Buying a Motorhome ...questions

89wrangler

89wrangler

Not a new member
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Location
Bostic,NC
Not sure if this is the right place, if not please move.

We are selling our place at the lake and going to purchase a motorhome so we can do some extended traveling and wheeling ( Moab, rubicon, etc). I am not new to motor homes as we have had a few in the past, however I think I want a pusher. So looking to see if anyone on here has any experience with them. Would be looking for a 36-39 foot with slide/s and pulling the Jeep. A few trips a year wheelin the area, probably one long one, maybe a few to the beach. Some questions I have on diesels
1) Are they worth the extra cost, maintenance, fuel cost.
2) Is a cat engine good?
3) I assume Cummins is the best?
4) Is a 5.9 big enough? Saw a bunch of those.
5) Any makes to stay away from?
6) reasons not to get a diesel?
6) Would a V10 gasser be sufficient? Any pros or cons?
Thanks
 
89wrangler said:
Not sure if this is the right place, if not please move.

We are selling our place at the lake and going to purchase a motorhome so we can do some extended traveling and wheeling ( Moab, rubicon, etc). I am not new to motor homes as we have had a few in the past, however I think I want a pusher. So looking to see if anyone on here has any experience with them. Would be looking for a 36-39 foot with slide/s and pulling the Jeep. A few trips a year wheelin the area, probably one long one, maybe a few to the beach. Some questions I have on diesels
1) Are they worth the extra cost, maintenance, fuel cost.
2) Is a cat engine good?
3) I assume Cummins is the best?
4) Is a 5.9 big enough? Saw a bunch of those.
5) Any makes to stay away from?
6) reasons not to get a diesel?
6) Would a V10 gasser be sufficient? Any pros or cons?
Thanks
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That’s a huge can of worms right there. First, you have to have a legal residence somewhere. I remember when I bought my RV last August, that was specifically covered. Can’t just sell your home and be nomadic. Second, I went gas V10 with mine and it was all about the money. Lower purchase price, cheaper repair, cheaper gas, serviceable at any Ford lot. Third, if you do go gas, there are only a few recent years that offered the 5 speed transmission instead of the old 4 speed. Doesn’t net you any fuel economy, but the first few gears are closer and make for acceleration improvements and a tow/haul mode.
 
<sigh>
I've owned every kind of camper through the years. A class A motorhome included. Giant pita!
Buy a good tow pig and trailer, stay in 5 star motels and eat out every night and you come out cheaper.
Plus the wife will be happier!
Trust me...
 
Paul said:
<sigh>
I've owned every kind of camper through the years. A class A motorhome included. Giant pita!
Buy a good tow pig and trailer, stay in 5 star motels and eat out every night and you come out cheaper.
Plus the wife will be happier!
Trust me...
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I hear you. I have a tow pig and trailer. We have had 3 motorhomes in the past and have had no bad experiences. Wife actually likes it better as she is not just stuck in a seat the whole trip. Besides that all she has to do is ride, eat, shower and sleep. I do all the rest . Plus the grandkids will enjoy some trips as well. You are correct Paul, but I am still getting one :D
 
BigSouth said:
That’s a huge can of worms right there. First, you have to have a legal residence somewhere. I remember when I bought my RV last August, that was specifically covered. Can’t just sell your home and be nomadic. Second, I went gas V10 with mine and it was all about the money. Lower purchase price, cheaper repair, cheaper gas, serviceable at any Ford lot. Third, if you do go gas, there are only a few recent years that offered the 5 speed transmission instead of the old 4 speed. Doesn’t net you any fuel economy, but the first few gears are closer and make for acceleration improvements and a tow/haul mode.
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I should mention the place at the lake was just a summer place. We do have a home

Do you tow with yours? Is so, how does it do? I am not at all against a gasser.
 
