Old Diesel or Old Ford V10

[rcroberts22]

Newbie, to this site and to RV's. Thanks for letting me join. I've already found a lot of good info here.
Wife and I are selling our property and buying a used MH to live in and travel this great country. Due to her budget restraints, we are looking at late 90's rigs if I go with a DP, and maybe an early 2000 if I go with a V 10 gas. Is there valid reasons for one over the other, besides personal preference. My personal preference is to not get either at 25+ years old, but I'm having a hard time getting her to raise my budget. Any thoughts on the subject?
Thanks

[HarryStone]

How handy are you at Repair‘s? How much do you know about diesel engines? you’re buying your next home. If it has issues, then you’re turning in your home for Repair unless you can repair it yourself. And RV repairs aren’t quick, so then you’re looking at motels and such like that while your RV is being repaired. Do you want to trust that to an old diesel or an old gas engine?

[Alpine36]

Why limit your search to the 90’s-early 2000s?
There’s plenty of clean, low mileage gas class As for sale from the mid 2000s and later….
No, the V10 isn’t your only choice. Many had GM Workhorse platforms with the 8.1 gas. IMHO, a better platform than the early Ford V10s. Either will do you well.
Now, an older diesel? How handy are you? If your on a low budget start with a later model gas rig. Just my .02c

[rcroberts22]

Originally Posted by HarryStone

How handy are you at Repair‘s? How much do you know about diesel engines? you’re buying your next home. If it has issues, then you’re turning in your home for Repair unless you can repair it yourself. And RV repairs aren’t quick, so then you’re looking at motels and such like that while your RV is being repaired. Do you want to trust that to an old diesel or an old gas engine?

I'm pretty handy. I've gotten greasy on diesels but no real experience. I've rebuilt dozens of gas engines, cars, motorcycles, boats.
What I don't know is, if I'm stuck on the hi way for hours or days because of road closure, accident or blizzard or whatever, do I want a diesel sitting there idling and keeping me warm/cold or a gas? If I'm driving over the Divide, which am I going to hope I have to make it up those steep grades? Thanks for replying.

[IASM]

for a truck/motorhome or any high torque application i would always choose a diesel. It is rare for any heavy truck to be running gas. As far as reliability you will have no trouble finding a rig with low engine hours for a diesel.As far as diesel i would only be looking at cummins, detroit or cat. No chev or ford.

[wog099]

Have you considered a 5th wheel trailer? You can get a new or fairly new one on your budget probably, but if you do not have a truck to pull it you would need a truck also. This still may be a route to consider. May be less maintenance and upkeep expense.
If you are set on the motorhome experience I personally would consider going with the newest gas model I could afford, maybe a Tiffin or Newmar. But I am not a mechanic nor a good handyman.
If I were a mechanic/handyman and had a good maintenance budget I would get a diesel MH built before 2008 (pre DPF and DEF).
Lots of choices and opinions on this subject. Wish you the best in your new life venture.
Thanks,

[Rob_M]

Sounds like you’re very mechanically inclined. Diesel all the way.
A DP will usually be a better built coach all around compared to a gasser, because the DP’s are a level up from them. Cabinets will usually be solid wood vs pressed wood. Ride and handling will be much better also.

Stay away from anything with a post-emissions Navistar (International). Your only other choices in a DP are CAT and Cummins, and a few Detroit and all good.
I prefer the larger 8.3 Cummins over the 5.9 which is basically a pickup truck engine.

[followingsea]

Originally Posted by rcroberts22

I'm pretty handy. I've gotten greasy on diesels but no real experience. I've rebuilt dozens of gas engines, cars, motorcycles, boats.
......

First there is more to a MH than just the engine.

When I retired did not plan on living full time in a MH. I was working in China and did not have a car or a place to live in the US. Got an old 32' HR gasser for $9k with 40k miles. We loved it but it got totaled so we were looking for a replacement.

Since it was clear we were going to be full time, DW wanted something better. We found a 37' HR gasser we liked.

Before buying we test drove two HR diesel pushers. DW was not happy that I wanted the $5k more expensive DP with 120k miles.

We loved our newer and bigger HR. It now has almost 200k miles.

So most of the time your MH is just parked. Find one you enjoy living in.

Why did I spend more on a DP? I hate driving it much less than than the gasser. Either will get you to where you are going and either can break down.