Community Forums

Tha_Rooster · 01-09-2013, 05:17 PM

DP's are definitely more than gassers ,mine holds 34 quarts of oil,1 oil filter,2 fuel filters changed yearly no matter what. Generator change yearly no matter what. With that said its cheap compared to fuel $350- $400 to fill up.

bgc44a · 01-12-2013, 01:57 PM

Spreadsheets are for accountants and bean counters. MH's are for people who want to have fun, enjoy God's creation and can think on their feet and repair most unexpected things with a hair pin and duct tape. You get a diesel because you like the 'feel' of that diesel power surge, and relentless torque, and you appreciate that distant chuckle from the engine, and love the smell of kerosine burning in the morning. Now putting all the usual smart aleck one liners aside, the maintenance cost of a diesel is not really higher than a gasser. There is no ignition system upkeep, and things like the tranny are so much heavier for a diesel that they don't break or wear down. The chassis are way heavier so everything last much longer, and require much less upkeep. Things like oil and filter changes come up every 10,000 or more miles, so even although you measure your oil in gallons and not quarts, the interval is a lot longer. The only drawback to a diesel is the cost of the fuel,[moderator edit] However you can't ignore the superior torque of the diesel, along with all the other qualities, engine brakes, smoothness, quiet, longivity, and on and on.

sadrand · 01-13-2013, 09:04 AM

Thanks for the info, bcg44a. I do get the "bean counting" part. I am truly trying to get as much of the budget stuff done now before I retire so I will have time to relax and explore this beautiful country without constantly worrying about money. I appreciate your comparison comments as well as everyone else's here. Interestingly, I have been watching gas and diesel prices lately - diesel here in NE Florida has remained pretty steady at around 3.85 per. Gas has been as low as 3.10 just a couple of weeks ago and is now around 3.45 per. Diesel is still at 3.85. Interesting how gas is fluctuating a lot while diesel is pretty steady. With the better gas mileage of a diesel, I don't see the cost of fuel making much difference in my decision. Thanks to all of you. Your info and opinions have been a great help.

distaff · 01-14-2013, 07:16 AM

Sadrand,

As I said, asking is smart. While a diesel can cost about the same as a gasser, the surprises are MUCH bigger when they happen, and it is worth mentioning that the house part is WAY more complex with expensive stuff to fix than any gasser. This should not discourage you, but understanding is always good.

Interesting point that up here in Canada diesel is cheaper than gas, but diesel is still cheaper in the US than it is here.

Doug Sage · 01-14-2013, 07:42 AM

You will spend more per year in variable fuel prices than on regular maintenance. Check the gas and diesel prices around the country. You can currently get gas in Salt Lake City for $2.73 and in Santa Barbara, California it is $3.75. Diesel is currently running about $0.80 higher per gallon. My point is that you can spend the year in Salt Lake City or you can travel around the country and maybe be in California , Oregon, Washington, etc. and spend a $1.00 per gallon more. At 8 mpg the fuel prices add up pretty quickly. I don't expect that you are going to limit your travel to only the cheap fuel states.

Sky_Boss · 01-14-2013, 08:30 AM

Using resources like GasBuddy.com - Find Low Gas Prices in the USA and Canada and its smart phone app can be one way to stay on top of this. We don't think twice about stopping for fuel after we get below 1/4 tank (75 gal on former gasser, 150 gal tank on DP) if we spot a good deal. Conversely we will take it down to 1/3 tank to reach a good deal.

The gassbuddy site has a trip planner based on your route and parameters you set. Keep in mind that if you use the trip planner it suggests filling location based on nearly empty tank when you refuel. I use the custom vehicle setting and tell it my tank is 100 gal. I also use conservative city and hwy mileage fuel burn rates.

Keep in mind that gasbuddy is a users reporting system. It will report what users are saying is the price at the pump and will tell you how long ago that report was made. Obviously gas prices are updated more regularly by the higher number of gas users. Diesel prices don't get updated as often.

A word of "warning" regarding gasbuddy's diesel prices in Indiana and any other state where trucks pay a different price than other diesel users pay at the non-truck pumps. Because of this system the diesel prices listed in gas buddy can be pretty whack. You should have a general idea of what difference between the truck vs. non-truck gas prices are and assume the prices you see on gasbuddy are for truckers and you will pay more. Even the Flying J/Pilot app has the same problem when it reports prices. As an example, I just called a Pilot east of Indianapolis and their app shows 3.49 but for an RV it would be 3.77.

There is also a difference of somewhere between 3 & 6 cents for cash vs credit payment at that Pilot but my diesel buying experience is just starting and maybe that is normal but I never had to notice it before. Not sure what I think about carrying a lot of cash but I will start thinking about that some now.

Don't forget to collect as many free fuel discount cards as possible. Pilot save .02 for gas & .03 for diesel fuel per gal.

PyrateSilly · 01-14-2013, 11:30 AM

We are in a 40ft DP. When we did our major trip last April (7k miles in 5 weeks) I had 4 apps on my phone to check when we started getting low (1/3 to 1/4) on fuel. They were in order of checking:
My DAT Trucker Services - this one has MOST truck stops listed, rest areas and walmarts.
Gas Buddy - Yes it is updated by those using but I still check cause you never know
Love's and/or Pilot/Flying J - these are updated by the place themselves. If you are a member of Good Sam you can get a card at Pilot/Flying J that can give you upwards of another 10 cents a gallon off of the pump price.

LDP243 · 01-14-2013, 12:49 PM

this issue was very easy decision for me. I simply can not afford a DP , so the gas is my only option. I believe you will be able to do several years of normal maintenance with the money you will have left over if you buy the gas unit vs a diesel . that said I would go with the DP if I could