Same with us, we could not justify the additional up fronts costs of a DP for the amount of time and miles per year that we use it. Now after we retire, and have more free time, then we'll look at a DP, but that is years down the road for us.
We just purchased a new Rexhall on the UFC chasis, $23,000.00 more for diesel, the price of fuel, and miles driven made gas the only choice. The way Rexhall builds their motorhome I can crawl under the motorhome and stand up next to the engine. This will make maintance much easier. Love the disk brakes, on the way home a pickup drifted into the median and ended up sideways in front of us. Believe me the brakes work!
Five times, yes 5, I bought gassers because I could not afford what I truly wanted. Finally, in 2003, I had to money to buy a DP, which I still have. Yep, the money I spent, and the money it costs to have it sit in the backyard,....I couldn't take it with me anyway, might as well have what you want.
Willie & Betty Sue
Miko & Sparky
2003 41 ft Dutch Star Diesel Pusher/Spartan
Floorplan 4010
Blazer toad & Ranger bassboat
Some folk have a real misconception about Gas Vs Diesel.
Maintenance
Gas oil changes
Every 3,000 miles or 3 months
That 4 oil changes a year. A typical oil change will cost about $40
$40x4 = $160
Diesel oil change
Every 15,000 or Once a year which ever comes fist
Aprox $200
$40 more a year for oil changes on a diesel. That will break the bank.
My yearly maintenance runs about $600 that includes lubing the chassis, checking/lubing front wheel bearing, checking/filling batteries, cleaning termials, checking all electrical chassis connections, changing rear axle oil, checking/adjusting ride height, overall general inspection, changing ALL filters, both fuel filter, air dryer filter, oil filter, air filter and the oil change is included in that. I don't do my own maintenance so $400 is a bargain for me.
Now as for the price of diesel fuel
Our previous mh was on an F53 chassis with the Ford V10. Average mileage was around 7.4mpg. Our current mh is the small Cummins 5.9L and averages around 9.6 mpg. That's aprox 30 percent better mileage.
This means I would use 30 percent MORE gas to travel the same distance I now do using diesel
Look at it this way:
Since I would use 30 percent more gas
Gas at $3.93 per gallon + 30% more ($1.17) = $5.10 per gallon for Gas
Diesel
$4.53 per gallon.
Which make diesel cheaper than gas for me
5.10 - 4.53 = .57
So I have a .57 cent advantage over Gas using diesel. On our last 4,000 mile trip to Yellowstone last month, if I was using Gas as a fuel it would have cost me $170 more for the trip. So the person so mention the bought a gas mh for the trip to Alaska really did not save any money by selecting gas.
So I don't buy off on diesel fuel is more expense than gas when you compare the actual mpg of gas vs diesel. Sure, up front on the signs Gas look cheaper then diesel, but in reality it is actually more.
One of my favorites reasons for having a diesel engine is the ability to drive up a 6% grade with the engine turning about 2,000 rpm vs my V10 on the same grade at about 5,500 rpm. I don't care about how the V10 was built to live at high rpms. That is just too much stress on an engine pulling 18,000 pounds up hill. High rpm WILL affect the life of any engine.
* This post was
edited 06/24/08 12:05pm by ThunderingQuiet *
For me it was the recommendation of a retired RV salesmen, I'm glad I took his advice. Diesel's are a power machine, costing approximately 6 grand over a gasser, as he put it, that's a lot of gas. With the Ford V-10 power is no longer an argument for the small to medium sized coach. But the main point was the repair, which he made two points. The first being how far do you have have to go to to find someone to work on a gas engine, then try and find a garage to work on the diesel. The second point,gas mechanics are half the price of a diesel mechanic. Just taking the radiator out of a diesel can cost $2,000 or more if it has to be removed.
Diesels do have there place don't get me wrong. If your coach is 38 feet, and you have ceramic tile floors, washers and driers, glass dividing walls, then you should consider a diesel a must. But for a trip for a few months a year. I'll keep my gasser. I don't plan on driving the same MH over a million miles. And save the $$$$ on the tire changes and general repairs.
I think its all about the right engine for the right application. There is a reason you don't see many 30 foot DP's, it just doesn't make sense. The smaller class A's run just fine on the gas engines and the cost is much cheaper. It also tend to cater to people who aren't complete full timers and who do a minimum of driving, and a minimum of weight. The DP's tend to be the people who do alot of driving and carry there entire life with them as they usually full time and need the extra power for the weight they are pushing.
