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Old 11-22-2013, 01:10 PM   #15
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I think the OP found the paradox...DP's don't tend to have a ton of miles driven in them (though that's what they're built for). But, unlike driving a Ferrari to the grocery store, I personally believe every mile driven in a DP is a much safer and more pleasurable experience.

But there's clearly a cost to that pleasure!
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Old 11-22-2013, 01:12 PM   #16
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Old 11-22-2013, 01:24 PM   #17
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Gas maintenance is less expensive. Oil/filter/lube is only $40 at my Ford dealer.
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Old 11-22-2013, 05:06 PM   #18
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Class A gassers and DP's both have their own fit in the RV market. This post is starting to trend toward people stating the gasser can do what a DP can do. I have a small 36" DP that weighs in at 30000 pounds and has a GCW of 43000 pounds. The largest gassers available are only rated at 30000 pounds GCW. When you start loading a 38'-39' gasser, you're going to have to ring it's neck to climb grades. They'll have the power, but you won't be carrying on any conversations while doing so.

I think comparing the two is silly, just get what works for you and what you can afford.
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Old 11-22-2013, 05:13 PM   #19
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When you start loading a 38'-39' gasser, you're going to have to ring it's neck to climb grades. They'll have the power, but you won't be carrying on any conversations while doing so.
Not if you have a UFO!
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Old 11-22-2013, 05:21 PM   #20
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The Newmar Canyon Star 3956 is 39' 11" long and the GCWR is 30k. The interior made a big impression on me.



Here are the specs:
Canyon Star Floorplans | Newmar

I hope that is a typo on the website or else it appears that are overloading that chassis. The chassis with 30000 GCVR use a 6.17 rear gear ratio and not the 5.38. Those chassis are rated for 26K GCVR.
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Old 11-22-2013, 09:34 PM   #21
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Before my current Fleetwood Expedition, I had a 2010 Damon Daybreak with the Ford F 53 chassis with V-10 engine.
I was very happy with it as long as I never had to drive it. It would literally down shift two times to go over an overpass on a flat interstate. After a two gear down shift you are turning some serious RPMs just to get over on overpass, what a joke.
The Ford V-10 is a very good engine and and in a smaller class C I'm sure it does a fine job. The C's weigh in at 12 to 16,000 pounds instead of 22 to 26,000 for the class A's on the same power.
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Old 11-22-2013, 11:02 PM   #22
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5 star solves that problem in a hurry.
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Old 11-23-2013, 02:11 AM   #23
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Not if you have a UFO!
Do they currently make rear engine gassers? If not is someone trying to come out with one in the future?

Are Fred's dead? Is a ufo quieter/as powerful as a Fred? If Fred's are dead any reason why? Is there a chance they might cone back?

Is adding air ride to gas hard/ coat effective?

Quality of coach varies from make & model. I'm guessing you can find gassers with high interior quality, but there will be gives for the weight issue. Ie. aren't most high end gassers luxury vinyl tile vs ceramic?
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Old 11-23-2013, 09:31 AM   #24
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You will find the big complaint with the FRED layout is the noise up front and long drive shaft, lets face it diesels are a noises engine. By the time you add air ride and other valued options to a gasser you could have purchased a DP.
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Old 11-23-2013, 09:37 AM   #25
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Interior quality on gassers is definitely up. Fleetwood hired an interior designer designer that came from country coach and it certainly shows. Much more elegant interior than previous years.
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Old 11-23-2013, 10:02 AM   #26
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Do they currently make rear engine gassers? If not is someone trying to come out with one in the future?

Are Fred's dead? Is a ufo quieter/as powerful as a Fred? If Fred's are dead any reason why? Is there a chance they might cone back?

Is adding air ride to gas hard/ coat effective?

Quality of coach varies from make & model. I'm guessing you can find gassers with high interior quality, but there will be gives for the weight issue. Ie. aren't most high end gassers luxury vinyl tile vs ceramic?
I don't know of any mfgt offering a rear engine gas RV Chassis...but Freightliner is still offering their very good FRED. See: Freightliner Motorhome Chassis ? RV Chassis

This design is time tested and is in every delivery and long haul truck on the road...long driveshafts work fine. A little extra insulation under the dog house and the engine is very happy having all that fresh air over the front radiator.

The problem is that RV manufacturers got bit in the recession and pulled away from offering optional chassis in 1 RV model. They are opting to keep the mfgt line simple with the most common chassis as the foundation...I know of no mainstream RV currently offered with optional chassis'

Now...as economy, environment issues, and market demand continues to press for improvements we should see alternate fuel RV's like LNG, and maybe some hybrid tech like Diesel/electric or fuel cells. I think it will get interesting.

Safe travels
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Old 11-23-2013, 10:10 AM   #27
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But does anyone build them (freightliner Fred) or is it just offered? I think the bounder diesel was a Fred but I don't see it currently on offer for 2014. I noticed a lot of the more interesting plans like the verandah arevgone. It also seems you need to go 5ver to get a island in the kitchen now. Glad to see some kountry coach people still around. Didn't some kountry coach and Monaco people have service centres. Travel supreme into entegra if I recall. Seems like a lot of streamlining of product. Of course the tech side of things now has gone through the roof.

Def tanks starting to switch to driver side, but that's 13ish gallons of storage gone AWOL
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Old 11-23-2013, 10:24 AM   #28
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But does anyone build them (freightliner Fred) or is it just offered? I think the bounder diesel was a Fred but I don't see it currently on offer for 2014. I noticed a lot of the more interesting plans like the verandah arevgone. It also seems you need to go 5ver to get a island in the kitchen now. Glad to see some kountry coach people still around. Didn't some kountry coach and Monaco people have service centres. Travel supreme into entegra if I recall. Seems like a lot of streamlining of product. Of course the tech side of things now has gone through the roof.

Def tanks starting to switch to driver side, but that's 13ish gallons of storage gone AWOL
The last FRED I know of was the 2013 Thor Serrano, built on some of the last Workhorse chassis made - a W20D. See: 2013 Serrano Motorhomes: Class A RV by Thor Motor Coach

If you want a FRED now, it seems that the RV mfgt's are moving toward Super C's on the Ford F550 and similar MDT cab chassis from Freightliner and Navistar. They are nice, but not the same as a Class A inside...IMHO.

A little off topic...but a kitchen island in a Motorhome would make the kitchen a little tight for getting to the back, until the slide(s) are out. So, I can see why they are rare.

Safe travels
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