How long is too long for a gasser?

[CJBROWN]

Originally Posted by khogle2

My RV salesman had a freeway on ramp test of acceleration when giving test drives to customers, gas vs. diesel More noise, but the Ford V10 was frequently the same speed and often faster at a given spot. I'm sure there are exceptions, and I am sure not close going up steep grades. I was able to drive about three or four under these circumstances.

I pass diesels every time we're out. That's not what it's about.

Y'all are missing the whole point...if your'e gonna spend mega $$ for a RV you want a diesel. The ride and comfort is unexcelled by any gas coach. The only ones that would tell you otherwise just don't know better. Carrying capacity, tankage, ammenities, comfort - all better in a diesel coach. Hands down.

Like I say, JUST DON'T DO IT.

I'm outta here...

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by CJBROWN

I pass diesels every time we're out. That's not what it's about.

Y'all are missing the whole point...if your'e gonna spend mega $$ for a RV you want a diesel. The ride and comfort is unexcelled by any gas coach. The only ones that would tell you otherwise just don't know better. Carrying capacity, tankage, ammenities, comfort - all better in a diesel coach. Hands down.

Like I say, JUST DON'T DO IT.

I'm outta here...

Must disagree...the point is options. You can spend more, but you're not guaranteed to get more and not everyone needs or wants a DP and the measurable cost differences.

I DID IT...My W24 (8.1L & Allison 6 speed) is over 37feet long and gets 8MPG all day long towing a SUV. It has plenty of power and cost next to nothing for maint, that I can do myself. The biggest drain on the MPG is the weight of the drivers right foot

Here's one option no DP can offer...full rear end garage.

Safe travels to all

[jerichorick]

This discussion seems to be heading into a lot of .

Here are some facts:
When a diesel and load are correctly matched it pulls hills stronger, it is better for the engine to be under heavy load and it is not unusual to get 500K miles or more on one. True, most Rvers don't put that kind of milage on their rigs.

A diesel is a workhorse. A gasser is a sprinter.

There is much ta-do over the maintenance of a diesel. Personally I have not understood all of the hoopla. Filters can be a big deal but I have never had a problem with them. I use good fuel and oil and keep an eye open for signs of trouble. Gaining access to the engine can be a problem for some configurations, true. I have always bought Cummins, Allison, Freightliner setups. No regrets. Most of the maintenance I can do. I farm out the chassis greasing and radiator/coolant flush.

Spark plugs or the stuff needed to fire them are not an issue. Neither is changing them.

My new to me coach is getting about 9.6 mpg. That was just calculated on a run from GA to TX. Didn't have trouble passing gassers and truckers on the hills.

The down side of a diesel is the cost of repair. How many of us DP owners end up in the shop because of the engine failing in our first 50K of driving? 100k? What of the gassers?

While I am taking the survey, what is the problem rate of each engine manufacturer?

I like my DP. I can have a diesel genset that I know it is reliable. What do they use in a gasser? Propane fired?

If you are a summer weekender I don't see the need for the expense. But as a full timing RVer I can't see a gasser. Hulling the Cascades or Rockies with my Cummins is not even a thought. I just do it and with confidence in the power.

The final choice is yours. Don't buy an coach because of how it handles good on the road. Your first consideration must be livability. For example, my '05 Vectra with the upgraded chassis was a real powerhouse and fun to drive. But the living space was not suited for our fulltiming lifestyle. When Winnebago developed this floor plan that we now have we both knew we would have to own it some day if we were going to continue volunteering on the road. That day came in May and we have no regrets.

Happy trails,
Rick

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by jerichorick

This discussion seems to be heading into a lot of .

Here are some facts:

A diesel is a workhorse. A gasser is a sprinter.

Happy trails,
Rick

Hey - Wait a minute...

My gasser is a Workhorse.


And the Sprinter is a Diesel


I couldn't resist

[RayAndLin]

Funny!

[DGBPokes]

Originally Posted by Steve N Sal

We have a 04 Newmar Mountain Aire (38') on the W22 Workhorse chassis 8.1 (340 hp) and Allison Transmission towing a 3400lb toad. It has more then enough power for our setup, is a dream to drive and very comfortable.

I have the same 04 Newmar Kountry Star (38') W22 Workhorse and toad is 3,200. Works great, some lug down on Interstate mountains on the east coast. In Colorado on state highway at 7,000 feet elevation slowed to about 10 mph. I am very pleased with it.