89wrangler said:
I should mention the place at the lake was just a summer place. We do have a home

Do you tow with yours? Is so, how does it do? I am not at all against a gasser.
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Yes, I’ve towed with mine. I have a 2019 Class C that is 32.5’ long. So far I towed my 18’ Featherlite with my 2000 GMC Jimmy loaded on it. Took it up 74/26/40 through Black Mountain / Asheville area (pretty steep grade) to a place up in Tennessee. Pedal on the floor she never fell below 53 MPH. I’m extremely satisfied with what she’ll do. This summer we’re planning a trip out to the coast with my Jimmy and a golf cart on the same trailer. I have complete confidence in the Ford V10 and the 5R110 transmission.
 
First I've never owned one. Friends have. They tow a full size via tow bar. V10 Ford. Does what it should, but never fast. I can pull around them in my 37 foot tag, slides and loaded like a pig and not shift a gear. Me, non modded 2500 2006 Dodge smoker. To really tow and not feel hindered my research leads me to dollars I don't have. Large pusher and not a CAT.
Having said that I strongly believe the best of both worlds is a Toterhome. A platform built with the intention of tow duty. Bigger better everything related to axles and brakes. I also like the maintenance aspects of the layout.

Me personally it would be a luxury purchase at any point. Buying something that large and then expecting any performance towing would exclude any gassers.
 
My parents went from a 35ft Class A with 460 and a four speed trans to a 38ft Class A diesel pusher with the 8.something Cummins and six speed Allison transmission. Fuel mileage for both is around 7 pulling their car, but the 460 got it at 60ish mph where as the Cummins gets it at whatever mph you feel like doing, and I have caught myself doing 80+ with it before I realize it. Pulling his RamCharger I think the old one got less than 6 mpg, current still gets around 7. Their old one was lighter duty IMO, smaller rear axle and 19.5 tires vs 22.5 on their current one, current one also has air brakes and suspension. The diesel also has an engine brake which helps. For my parents the cost isn't worth it by the numbers, because they put less than 3k miles a year average on it so the oil gets changed before it gets dirty and the tires age out before they wear out. But Dad likes it because he's never really had any issues with the running gear other than needing a ring and pinion last year, and he's keeping up with traffic easier, especially pulling hills.

Duane
 
My wife and full time RV so it changed my decision a bit as I ended up going with a 5th wheel Toy Hauler but I had made up my mind. If I went the motorhome route I was definitely going Super C on the Freightliner M2 Chassis because it's a Cummins 6.7, you can get it in the 10k or 20k tow capacity option, long duration service intervals, and ease of service given the front engine and front clip design.
 
@Paul ...sitting around a campfire at a campground is a hell of a lot more fun than sitting around a motel room. And all the bedbugs are MY bedbugs.

We all most pulled the trigger on the front-engined Freightliner. But...we were looking at 120k more dollars. The only other disadvantage to them was to get in....up, up, up...about 7 steps.

2016 F53's (the V10 RV chassis) run the 6R140 six speed. Supposed to be really smooth without having to wind it up so much. Mine is the 2014 5 speed. Chassis year usually runs a year behind the year of manufacture of the RV, cause ford builds them, then they are shipped to Winnebago or whoever to build the camper on.

Wait another year and get the 7.3 when it hits the F53.

Can't get service just at any Ford dealer. Parts, yes. Many ford dealers won't touch RV. Must be one that has RV/truck service. The one breakdown I did have was a wheel bearing when brand new (first trip). Ford place, forget where it was, was real helpful, had a mechanic ride with me to help diagnose (funny, didn't sound like a wheel bearing to me, and didn't sound like one to the old-ish tech. Made decision to drive it on home, and got it towed from the house.). "Local" Ford service to me is either in Fayetteville or Greensboro. My local shop does oil changes, etc, but it has to be on a nice day, cause it's outside in the lot on ramps.

Somewhere in your future:

20160509_110021-M.jpg
 
kaiser715 said:
Many ford dealers won't touch RV.
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Granted I’m new to this, but are you saying they wouldn’t touch your Class A? My local dealer in Shelby and the one in Gastonia both told me my Class C was a different story which was part of my decision process to go Class C.
 
