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Old 10-26-2014, 07:54 AM   #1
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Gas / Diesel

I am looking at getting a 40ft gas powered MH.2012 with V10. Can I travel in mountains of western Canada without worries.I keep hereing that a diesal is the only way to go.Gas owners ,could you share opinions.
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Old 10-26-2014, 08:12 AM   #2
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I owned a 31' Class C with a Ford 460 in it. It had decent power but would struggle up long steep grades, but I did make it up every hill.

I know own a Monaco Windsor 38 PBK which is almost 40' long. The advantage of the diesel is the torque that it generates. I have a 8.3 Cummins 350 hp which develops +1000 ft-lbs of torque. The long steep hills still slow me down but I can usually keep out run the big trucks.

Other advantages are usually higher carrying capacity, larger fresh, grey and black water tanks, more fuel etc. Also usually have larger battery banks & inverter for easier/longer boondocking.

If the gas Class A you've selected fits your needs I wouldn't be afraid of purchase. Any hill can be climbed in a low enough gear, just takes you longer.
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Old 10-26-2014, 08:28 AM   #3
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Its my belief that the overall life span is greater with a diesel. They will give you over 500k miles easy if you keep up on the maintenance. Not sure you will see that with a gasser. I met a guy in Thompson Falls Montana that had to replace his gas engine after 110k miles. That's why you see diesels in the 18 wheelers. They like to be worked and can take the weight. If you do get a diesel, sitting for long periods of time is not good for them. I'll start mine at least once a month and let it idle up to temp. Then I put it in drive with the brake on just to move the tranny fluid around. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
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Old 10-26-2014, 09:06 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by mdunner View Post
I am looking at getting a 40ft gas powered MH.2012 with V10. Can I travel in mountains of western Canada without worries.I keep hereing that a diesal is the only way to go.Gas owners ,could you share opinions.

Good morning, I hope the right people you need real answers from chime in. I know how I felt when looking at large gas verse diesel . You are looking at one of the largest gas motorhomes as far as length and weight. I bet there is not a whole lot of carrying weight after you fuel up and are half full of fresh water. Not sure if you are going to be towing a vehicle or not ? When people refer to diesel is the only way to go , I think they are talking about ALL the is offered with a diesel Motorhome such as air brakes, air ride suspension, engine or exhaust brakes, better fuel economy, more horse power and way more torque, most times more carrying capacity, heavier towing capacity. There are a lot of good discussions on gas vrs diesel on this forum. Find a floor plan that works then see if your able to load up what you want or need and still able to tow what you want then get it if you like it. Any motorhome you look at you should get it inspected . Take the motorhome your interested in on a very long test drive , up hills , down hills, windy area , traffic areas. Good luck
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Old 10-26-2014, 09:13 AM   #5
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My neighbor/friend just did the Rocky Mtn trek out west for 2 months this summer. He had a beautiful 37' Tiffin Allegro gasser and after the trip sold it right away to get a 40' Phaeton diesel. Said that the diesels that were with him on the first set of climbs were over the next set of mountains before he even got to them.
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Old 10-26-2014, 09:27 AM   #6
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It depends on your budget and what you like.
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Old 10-26-2014, 09:32 AM   #7
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We had a 32' gas class A with a toad and it made it through some of the passes in the NW ( CA and OR) but many times the foot was on the floor during the climb. It was also very noisy ( engine up front). We have just taken our maiden voyage in our new DP through the same passes and it was a world of difference.
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Old 10-26-2014, 09:35 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by mdunner View Post
I am looking at getting a 40ft gas powered MH.2012 with V10. Can I travel in mountains of western Canada without worries.I keep hereing that a diesal is the only way to go.Gas owners ,could you share opinions.

It depends on your definition of "worries". Yes, you will be able to get over the grades you will encounter on any of the major highways.

A 40' coach will likely weigh in the 26000 pound range at a minimum. This will be in the upper end of the ability of the drive train. That big V10 is between the front seats. To pull these grades it will need to be operation at close to its hp peak which is in the 5000 rpm range. You will have to be in a gear which will multiple the torque enough to stabilize the rpm at close to that level. It will be loud and slow but if its operating as designed it will do the job.

A 40' coach with a Cummins ISC or ISL only needs to turn around 2200 rpm to be close to the hp peak and it has double the torque at around 1400 rpm. The diesel is 35' behind you and turning at less than 1/2 the rpm. It will be a more pleasant experience. The diesel is not operating at anywhere near its upper limits.

Bottom line is, both will do the job. It really depends on your expectations.