I also agree with the formula should be weight and horsepower. Nothing to do with I length. Workhorse 8.1 has 340 hp....my rig weight is 22,000 lbs and toad is 3,200 lbs.

So 25,200/340= 73.5 lbs per horse.

The mountain issue is due to torque only 425.

Summary.....pretty good rig, Gets about 8.00 mpg, gets us where we want to go, at a reasonable price. And mountain passes only happen occasionally. We can live with that.

[joeplazek]

You really cant compare diesel power to gas power. Diesel has torque. Gas has horsepower. You want and need the torque for the hills. If hills are not a problem for you then the gasser will be easier to maintain and repair.

BUT I want my CUMMINS!!

joe

[CJBROWN]

I guess I have to unsubscribe to this cuz I'm still getting the posts...so I'll throw out few more opinions/tidbits of info since that's what OP was asking for.

OP was asking what's too big of a gas coach - IMO anything over 34' is too big. If you want to hear a freaking loud fan clutch with a motor screaming up all the hills - right between you and the wife - get a new gas coach. By all means.

What keeps getting ignored here is that it isn't just the diesel motor, it's the ride quality. The air-ride suspension of a diesel coach along with the extra weight is night and day difference in ride from a gas coach. I've heard this said but 'till you experience it it's hard to understand. Coupled with the engine in the back the ride quality of a diesel is simply much superior. A gas coach bangs on every big bump - a diesel chassis just floats on air.

There's just no getting around this fact. If you want the best ride you have to go diesel. This is coming from a 3-tim gas-coach owner - I've had a 78, 98, and 05 and driven plenty of others as well as a handful of diesels.

A lot of people harp about floor plans - gas coaches don't corner the market on floor plans. Just find one that suits. IMO people get too hung up on floor plans - they all work, some just work better than others for different owners. So there's plenty to choose from.

I have never heard of a Journey or Tour owner going back to a Adventure Sunrise, or Sunova. Just doesn't happen. Again, for the OP, go drive a Adventure, then a Journey, Vector, or Tour. I think this conversation would then change...to 'which DP do we want'.

A longer coach is not better for getting into various RV parks around the country either. If you can find a 36 footer that suits you'll find it easier to get into spots than the bigger ones. My sis traded a 40' tour for a 43. They are very limited to where they can get in - this eliminates a lot of routes and stops for them - they just can't fit. I love my 31-footer for this reason. But we give up a lot of extra space, the trade-off is maneuverability and performance.

There are plenty of nice used DP's on the market, there's no reason to get stuck with a gas powered one, not in today's market.

The V10 was never a better motor than the 8.1 but that's all you can get now. I had one of those too, they are not panacea. The Ford trans was never better than the Allison either.

I've been around this RV'ing thing for about 30 years now, OP seems like a newbie who was looking for advice backed up by experience.

[JohnRR]

It all boils down to what you want for yourself not what everybody else knows is good for you.

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Hey - Wait a minute...

My gasser is a Workhorse.
Attachment 50797

And the Sprinter is a Diesel
Attachment 50798

I couldn't resist

Love it! I knew my post would get a rise. Thanks. A good laugh is always welcomed!

Rick

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by JohnRR

It all boils down to what you want for yourself not what everybody else knows is good for you.

EXACTLY

[Rockwood27]

Originally Posted by jerichorick

Love it! I knew my post would get a rise. Thanks. A good laugh is always welcomed!

Rick

Hey, wait a second minute---I have a "Sun"rise!!

Fran

[RayAndLin]

Originally Posted by CJBROWN

I've been around this RV'ing thing for about 30 years now, OP seems like a newbie who was looking for advice backed up by experience.

That I am... as well as wanting to hear all the pros and cons that are weighted by the type of use a particular mh might get as well as the choices and balances each of the responders had to make to find 'the one' for them -- regardless of what that was...

A different puzzle for each of us with many different paths to follow, don't you all think?

Lindsay

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by RayAndLin

That I am... as well as wanting to hear all the pros and cons that are weighted by the type of use a particular mh might get as well as the choices and balances each of the responders had to make to find 'the one' for them -- regardless of what that was...

A different puzzle for each of us with many different paths to follow, don't you all think?

Lindsay

Lindsay, this is going to be your adventure home. Where you go and what you do with it is still to be planned. You would be more likely to head into some rough country with poor roads with a small gasser than with the big dp. But if you are looking to summer in the north at accessible parks with day adventures just a drive away the bigger mh would be the better choice.

