodrich Velvet Ride, etc, not leaf or coil springs)

Along with the heavy duty bus chassis, comes stability in winds. I've driven along just fine, and have stopped for fuel in such places as Selina Utah where other RV'ers have parked until the wind lets up. I get my diesel, then continue onwards. Once, in the Columbia Gorge, I got trapped behind a weaving old Winnebago (from the 1970's :B) that was holding up traffic until they took an exit. It was going from guard rail to guard rail, so no way to risk a pass. The semi trucks and a couple other DP's in the parade that were stuck behind it moved on after it left. (The Gorge by the way is infamous for high winds)

Huge basement storage, on the order of 200 cubic feet or more. Few gas motorhomes have such vast space underneath. Or the massive capacity to haul what you put there. (I can carry about 4 tons without going over the GVWR, not that there's that much stuff in there! :B )

If you're towing a dinghy the diesel is nice for power and economy.

As for maintenance, it's a myth as far as I'm concerned. Yes, having Caterpillar change its ten gallons of oil, multiple oil filters, fuel filters, and doing chassis lube etc. is about $450, but it's only once a year or 30,000 miles. Add up changing a gas engine's oil every 3,000 miles, and it can be as much or more if you drive it a lot. (Yearly cost)

Boondocking. Diesels usually have huge tanks because of their high GVWR chassis. If you like to boondock, you'll like being able to take lots of showers with 100+ gallon water and dump tanks. A lot of gas rigs are pushing the chassis too much to have such large tanks. (I have 60 gallons of LP gas, 80 gallons of black water capacity, etc.)

The bottom line is if you move around a LOT, then go for a diesel. If you tend to stay in places a while and only rack up maybe 5k or 10k miles max a year, then go for a gasser.