Diesel vs Gas?

[camperboy]

First let me say that I have had three diesel trucks and diesel tractors and know the advantages of diesel- better fuel economy and torque at low rpm.
I am trying to decide if a diesel motor home is cost effective.
It looks like for a comparable floor plan the MB diesel is around $20,000 higher than the Chevy chassis. The closest MB dealer is 100 miles away for service. I assume any Chevy dealer would work on the Chevy and their are three within 20 miles of me. I also assume that both labor rates and parts are going to be way higher for the MB. Also if I break down while traveling it maybe hard to find service.
It also appears that the Chevy will tow 800 lbs more and has 1/2" thicker walls for more insulation.
The MB will get better fuel mileage, lets say 15mpg vs 9mpg for the Chevy for the sake of this discussion. Currently where I live, diesel and gas are about the same price but since 2004 diesel has been 30 to 40 cents higher. The short term outlook shows diesel higher than gas next year by 40 cents. If I drive 5000 miles per year
MB: 333 gallons
Chevy: 555 gallons. So 222 gals extra at lets say $3.00 gallon is $667 year extra in fuel for the gasser.This doesn't account for the fact that if diesel is higher by its usual amount this would reduce this amount by about $120. Now we are at $550 per year
At this rate it will take me 30+ years to break even on the diesel- and this doesn't count DEF consumption, more expensive maintenance and more expensive parts and service.

Now for the diesel I get better low end torque which means on my trips in the hills and mountains the MH downshifts less and is more relaxing to drive.
I do plan on towing a small trailer with a Can Am Maverick on it so I suspect the MB will do better here as well

BTW I did not include the Ford as an option because I don't want the twin I beam suspension. I have had it on three trucks and they ride rough and handle lousy. Also the Chevy gets better fuel economy than the Ford gasser

What are your thoughts? If you went with a diesel, why? if you went with a gasser why? Thanks

[JRM]

It sounds like the two vehicles you are considering are pretty far apart on options and potentially quality.The Diesel option should only increase the cost of a vehicle by $4-6k over the gas counterpart.

[wanderingbob]

Think about how many miles are ya gonna drive ? Twenty five or thirty thousand a year and the diesel is better , any less buy the one ya like . Also , if ya ain't gonna pull a trailer a lot , it is no advantage !

[DocGTO]

I though you can get a GM bodied C class with the Duramax? If that is in the options, go for that. Solves all your problems!

[camperboy]

Originally Posted by DocGTO

I though you can get a GM bodied C class with the Duramax? If that is in the options, go for that. Solves all your problems!

I have not seen any manufacturer put the Duramax into a Class C. If they did I would consider it. I think they quit making that chassis/engine combo a few years ago

I see an International in the Nexus and Dynamax and Seneca with a Cummins

[X96mnn]

Originally Posted by JRM

It sounds like the two vehicles you are considering are pretty far apart on options and potentially quality.The Diesel option should only increase the cost of a vehicle by $4-6k over the gas counterpart.

+2 on this, your not in the same league and for the extra 20, if I have it, I am spending it on the MB.

As for money back, you will get it back when you sell it, at least where I live. Similar equipped MH with gas are selling used for 20k plus less for gas compared to a Diesel.

[camperboy]

Originally Posted by X96mnn

+2 on this, your not in the same league and for the extra 20, if I have it, I am spending it on the MB.

As for money back, you will get it back when you sell it, at least where I live. Similar equipped MH with gas are selling used for 20k plus less for gas compared to a Diesel.

Both Foresters and same quality as far as I know. The Chevy has thicker walls and therefore more insulation, also bigger genny.

Couldnt find many prices for the Chevy but
MBS 2401W $116000 List
vs
2501TS Chevy $87476 list

If the gasser costs $20k less up front its gonna sell for less later

[DocGTO]

Originally Posted by camperboy

I have not seen any manufacturer put the Duramax into a Class C. If they did I would consider it. I think they quit making that chassis/engine combo a few years ago

I see an International in the Nexus and Dynamax and Seneca with a Cummins

Maybe a Super C or a C+ chassis. I have found a few in th past but didn't see what year they were. I'm a big Duramax fan. The Duramax/Allison combo is worth the extra $ for sure if you can find one.

