Class A Gas versus Diesel

[H Steinhoff]

For us part of the decision hinged on the flat floor of the diesel, as my wife had bad knee and leg problems and the engine hump was a pain. The reason for getting the Breeze was that it had only 4 steps to get into it whereas everything else had 6 steps. The rear engine certainly makes cruising and hill climbing much quieter and pleasurable. The Breeze has the exhaust on the driver's side, whereas our Ford had it on the passenger side. It is a 4400 foot climb to our house and with the exhaust on the passenger side, the sound reflections off the guard rails made the engine sound like its guts were coming out. So the decision is really more than just gas verses diesel. There is the flat floor, the engine brake, which means we rarely use the brakes going down the 4400 feet, and the parking brake, which holds the Breeze on our 9 % grade driveway, whereas the Ford parking brake could not hold it. As for hill climbing, that all depends on the ratio of your horsepower to your coach weight. The gassers are as good or even better than some diesels in this area. The Breeze has only 240 HP and there are hills where 35 MPH is it for me. I have caravanned with both diesels and gassers, with the Breeze as well as our 1992 Ford and we all did the hills equally well. If I had the chance, I think I would prefer the 8.8 liter International gas engine over the 6.4 liter diesel in our Breeze.

[NC25T]

Originally Posted by RiverBurt

It matters for resale, in a big way.

Lots of people throw resale out as a advantage to DP. I think what’s hard about this is what do we actually pay for the RV when purchased new. When I purchased my Fleetwood Bounder 38P new, it had a $168k MSRP and I purchased it for $98k including all equipment and everything installed on my Jeep Wrangler unlimited to use as a toad. Being 10 years later and they are still selling for $60,000-$70,000 I do not feel depreciation is much of a issue over those years.

Will someone buying a $300,000 DP loose less money then me over that time?

Goes back to what the person paid for the $300,000 coach.... did they get 10% off, 20% off, or 50% off?

Do agree DP will last longer however rarely is engine life a convert with these vehicle.

[FatChance]

How many 40'-43' gas coaches with AquaHot and a bath and a half floor plan are out there? They seem pretty rare...

[rfguy]

Originally Posted by blueridge-fl

One thing to remember with gassers is the the newer ones (2016 on) are much improved power train wise over the older ones. They are also usually have things like better sound insulation around the dog house. We went through the same process as waiter21 and because of our budget, it came down to a choice between a newer gasser vs. a 10 year old diesel. While DPs are generally superior to gassers, they do cost big $$ to repair. So getting into a 10 year old RV with potential for some high dollar repairs didn't seem like a better choice than just getting a newer gasser. I know I could have mitigated this issue somewhat by getting an upfront inspection, but there are no guarantees that something won't be missed. Would I like to have a DP? You bet! But did it make sense for us? Not really. If I should happen to win the lottery, I will update this post. :-)

I agree with this post. I started by owning a few PU campers then 5th wheel back to PU camper and then our first Class C gas which had space and storage problems so then we went with our first DP a Tiffin Phaeton 37ft 4 slides. the wife loved it, I like it as it was quiet and had the power and the build materials were better than most Class C like ceramic floors and hard surface counter tops. What I hated about it- I could not get it into some of our favorite campsites, I had to put in extra effort or could not avoid getting scratches along the upper sides (class C are usually a foot or more shorter), the increased cost of maintenance, having to use DEF, and most of all where to get service and parts. That said in spite of my wifes likes I went back to a class C. Now when driving I know if I get a flat I can deal with it on the spot. I can buy a new tire at Costco or anywhere. I can go to the local auto store and buy most anything the E450 needs there. If it had a diesel engine I would be happier but this fits in my favorite spots with the toad. One other thing that was good about the DP is that for some reason I did not have the problem with front end dings on the toad as I do with the Cs even with the tow blanket and rear flaps. I also read horror stories blown up Cummins and Cat engines costing $15k and more to repair.

[nothermark]

I love the depreciation arguement. Their new fancy DP may depreciate more than the total cost of my gas unit in the first year. Then they tell me to buy a 10 year old DP when I tell them I only have $60,000 to spend... ;-) Now I am waiting to see how the newest ones that are loaded with electronics hold up when the half life of computers is still around 3 years. That will be fun to watch if I live long enough.

[Crasher]

I just do not understand these Gas vs Diesel comparisons. They are completely different animals. It's like comparing a Chevy pickup to a Lincoln Navigator. They both get you to where you want to be, but one rides better than the other and costs more. One has more things that can go wrong could cost more to maintain. Some people can't afford a Navigator, and are happy with the pickup. Some have had a pickup in the past, but now want their Lincoln. They both keep you dry in the rain and cool in the heat. If you are happy with your Chevy pickup, great. No need to point out all of your reasons to have one, just enjoy it. Most Navigator owners started with a pickup and liked it a lot, but wanted more, so they went to a different level and are happy with their choice. Enjoy what you have and be happy for the other guy.