BigSouth said:
Granted I’m new to this, but are you saying they wouldn’t touch your Class A? My local dealer in Shelby and the one in Gastonia both told me my Class C was a different story which was part of my decision process to go Class C.
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Yep. They say its because they won't fit in bays, on the lifts, etc. The truck shops are set up for that.

mine is 11'8 high and 30 long. My buddy that parks out here is is about 12'10H and 36L. Plus, everything is heavier -- a brake job is a different skill set than an F150, although the process is the same, everything is bigger, heavier, takes longer.
 
My dad has a 36' Tiffin Class A that we store at my house with the ford V10.

He didn't go diesel because of the up front cost being so much more. Mileage you might get 1-2 mpg more, where the v10 really suffers is the big hill climbs. He has had it all over the entire country though, there are time he is going 35MPH uphill, but he is in no rush to get anywhere.

Do you plan to flat tow something, or is a buggy that you need to trailer? A lot of the V10 class A's do not have a large tow rating, so if you have a buggy on a trailer, you might exceed the towing capacity.
 
CLRracer said:
My parents went from a 35ft Class A with 460 and a four speed trans to a 38ft Class A diesel pusher with the 8.something Cummins and six speed Allison transmission. Fuel mileage for both is around 7 pulling their car, but the 460 got it at 60ish mph where as the Cummins gets it at whatever mph you feel like doing, and I have caught myself doing 80+ with it before I realize it. Pulling his RamCharger I think the old one got less than 6 mpg, current still gets around 7. Their old one was lighter duty IMO, smaller rear axle and 19.5 tires vs 22.5 on their current one, current one also has air brakes and suspension. The diesel also has an engine brake which helps. For my parents the cost isn't worth it by the numbers, because they put less than 3k miles a year average on it so the oil gets changed before it gets dirty and the tires age out before they wear out. But Dad likes it because he's never really had any issues with the running gear other than needing a ring and pinion last year, and he's keeping up with traffic easier, especially pulling hills.

Duane
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I agree and I have what your parents have.

I have a 2004 Revolution with the ISC Cummins and Allison. I wish I had the bigger ISL. I have no experience with CAT engines but from my research, they are just fine. Remember, newer diesel RVs have DEF/DPF systems that are just as cumbersome and problematic as we experience in the light duty trucks, just much more expensive. I’d stay away from those for pure piece of mind.

From owning mine, I would recommend something based on a medium duty chassis with 22.5 tires with a comparable medium duty diesel engine. Remember, these things weigh 35,000+ plus the weight of a trailer or toad. So, you are easily looking at 40,000lbs+. Would you tow anything that heavy regularly with a V10 or any other gas engine? How about a small light duty diesel? Likely not as it’s not practical.

Maintenance is a little more $ with medium duty chassis/diesel but it lasts much longer working well within it’s designed parameters in lieu of stressing out the gas or light duty diesel.

larger RVs are harder to find places to park it and are more expensive at the parks.

If I were to buy again, I’d look at American Coach, Tiffin, Newmar, etc., non DEF diesel with the largest engine and transmission available. If you don’t pull a tone of weight in a trailer, I’d stay away from a tag axle as it’s just added expense you don’t need. Find something with a residential fridge if you can. And if you need special electronics, etc, look for Pure Sine Wave inverter in lieu of the Modified or budget to change out.
 
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Thanks everyone who has posted. I am looking at the 2001-2005 year as those seem to be in a really good price range with some really nice coaches for the money. It has been the Newmar's that have caught my eye and tend to be better built and a lot nicer options. My goal is to flat tow the Jeep.
 
