Engines

[Waiter21]

Gasser vs diesel;

I just went through this while looking at used MHs. (approx 15 year old MH)

I would say the MH length (weight) is the main driver in engine/chassis availability, generally, you'll see larger than 35ft will be powered by diesels, less then 35 ft, gassers.

We were looking for something around 35 ft and initially were looking at diesel, mainly because of the coach build quality normally associated with the diesel chassis.

I'm a DIYer and very familiar with the Ford F53 chassis, but clueless on any diesel chassis. As I started up the diesel learning curve, it was becoming clear to me that the diesel would cost me significantly more to operate and maintain than a similar MH on a gasser chassis.

AND, my coach build quality concern wasn't as much a factor as I initially thought. There are very high quality coaches sitting on a gasser chassis.

The two scenarios that moved me back to the gassers was:

1) Last year we had a starter go bad while on the road, After a few minutes of troubleshooting, I removed the starter, disconnected the toad, drove to the auto parts store down the street, they had it in stock, $100 and 30 minutes later, I had the starter installed and we were on our way.

What is the price and availability of a starter for a Cummins 8.3?

2) Oil and filter changes, Compare price of a Ford V10 oil filter and the price of a Cummins filter. fuel filters. exhaust manifold for a V10 vs an cummins 8.3.


If I were driving 50,000 miles a year, I'd go for the diesel, but at 5-10k miles a year in a 35 ft MH, the added costs arn't worth it to me.

NOTE Yes a turbocharged diesel will be able to climb to the Eisenhower tunnel on I-70 at 65mph, while I'm in the truck lane doing 25mph in first gear.

AND the ride in the diesel will be smoother (air ride suspension) than its gasser counterpart (leaf spring suspension.

[RayChez1]

Diesel engines are very good engines that will last four times longer then gasoline engines. I have a Caterpillar engine and it has been a very good engine, but there are other brands which are probably just as good. It is all a matter of what you like. But the important thing about diesel engines right now is that diesel is like forty cents a gallon cheaper then regular gasoline. Diesel coaches ride on big air bags which gives you superior ride versus the spring gasoline motor homes. Diesel engines give you torque which is what you need on a coach.

But you do pay more for a diesel coach over a gasoline motor home. I have had both and I would never go back to a gasoline motor home.

[stepside454]

Originally Posted by RayChez1

Diesel engines are very good engines that will last four times longer then gasoline engines. I have a Caterpillar engine and it has been a very good engine, but there are other brands which are probably just as good. It is all a matter of what you like. But the important thing about diesel engines right now is that diesel is like forty cents a gallon cheaper then regular gasoline. Diesel coaches ride on big air bags which gives you superior ride versus the spring gasoline motor homes. Diesel engines give you torque which is what you need on a coach.



But you do pay more for a diesel coach over a gasoline motor home. I have had both and I would never go back to a gasoline motor home.

Around here gasoline is 20-30 cents per gallon cheaper

[dnystrom]

A+! Great Oratory! 07 was the last year for the over the road cat engine.

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well Sir,
Books can be written (and have been probably) on the information you're looking for. To start with, motor homes are nothing but rolling Kleenex boxes with the aerodynamics of a building. Propelling these boxes down the road is no easy task. The larger, longer and more heavier ones, need larger and stronger engines. And then there's US. the infamous HUMANOID that will load any and all of them to the gills.

So, in the end, you have a square box, rolling down or, UP some serious grades with most of the time, barely enough power to get them up and over the next hill. And of course, about 98% of us drag along, some form of mobile transportation being them which, adds even MORE WEIGHT!!!

So, which engine is the best, and why? Well, as some have suggested here, we'd need a bit more info for a good, qualified answer. Much of the answer is cost related. Diesels, by the nature, are much higher in cost up front. Albeit the engines are MOSTLY in the back. In general, diesel engines are normally a bit more powerful then the gas versions. But, that's not a given, by any means. There are small, intermediate and large diesel engines in todays coaches. But, for the average RVer, that is pursuing a diesel, in the average low to mid range diesel coach, you'll find a medium powered engine.

I can't even begin to tell you of the performance of those, never been in one. Ours is an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT engine. Caterpillar was a good engine, in just about any of it's versions for motor homes. Lots of happy coach owners out there with many versions of the CAT. But, CAT decided a while back, around maybe '08 or '09 or so, (not sure of the exact model year) to pull out of the "over the road" engine supply company. They continued in the construction side of things but, walked away from the RV and many other truck chassis industries.

That leaves Cummins, Detroit and, maybe one other, in the larger class A applications. Mercedes Benz powers up some of the smaller class B and C versions. The Diesel engine powered A is normally quieter, better and smoother riding, has larger and more heavy duty brakes, air systems for brakes and air ride, larger tires and wheels, heavier frames, and a few other benefits. And, because of most of those bennies, the cost shows it.

