Diesel, gas, front or pusher

[krumkake]

OK, i'm new here so forgive me if this is in the wrong board.? Can anyone enlighten me on the advantages of diesel over gas, pusher over front engine?? Currently we drive a 2004 Lexington 27' V-10 Class C.? It's great, but I wish there was less engine noise.? As Cat Stevens noted before he went over the edge, "it's got to be the going not the getting there that's great".? ?Any thoughts will be appreciated.? No plans soon, but we're looking at Gulf Stream's SunVoyager...

Scott

 

[Tom]

Scott,

A few generalizations .....

Diesel pushers are available with much higher HP/torque than gas powered models. So you'll see virtually all the larger/heavier motorhomes have diesel engines. There's nowt wrong with a motorhome powered by an appropriate gas engine and might even be preferred to an "underpowered" diesel unit, but the noise factor will be more of an issue because they're typically mounted up front. A diesel engine will cost more than a gas engine.

 

[Jim Dick]

Hi Scott,

Diesel pushers are quieter than gas or front end diesels. They have more power to climb mountains and, until the advent of the newer gas models, had the payload needed for full timers. Now the gas chassis can handle a larger payload but they are still noisy compared to a DP. Recently the cost of fuel has put diesels at a disadvantage. I was quite surprised the other day when I saw a gas station with diesel priced lower than regular gas!!!!

 

[Shayne]

Also the initial cost is a big disdavantage, possibly 30K $.  You can buy a lot of gas for that

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'd say if you are going over about 22,000 lb GVWR, get a diesel.  They now have gas rigs rated up to 25,500 lbs and they "go" just fine, but the fuel mileage penalty begins to get steep, in the 6-7 mpg range. For a heavy rig, you can't beat a big diesel. You get better performance and better fuel economy too, probably in the 8-10 mpg range.  That offsets the generally higher price of diesel fuel and even offsets the additional up front cost somewhat, though not enough to make it pay back.

A rear engine (pusher) is quieter for the driver & passengers - no two ways about it. And most people prefer to have the "engine hump" or doghouse in the very back of the coach rather than between the front seats where you walk all the time. And some diesel pushers have a flat floor all the way back.

 

[Jim Dick]

Gary,

Some of the diesels get better mileage but not all. My Cummins 350 is averaging around 7.5 but does go higher at times. Of course it only has about 72,000 miles on it. My mechanical 350 got better mileage than the electronic 350. I was told this is normal but who knows.

 

[Ernie Ekberg]

If you are not ready to take the plunge into a rear diesel, check out JC Whitney's mylar faced foam insulation. We redo a lot of coaches for flooring and the biggest thing that folks overlook is that the dog house is not very well insulated. Not only does that knock the sound down but it deflects the heat, too. Ernie Ekberg, driving a Wanderlodge