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Old 10-26-2014, 09:35 AM   #9
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Its my belief that the overall life span is greater with a diesel. They will give you over 500k miles easy if you keep up on the maintenance. Not sure you will see that with a gasser. I met a guy in Thompson Falls Montana that had to replace his gas engine after 110k miles. That's why you see diesels in the 18 wheelers. They like to be worked and can take the weight. If you do get a diesel, sitting for long periods of time is not good for them. I'll start mine at least once a month and let it idle up to temp. Then I put it in drive with the brake on just to move the tranny fluid around. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
You are absolutely right a diesel will give you 500K miles. Just curious. How many diesel RVs have people seen on the road with 500K miles? Most of the used 10 to 15 year old diesel MHs I have seen for sale have less than 70K miles. On the other hand commercial rigs do put on those large number of miles and of course that is the advantage. Just seems to me most MHs get retired long before their mileage gets high enough to take advantage of the diesel engine. There are other advantages but not sure the 500K miles is one of them.
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Old 10-26-2014, 10:13 AM   #10
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I choose gas over diesel just because I can work on it. As stated by others there will be no hills that you cannot get over even with a toad. It will be slower, but then what is the hurry???? You get a better view of the scenery because one is not traveling so fast. Our MH has a Chevy 454 and it pulled our 31 footer and our toad over the Rockies and I was never anywhere near flooring it. For speed you want to use peak horsepower, for pulling power all you need is to use peak torque, which is about 2000 RPMs for our engine. That kept us between 30 and 40 MPH. we passed some semis and some semis passed us. We are never in any hurry so going slower doesn't bother us one bit.

With all that being said, you will have no problems with a gas engine and you will enjoy the lesser initial expense. And wyorancher was correct, most people do not keep their DP MHs long enough to justify the cost of a diesel engine. What they are gaining is lots of torque to go over hills, air ride suspension, and quiet because the engine is in the rear. So find a setup you like and go with that, if you do keep yours and need a rebuild at 200,000 miles you will be among the few who run theirs over 10 years.
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Old 10-26-2014, 10:24 AM   #11
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If You are the type who travel to distant Destinations you will find that a Diesel Coach will be more comfortable ,especially for the Driver.
On the other hand a Gas Coach will likely be easier on the pocket book if You take shorter and more frequent trips.

Just My opinion.....I have driven both !
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Old 10-26-2014, 11:17 AM   #12
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I think you've heard just about all the pro/con of each. So, you need to do some hands on visiting of dealers/shows to find what it is you really are looking for. Many times it's the floor plan, other times it may be the power plant, and then again it could be the exterior design (paint, graphics, etc). Find what you like and go for it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeepersrus View Post
If you do get a diesel, sitting for long periods of time is not good for them. I'll start mine at least once a month and let it idle up to temp. Then I put it in drive with the brake on just to move the tranny fluid around. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
As for the quote above, this is simply just not true. A diesel can set for a very long time without doing any harm at all. You do need to pay attention to the fuel to insure no alga is developing in the fuel tank, but this can usually be prevented by keeping the tank as full as possible. It also depend upon the environment. High humid areas can be a problem.

Running a diesel at idle only brings the coolant up to temp....it does not bring the oil (and there is a whole bunch of it) up to temp and this can cause condensation in the crankcase, turbos, and exhaust....not good. If you do start the diesel engine, it is 10x better if you take it for a spin and get "everything" up to temp. Most of us with long term downtime will just let the coach set until needed.

Ever watch any of those Alaska Gold programs on tv? They let their machines set outside in the 40 degree below 0 for months and months, covered with snow and ice and when everything thaws out, they start them right up and put them back in service.

Idling a diesel is a thing of the past.

Good luck in finding what you want.

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Old 10-26-2014, 11:26 AM   #13
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I am looking at getting a 40ft gas powered MH.2012 with V10. Can I travel in mountains of western Canada without worries.I keep hereing that a diesal is the only way to go.Gas owners ,could you share opinions.
I'm surprised to learn there are ANY 40 gassers. Do you have a list?

As a loyal & dedicated gasser driver, who has been tin the Canadian Rockies, I will tell you those inclines can put a serious strain on a gasser, and IMO you will soon get tired of hearing that V-10 screaming to maintain speed on many, many slopes-both up and down.

If MOST of your travels will be in the Rockies, I recommend you spend the extra $$ and get a REAR diesel.
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Old 10-26-2014, 11:35 AM   #14
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As a loyal & dedicated gasser driver, who has been tin the Canadian Rockies, I will tell you those inclines can put a serious strain on a gasser, and IMO you will soon get tired of hearing that V-10 screaming to maintain speed on many, many slopes-both up and down.

If MOST of your travels will be in the Rockies, I recommend you spend the extra $$ and get a REAR diesel.
X2, the V10 will drive you crazy in the mountains, that was one reason I opted for a Workhorse chassis.

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