Daveinet
il
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Joined: 10/29/2003
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Kbix wrote:I have read about the pros of buying a diesel Class A and now would like to hear about why folks would choose gas. I chose gas because I was able to get more power and better handling than I could with a diesel. (your situation may differ)
Dave
FMCA F298817
'83 Revcon Prince 31' FWD
502 w/Thorley's & Magnaflows,
Howell/Edelbrock MPFI, Koni FSD,
Class A built for gear heads 
My Revcon Website
Revconeers Forum
XP activation frustration
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tahiti16
Camarillo, CA
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Joined: 06/23/2008
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Polishnurse wrote: 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.
This is the one recommendation that I read a while back in one of the magazines I believe. weight and what you need to tow should guide your decision.
When we bought our Dolphin we had the opportunity to buy a DP for 6K more but when we started comparing the Dolphin was a high end gas and the diesel was an entry level. So the 6K price difference was deceiving. To get the diesel up to the Dolphins level would require 14-16K in changes. We don't drive it enough and probly won'r own it long enough to ever pay back the diesel's extra cost. The Ford F53 chassis works great on mine and I am avg a little over 8 mpg. I have run into several people in parks with 34-38' diesels that say they are getting 9.5-10 max! With diesel currently selling at $5.55 and gas at $4.51 here in So. Cal I would never make back the diesel investment in savings. We don't plan on planning anything huge the V10 pulled us up the Baker grade at 55 mph at the top and rolled to Vegas at 75mph while avg 8 mpg. Recent trip towed my Ramcharger and stayed closer to 60 and got 8.8, think I like 60 mph!
One comment that someone made earlier about a diesel being for driving, the diesel should go an easy 200K miles with major work, the modern gas should run past 100K without serious work.
So if your coach is 35 or under and you aren't towing anything to speak of why the expense of a diesel? Oh if you are in the Rockies you might want to downsize that a little to say 30 or 32 ft for deciding point.
By the way those expensive 22" tires go on gas units too, I know I have them and hope I have long happy life with the originals before I have to replace them!
Ray, Cheryl, Cory & of course Miss Molly the four-legged child
2006 Dolphin 36' F53 V10 6 speed auto 2 slides 7.5 KW genset
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ThunderingQuiet
In Your Mind
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Joined: 12/20/2007
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Daveinet wrote:Kbix wrote:I have read about the pros of buying a diesel Class A and now would like to hear about why folks would choose gas. I chose gas because I was able to get more power and better handling than I could with a diesel. (your situation may differ)
I admire what you have done with your motor home. Your are a very talented person.
But I think you gas motor home is an exception to this Gas Vs Diesel thing. But a very good exception!
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ThunderingQuiet
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tahiti16 wrote:With diesel currently selling at $5.55 and gas at $4.51 here in So. Cal
Where in CA are you paying $5.55? I just checked FlyingJ for their diesel prices and nothing over $4.86. Even high priced Pilot Travel centers in CA are not over $5.00. Even T/A centers (another high priced truck stop) are at $4.95 in Ontario.
Is that some local Standard station? Prices are nowhere near that once you leave the LA area. Just fill up before you get home...
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Birddogman
Pennsylvania
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Joined: 08/02/2005
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We bought our 32’ gasser because the floor plan, size and equipment suited us perfectly for what we intended to do pre-retirement. It had all of 4,000 miles on it. We spend perhaps 2-3 months/year “living” in the moho. It is not our home – it is our wings allowing my handicapped wife to visit our kids and their families and to travel; it is our mobile upland hunting lodge; it is our vacation home, etc. I’d rather have my money in my home.
Even though it is a top of the line gasser, it cost way less than a DP, which is a good thing for a rapidly depreciating item that sits most of the time. We could easily afford this coach and we paid cash – buying a diesel would have involved borrowing or liquidating some investments. Maintenance is relatively easy on the Ford V10, too.
My only real complaints are that the ride is rough and loud; and it can’t tow my full-sized crew-cab pick-up, so we had to acquire a Jeep which serves exclusively as a toad. I’d prefer not to own the extra vehicle – I have a truck and a fast two-seater- all I need.
We have been rather surprised to discover that even on extended trips, we were not uncomfortable or anxious to get out of the moho and back home. It certainly isn’t as fancy as the typical luxury DP, but with the upgrades we’ve done to it, it has everything we need – no more than we need and no less – just right. Even if we do retire one day (I will probably never fully retire), we may well keep this moho and deal with the fact that the ride is a bit loud and bumpy rather than liquidate a couple hundred thousand of investments and pour that cash into a quickly depreciating machine. We’ll see.
2008 Winnebago Journey 39z DP
2004 Jeep Liberty toad
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ThunderingQuiet
In Your Mind
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Birddogman wrote:Even if we do retire one day (I will probably never fully retire), we may well keep this moho and deal with the fact that the ride is a bit loud and bumpy rather than liquidate a couple hundred thousand of investments and pour that cash into a quickly depreciating machine. We’ll see.
You really don't need a couple of hundred thousand to get into a nice DP. Maybe half of that for a good used DP...
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LVJ58
Las Vegas, Nevada
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Joined: 02/26/2001
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Birddogman wrote:My only real complaints are that the ride is rough and loud;
Can't help you with a loud ride, but a set of Koni FSD shocks all the way around will sure smooth out the ride. Speaking from experience, we also have an F53 chassis.
Jim & Sherry Seward, FMCA #F342207
2000 Residency 3790 V-10 w/tags
2003 Suzuki XL/7 Towd
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tpharleyguy
So. Calif.
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Joined: 12/28/2006
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It is what I could afford.
2006 LaPalma
V-10/5 speed
Luv'n it
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tahiti16
Camarillo, CA
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Joined: 06/23/2008
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ThunderingQuiet wrote:tahiti16 wrote:With diesel currently selling at $5.55 and gas at $4.51 here in So. Cal
Where in CA are you paying $5.55? I just checked FlyingJ for their diesel prices and nothing over $4.86. Even high priced Pilot Travel centers in CA are not over $5.00. Even T/A centers (another high priced truck stop) are at $4.95 in Ontario.
Is that some local Standard station? Prices are nowhere near that once you leave the LA area. Just fill up before you get home...
Just checked numbers since you questioned and surprise actually dropped a little in the last few days, diesel is now "only" $4.99 to 5.39 a gal around me. Regular gas also dropped to "only" $4.43-4.59 a gal.I am along the 101 about 65 miles north of LA. The Fly J at Frasier Park actually is usually one of the better prices around. When going to the lake near Taft we leave the boat empty and don't top off the MH until we get there. That said it is over 80 miles away!
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ThunderingQuiet
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tahiti16 wrote:That said it is over 80 miles away!
I live in the Atlanta area. Diesel fuel prices at the local national brands are typically .50+ cents higher than the truck stops along I75. My last fill at the FlyingJ at exit 201 is 72 miles from my house.
I'm not going to pay the extra .50+ cents a gallon locally when I can on the road for a lot less.
For whatever reason the local gas stations REALLY value their diesel. Just another way we consumers get ripped off daily for 'the convenience factor'.
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