Diesel Puller vs: Diesel Pusher

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I am looking forward to hearing your report on your new puller after you take delivery. First hand reports on rigs using the FRED (front engine diesel) have been few and far between.

Question: Did you test drive one?  And then compare it to a gas puller? A diesel pusher?  Yes, diesels are much quieter than they used to be, but are they quiet in an absolute sense?  And radiator fans are just as noisy as they ever have been. Salesmen have pipe dreams and besides, they are trying to put food on the table for their kids. It is not conducive to straight talking...

In my opinion, no puller is going to be as quiet as a pusher. I drive a late model gas puller and it is indeed much quieter than our previous generation gas puller, but there is still an engine right under my feet. It's not terrible, but no way does it compare to placing the engine and radiator fans 30-40 feet behind you.

Workhorse has recently begun to offer a pusher chassis that is available as either gas or diesel, depending on the price point.

 

[macleay]

No, we didn't test drive one.  It actually was an impulsive purchase, and it remains to be seen if it was a mistake.  One thing--we weren't unhappy with our gasser with its noise and lower power, so in our minds, this can only be an improvement.  We wanted a diesel because of the longevity of the engine, and anything else we get is a benefit.  So what will make us happy wouldn't necessarily make others happy, particularly those that have and love pushers.

I agree it makes sense that the front engine has to make more noise than one located in the rear.  And you're right and I should have mentioned, we take everything any salesperson says with a grain of salt.  Two things--we bought this rig from the dealer we bought our gasser from last year, and we like and trust them, plus we will hope the warranty will help if there are problems.  Not to say that there aren't nightmare lemon rigs, but I'm keeping positive thoughts!  ;D

I'll be sure and report back when we it--you're right, there's a serious lack of information on these rigs--I've done a lot of searching SINCE our purchase  :-\ and just can't find much. 

If you hear anything in the meantime, please post the link.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

and it remains to be seen if it was a mistake.

Mistake? I doubt it, since you apparently were not expecting an improvement in noise levels.

There are a lquite a few front diesel Class C's running around, but the FRED Class A still hasn't caught on. I think most buyers who are willing to plunk down the extra $$ for a diesel are also opting for a rear engine as well. May as well have all the benefis rather than just some of them.

 

[Jeff]

Mistake? I doubt it, since you apparently were not expecting an improvement in noise levels.

There are a lquite a few front diesel Class C's running around, but the FRED Class A still hasn't caught on. I think most buyers who are willing to plunk down the extra $$ for a diesel are also opting for a rear engine as well. May as well have all the benefis rather than just some of them.

Gary:

I think a quick start for Fred may be a victim of timing. I doubt there are many manufacturers jumping to invest in a new line of vehicles in a contracting market. I listened to a presentation from the CEO of Freightliner Custom Chassis last spring who acknowleged the slow down on new orders. The judgement on Fred may be delayed until enoujgh units get into the marketplace to measure customer acceptance.

Some of the best new aircraft development I experienced were in slow markets when there was time to make sure it was right and customers demanded excellence when they did buy.

 

[Shayne]

It may well sucome to the same fate as the old Expedition, by Fleeetwood I think, back in the 80's that had the gas pusher.  They couldn't get enough air to it to make it function properly and pulled it from the market.  Some had as much as 30K miles on them but many less the 12K.  Many of the 89's have been refurished and Ford V10 installed, some with diesel, and some still have the 460 in them.  The Trannies have been changed and the rest of it completely redone.  Beautiful 32' rig with great mileage and drives like a dream.  At least the one I drove did.

 

[Ron]

I didn't know the Expedition came in anything but a diesel pusher.  Have known several owners that have indicated complete satisfaction with the Fleetwood Expedition.

 

[Shayne]

They were in 89  Here is what the guy in Arkansas has done with them
http://www.special-interest-veh.com/page_1.html
I drove the one with red scrolling and white background with blue on the bottom.  Sweetest driving for an RV I've ever been in.

 

[macleay]

Assuming there aren't design defects that will cause cooling problems, etc, there is a market for a lower-end diesel-powered motorhome.? I am not a mechanic, nor do I know much about the mechanics of a motorhome? ? so I'm going a lot on trust, which to many of you is a silly thing to do.? But we loved the floor, plan, it had a diesel engine, and was affordable for us.  ?

What I didn't do was research this before we purchased it, and although I have spent the better part of two days on the internet, I haven't yet found one other owner of one of these rigs!? So I guess I'm the guina pig, and I will report back to anybody who is interested in how this works out! 

 

[rjsimms]

I have an older diesel puller. It is a 98 Newmar Mountian Aire. As stated perviously in this thread, the main thing is the front noise. But, it is only noticable when the cooling fan kicks on, which isnt on very long on mine. We really like the floor plan, and that was the main deciding factor on us purchasing this model. Wanted the longevity of the diesel also.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I didn't know the Expedition came in anything but a diesel pusher.  Have known several owners that have indicated complete satisfaction with the Fleetwood Expedition.

Ron,
Shayne is talking about a previous model also named Expedition, back in the 1980 era.

I think a quick start for Fred may be a victim of timing. I doubt there are many manufacturers jumping to invest in a new line of vehicles in a contracting market.

Jeff,
I don't think that's it, for two reasons. (1) the FRED is intended to provide a lower entry price point for a diesel, just what is needed when the market gets soft and (2) the advantage of a FRED platform to the MH manufacturer is that the same floor plans as are used for gas pullers also work for diesel pullers. This is what helps keep the price down.