Going from a Gasser to a Pusher

[Tha_Rooster]

One thing to remember gassers have basically 2 chassis and DP’s there are dozen of designs so all DP are not alike. My advise is do not buy anything until you test drive the difference.

[530ktm]

I agree with some others, look for an older higher end model coach and pass on the Thor products. I have heard from friends and others about the quality of Thor and it is not impressive.

[High Plains]

Well being that I've been RVing (and other internet forums) for quite a while now I understand that that all brands will have some issues. And I know what to look for. I knew someone who bought a high end Itasca that sat at the dealer for more than 3 months waiting for parts. So I guess I may as well stay with what we got since anything older is out of the question and anything higher end is out of the budget plus our RV barn is only so big. But I at least now know the differences between a gasser and a pusher.

[iluvuk]

Originally Posted by High Plains

Hey all, keeping my fingers crossed. DW and I are looking into upgrading to a 2016 Thor Palazzo 33.2. We found a really nice deal on one. Does anyone have any tips to share on what to expect with the difference of a pusher over a gasser?

You will absolutely love a Thor Palazzo. It is no rolls royce but...Most bang for your buck in a DP in my opinion.

Others have already said many of the advantages. The only disadvantage to a DP is cost! Everything else is better. I did the same thing this year and love it!

Good luck!

[iluvuk]

Originally Posted by High Plains

Well being that I've been RVing (and other internet forums) for quite a while now I understand that that all brands will have some issues. And I know what to look for. I knew someone who bought a high end Itasca that sat at the dealer for more than 3 months waiting for parts. So I guess I may as well stay with what we got since anything older is out of the question and anything higher end is out of the budget plus our RV barn is only so big. But I at least now know the differences between a gasser and a pusher.

Oh, and by the way, if you do it, go on over to the thor palazzo owners forum on this site and send us all a pic. Talk to Thor owners on that forum about the Palazzo and get a real feel for them from those who live and drive in them. Honestly, all brands have quality issues on new coaches and thor is definitely one with quality assurance issues but I can tighten a hinge, replace a screw or fix this and that....especially if it saves me $75,000. Enjoy! Let us know what you get!

[VoiceNinja]

My only RV experience is in a DP, so I can't tell you what differences you'll notice.

But I can chime in about quality and age.

We got our first RV just over a year ago and bought a 2008 Gulf Stream Yellowstone 40UL with 27,000 miles on it. The price was right and the floor plan was perfect for our family of 4.

Lots of people waved us away and warned that the Gulf Stream DPs were bottom of the barrel, plus they no longer make or support the DP anymore.

While those things may be true, Freightliner sure supports their chassis and has been an incredible (truly amazing!) resource and supporter as we've done our own maintenance on the coach.

For the house items, I think the only things Gulf Stream made in-house were the front and rear caps. Everything else is from another vendor, anyway, and most of them are still in business and supporting their products.

Some things on the chassis needed to be fixed because of the age (new tires, dried/bad wheel seals, etc.). Some things on the house needed to be fixed because of neglect (leaking skylight and water damaged ceiling panel). But what we've gone through is a far cry from the stories I've heard about brand new coaches and the associated warranty work.

We didn't go into it expecting a 9 year old coach to be perfect or to be built like a custom home. Let's be honest - it's a really cheap apartment on wheels!

If we had it to do over again, I'd still buy a mid-2000s DP with a focus on the floorplan and the chassis quality and support. Buy your Thor, don't sweat the small stuff, and have a blast!

[TMan59]

First off, I feel bad.
You ask what the difference was in a gas vs dp, not if you should buy a Palazzo.


I will answer your original question as you sound excited to be moving up, and I dont want to say anything to diminish that.


We had a gas rv, 28'. Never liked it, but yes, it got us there and back.


Bought a 40dp (2001 Windsor) in 2010, sold it in 2016 and bought our present coach. (40' 2007 Alpine Limited). Yes it cost more to maintain, BECAUSE WE USE IT ALL THE TIME!


Quiet, air leveling, plenty of power, handles great, lots of room, big bed, big shower, and the 20 other things I didnt mention.
You will love it, enjoy and congratulations!

[saddlesore]

We as well have engine heat buildup in the bedroom, so..as our coach is pre-emissions, removed the 35 gal barrel they use for a muffler and replaced with a resonator ... made a huge difference, and when we park I open the rear covers for the engine to allow faster heat dissipation.

[ThePowells]

You will love the DP and it being a Thor. Unlike the other comments by those who don't own a Thor but feel qualified to share an opinion regardless, I own a Thor product and am in it constantly and my quality is great. As was mentioned, seek your knowledge in the Thor specific forums where you are more likely to get firsthand knowledge.

[Vaark]

I'll vouch for my Thor Venetian M37. We love it and have done over 1,000 a month average traveling from FL to as far west as NV and as far north as MT.

[Slickrick]

We bought a new 2017 Palazzo 36.1 a year ago. Got 10k miles now. Minor problems repaired. Loving the ride and drive. Sure maintenance is more extensive than a gasser but to me, worth it. Rear bath does get hot after a few hours of driving. Would probably reduce heat by opening the roof vent back there. Wife and I can't wait to take our next trips. Diesel Pusher is the only choice for us.

[lwmcguire]

We have several service centers in the area and one right in town just off the strip in Branson. I have had a couple of things serviced there and every time they had Prevost, Newel, MCI, and many high end coaches there as well. Mine was the only Thor product each time on the lot. I know you see a lot of Thor products in service centers but they make over 50% of the units on the road so you will. With all the features they all need attention sooner or later and they all have QC problems unless you get into the 1mm and up homes and then they take more time plus the owners don't squeal about the issues as much.

[TriMoot]

So, as you can see on the left I have an older gaser and of course would LOVE to jump into the DP arena because of all the stuff you folks have already mentioned.

One thing my wife usually does is head to the back and lays down on the king bed and watches movies on our return leg of all our trips. Her way of relaxing.

And, depending on how hot is it outside, we may or may not have the rear AC on.

So...I've always wondered if we did update to a DP how that would affect how my wife usually enjoys the rig. So now I've learned it's going to be hot and will require running the generator and rear AC. Not a big deal.

So how about noise? Is is louder being directly over the engine then what we experience in the front when driving? (Gosh, I keep rewriting this section..hopefully you know what I mean)

Probably won't be a deal breaker as all the other benefits probably outweigh that one negative, but it is 'something'.

Thanks for all the inputs folks, and I'm going to continue to listen in.

[Cooperhawk]

The bedroom of a DP is very noisy on the highway with that big diesel right under the bed. Probably couldn't near the TV in our coach.