89wrangler said:
Thanks everyone who has posted. I am looking at the 2001-2005 year as those seem to be in a really good price range with some really nice coaches for the money. It has been the Newmar's that have caught my eye and tend to be better built and a lot nicer options. My goal is to flat tow the Jeep.
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You won’t be disappointed with a Newmar. Most of those run good chassis (Freightliner it spartan) and engine combos. I don’t think you can get any of those with 19.5 tires or light duty/gas engine options.
 
Another huge +1 to what @rockcity said about going 22.5s. Heard how much sway the 19.5s have vs the 22.5s.

Ours has the 22.5s, Full house fridge, and more bells and whistles than anybody needs. You will realize they are a constant thing to work on though, its a house rolling down the road, and every time my dad comes back from a trip, I have a new punch list to fix. Even the 200k ones, are built pretty damn cheaply.
 
DSM Turbos said:
Another huge +1 to what @rockcity You will realize they are a constant thing to work on though, its a house rolling down the road, and every time my dad comes back from a trip, I have a new punch list to fix. Even the 200k ones, are built pretty damn cheaply.
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This. Chassis/drivetrain/genset has been great, but the coach ALWAYS needs something. Last year the refrigerator had to be replaced, it has a recurring power problem that randomly kills power to half the coach, baggage doors are constantly a pain, water pump has been replaced, etc etc etc....

Duane
 
CLRracer said:
This. Chassis/drivetrain/genset has been great, but the coach ALWAYS needs something. Last year the refrigerator had to be replaced, it has a recurring power problem that randomly kills power to half the coach, baggage doors are constantly a pain, water pump has been replaced, etc etc etc....

Duane
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yep. I live in mine 4-5 days a week. It’s always something. Roof caulk needing replace. Awning needs rework. HW heater not lighting. Fridge not getting cold and needs replace. WTF? Windshield has to come out to remove fridge and put a new one in??? Seriously!?! Ice maker quit. Zone 1 AC stopped. Oh damn, what’s that oil drip under the back? Need a new trans cooler hose, whoops, Freightliner doesn’t make it anymore; custom made now... Crap, where is that water leak coming from? Why does the door open on its own? Damn basement doors decide to not want to stay open by themselves. Damn, TV cuts out when I turn the flashlight on. Damn! Algae in the diesel tank? WTF? Shit! Damn dryer isn’t drying clothes anymore; time for a new dryer.

It’s always something!

it’s like trying to maintain a 200k house and a medium duty truck at the same time. And, letting them sit unused and not exercising anything is the absolute worst.
 
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rockcity said:
it’s like trying to maintain a 200k house and a medium duty truck at the same time. And, letting them sit unused and not exercising anything is the absolute worst.
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Pretty much nailed it. While we didn’t venture down the motor home route, we have a 30’ Jayco bumper pull that was pretty much given to me by a buddy who got hosed when he got it. He got it and did some small repairs, put new wheels, tires and bearings on it then just lost time as it was like playing whackamole with issues. Trying to take the wife and kids out in it for him would have been a nightmare. In the year or so I’ve had it, I’ve re taped and caulked the seams on the roof, replaced an interior panel and a ton of insulation, master mattress, the inverter, some plumbing fittings, a faucet and some other odds and ends. Next up is washing and coating the roof with Kool Seal. It’s going under a leanto at the farm as my hunt camp rig and to go to dirtbike races primarily but was a good crash course for the wife to see it’s like owning a second home.
 
I owned a 38' pusher for about 8 years and like what everybody else has said they need constant attention, that going to be the case regardless of type or fuel being used. To not repeat what others have already said here are a few things to possibly take into account or shed light on your original questions.
If you like the traveling aspect then the pusher will be much quieter and smoother going down the road then a gasser. Engine underneath you versus in the back, standard suspension versus airide.

