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Old 01-13-2020, 08:28 AM   #1
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Diesel vs Gas

I have a 2013 Winnebago Vista and want to start towing a. Dingy. I have heard that if you want to tow a dingy especially through mountains that a gas powered V10 might not have enough power.

I would appreciate any comments on Diesel va Gas as I am considering getting a larger motor home and want to make an informed decision.

Thank you
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Old 01-13-2020, 08:49 AM   #2
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I have 2015 Vista with the same drive train and tow a Honda HR-V, weighing about 3,000 pounds. I can climb grades going thru mountain passes and maintain well over 40 MPH even on the worst of them. I do have the 5 Star 87 Octane Gasoline Engine Tune, this adds a few percent to HP and torque when climbing grades. The engine noise level in the driver's and passenger's seats is pretty high with the engine going around 4,000 RPM climbing a grade. I reduced this slightly by installing dynamat sound absorbing material on the bottom of the doghouse cover.
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Old 01-13-2020, 06:41 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by powercat_ras View Post
...I reduced this slightly by installing dynamat sound absorbing material on the bottom of the doghouse cover.
can you quantify "slightly", please? of the noise level before the mod was a 10 on a 1-10 scale what is it now? was it worth the time, effort and $? knowing what you know would you do it again?

thanks.
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Old 01-13-2020, 09:10 PM   #4
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can you quantify "slightly", please? of the noise level before the mod was a 10 on a 1-10 scale what is it now? was it worth the time, effort and $? knowing what you know would you do it again?

thanks.
Yes, I would do it again. Climbing a grade at 4,000 RPM it is a slight but noticeable reduction. I would say it cuts it from a 8 to a 7.

I used a generic version of Dynamat sold on Amazon.com: Noico 80 mil 18 sqft car Sound deadening mat, Noico 80 mil 18 sqft car Sound deadening mat, Butyl Automotive Sound Deadener, Audio Noise Insulation and dampening. Currently priced at $ 32.99. Good stuff very sticky backing it stuck well to the bottom of the doghouse and has stayed stuck over several years.
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Old 01-13-2020, 09:44 PM   #5
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thanks, Randy.
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Old 01-13-2020, 09:59 PM   #6
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The diesel vs gas question comes up frequently on all RV forums.

There is no reason not to buy a recent gas class a. Towing within your weight limits is not an issue.

There are pluses and minuses to both kinds of Motorhomes. We have a newer gas Class A and we don’t find it lacking in performance. It’s much cheaper to maintain every year and cost $60,000 less than the comparable diesel version of the floor plan. We also don’t find it too noisy, not even in the mountains.

Diesel chassis motorhomes are certainly great too. They generally have a better, quieter ride. But do in fact cost more to purchase and maintain.

It comes down to your budget and your personal preference.
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Old 01-15-2020, 03:44 PM   #7
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You won't have any problem towing with gas. I run mine out to Moab and back with the jeep on a trailer (5000 pounds combined) and have no problems. As creativepart said, it comes down to your personal preference given how you plan to use it.
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Old 01-19-2020, 04:44 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bloveall View Post
I have a 2013 Winnebago Vista and want to start towing a. Dingy. I have heard that if you want to tow a dingy especially through mountains that a gas powered V10 might not have enough power.

I would appreciate any comments on Diesel va Gas as I am considering getting a larger motor home and want to make an informed decision.

Thank you


I owned the same year and model RV and towed a 2013 Chevy Cruze everywhere. We camp in our home state Colorado. We had no issues towing with our gas RV. We now own A bigger gas 2017 Sunova 33c and tow a larger vehicle. ... no issues towing through the mountains.
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Old 01-19-2020, 06:44 PM   #9
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We have both a 14,000 lb 5th towed with a diesel RAM 3500 and Minnie on the E350 chassis. The 5th tows usually at speed limit. The MH will make it over in 3rd gear. The big difference to me is the breaking on the downhill side. The RAM beats the gasser hands down.

We're looking at replacing the E350 based Minnie with another Class C built on the E450 chassis. I hope to see some improvement on the climb at least.

Both power plants will get you there.
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Old 01-19-2020, 07:48 PM   #10
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We have a 2015 Winnebago Vista 26HE and tow a Jeep Wrangler all over
No issues with mountain passes. We live between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe and spend a lot of time in the Sierras on mountain pass type roads
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Old 01-19-2020, 07:52 PM   #11
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Long time RVer with both gas and diesel. In the smaller coaches you are best with the gas (except the Ford and Mercedes specific chassis--we have a Mercedes on a 2013 VIA and tow a Lincoln MKX thru the Western Grades.

I have towed 8,000 lbs with the Ford V10 (modified transmission and frame) It is a strong engine at 305 hp in 2000. I don't know about your transmission--that would be only an issue over 5,000 lbs. I would not hesitate to tow most available smaller cars. The newer V 10 would be at least 362 hp with more torque.

You have to go to about 34 feet to get a good diesel pusher. Some of the smaller diesels "under the hood" will also have the hp. The diesel is more expensive, and uses more expensive fuel. In the long run the gas is cheaper to buy and run. (MPG vs cost of fuel).

