Why always choose a Class A Gasser

[Pmiller1]

Originally Posted by Massparanoia

Lol no RV interior is built for or is going to last “a million miles”. No RV chassis or RV is going to last a million miles. Nobody is going to put a million miles on a RV. Rarely will you see one approaching 200k, never mind a million. The “million mile diesel” is a meme in the RV world, both a gas engine or a diesel will well outlast the coach built on top of them.

x2

Most people just don't drive that much , I've seen dp 20 years old and 30k miles on them org owners . It would take several owners to wear it out. Mine 20 years old when I bought it.. had 54000 miles on it thats 2700 miles a year I don't think it ever left Texas.. I have all the paper work from their purchase and service work.

[bmcgc]

Ive got my eye on an 88 Grand Villa DP with 40k on the odo.

Do I roll the dice on a 30 year old MH that was top of the line when it was new, or do I spend the same amount of money and buy a much newer gasser?

We are in no hurry, 55-60 mph is just fine with us, Im not going to drive 6-8-10 hours. Im stopping every few hours to have a stretch, a sandwich and take a look around.

Thats what being over the hill is all about!

[Grandpa5x]

Originally Posted by 909dude

I've owned both DP's and gassers. When taking a long trip in my Tiffin 36' gasser and towing an Equinox, I found it next to impossible to find a gas station that I could pull through without disconnecting the toad. Unless there is a Flying J available, it's a crap shoot.

I drive a 38’ Mountain Aire pulling an Equinox and routinely fuel at Murphy USA (Walmart), I have only found 2 that I couldn’t get in and out, it’s a matter of skill.

[Brianna]

You guys are leaving out an entire factor in this discussion.
Because of the lower torque capacity of the gas engines, gas RVS need to be built as light as possible.
That means using less durable materials throughout.
As a result DPS tend to last longer, and thus retain value longer.

As mentioned above, what's best for any individual depends on how they use it.

After 20 years of use, of course the gasser that spends most of its life in a garage will be in better shape than the DP that's been constantly on the road. But all things being equal, the DP from a high quality brand will still be tight, rattle-free and not have any loose cabinet doors after 100,000 miles.

[Ian2604]

Just for information about a Diesel engine. We are stuck for the next month and have been stuck for the past two weeks waiting for our 500 horse Cummins diesel to get fixed. Our RV is 12 years old with 70,000 miles on it. It is a 45’ 2007 American Eagle. We began blowing massive amounts of white and some black smoke out the exhaust and the RV was not drive able. The RV would stall out at idle. Water got into the diesel fuel, corroded the bottom of the fuel tank and blew out the injectors. So we have to replace all 6 injectors and the fuel tank. The fuel tank takes 4 to 6 weeks to make and ship to the Cummins dealer. In the last year and a half, we have had a new manifold and the egr cooler and the egr replaced. The check engine light came on and the diagnoses was a blown egr and a gasket blew on the manifold and it made a lot of noise and it pitted the manifold. The manifold and the egr cost over $5000. Cummins estimates the latest repair to be about $20,000. Make sure that you regularly drain the water from your fuel/water separator. Bottom line here is don’t buy a diesel RV unless you have the money to fix it. We are pushing $30,000 for all the repairs and motel/Airbnb stays while our diesel is being repaired. Diesel fuel, in general, is unstable, doesn’t react well to just sitting like we do with RV’s and attracts water. You have to watch where you buy diesel, but you can always get bad diesel. Diesel fuel is not the quality that it used to be with biodiesel etc and it breaks down more quickly. If you get bad diesel you may have expensive repairs. Probably best to buy diesel at truck stops where the diesel fuel is pumped out regularly. If you don’t have a lot of spare money better stick with a gas engine. The RV would stall out at idle. Water got into the diesel fuel, corroded the bottom of the fuel tank and blew out the injectors. So we have to replace all 6 injectors and the fuel tank. The fuel tank takes 4 to 6 weeks to make and ship to the Cummins dealer. In the last year and a half, we have had a new manifold and the egr cooler and the egr replaced. The manifold and the egr cost over $4500. Cummins estimates the latest repair to be about $20,000. Make sure that you regularly drain the water from your fuel/water separator. Bottom line here is don’t buy a diesel RV unless you have the money to fix it. We are pushing $30,000 for all the repairs and motel/Airbnb stays while our diesel is being repaired. Diesel fuel, in general, is unstable, doesn’t react well to just sitting like we do with RV’s and attracts water. You have to watch where you buy diesel, but you can always get bad diesel. If you get bad diesel you may have expensive repairs. Probably best to buy diesel at truck stops where the diesel has not sat in the tanks. If you don’t have a lot of spare money better stick with a gas engine. out the exhaust and the RV was not drive able. The RV would stall out at idle. Water got into the diesel fuel, corroded the bottom of the fuel tank and blew out the injectors. So we have to replace all 6 injectors and the fuel tank. The fuel tank takes 4 to 6 weeks to make and ship to the Cummins dealer. In the last year and a half, we have had a new manifold and the egr cooler and the egr replaced. The manifold and the egr cost over $4500. Cummins estimates the latest repair to be about $20,000. Make sure that you regularly drain the water from your fuel/water separator. Bottom line here is don’t buy a diesel RV unless you have the money to fix it. We are pushing $30,000 for all the repairs and motel/Airbnb stays while our diesel is being repaired. Diesel fuel, in general, is unstable, doesn’t react well to just sitting like we do with RV’s and attracts water. You have to watch where you buy diesel, but you can always get bad diesel. If you get bad diesel you may have expensive repairs. Probably best to buy diesel at truck stops where the diesel has not sat in the tanks. If you don’t have a lot of spare money better stick with a gas engine.

