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My Uncle owns an Rv dealership in New Mexico, and he really likes the V-10, enough so that it was what he got for his motorhome, (before he stepped up to the deisel pusher). I have the v-10 in my F350 and love it. I also have an old motorhome with a carb 460 in it and it runs great too, but the gas consumption on the carb 460 is painful... even compared to the v-10. It's up hill from Havasu to Flagstaff all the freaking way, towing the box trailer full of quads and hunting gear the the F350 got 10mpg, the motorhome running the same speed running light (for a motorhome) got 5.5 mpg. I thik any of the three yopu mentioned will do the job, but I'd lean towards the V-10 1st and a fuel injected 460 2nd.
Chuck
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Except for the diehard Chevy fans, the V10 is the prefered engine for MH chassis use. The new models are much better than the earlier years. GM even thought of coming out with a V10 but the last I heard they killed the project.
As for diesel, I am a fan, but right now the cost of diesel is too high to give any gains from higher mpg. The Class C MH chassis do not have room for intercoolers and so the diesels are not as efficient as the ones in the pickups. Some Class A models may be different, but it looks like the payback for the diesel is almost non-existent.
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Except for the diehard Chevy fans, the V10 is the prefered engine for MH chassis use. The new models are much better than the earlier years. GM even thought of coming out with a V10 but the last I heard they killed the project.
As for diesel, I am a fan, but right now the cost of diesel is too high to give any gains from higher mpg. The Class C MH chassis do not have room for intercoolers and so the diesels are not as efficient as the ones in the pickups. Some Class A models may be different, but it looks like the payback for the diesel is almost non-existent.
Are we talking Class A or Class C chassis? I don't even think Chevy is offering a Class C chassis currently, which pretty much leaves Ford as the default. I know you don't see alot of older Chevy Class C since they wouldn't put a big-block in the van bodies, so they were hampered by that.
In the Class A ranks, it seems that the market is split between Ford and Chevy in the entry levels. I wouldn't consider a new Diesel to be an entry level coach. From what I could tell from driving the different models, there is very little difference, aside from a few idocynrasis, between the make of chassis. It would be nice to see the allison transmission in the GM chassis though.
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W29,
I am not sure what you want to spend but, here is a site (http://www.rvtrader.com/onepriceprogram.php) where you can build your own DIESEL pusher. You will have to give up your contact information for a final price. The site does allow you to see the options pricing.
Good luck!
OGS
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A few years back I owned a motorhome rental business and maitained all my own units.
My experience is that all will do the job just fine....however. If you plan on having the motorhome for a few years you might want to consider a "used" diesel.... 1997-2004 class "A".
These are motorhomes that would have sold for $125k-250k... and now you can get one for half the cost by letting the original owner take the appreciation hit! I was looking at a used 1999 34' fleetwood Discovery double slide 300 cummins w/28,000 miles for $69k!! original price would be in the
125-150K range!!
Now the gas engines are fine...but I had a lot of problems with the 460's. One issue was cracked exaust manifolds when ran to hot!!! They say the Ford has more torque and a beefier chassis... the Chevy has more horsepower, I like the way the chevy 454 sounds and runs, the ford has a hard time finding gears going up hills!!
The V-10 "in a motorhome" is much better choice in my opinion....
Take a little time and try to find that diamond in the rough...there are a lot of low mile RVs out there...people buy one and only put a couple of thousand miles a year on it...it's not out of the question to find a 3-5 year old coach with less the 5000 miles on it!!! You might want to consider a slide-out...it will be much better for resale and you will REALLY appreciate the room!!!
Lastly....go and rent a few and see what floor plan makes sence for you!!
I thought the class "C" would be great for the family...but I discovered the the limited view from the front window wasn't for me and made me really appreciate the BIG windows on a class "A".
Good luck and let us know what you get!!!! :D
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My Dad has a 36' Monaco pusher and he swears by it. The problem is that I don't have the 100K+ to spend.
We used to use a '91 class "C" with the 460, which is a complete dog with our trailer attached. Coming home from Glamis, the Whitewater grade was always a challenge. Now we are looking for a class "A" with more power and a little bit of an upgrade.
I called last night on a '99 Southwind Storm with 11K miles on a V-10. Guy hasn't called me back yet. We are trying to stay in the $30K and '97 to '99 range. Good enough for as often we will/will not use it. Can't get a diesel for that money, and the extra cost for diesel rules out the feasibility in my opinion. For the savings, I'm willing to take it a little slower on the hills. I figure I'll only get home about five minutes later anyway...
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dont do it, step up for a diesel.
Amen.
In looking at the mechanics of things, nothing over about 25-27 feet should be gas powered. Bucking a headwind in one of those 29-34 footers, uphill, towing, with full fluids and gear has the gas engine at full-dyno. The heat generated is staggering. I see them burnt up all the time on the side of the road - half way up a hill. The diesel engines are designed to do this all day long.
A friend let us borrow a brand new (4000 miles) 32' with 8.1L / Allison. Towing a Malibu tourny boat, 6 adults, and required gear, we never saw higher than 3mpg to Havi and back. We tried 70 mph, 65 mph, and finally 55 mph. None mattered. It had the instant mileage read-out on the dash. That stuff is just too heavy for a "small" gas motor like that. To be efficient with that kind of weight and wind-resistance, a 3208 would be nice. Any of the latest pickup diesels would be a good starting point.
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We are trying to stay in the $30K and '97 to '99 range. Good enough for as often we will/will not use it. Can't get a diesel for that money, and the extra cost for diesel rules out the feasibility in my opinion. For the savings, I'm willing to take it a little slower on the hills. I figure I'll only get home about five minutes later anyway...
You should have no problem finding a used one in that price range. My dads is a 99 Damon 30'. He bought his 3 years ago used and he paid right around 35k for it. Good luck in your search. :)
