Comments on RV Tech Tips with Mark Polk: What's best, gas or diesel engine?

How to weight in on this. I have and old 1980 pace...

2010-03-24T00:09:11.608-07:00

How to weight in on this. I have and old 1980 pace arrow 454 gas, with 77 k miles. when i slow it down i get 8 to 9 mpg. including with my toad on a dolly a honda accord. My former occupation was a gm partsmanager. and dollars and sense gas is the only way to go unless you need over 300 hp. BTW when i go west i go over the rockies on i 70 most of way up i am in high gear, but to be honest i would love to have a 5 or 6 speed automatic trans instead of a 3 speed pete c

Diesel engine initial cost somewhat mitigated by e...

2010-03-16T20:56:29.083-07:00

Diesel engine initial cost somewhat mitigated by eventual resale. You eventually only pay the difference in depreciation.

This article is ultimately disappointing, ignoring the real reason people need a diesel engine - the weight of the RV. Fortunately, commenters explained.

Here's something to consider - difficulty refu...

2010-03-15T09:35:50.053-07:00

Here's something to consider - difficulty refueling gas RV. I've a 37 ft class A w/ a tow dolly for my car. I've "knicked" my RV pulling in and out of gas stations twice because except for stations with RV gas lanes (some Flting Js & Pilots) there's not much room for turning.

Economics are a weighty factor to the decision of ...

2010-03-14T21:03:27.225-07:00

Economics are a weighty factor to the decision of gas vs diesel. However... The "feeling" that the gasser is overworked going up hill is excessively exhausting. It was time, so I replaced my gasser with a diesel (newer duramax) and the "comfort" is overwhelming. Newer diesels are much quieter and do better on the "drive-through" test. My s**t don't... um, the ultra low sulfer and DPFs have dramatically decreased the offensive odors traditionally associated with diesels. During hook up, it smells more like a propane fork lift. Progress is good. There will soon be a "propane-enriched" diesel fuel that improves performance and mileage.

I have a Chevy Duramax diesel pickup truck that I ...

2010-03-13T07:50:55.289-08:00

I have a Chevy Duramax diesel pickup truck that I use to tow our 28' travel trailer. Both Ford and Dodge market similar trucks. Here are a few observations:
-It costs $72.00 for an oil change due to the 3 gallons of oil and expensive filter it needs.
-ONE tankful of contaminated fuel cost us $6500.00 to replace the fuel injectors. The only advice anyone is able to give us is to only buy fuel from a trustworthy refueling station. How do you do that when travelling?
-Fuel filters cost $40.00 and need to be replaced every 5000 miles. I do that but it didn't help me much.
-At fast food drive thrus I have to shut the engine off because they cannot hear me over the engine noise - and the Duramax is the quietest of the lot.
-All of that being said, there is nothing that will beat the pulling power of these rugged diesels. Mine produces 650 ft lb of torque as opposed to the sub 400 ft lb of the largest gas engine.
-I reasonably expect to get 250,000 to 300,000 miles on this engine.

I have owned both--currently a Workhorse W24. I t...

2008-12-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

I have owned both--currently a Workhorse W24. I think weight/length determine if you REQUIRE a diesel because of it's extra power--Torque. Under that weight, i think a gasser is better. In the 36/37' range a gasser is ok, above that a diesel is preferred.

Diesel engines generally have more torque, and hor...

2008-12-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

Diesel engines generally have more torque, and horsepower, so they get up hills easier and can handle heavier loads. They are more expensive to maintain and fuel will continue to be more expensive than gasoline because they can get about twice as many gallons of gas out of a barrel of oil than they can diesel. So, if money is a big consideration, go with gas, otherwise diesel is best.