[RM Art]

Wow - Ian

You just trying to get the "point" across regarding cost of diesel repairs... or did you mistakenly say the same thing a total of six repeat times in two posts?

I get your point! Known it for a long time anyway.

[tlc4texas]

Originally Posted by Amikel0315

When debating on DP or Gaser there is millions of threads that show you the pros and cons and mainly pros towards DP's.

My question is simple. Why would you always choose a Class A Gaser over a diesel pusher?

I have a gaser and I'm looking to upgrade but with adding sumo springs, steering stabilizer and the CHF, soon to add roadmaster front and rear sway bars, the drive of our Class A Gaser is enjoyable for the most part for me and passengers.
Length of trips:
2-8 days

Typical trips for our family:
Disney: 420mi
Gatlinburg: 525mi
Texas: 400-800mi
South FL:350mi-800mi
Anywhere:Within 300mi

Typical towing for us:
Golf Cart
Can Am Defender Max
Tandem Axle Motorcycle Trailer with 2 bikes
Ford Escape on a car hauler

My biggest reason that I switched to Diesel is...When you have a 38' rig plus trailer and have to get fuel. Truck stops have fuel hose on both sides and are pull-thru. For gas, you have to find a station that has easy in and out based on the length of your rig. If you keep your gasser under 36' and not pulling a trailer then you have to weigh other reasons. Just my honest opinion. Plus diesel at truck stops fill much faster!

[RM Art]

Originally Posted by tlc4texas

My biggest reason that I switched to Diesel is...When you have a 38' rig plus trailer and have to get fuel. Truck stops have fuel hose on both sides and are pull-thru. For gas, you have to find a station that has easy in and out based on the length of your rig. If you keep your gasser under 36' and not pulling a trailer then you have to weigh other reasons. Just my honest opinion. Plus diesel at truck stops fill much faster!

My biggest reason for purchasing a 25' Tiffin Allegro gasser is so we can pull in virtually anywhere to fill up, can over night virtually anywhere and due to its fairly light weight can get around 10 mpg at 63 mph or below.

Of course, it helps when owning a rather small RV for not using it as a live-in... but rather as an area jaunter with occasional multi thousand mile round trips for two!

"Sweetie" is small but has all accessories required. Also, we have her set up comfortably on the inside.

[CLR]

The upgrades you plan on doing will make a great improvement in handling. Stay with the Gas. Cheaper up front and on any repairs. If you don't drive the mountains all the time, diesel would be a waste.

