I know all about the big debate over gas versus diesel and that is not what I am wanting to ask about.
With fuel, all fuel, cost going up and appears to never be going back down anytime in our lifetime I was wonder which one would be best for the next 20 to 30 years.
I am thinking that possibly an alternative diesel, a bio-diesel, would be developed soon and that a diesel would be the better choice. I have read all about the current research into bio diesels made from various vegatative matters but they are also working at making it out of algae and other common and easy to produce substances.
If that is the way things turn out then diesel would be the better choice in the long run. I know that the gas engines have come a long way but I am concerned about how far in the future they will continue.
And if I angered anyone I am sorry, just throwing it out there. Give me input if you have some or want to give it. And above all keep the RV lifestyle going. America needs it.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..."
Mark Twain
First, if cost of fuel is an issue, a MH may not be something you really want to buy. Besides fuel costs, you have depreciation, insurance, and maintenance/repair costs. The depreciation and repair costs can equal the fuel costs.
I don't really think that the near future (10 years) will be much different than today in things that will affect your choice. If you plan on driving lots of miles per year, maybe a smaller diesel powered MH will be better. If a 35' MH (with slides of course) is adequate and you're not driving 10,000+ miles per year, than a gas MH may be more economical. If you have to have a 40' MH, your choice on fuel is made.
Mark
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U on a Ford chassis, 74,000 miles
2003 Ford Explorer toad with Ready Brake supplemental brakes,
Ready Brute tow bar, and Demco base plate.
The only way to economically justify the cost of a diesel is if you plan to load the RV beyond the capacity of a gas unit or drive a lot of miles.
If you are planning to drive from point A to point B, stay for a while and return to point A the cost of a diesel cannot be economically justified. If you plan to spend long periods of time traveling from place to place the cost of the diesel is justified.
I have found most do not make the fuel type decision on the economics of the two. Some just have to have the diesel preferring the added ccc, style and comfort of the ride.
At this point in my life my travels are limited to the southeast. I have found the V10 to work fine for my needs. When we arrive at out destination we do not sit around in and around the RV. The RV is a base camp where we eat and sleep between outdoor activities.
IMHO, if you are just camping once a month and only take a short trip once a year, a gasser can make more $$$ sense. The bigger coaches are usually diesel and are usually used by people making many trips a year or full-timing. I know that if we had continued full-timing we would have gotten a 38' DP.
SRT
2000 32' HR Vacationer with Banks
1998 Subaru Outback Ltd. 5 spd
Brake Buddy & Blue Ox Aventa II tow bar
FMCA #266040 HRRVC #84109
Diesel fuel more $$$
Diesel better economy
Fuel costs essentially a wash.
Diesel maintenance a bit higher
The larger the coach the more attractive diesel becomes.
Diesel are most often pushers and are extremely quiet on the road.
Most diesels will have air suspension...much better ride.
How far you travel is irrelavant to the decision. It's all about what you want.
Bluntly put, if the cost differances are a budget buster you might want to reconsider any MH.
Dick
2000 40" DP Beaver Patriot Thunder Cat C-12 425 HP, 1550 Tq
1997 Jeep GC Limited ---toad
2008 Toyota Tundra Crew Max Limited TRD (Retired)
2009 Cougar 268 RLS ~8700 lbs road wt (Retrired)
2006 Jeep Liberty Turbo Diesel.....TV in Training
If you lay out the real world numbers, given the fact that a DP is larger and weighs more than the typical gasser, then note that a class A of either Diesel or gas will get you somewhere around 8mpg, then FINALLY note that $3.95 gas vs $4.25 diesel is very close............. All this will tell you that it really doesn't matter.
Paul & Sandra
New Bedford, MA
2003 Monaco Executive M43 DS2
paulcardoza wrote: If you lay out the real world numbers, given the fact that a DP is larger and weighs more than the typical gasser, then note that a class A of either Diesel or gas will get you somewhere around 8mpg, then FINALLY note that $3.95 gas vs $4.25 diesel is very close............. All this will tell you that it really doesn't matter.
But Paul, you fail to consider the Tiffin Breeze, the Monaco Vesta, the Holiday Rambler Trip, the Winnebago Via, the Thor Serrano, the Damon Avanti. They all offer way over 10 mpg and their prices are comparable to new gas class A motorhomes.
SRT wrote: IMHO, if you are just camping once a month and only take a short trip once a year, a gasser can make more $$$ sense. The bigger coaches are usually diesel and are usually used by people making many trips a year or full-timing. I know that if we had continued full-timing we would have gotten a 38' DP.
On the other hand, the shorter the trip the less the differance between gas and diesel. If one only travels 500 miles a year you would be hard pressed to notice any differance in fuel costs. With the resale market being so dismal for any MH even the cost differances are becoming a non-issue.
Real point is, pick a price point and find the biggest and best that fits you wants (there are no needs). Go as high end as possible and enjoy the luxury.
I am looking into fulltiming but I don't plan to just travel all the time. I intend to stop and smell the roses from time to time.
My interest wasn't so much purchase costs or MPG but instead the flexibility of diesel over gas. I am thinking that a diesel engine may have more flexibility in the future than a gas engine. With a gas engine, unless you can convert to LP you are pretty much stuck with gas. And doesn't a big block require premium grade which is not to much cheaper than diesel.
Thanks for all the input so far though. Keep on living the dream!
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