However, there are plenty of very nice, quite capable gas units out there in RV land. GM was in the game for quite a while. They were the "Work Horse" boys. Work Horse was a chassis that, in the end, sported a very nice and powerful 8.1L injected engine. Many folks loved those coaches. But, for some reason, of which I really never learned, GM and Workhorse slipped out of the RV game a while back.

That leave Ford, the main supplier of Gas engines for the RV world. The main engine that Ford supplies is the infamous Triton V-10. As I understand it, the Class A gas coaches get a different V-10 than the Class C does. The C gets a bit less powered version.

Anyway, without dragging this along for more and more "bla bla bla", it would be nice to know what your intentions are with your intended coach. By supplying that info, many qualified folks can give you first hand help from the many experiences they've had.
Scott

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Hgrace56

Depends on your wallet.
I pass plenty of diesels and semis in my 33 foot gasser pulling my SUV toad.

Maybe they didn't know you were racing them?
I set my cruise control and am passed or passed as speeds warrant.

[mwallin]

Originally Posted by Hgrace56

Depends on your wallet.
I pass plenty of diesels and semis in my 33 foot gasser pulling my SUV toad.

Yes we pass SWIFT , JB HUNT, SCHNIDER too. Love the diesel torq. Get passed by gassers alot myself. But after awhile in the hills getting stuck behind a gasser 75-55-75-55-75-55..... I will just turn on the left signal step on foot feed , build a little BOOST and put all that behind me.

[rvadventure]

Scott nicely said!! I know in my case I really can't justify the need for a DP. We go on shorter trips, and mostly short distances. This is my 2nd DP and I just really like the ride, space, and power. Almost all our trips are in the Sierra's. I bought the first one mainly so I could tow my boat, which is heavier than the rating for any gas rig. But the reality is that I tow my boat very little, and mostly tow my SUV. It is a lot of expense that I could easily get by with a gas rig. But as long as I can afford to do it, I will keep the DP. I get excited every time I climb in the seat. I also find very few things on it that I can't research and repair myself! Don't ask me why but I wouldn't fix anything on our cars, but the motor home I love tinkering with it. Because I still work we get out 50 to 60 days per year, but when I do retire, we will take the 4 to 6 week trips. Regards

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well Sir,
Books can be written (and have been probably) on the information you're looking for. To start with, motor homes are nothing but rolling Kleenex boxes with the aerodynamics of a building. Propelling these boxes down the road is no easy task. The larger, longer and more heavier ones, need larger and stronger engines. And then there's US. the infamous HUMANOID that will load any and all of them to the gills.

So, in the end, you have a square box, rolling down or, UP some serious grades with most of the time, barely enough power to get them up and over the next hill. And of course, about 98% of us drag along, some form of mobile transportation being them which, adds even MORE WEIGHT!!!

So, which engine is the best, and why? Well, as some have suggested here, we'd need a bit more info for a good, qualified answer. Much of the answer is cost related. Diesels, by the nature, are much higher in cost up front. Albeit the engines are MOSTLY in the back. In general, diesel engines are normally a bit more powerful then the gas versions. But, that's not a given, by any means. There are small, intermediate and large diesel engines in todays coaches. But, for the average RVer, that is pursuing a diesel, in the average low to mid range diesel coach, you'll find a medium powered engine.

I can't even begin to tell you of the performance of those, never been in one. Ours is an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT engine. Caterpillar was a good engine, in just about any of it's versions for motor homes. Lots of happy coach owners out there with many versions of the CAT. But, CAT decided a while back, around maybe '08 or '09 or so, (not sure of the exact model year) to pull out of the "over the road" engine supply company. They continued in the construction side of things but, walked away from the RV and many other truck chassis industries.

That leaves Cummins, Detroit and, maybe one other, in the larger class A applications. Mercedes Benz powers up some of the smaller class B and C versions. The Diesel engine powered A is normally quieter, better and smoother riding, has larger and more heavy duty brakes, air systems for brakes and air ride, larger tires and wheels, heavier frames, and a few other benefits. And, because of most of those bennies, the cost shows it.

However, there are plenty of very nice, quite capable gas units out there in RV land. GM was in the game for quite a while. They were the "Work Horse" boys. Work Horse was a chassis that, in the end, sported a very nice and powerful 8.1L injected engine. Many folks loved those coaches. But, for some reason, of which I really never learned, GM and Workhorse slipped out of the RV game a while back.

That leave Ford, the main supplier of Gas engines for the RV world. The main engine that Ford supplies is the infamous Triton V-10. As I understand it, the Class A gas coaches get a different V-10 than the Class C does. The C gets a bit less powered version.

Anyway, without dragging this along for more and more "bla bla bla", it would be nice to know what your intentions are with your intended coach. By supplying that info, many qualified folks can give you first hand help from the many experiences they've had.
Scott