I tow heavy boats, thus I currently chose a diesel truck over a gas truck--but it is not only the power and torque going up hills, but the engine/transmission retarder and exhaust brake which is very helpful.
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Old 01-20-2020, 04:50 AM   #12
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Diesel vs Gas?

I’ve had my diesel pusher for 11 years. While diesel obviously has more power to me the biggest difference is pusher vs puller. I rented both before I bought and the difference is night and day. I can’t hear my engine unless we stop. Drivers area is flat with no giant hump and no heat. After 114k miles the thought of spending that time sitting on top of a V10 motor with the noise and vibration makes me cringe. I talked my sister into rv travel when she retired but they bought a new gas model. They left on a 1200 mile trip to NC. They sold it when they returned because it was loud, rode rough, and giant hump was warm. Rent before you buy!
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Old 01-20-2020, 06:15 AM   #13
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The point is well made there. I'm lucky to have bought a big pusher as my 1st RV and have not looked back
The YouTube vids of folks putting up with a screaming petrol engine and uncomfortable ride kinda made it a no brainer for me
I agree that shorter more modern 'gassers' can be a viable alternative but if I had my time again I'd be seriously looking again at a quiet comfortable luxurious ride
'Night and day' speaks volumes and you only get to walk the earth once as far as I know so choose the steak over the burger
Just sayin'.......
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Old 01-20-2020, 07:43 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bloveall View Post
I have a 2013 Winnebago Vista and want to start towing a. Dingy. I have heard that if you want to tow a dingy especially through mountains that a gas powered V10 might not have enough power.

I would appreciate any comments on Diesel va Gas as I am considering getting a larger motor home and want to make an informed decision.

Thank you
Not knowing what the dingy weighs, for any comparison of similar weights of the toad and vehicles the inherent torque benefit of a diesel is a huge consideration.
The downside is the cost premium for a diesel drivetrain and of course the added fuel costs and upkeep. Nowadays diesels carrying similar payloads do approach the mpg of corresponding gas models.
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Old 01-20-2020, 09:39 AM   #15
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Towing with Gas MH

I have a gas-powered Itasca Cambria 30C. I tow my Honda CR-V with no probs. The coach takes hills and mountains with little effort.
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Old 01-20-2020, 12:25 PM   #16
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Thumbs up Gas Motorhome

We have a 2006 Itasca Sunrise 38J with 8.1 Vortec, with an Alison 6 speed transmission with 860000 miles. We pull a 18' car trailer with a motorcycle and a Nissan Altima. I have not had any problems pulling this through the mountains. Just a example for the gas motor-homes.
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Old 01-20-2020, 10:23 PM   #17
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No problems towing mid sized 4000 lb vehicles in the mountains with my 2001 Adventurer 35U on the V10 powered F53 chassis.

I added the RV specific dog house insulation that Camping World was selling 10 years ago and you can barely hear the engine at idle now and you can hold polite conversations while on the highway. Winnebago really should have done more than just put a layer of aluminum foil on to insulate the dog house as the sound insulation makes a night and day difference when installed neatly without gaps. A sloppy job insulating the dog house will not return the same results though so some care and skill is involved if you want to see the greatest improvement.
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Old 01-21-2020, 05:54 PM   #18
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The downside is the cost premium for a diesel drivetrain and of course the added fuel costs and upkeep. Nowadays diesels carrying similar payloads do approach the mpg of corresponding gas models.
The cost of diesel relative to gasoline varies by state (and also season). In some states it's cheaper than gasoline. Also, you should get more MPG with diesel, all things being equal (which they won't be).

It's been a long time since I've been in a diesel motorhome, but for me based on pickup trucks another difference is RPMs. Going up significant hills you'll be turning roughly twice the RPMs in a gasoline engine. Yeah the engines are sort of designed for that, but it always makes me uncomfortable to be so close to redline for such a significant period of time.
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Old 02-12-2020, 09:50 PM   #19
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I am late to this conversation. Can tell you my experience in both - but they are extremes for both gas and diesel.

First rig: 2003 Itasca Sunova V10 towing. as others stated, LOUD under the doghouse when RPMs get high. Would slow pretty good in mountains but make it up. I found new coils to help that old dog pretty substantially so if it is an older model, know that coils could be old and tired. Also, the V10 is somewhat notorious for manifold leaks, also contributing to loss of power.

New rig: 2013 Winnebago Tour 42 with a 450HP Cummins. This thing makes me forget that I even have a tow vehicle if it was not for the camera. Hills, mountains, no worry. I would say that being diesel is the reason but could be that it is 450 HP and others (<40 feet) are usually the 350 HP.

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Old 02-13-2020, 07:50 AM   #20
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Nowadays diesels carrying similar payloads do approach the mpg of corresponding gas models.
I find that the diesel RV does more than "approach" the mpg of gas models. In my experience it greatly exceeds them. I know it is not quite the same but my Class A gas Winnebago Sightseer (2008) got only half the mileage my Class C diesel Winnebago Fuse gets.

Yes, I know. The C has a smaller front cross-section into the wind, but the two vehicles are both about the same weight (10,000 pounds) and were driven about the same speed (62-64 mph). The gas Sightseer gave me 8-8.5 mpg while the diesel Fuse gives me 16-19 mpg, and I attribute most of that to the diesel rather than the gas engine. Not only that, but the diesel is much peppier on hills than the gas ever was.
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