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Old 02-10-2022, 06:18 AM   #43
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In General:


  • A Diesel motor home for the same year and size costs more than a gasser.
  • A Diesel cost more to maintain than a gasser primarily because there are more systems, fluid quantity is greater, parts are more expensive and in many cases diesel mechanics just cost more. How much more may depend on how much you wish to do yourself and if you maintain it to specs.
  • A diesel will ride quieter and the ride will be more comfortable due to the diesel's air system and the engine location in the rear, than a gasser. Ride and noise have improved with gassers but will probably not equal that of a diesel.
  • A diesel due to it's greater torque will get you up the hill faster.
  • A diesel coach is generally made to a higher quality than a gasser. But that higher quality may not be noticed by some.
  • A diesel due to it's raised rail chassis will have more bin storage.

In all most all cases for the same amount of money you can get a newer gas coach which will require less maintenance. But if your budget allows for a diesel there are advantages as discussed above. For $60,000 though I would seriously look at a gasser.

At the end of the day you're enjoyment in camping may not depend on the type of engine your motor home has. Once you decide on gas or diesel, get the motor home with the floor plan that suits your needs and get the newest one you can afford.

Also note that if the rising costs of fuel is a concern then you should probably reconsider if buying a motor home is in your future. After 5 years of diesel ownership for me the costs associated with upkeep, camping fees, and storage fees generally way outweigh the cost of fuel.

That assessment is with 52,000 miles of experience.
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Old 02-10-2022, 07:17 AM   #44
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Originally Posted by nehog View Post
Personally I'd never consider a gas class-A. I know many happy owners, but nothing beats a class-A diesel pusher for quality, ride, economy, and noise.
The pleasure of driving a DP alone make it worth while! You cant compare a gasser and a DP!
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Old 02-10-2022, 07:19 AM   #45
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Lets put this into perspective, I've been a heavy equipment mechanic my whole life and have owned gas and diesel motorhomes. The gas/diesel debate can go on forever, the bottom line is there are three reasons to buy a diesel coach and they are 1. you want one. that's indisputable. 2. you want a coach longer than 37'. 3. you need to tow more than 5000 pounds. The other thing to consider is your budget, if you have drive train issues it is possible to leave a ford dealer with a $200 bill with a gas coach, with a diesel the bill starts at $2000 and the sky is the limit. my gas coach maintenance was 7 quarts of oil an oil filter and 9 grease fittings every 5000 miles. my current 605 hp diesel maintenance consists of 56 quarts of oil an oil filter, 2 fuel filters, 1 coolant filter, 1 air filter, 1 hydraulic filter, 23 quarts of synthetic gear lube in the differential, 1 desiccant cartridge for the air drier and 23 grease fittings once a year. So that said you need to cosider your need, your want and your budget before you make your decision to purchase.
Comparing an ISX to V10 Ford.... Come on!! MOST of the dp are ISC or ISL!!
VERY different than the ISX!! Like comparing a V8 5.3 to fully built 560 race motor imo!
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Old 02-10-2022, 07:23 AM   #46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timjet View Post
In General:


  • A Diesel motor home for the same year and size costs more than a gasser.
  • A Diesel cost more to maintain than a gasser primarily because there are more systems, fluid quantity is greater, parts are more expensive and in many cases diesel mechanics just cost more. How much more may depend on how much you wish to do yourself and if you maintain it to specs.
  • A diesel will ride quieter and the ride will be more comfortable due to the diesel's air system and the engine location in the rear, than a gasser. Ride and noise have improved with gassers but will probably not equal that of a diesel.
  • A diesel due to it's greater torque will get you up the hill faster.
  • A diesel coach is generally made to a higher quality than a gasser. But that higher quality may not be noticed by some.
  • A diesel due to it's raised rail chassis will have more bin storage.

In all most all cases for the same amount of money you can get a newer gas coach which will require less maintenance. But if your budget allows for a diesel there are advantages as discussed above. For $60,000 though I would seriously look at a gasser.

At the end of the day you're enjoyment in camping may not depend on the type of engine your motor home has. Once you decide on gas or diesel, get the motor home with the floor plan that suits your needs and get the newest one you can afford.

Also note that if the rising costs of fuel is a concern then you should probably reconsider if buying a motor home is in your future. After 5 years of diesel ownership for me the costs associated with upkeep, camping fees, and storage fees generally way outweigh the cost of fuel.

