Diesel vs Gas

[Dakota1]

Hi ... Diesel vs Gas ?? Besides better gas mileage and being quieter in the front while driving are there any other advantages to a diesel pusher ?

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

More torque with a diesel
Diesel pusher also allows the generator to be put up front away from the bedroom in the rear.
Generator can run on the same diesel fuel tank.
Can have Oasis or AquaHot heating, using the same diesel fuel tank.

 

[FloridaSon]

More CCC I believe and towing capacity due to more hp and torque and chassis/braking etc.

Distance to empty and tank size greater if that matters.

 

[Ventana]

Engine braking. Don't leave home without it.

 

[Dakota1]

More torque with a diesel
Diesel pusher also allows the generator to be put up front away from the bedroom in the rear.
Generator can run on the same diesel fuel tank.
Can have Oasis or AquaHot heating, using the same diesel fuel tank.

Is there more maintenance with one or the other ?
Comparing MPG cost wise, what's the approx percentage more of ? Not based on todays world but based on a more stable world.

 

[Buc]

I’ve been told by several mechanics that if you don’t run Diesel engines at least a hundred miles at a time at least once a week, the engine starts having issues.

 

[Ventana]

You're going to hear a lot of myths about Diesel engines on forums. Best to stick with the opinions of those who own diesel RVs.

As to maintenance, I change the oil on my Diesel pusher once a year. I take it to a truck service shop where the cost is $300 for an oil change on RV's be they gas or diesel.

I do generator service as needed which works out to about every other year. Cost, $200.

And that's about it for maintenance.

Something else to think about is service.

My #1 issue when I was buying an RV was where can it be serviced. Almost any truck place will service a Cummins engine on a Freightliner chassis.

 

[Buc]

I don’t know about rumors. Our au pair worked as a mechanic in Switzerland for five years before coming here for a year. More than half of the vehicles she worked on were diesel.

 

[sanda]

I don’t know about rumors. Our au pair worked as a mechanic in Switzerland for five years before coming here for a year. More than half of the vehicles she worked on were diesel.

Could be that in the foreign countries I have visited they have far more diesels than gas vehicles.

 

[Fish]

I’ve been told by several mechanics that if you don’t run Diesel engines at least a hundred miles at a time at least once a week, the engine starts having issues.

That's nonsense.

 

[High Desert]

FWIW - I tried my 2019 Tiffin gasser for a Tiffin 2017 Red with the ISB 6.7 engine. Comparing costs for service between the two, very little difference for normal service. But, if something in the engine goes south, bit if a different story. Best to stay on top of maintenance schedule. Having had the DP, would never go back.

 

[GypsyR]

We do long weekends with our gasser. We can pull a toad but normally don't need or want to. I am familiar with the dated Ford drivetrain and can maintain/repair ALL of it myself. (Rebuilt the transmission last year.) Gas is hovering almost a dollar cheaper a gallon than diesel and pulling a toad with out 38 footer I have measured up to 9 mpg. Compare miles per dollar and that's not far off a diesel. It's noisy pulling hills and mountains for sure, but cruising flatlands it's as quiet as our cars.

Now were I moving into an RV and planning to cross country back and forth towing, lots of long distance stuff, I'd be shopping for a diesel pusher. I could long distance what I have but feel I would be better served by a diesel. The east coast mountains are no comparison to the western ones.

If they put turbos on some gassers like they ALWAYS do on diesels the performance gap between them would be a LOT narrower.

 

[Gizmo]

I’ve been told by several mechanics that if you don’t run Diesel engines at least a hundred miles at a time at least once a week, the engine starts having issues.

I woiuld guess that 99.99 percent of diesel motorhomes don't travel 100 miles per week so you would be hearing of lots of engine problems with diesel motorhomes. I'm on several different diesel motorhome forums and very rare to see a post about diesel engine problems.

 

[Jireh Financial]

I’ve been told by several mechanics that if you don’t run Diesel engines at least a hundred miles at a time at least once a week, the engine starts having issues.

Wouldn't that mean that thousands of snow-birds would have "issues" every year? Most set still for a few months at a time. Most owners we know don't even run the slides in let alone unhook and take a spin every week.
Ken

 

[Gizmo]

I think diesel or gas depends on how much you want to spend and how large/heavy the motorhome is. If I was looking at Class A around 30 feet a gas coach would be acceptable but as the length and weight increase, diesel makes more sense. When I was looking I was looking for around 40 feet with a toad and being able to fuel up in the truck lanes was important for me so gas was off the table. I also drove both a diesel Discovery and gas Bounder on a very windy day on I10 outside Tucson and the way the wind affected the Bounder sold me a diesel pusher.