Gas RV and driving out West

[jimrf]

Looking very seriously at the XL 378TS and am wondering about anyone's feedback on driving a gas RV out West for an occasional vacation, once a year or so. I have been told that diesel is the way to go because of the safety and power, but am wondering if I can get any feedback from all you gas owners and your experiences with mountain climbing in your RV

[FReedom3]

Drove from Minnesota to Seattle, to San Francisco, Back to Oregon and home to Indiana, Ford v-10 FR-3 30DS, climbed well, no problems. I ran with the diesel trucks sometimes in the steepest grades but seldom dropped below 45mph and I never reved over 3500 RPM.

[StephanFR3]

The new Ford v10 has 3 valves with more power and torque than the older 2 valve version. I had my fr3 above 8000 ft it was summer and hot no problem. It's fuel injected so vapor lock is not a problem. The v10 does like the rv's though a little loud but doesn't hurt it. Diesels will always have more torque and power. Not sure they are worth the cost plus you have to deal with DEF now. A DP has more storage underneath due to lack of drive shaft. BTW I was towing a corrola.

[StephanFR3]

Oh on my 7000 mile trip from FL to northern CA I did pass a DP that had burned to the ground on side of highway. Not sure of cause.

[MarkAnne]

I live and drive in CO. V10 does pretty well in the mountains. I even pull my Sonic up with few problems . The tow/haul feature really helps when braking down hill.


2010 Georgetown 337 DS

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[Robert Vaughn]

I live in Oregon. Lots of mountain driving in my '08 350 with Ford v10. No problem. I miss the exhaust brake on my diesel pickup but the transmission tow/haul works pretty well. I the recommend the CHF. Google it.

Overall very happy with the RV.

[jeffv003]

Having traveled extensively out West and climbed and descended alot of mountain passes, we are happy with the power of the 378 XL. The tow haul makes the descent a breeze. I do think the quality of the ride is an issue. We have found some very rough roads including stretches of some interstates where we thought the vibrations were going to shake the rig apart. A deisel pusher will give you a much smoother ride.

But, as said before, is it worth the extra money? We love the coach and are having a great time full timing.


2014 GT 378 XL
2005 Jeep Wrangler TJ

[RVnut]

I will say we live in Montana and are surrounded by passes.. When we drive up these beasts we try not to exceed 4000 rpms and let off accordingly to stay at that limit.. We usually average 45 going up but may slow down even more going down the worst mountains in Tow/haul.. The V-10 works for us so we have a new one being built.. I cannot justify the sky high price of a DP when this gaser gets the job done..

Its funny but when the engine goes up to 4000 the DW always yells Gas Gauge!! But since we average about 63MPH we make up for the hills later

[waynekon]

Great coach. We just finished 5800 miles Fl. To Co. 300-11000 feet. Great engine. Pushers are nice but can't justify the bump in price. The entry DP is bare bones compared to the Georgetown XL378 ts.

[jlkrantz]

We live in Utah & have no problems pulling the canyons out here with our 2014 335DS pulling A 2008 jeep JK. we also love the tow haul feature it works really well when going down hill. the V10 preforms great.

[reddiver]

Just came back from a round trip from Ocala, FL to Springfield UT with my 2003 Georgetown 325S. I pulled a Hyundai Santa Fe on a car dolly. Coach ran great even in the mountains. It would pass everything but a gas station though. I wouldn't be afraid to go. The V10 is a great motor.

[Vince and Charlette]

I don't know what an FR3 weighs, but my 2015 Georgetown 364TS has a GVWR of 22,000# and a 5,000# towing capacity. (My Jeep Liberty toad is about 4K pounds.) I suspect that's a significant difference between the two RV GVWRs even though they have the same engine. On sizeable mountains, I go up hill at 5,000 rpm (screaming noise from engine requires yelling to talk) the whole way just to hold 45 mph. On the good side, tow/haul is a real benefit going up or down. In the hills and mountains, I just leave it on most of the time. My GT came with 19.5 inch tires. Does anyone have experience to know if the improved ride/handling is worth the estimated $3,000 for 22.5" wheels, tires and simulators?

[txredfish]

I had a 35' MH with the Workhorse chassis, Allison transmission and Chevy 8.1L.
It did great in the Colorado mountains. You just have to learn to downshift when going down instead of riding the brakes. It had plenty of power going up the mountains.
Great combo for the mountains.

[jimrf]

Thank you all, makes me feel much, much better. I would suspect I will be toying around in the spring in a new 378 TS

[Myrle]

Drove to west coast last winter gas no problems.

[rparker3040]

We have a 2014 FR Georgetown XL 377 gas with the Ford V10. We vacationed in the Smokey Mountains and had no difficulty either climbing or descending using the tow haul rarely having to gear down or use breaks on mountain descends. I towed a 2014 C-RV with a tow dolly and didn't even know it was behind me. Sometimes driving in Eastern mountains the grades can be steeper than the west because of the age of the roads. Whichever way you go enjoy your RV.

[dezolen]

There are more gas motorhomes sold every year than DP's. I'm sure you can drive any gas class A anywhere you desire. DP owners are always trying to justify the extra money they spent. You could even drive a 4 cylinder auto anywhere a V8 can go.

[Nick M]

Contemplating a Georgetown in a few years when the fifth wheel and TV become more than we want to deal with.

I'm curious though, what kind of mileage do you GT owners get on gas? Do the DP's do any better?

Thanks in advance.

[Vince and Charlette]

On my 2015 Georgetown 364 TS, which is 37.5' long, I get 6.0-6.2 without a toad and 5.8 to 6.1 with the Jeep Liberty toad.

[Krazymace]

7 mpg max. When I owned a DP, I got 8.


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