[Wandering]

I did the same math. Kinda like the MBS smaller size and similar floor plan but price difference was too much. Like mentioned, about 30 yrs to payback difference. So I went with Ford! Less than 8 MPG in first 10000 miles and enjoying every trip!

Happy Camping.

[aceinspp]

Big question is can you justify the cost of the diesel over the gas in the long run. How long will you keep the unit and how many miles a year do you plan to drive? Later RJD

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by camperboy

BTW I did not include the Ford as an option because I don't want the twin I beam suspension. I have had it on three trucks and they ride rough and handle lousy. Also the Chevy gets better fuel economy than the Ford gasser

What are your thoughts? If you went with a diesel, why? if you went with a gasser why? Thanks

Unless you can find a Chevy based unit you want on a dealers lot you have a problem. FR quit using the Chevy van chassis in Class C's a few weeks ago due to supply issues.

The biggest reason we went with the diesel MBS is the M-B cab is much more comfortable the the Ford or Chevy. The Ford's "doghouse" was the worst followed closely by the Chevy. The Sprinter has much more room. The added gas mileage won't offset the purchase price differential any time soon but I want to be comfortable while on long trips.

[camperboy]

Originally Posted by RedLdr1

Unless you can find a Chevy based unit you want on a dealers lot you have a problem. FR quit using the Chevy van chassis in Class C's a few weeks ago due to supply issues.

The biggest reason we went with the diesel MBS is the M-B cab is much more comfortable the the Ford or Chevy. The Ford's "doghouse" was the worst followed closely by the Chevy. The Sprinter has much more room. The added gas mileage won't offset the purchase price differential any time soon but I want to comfortable while doing long trips.

That's bad news. I am looking at next spring for this new unit, maybe I can order one around Christmas time if I decide if they are available. I definitely don't want the Ford. The wobble in the steering of their design has been bad for years and they don't want to fix it. I have added better shocks and steering stabilizers which helped a little but would prefer an IFS.

[camperboy]

Josh, do you expect FR to resume use of the Chevy chassis next year? Is this just a temporary thing or a permanent thing? I am on my third FR product and really don't want to jump ship to get a Chevy.

Thanks

[Joshua Cavitt]

We aren't sure when or if Chevy will ever come back with a Cutaway chassis for us or any other Class C. We are all in the same boat. GM decided to use the same plant to build the Colorado. From I have heard is they are making every 5th or 10th one a Cutaway chassis which isn't enough to supply for the RV industry.

[camperboy]

Thanks

[jrwalkerpa1]

To your original question, I went through much of the same decision making process a while back. I came to the conclusion that fuel economy and price are not the real driving force between gas and diesel considerations. I think that the main reason to go diesel is if you need the extra muscle for towing, weight capacity or better chassis/ suspension. Of course when comparing ford/Chevy gas versus a sprinter, the sprinter loses on all but the suspension/handling. I was looking more at the bigger freight liner/cummins models. My conclusion was that I didn't really need the diesel chassis for the way I was going to use my motor home. Would I have liked it? Sure, but not enough to go in debt!

When I am ready to buy again I am hoping that FR might offer the option of an F550 chassis. It is an interesting compromise that I would consider.

[papap]

Just traded our MB Solera on a e450 gas Forester. Couple of reasons we did this. Needed a little more room. Also we had a few problems with the MB. The nears dealer was about 3 hours away. So it was a pain to get repairs done. We have Ford dealers everywhere.

You also need to take into account the oil changes on diesel. The MB takes 13 quarts of oil at about $10 a quart.

[Pod2Vibe]

Keep in mind that 2014+ MBS's are full synth and only require an oil change @ 15K/annually.

Other pros are the smooth power and quiet operation of the MBS Turbo Diesel. Also a more comfortable ride and seating position.

Cons: At checkout time at the campsite, people will want to know all about it and delay your departure...

[camperboy]

I use Rotella T 5W-40 full synthetic in my 6.7 Powerstroke. Costs me around $20 gallon at Walmart. As long as it meets the specs that MB calls for there is no reason to use any oil that costs $10 quart. Since I wouldn't drive 15k miles anyway it would be a once a year change so the extended life does me no good. If you are still worried do a Blackstone and have your oil analyzed

[papap]

Don't think the Rotella meets MB spec. Has to be ultra low sulphur oil.