Best Value for a Class A Diesel under $60K?

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Jim Dick said:
Congratulations on the new coach. Sounds like a winner.

We now have an electronic 350 Cummins that averages around 7.5mpg. My mechanical 325 Cummins averaged 8.5!

Our American Eagle with the same engine gets over 8 MPG and we all towing the GC which is heaver than your toad.  I wonder if the difference is the programing is different between the newer Cumins 350 and ours that is over a year older.  I wonder what Phil is getting.
 
All this advice being given and no one seamed to take into consideration that the gent is going to be towing  and a entry level unit like Damon, Gulfstream, Bounder, and Southwind sure aren't going to get it with a 275HP  He'll be lucky to get over hills traveling around with the Race car. He needs no less than a  300 HP  So he would need a little better vehicle with more power.  At least that's what I would want.  Even some better class gassers with a Banks Pack would work better than a 275HP. That's my way of thinking even if others disagree.  A good 98, 99 Pace Arrow or Dolphin with a Banks.  Go for it.
 
Ron said:
Our American Eagle with the same engine gets over 8 MPG and we all towing the GC which is heaver than your toad.  I wonder if the difference is the programing is different between the newer Cumins 350 and ours that is over a year older.  I wonder what Phil is getting.

Ron,

The new Cummins PowerSpec software has a slightly different way to specify the max power and/or max economy setting.  The old software had an on road/off road setting but the new software has 5 choices between max economy and max performance.  Running at the max economy setting has reduced my fuel consumption.  The cruise control does not keep the speed as constant but it's not bad.  Cummins says that setting your lower and upper droop to 3 mph will save fuel and I found out that it really does make a difference.

I probably drive a little slower than Sam and my MH only weighs 27000 lbs but I have no problem getting 9 mpg unless I have a head wind.  Prior to changing my engine to max economy I had it set for on and off highway.  My average under that setting was 8.7 mpg for all of 2004.

In 2003 my average speed was higher and my mileage was only 8.5.

Phil
 
Albslb2 said:
All this advice being given and no one seamed to take into consideration that the gent is going to be towing  and a entry level unit like Damon, Gulfstream, Bounder, and Southwind sure aren't going to get it with a 275HP  He'll be lucky to get over hills traveling around with the Race car.

I disagree. We had a 1998 Damon UltraSport DP, 36+' long and towed our race car/daily driver behind on an open trailer, well over 4k#s with 8 tires on the carrier. The engine was a CAT 3126 275hp, 800#/' torque. I climbed many mountains with that setup and always made the crest in a respectful time, not the fastest but not the slowest. It took proper manipulation of the cruise control and  gear shift buttons.
 
Bernie  With all do respect  Sometimes a unit comes out  for the better, but what I was referring to was the mass in general, the prognosis isn't that great on the units I mentioned.  Glad you got a good one.  Heck there are problems with any line of RV  just more so on entry levels in general.  After all they are the lesser expensive for a reason.  Wheather it be the training line for new employees or experiment, or lesser grade of materials.    There is a reason some way or another, cause they all have the same basic equipment. So figure it out, the cuts have to come somewhere. Each grade up you go the quality it normally better. Same as Chevy to Buick or Ford to Mercury. More insulation, better fabric and etc.  It's same difference when I by an auto, Have been a sales mgr in both auto and RV sales, I'd rather by a 2 yr old Lincoln than a new Ford.  better quality throughout and much more comfortable.  But everyone has to make up his or her own mind as to what they like and dislike and can afford.  I was mirely giving my opinion, and a view that is based on a sales point of view.  Should yours differ I can respect that too, just because we differ doesn't stop us from voiceing our opinions.
 
Thanks Phil.? I will want to talk to you about this when I see you again.  Looks like we were pretty much the same before you changed the setting.
 
Albslb2 said:
But everyone has to make up his or her own mind as to what they like and dislike and can afford.  I was mirely giving my opinion, and a view that is based on a sales point of view.  Should yours differ I can respect that too, just because we differ doesn't stop us from voiceing our opinions.

I still have to disagree. Your statement specifically mentioned a Damon with 275 hp not going to get it. My Damon was equiped the same as all other Damon DPs in 1998 and 1999. I would expect any of them to get it. My statements weren't opinions, they were facts. I really wouldn't brag about your view based on a sales point of view. There is a very definitive attitude about salesmens' opinions ;D ;D ;D
 
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