Having just read ThunderingQuiet's post, I see where he unbiased and looks at things objectively, 3,000 mile or three month oil changes of a F-53 are far exceeding the manufactures Oil changes of 5,000 mile.
I do my full service once year at a cost with oil change $135.00.
I get 9.5 MPG with out the toad and 9. MPH with toad.
Like I said in my previous post, it's all in relation to the weight of the MH. If you want a large MH then go with the diesel. If you below 34' than gas is properly more efferent.
Ask Thunder what he pays for tires (6) or more on a tag, 22 inch.
We bought our present gas coach because both the wife and I were impressed with the interior and very livable floor plan.
We were more concerned about our personal comfort as we would be living in it while away from home.
Another influence on our decision to buy our coach, was the many features that came as standard equipment, that were offered as options on other brands.
It also had some features we didn't see in other coaches, including some diesel powered coaches we toured.
I really didn't give too much consideration to the motive power as when we took it for a test drive it appeared to have adequate power to get us most anywhere we wanted to go.
After 8 years and 58,000 miles we're still very pleased with our choice and enjoy he living comfort it affords us.
Polishnurse wrote: Having just read ThunderingQuiet's post, I see where he unbiased and looks at things objectively, 3,000 mile or three month oil changes of a F-53 are far exceeding the manufactures Oil changes of 5,000 mile.
I do my full service once year at a cost with oil change $135.00.
I get 9.5 MPG with out the toad and 9. MPH with toad.
Like I said in my previous post, it's all in relation to the weight of the MH. If you want a large MH then go with the diesel. If you below 34' than gas is properly more efferent.
Ask Thunder what he pays for tires (6) or more on a tag, 22 inch.
$2600 for 6 Goodyear G670's 275/70R22.5
22.5 are no longer limited to diesel chassis. A lot of the Workhorse chassis now offer 22.5 - mute point.
I don't do my own chassis maintenance because I physically can't at this point in life. So regardless of gas or diesel I have to pay for my yearly maintenance.
So far we have just under 50,000 miles on our diesel. The only thing done to this mh is just the yearly maintenance nothing else.
The V10 we had was in that time frame when they were famous for blowing out spark plugs, exhaust bolts cracking/pulling out of the heads, manifolds warping and the Ford 4sp was not exactly know for it's strength either.
We are not fulltimers and I don't buy into 'Diesels are meant to be driven and if you don't you'll be in trouble'. That statement applies to ALL internal combustion engines - not just diesel.
I changed the oil on the V10 every 3000 miles because that engine worked way to hard and I was not comfortable pushing it to 5000 miles.
Besides oil is cheap compared to replacing an engine.
We purchased diesel because we personally experienced the gas limitations and we no longer wanted to deal with those limitations.
Mileage driven a year has nothing to do with purchasing gas or diesel. You buy what you can afford and like. It's that simple.
My original part of my post was that people dismiss diesel because it is 'perceived' that gas fuel is cheaper the diesel fuel. But without taking mpg into consideration you are not making a fair comparison.
Another way to look at it. We drive about 12,000 miles a year
Our Gas V10 mh - 7.4 mpg
12,000 / 7.4 = 1621 gallons @ 3.93 a gallon = $6370
So I am saving $780 per year using diesel. So my maintenance cost a little bit more. The saving is fuel more than makes up for what little I spend on maintenance.
Never say Never, but I don't ever see us returning to a gas mh. Been there, done that and don't want to do it again.
One more thing. You are claiming 9.5 mpg. That seems a little on the high side. Are you sure your odometer is correct? We never saw anything over 8.2 with our V10.
* This post was
last
edited 06/24/08 11:59am by ThunderingQuiet *
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same as most above.cost of fuel,cost of maintenance,noise not bad for driver but bad for rest of campground residents if you start a nd leave real early in am when everyone else is still sleeping.had deisel,wont have again,also tghe extra $40,000 ffor cost of deisel pusher, puts a lot morfe inside gasser,,like goodies,,,,
Me and my Wife Connie .Puppies,Candie,Beauregard,mollie. 2006 itaska suncruiser 38 gasser.we used to own a campground in Nebraska City. In January we go to Tulsa Okla for the Chili Bowl races. From there we go south for about a month or so.
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