What do you do if you can't get out for a few days? Where do you do your adventure soiled laundry? Do you really like watching TV across the far end of the room or high above the windshield? How many are you sleeping on a regular basis? How much storage room do you need inside the coach? Are the cupboards tall enough to accommodate your needs? How big are the tanks? How much weight do you want to carry? How much basement storage do you need? Do you want to tow a car on a tow dolly or 4 wheels down? Not a choice if you have the wrong car.

I can go on and on. When we chose this Meridian we did so for the following reasons: Melissa; living space is functional, comfortable and spacious, galley is well laid out and has the residential refrigerator with lots of room and features. Over all the 'house' is very pleasing to her.

Me: Love the floor plan and Melissa sees value in it, the basement is very large and functional, the tanks are of adequate size, and best of all it is a Freightliner with a Cummins/Allison drivetrain. The genset has an auto start feature and the battery bank and inverter are each of a good size.

We would have loved the bath and a half but they were generally too long for our lifestyle. 40' is the longest unit we can use practically in this service ministry. This coach was also within our budget.

We have been in this unit since May. We are still loving it every day. The temps have dropped to the low 20's for the past few nights and we are able to stay warm without much effort. Watching TV is easy because it is at a great viewing angle and the fireplace (electric of course) adds atmosphere and and warmth to these cold evenings. The stacked laundry is great and the galley is more than Melissa thought it would be when we chose this model. Walmart camping, while on the road between locations, is so easy with this unit. We can set up in a few minutes and the battery/inverter combination delivers several hours of power, even with using the convection/microwave, before the auto start kicks in the generator to recharge the batteries. We are truly happy campers wherever we are.

So, choosing wisely is the key. Know what is important, what is a nice feature and what you can absolutely do without.

Look forward hearing from you in the future as to what choices you make. Then the adventures continue as you enjoy learning about your coach (or not enjoy).

Happy trails and many blessings,
Rick

[jwoodie]

All things being equal, I would pick a diesel. But they're not: Cost, maintenance and floor plan options led us to an '05 Suncruiser 37B on a W24 chassis. Noisier and harsher ride than a diesel, but it turns into a more spacious 1BR apartment (with office!) when on site. Happy Trails!

[Easyrider]

We agree with CJBrown, right now we both work and weekends and vacations are the only time we get to RV, but after we retire we hope to full time. We know that if we do that we'll be a lot happier with a used diesel. The plan is to try it for a year with our current RV and if we decide to keep on full timing we will look for a good used diesel with a floor plan we like and will trade. But for now while we keep working a gasser makes more sense.

[JACKAL0PE]

I think it should also be pointed out that in addition to gas/diesel, we also have the variables of the type of transmission and the gearing of the coach. With the right gears, you can pull up the Rocky Mountains with 100 hp....albeit at about 3 mph.

And, as others have pointed out, it's the weight of the coach, not the length. You could have a 50' empty box and it would fly up the mountain. You could put a bank safe on a 20 footer and it would need a tractor trailer to haul it.

[RayAndLin]

My thanks to all of you who have joined this journey with us! We have spent the winter going to shows, visiting dealers, checking ads, reading more forums than you can shake a stick at...

We still haven't made the choice of gas or diesel as I think I have discovered (not new to you, I am sure) a new twist. Soooooo...

If we are going to live in a mh full time, but travel only part time, now what would you choose? I have read in multiple places that diesels need to be 'exercised' once a month or so but a gasser can be parked for a long time with little to no impact to the mechanics, engine, or transmission. What would happen if we parked a dp for a season without moving per that once a month guideline?

As before, I am interested in your experiences, fact, opinion, and opinionated facts...

My thanks,

Lindsay

[Mich F]

Seeing that you plan on being parked somewhere most of the time, I think your first priority should be finding a floor plan that will work for you. With only occasional travelling, I can't see any advantage to going with a diesel MH over a gas unit.

[Skip426]

Lindsay; In the 4 years I've owned my pusher , it sits , 3 to 5 months at a time , in my yard between trips up to 3 months and at my winter home 5.
I do have a remote starter control ; actually just to roll the engine over without starting; to circulate the oil and reposition the valves, to prevent sticking, and roll the motor over for 30 seconds once a month, when I exercise the gen set. I check with the neighbors , before using the gen set and try to do so on a windy day to clear fumes.
I have not had a repair required on the engine/trans that could be attributed to this use/ lack of use. When traveling between my S&B and my winter home , usually run 4 consecutive 8 hour driving days, to cover the 1,700 miles . Hope this helps.

X2, on Mich F's floor plan post.