Community Forums

danrn · 07-17-2022, 04:36 PM

I'm sure this topic has been asked, but couldn't find it. So one more time.
In my passed I have owned three gas class A's. On my last one I installed everything I could find to make driving it better, but it still was not that great. I understand that gasser's are light compared to a DP and the wheel base is shorter which contributes to it being blown around.
I presently have a 1 ton diesel dually towing a 42 ft Redwood 5th wheel. And I have to say it is awesome and easy to drive even in high winds. But my wife and I miss some of the convenances with a class A. So we are considering going back to a class A, but a DP this time. I have never owned a DP, or even driven one. I will be driving a few soon, but taking a short drive often doesn't allow one to fully see/experience the good and bad. So I would like to ask a few questions. The most important question I have is how well a DP drives on windy days or when semi's pass. I assume a tag axle DP would do better, but the ones I am looking at are mostly single rear axle. The one I am liking right now is the Winnebago Journey 40U. Is the air ride a great thing? How well does the air ride smooth out bumpy roads? Is a 380HP enough power to tow a half ton PU through the mountains? Is the maintenance on a DP similar to that of a 1 ton diesel dually? Is it bad for a DP to sit for 4-6 months (during winter)? This one concerns me a little. I'm old school and believe engines and tranny's need to be run regularly. Any other recommendations or concerns are appreciated.
Thanks,
Dan

petewolff · 07-17-2022, 05:00 PM

We went from a gas class A on a Ford F53 chassis to a 39’ Fleetwood on a Freightliner chassis . 340hp 700lbft of torque with air suspension and air brakes.
The difference between the two is beyond comparison with the diesel having far superior handling and a much better ride .
Problem is that package comes with an Allison 2500 series transmission which is a great unit but in our rv it is pretty much maxed out in terms of how much weight it can handle . The result in there is not much left for towing .
We tow a Chevrolet Spark which at 2300 lbs keeps us under our max load.
The power is good and we have towed some 7% grades , it’s gets the job done but more power would do better.
Maintenance isn’t horrible probably similar to your dually .
Ours lives in a garage but it get driven once a month when we are not traveling .

TexasTom · 07-17-2022, 05:17 PM

We went from a 37' Newmar gas coach to a 42' Fleetwood. No comparison in ride, comfort and noise. Best decision ever!

ArtJoyce · 07-17-2022, 05:20 PM

Our FL dp 36 foot mh has the allison 3600 transmission. It has a much better ride than a gas. Costs are higher for maintance. I would expect to 4 times the cost.

Country Road · 07-17-2022, 06:14 PM

Our DP is everything I expected but keep your expectations modest because they’ll all have shortcomings.

Country Road · 07-17-2022, 06:19 PM

I might add we enjoy ours.

K Charles · 07-17-2022, 06:34 PM

Most DP's may be better then most gas MH's but there may be some not so good DP's that are not as good as a really good gas job. When looking for a used MH I drove two real junky diesels.

**NLOVNIT** · 07-17-2022, 06:41 PM

I've had both a 37ft gas & a 41ft diesel. The gasser couldn't hold a candle to the handling/ride of the diesel. IMO, nothing you can do, will make a gas coach equal to a diesel in that.

Each will have their pros & cons that I won't go into here as it's like comparing apples to oranges.

As for storage, our members are in 2 camps: 1. Park it/Do nothing. 2. Start/Run it or take it out every month. Take your pick. AFAIC, it's whatever you wanna do.

pameridan04 · 07-17-2022, 06:52 PM

Hi Dan: There are just some features that a gas coach will never be equal to a diesel. 1 Towing capacity, you are maxed out at 5K with a gas coach, 10K for a Diesel. 2. Quietness of the ride. I don't care how you insulate a dog house, your will always be louder.3. Ride quality, you have experienced doing all the fixes to make a gas ride better, unless you go with something like Liquid Springs the ride will be inferior. By the way LQ's front & rear run about $25K. Might as buy a diesel. 4. Air Brakes, there is just no comparison. 5. Exhaust break for hills.

I am on my 3rd DP. Had an Itasca Meridian DP for 5 years. Sold that and bought a brand new 2019 Tiffin Open Road 32SA gasser. Great coach, but was no DP. Sold it and now have a Tiffin Red 33 AA, 360 HP DP.

just my opinion, I would look at Tiffin & Newmar first, then maybe Winnie.

Good Luck

jaydee325 · 07-17-2022, 06:58 PM

Agree, DP night and day above a gas coach.

I'll add that if you have the budget for it, move up to a DP with a tag axle with passive steer. More cargo carrying capacity and I've found I have a much tighter turning radius because the effective wheel base (front axle to drive axle) is shorter.

RV Driver · 07-17-2022, 07:08 PM

I’ve driven both, and would never go back to a gasser.

Our current DP is a 2006 Mandalay 40E. It’s on the Freightliner XC chassis, with the 400 HP Cummins ISL. I would rather drive this coach than my car. The ride is smooth and quiet. The coach is steady in the wind, and passing vehicles don’t cause any issues. Driving it is a very relaxing, pleasant experience.

wjohnson913 · 07-17-2022, 07:10 PM

They’re a ton of great class A coaches but a diesel pusher is in a different league. The new Journeys are a wonderful coach. You won’t have a problem pulling a full size 1500 of F150. The engine in the rear is in a different zip code so conversations at normal voice is not an issue. Take a test drive and you’ll see but I will advise if you’re not willing to pay for a diesel pusher, don’t drive one

RV Vagabond · 07-17-2022, 07:15 PM

My theory is if you can afford a DP then get a DP. There is no reason not to other than cost.

Ray,IN · 07-17-2022, 07:25 PM

If going slow on steep long grades does not bother you, you'll like the Cummins 6.7 engine. Otherwise look at DP's with an L9 engine or larger.
Gas engine CL A MH's get a bad rap IMO, the very long overhang behind the rear axle causes most of the handling issues. Stick with 35' or less.
DP' do not have the same handling issues due to the weight of engine and tranny behind the real axle.

Repairs on a DP are more expensive than on a gas coach due to the much more involved air suspension, air brakes and supporting compressed air system. Then there's the diesel engine, one member had his diesel engine blow up 2X, he is out of pocket approx. $34,000 for repairs to the engine.
Just read the forums for repairs, gas coaches do not even have a chassis forum like Freightliner and Spartan. Same for engines, I've never seen an irv2.com forum for Ford gas engines.
That said; I wouldn't trade my present 2000 MH for a new gas powered MH today.