[Walt Graham]

The simple answer as to why is cost both up front and maintenance. I went with gas (F53 Ford V-10) because I can't justify the cost of the diesel and I couldn't do the same with my 37 foot boat. If you look at what the real cost of a gas motor versus a diesel really should be how can you justify an up-charge of 40 to 50 grand for the diesel ???? Yeah the castings are bigger and heavier but both motors have the same basic methods of operation and I just don't see that 50 grand..... but hey that's what some people are willing to pay so they can say they have a diesel pusher. If you follow this site you will read about complaints from some that have found out that an oil change and service on a diesel can run over 3,000 to 4,000 dollars. I can go to the same places as a DP and once it's parked they act the same.

[Pmiller1]

Originally Posted by bmcgc

Ive got my eye on an 88 Grand Villa DP with 40k on the odo.

Do I roll the dice on a 30 year old MH that was top of the line when it was new, or do I spend the same amount of money and buy a much newer gasser?

We are in no hurry, 55-60 mph is just fine with us, Im not going to drive 6-8-10 hours. Im stopping every few hours to have a stretch, a sandwich and take a look around.

Thats what being over the hill is all about!

X2 on the Grand Villa love the older RVs I ain't much on cat's ... Ain't nothing like them being made now.. Get it checked out !! I perfer a side radiator #1 for me and how avalable parts are for the drivetrain ..

[Unicorn Driver]

Originally Posted by mnj1keg

I think I have the best of both worlds with a gas pusher. It’s a 2008 Winnebago Adventurer Limited 37GL on a UFO workhorse chassis. I know they’re rare and not sure why except for the timing back in 2007-2008 economy taking a hit. All the perks of a pusher with the costs of gas. I think it’s best of both.

I have the Itasca version of that coach. I completely agree with you.

[vincee]

The post that just keeps giving!

I've put over 40K miles on two gas motor homes, a 2000 Allegro and a 2011 Georgetown. In my opinion, the Ford V10 is one of the best gas engines to come out of Detroit rivaling GM's big blocks. My longest trip in the Georgetown was about 3500 miles to Mount Rushmore from the Buffalo, NY area. I averaged 500 miles per leg of the trip without complaint. Heck, we even drove the rig with our toad on a dolly around and through Badlands National Park. The nervous nellie stories are either poppycock, or those telling them are sissy's with driving almost or all of anything.

However, this past May, six days before our Memorial Day trip my wife and I somewhat spontaneously pulled the trigger on a 2014 Sportscoach diesel pusher! Are you thinking why? The rig was like new, 15K miles on it, beautiful double clear coat full body paint and at a price in our price bracket which would of been a 2016 Tiffin Allegreo Open Road 34DL gasser. Even though our rig is pretty much considered an entry-level DP we love the it for the ride, quietness, amenities and the Tim Allen Tool House rise in the pants of driving a DP in to any campground.

[Ret.LEO]

I get a real kick out of some who like to brag that they put in 10,000 miles last year................there's a reason to buy a D.P................NOT!!!!
Years ago I ran team hauling Ford Motor parts to their plants. The average for us team drivers was 5,000 miles a week!

DP's are great if you run mountains, put in 20,000 miles a year, full time, have the resources to maintain it properly or able to work on it yourself. Most of all be able to afford it.

Plenty of good old DP's that almost can be bought reasonably........but any older coach sooner or later is going to surprise you with a healthy repair bill.
New DP's are for the most part "status symbols" If you have the money sitting there with nothing better to do with it...........fine. For many new DP buyers it's as my Dad always said "More Money Than Sense"
I would rather make sure my Grandkids can afford to go to College or Trade School. I'll be thrilled with either a Jayco Greyhawk or Entegra Odyssey........I don't even need a Class A to be thrilled.
BUT
If my $2.00 Powerball ticket hits tomorrow night............I'll be the proud owner of a 2020 Entegra Accolade.................those are SWEET!!!!! That Super C with the Cummins out in front so I can hear it, pop the hood and I can do anything it needs for PM..............if it just had a Detroit Diesel engine to sing to me it would be even better than perfect