That assessment is with 52,000 miles of experience.
That is so on point!!
But for some newer MH gasser is better than older DP, I drove, saw, and watch built quality of both before buying our Tradition, and no way i ever buy a gasser!
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Old 02-10-2022, 09:59 AM   #47
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Old 02-10-2022, 10:17 AM   #48
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bottom line, buy what your budget can comfortably support, go into this with open eyes. I sighted both extremes but any diesel will require much more maintenance than a gas engine and the cost is much higher
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Old 02-10-2022, 11:05 AM   #49
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Oil change interval on my Isl is 20,000 miles. 5,000 on the gas engine for severe service? That’s 4 changes at 6 quarts (?) versus one at 27 quarts. Almost the same cost on materials for those that change it ourselves. Grease fittings? Perhaps I’m old school but the more the better. Not a fan of the permanent lubed joints.
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Old 02-10-2022, 11:43 AM   #50
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Where’s the OP?

Has anyone considered that they can’t afford anything over $60K, aren’t experienced RVers, haven’t decided on Gas or Diesel and plan to go full time soon, might be more significant matters than haggling over diesel maintenance costs?
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Old 02-10-2022, 12:08 PM   #51
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Your husband had a diesel MH and wants another.

If he does the repairs or maintenance, then he knows what he wants.

Your challenge is to find a diesel powered rig that has what you want and can afford.

Then buy the compromise and start enjoying the travel.
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Old 02-10-2022, 05:04 PM   #52
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Originally Posted by RoadTrip2084 View Post
120 hours in an obnoxiously loud, uncomfortable, and poor handling gas rig? Sounds like torture.

I'm not sure what Gasser you have driven, but our first two MH's had 454 Chevy engines on a P53 chassis. A 94 Adventurer and a 98 Pace Arrow Vision with a Banks Kit. We both drove it and the wife said they weren't much different from our Suburban's, just bigger. Louder on the hills, but comfortable on the level. The Pace Arrow had a tag and handled great. I suspect the newer ones are even better. They are not meant to be equal to a DP, but are a perfect fit for many happy campers.
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Old 02-11-2022, 06:45 AM   #53
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Originally Posted by dbircky View Post
Oil change interval on my Isl is 20,000 miles. 5,000 on the gas engine for severe service? That’s 4 changes at 6 quarts (?) versus one at 27 quarts. Almost the same cost on materials for those that change it ourselves. Grease fittings? Perhaps I’m old school but the more the better. Not a fan of the permanent lubed joints.

Exactly ! Every gasser lovers, dodged that one!! To me, The ISL is pretty inexpensive to maintain! Plus its done straight at Peterbuilt dealer!
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Old 02-11-2022, 09:30 AM   #54
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Originally Posted by dbircky
Oil change interval on my Isl is 20,000 miles. 5,000 on the gas engine for severe service? That’s 4 changes at 6 quarts (?) versus one at 27 quarts. Almost the same cost on materials for those that change it ourselves.
Is it 20,000 miles or 20,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first? (I really do not know.) With the average motorhome mileage supposedly around 5,000 miles a year, which matches us, the correct answer might be "It depends."

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f123/cum...ml#post4510308

OK, Cummins finally fixed their manual on quickserve.cummins.com and it now has the full chart like they used to, which lists RV (averaging 40+ MPH) at 12 months/20,000 miles.

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Old 02-11-2022, 10:18 AM   #55
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Some folks will spend ~$30 on fluid analysis and then determine if an oil change is necessary at the 12 month interval. Others will just push their luck.

The cost of a basic annual service is minimal when compared to the total cost of all other annual expenses. Depreciation could easily be the biggest expense, but that tends to be a “head in the sand” topic.
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Old 02-11-2022, 01:50 PM   #56
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Originally Posted by Kid Gloves View Post
Some folks will spend ~$30 on fluid analysis and then determine if an oil change is necessary at the 12 month interval. Others will just push their luck.

The cost of a basic annual service is minimal when compared to the total cost of all other annual expenses. Depreciation could easily be the biggest expense, but that tends to be a “head in the sand” topic.
the trouble with relying on oil analysis is it indicates the damage has began not that it will begin. they can be a great predictive tool to indicate issues that have started to occur but should never be used as a scheduling tool for an oil change.
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