[Mo Ichi]

If you can afford a DP then hands down go with a DP for all the reasons noted by everyone. Gas engines are underneath you and they are very loud - tough to have a conversation or listen to music while driving. For me, it is about comfort and reliability and I'd rather buy the very best I can afford (RV or anything else) and if I cannot afford what is right for me then I do without. I really wish RV dealers would allow buyers to rent an RV for a week before purchasing because it would save so many of us from making mistakes. Until you drive it for a thousand miles and live in it a couple of days it is difficult to know.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by Mo Ichi

If you can afford a DP then hands down go with a DP for all the reasons noted by everyone. Gas engines are underneath you and they are very loud - tough to have a conversation or listen to music while driving. For me, it is about comfort and reliability and I'd rather buy the very best I can afford (RV or anything else) and if I cannot afford what is right for me then I do without. I really wish RV dealers would allow buyers to rent an RV for a week before purchasing because it would save so many of us from making mistakes. Until you drive it for a thousand miles and live in it a couple of days it is difficult to know.

And there you have a summation of the whole DP argument. Even the assumption that all the folks driving a gas unit would buy a DP if they could.

[Grams2bjc]

We have a 37’ gas and love it!

[OldWrench]

Originally Posted by gesteff

A huge question,,,,what are the thoughts out there on the Class A gas or Class A diesel pusher, what are the big differences and why.

I do have an opinion. I was a diesel mechanic and they are good work engines. However when you look at how few miles we put on a motor home I do not see the need to go diesel. The Ford V10 is a proven 200K work engine and it does a good job climbing hills etc with very little maintenance. I here with all the computer generated maintenance issues on those delivering RV towables there is a big push back to gas engines. Perhaps what we need is a rear engine gas Class A to fix the handling and noise issues. Or perhaps the engineers are working on electric drive like Europe is going. Todays train engine is electric drive with a diesel generator power unit. I told the truth the way a 60 year wrench sees it. Diesel is not perfect.

[Unplanned Tourist]

Originally Posted by Mo Ichi

If you can afford a DP then hands down go with a DP for all the reasons noted by everyone. Gas engines are underneath you and they are very loud - tough to have a conversation or listen to music while driving. For me, it is about comfort and reliability and I'd rather buy the very best I can afford (RV or anything else) and if I cannot afford what is right for me then I do without. I really wish RV dealers would allow buyers to rent an RV for a week before purchasing because it would save so many of us from making mistakes. Until you drive it for a thousand miles and live in it a couple of days it is difficult to know.

If I could find a DP in my price range with the same floor plan I have, it would be a no-brainer! I love our mid coach entry and the driver's door.
Too bad the vast majority of DP's have the front door/passenger side and no driver's door. We are in and out of our rig a lot and hiking all the way through to just get something from the kitchen is not my idea of a good floor plan.
I searched long and hard for the rig we have, and we both love it.
Like others have said, it is a matter of wants, availability and your price range.
Maybe if I won big on a lottery, a custom Newell would be in my future, . But until then I will just have to be happy with what we have.
Happy Glamping.

[WAKY]

Most of our trips are just 200-300 miles. We stay in state and federal parks as much as possible. Started to buy a used diesel. Decided on 28.5 ft new gasser. Easy to maneuver going into fast food restaurants. Parking is never an issue. I agree I like a diesel power train better, but for our use the gas works fine. Also a lot of state parks were laid out for smaller TVs than we have today. This small gasser fits the bill

[harleyjt]

Originally Posted by Mo Ichi

If you can afford a DP then hands down go with a DP for all the reasons noted by everyone. Gas engines are underneath you and they are very loud - tough to have a conversation or listen to music while driving. For me, it is about comfort and reliability and I'd rather buy the very best I can afford (RV or anything else) and if I cannot afford what is right for me then I do without. I really wish RV dealers would allow buyers to rent an RV for a week before purchasing because it would save so many of us from making mistakes. Until you drive it for a thousand miles and live in it a couple of days it is difficult to know.

I take exception to that. A quality gas rig is plenty quiet. To say its tough to have a conversation is pure BS. Maybe you had a 25 ft Thor Ace or something like that - I'm sure they are loud and drive poorly. If you get a quality gas rig, they are really nice rigs - quiet and comfortable. Quit trying to peddle that crap across the board and trying to justify your diesel purchase.
jt

[RWDJR.]

Originally Posted by harleyjt

I take exception to that. A quality gas rig is plenty quiet. To say its tough to have a conversation is pure BS. Maybe you had a 25 ft Thor Ace or something like that - I'm sure they are loud and drive poorly. If you get a quality gas rig, they are really nice rigs - quiet and comfortable. Quit trying to peddle that crap across the board and trying to justify your diesel purchase.

jt

Underneath that quality plastic dash of a great gas rig, is the exact same Ford quality of the Thor Ace. Just sayin. Exception to your GM chassis.