Mine had a baby ISB300 Cummins and was no rocket ship but it got me where I wanted to go. Going up Black Mtn or Fancy gap I would be in the slow lane doing about 45mph. I had to re-train my brain when driving it that the trip is part of the experience and just relax and go at RV pace. Side note: I was told early on as a rule of thumb to only go down a steep Mtn pass as fast as you were able to climb it (this is where having an engine brake really helps out). On anything but steep climbs I could cruise at 75mph if I wanted. On family trips I flat towed my Jeep, on wheeling trips I pulled the car trailer with the Jeep on it. Like most things with an engine you always find yourself wanting more power and if/when I get another it will have more not necessarily to get me somewhere faster but to do so with less effort/strain.

After owning several types of RV's I found the convenience of pushing buttons to setup camp (auto-leveling, slideouts, awnings) to be a must. No fun doing any of these manually in bad weather or the summer heat. For class A's both diesel and gas then these are probably standards. Of course the flip side of this coin is more stuff to maintain or potentially cause you grief.

Just before a guys trip out to KOH I put on a steersafe system. Never had a tire issue prior but thought it good insurance since we had some inexperienced drivers who all would be taking turns behind the wheel. That turned out to be money well spent as on the way home had a front tire blow out at highway speed with the least experienced driver behind the wheel. Aside from scaring the crap out of us when the tire blew the motorhome stayed straight and in control allowing him to ease it over to the shoulder. Just another side note but might be something worth looking into. SteerSafe.com

I think this was mentioned and you probably already know but an older motorhome that has very low mileage is not a good thing. It means it most likely sat somewhere for long periods of time. You want it to have been used and then hopefully maintained regularly. In the case of a diesel mileage is usually not a concern and if I'm not mistaken it's not even taken into account on value sites like KBB.

My own $.02 is that if I were to get another (and we do plan to at some point) it would be another diesel. Yes it cost more but I much prefer the feel and comfort of them over a gasser, again just my opinion. Hope some of this helped.
 
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^^^^ Auto level options and awnings are awesome and a must have! But, most any high end medium duty diesel pusher with 22.5” wheels will likely have it from the factory.

no way I’d have the patience to stack shims, turn a jack at one corner, check level, then repeat for all corners. It takes forever, unless you are luck. Bad weather and night make it miserable.

I can have my 40’ pusher set up in less than 10 minutes. That includes awning, leveling, and hooking up water, sewer, and power. And pulling out a few chairs and cracking open a beer.

there is a reason they make T shirts mocking the manual setup process of an RV between significant others. :lol:
 
rockcity said:
yep. I live in mine 4-5 days a week. It’s always something. Roof caulk needing replace. Awning needs rework. HW heater not lighting. Fridge not getting cold and needs replace. WTF? Windshield has to come out to remove fridge and put a new one in??? Seriously!?! Ice maker quit. Zone 1 AC stopped. Oh damn, what’s that oil drip under the back? Need a new trans cooler hose, whoops, Freightliner doesn’t make it anymore; custom made now... Crap, where is that water leak coming from? Why does the door open on its own? Damn basement doors decide to not want to stay open by themselves. Damn, TV cuts out when I turn the flashlight on. Damn! Algae in the diesel tank? WTF? Shit! Damn dryer isn’t drying clothes anymore; time for a new dryer.

It’s always something!

it’s like trying to maintain a 200k house and a medium duty truck at the same time. And, letting them sit unused and not exercising anything is the absolute worst.
Click to expand...

Glad I'm not the only one who went WTF when they said the windshield had to come out the replace the fridge :lol:

Duane
 
Welp, didn’t end up with a Newmar. But based on input, settled for a Monaco Windsor, 40’, roadmaster chassis, 350hp 8.3 Cummins with Allison 6speed. Electric awing, 2slides, auto leveling, residential fridge with bottom freezer, in motion satellite, 6 Michelin tires installed in 2018 with 3000 mi.and a bunch of other stuff that I need to read up on...lol let the fun begin. Oh and I need to trim some trees tomorrow to get it in the drive...it has already started..
The wife and her motorhome
C4C17F8A-EADA-4B3D-ABA3-D4BC1AE8087D.jpeg
 
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