Which R.V. Diesel or LPG? (1 Viewer)

[larsson7777]

Hello all,

I am new to this so just trying get some good advice from some of you guys with experience and knowledge of American R.V.'s:Blush:

1) Looking to spend from 20-30k. Maybe a little more for a bargain.
2)Looking at a Georgieboy Landau. Any good? Chevy 6.5l Turbo Diesel. Engine any good?
3)Whats best, diesel or LPG/Petrol?

As much usefull info as possible is most welcome.

Any decent r.v.'s for sale feel free to offer them for sale.:thumb:

 

[pappajohn]

hi larsson7777 and welcome to the fun.

cant help with advise on the georgieboy but from what iv read on here the diesel will return a slightly better fuel consumption than the petrol but.....you cant LPG a diesel.

LPG'd petrol engine will give you a decrease in fuel costs.....example.....10mpg on petrol at £1.04ltr....9mpg on gas (not as efficient) at .52p liter, = 18mpg per £1.04

 

[vwalan]

hi welcome to the fun.. as we dont live in america i say get a diesel if lpg was that good trucks would be running it instead of diesel . i have lpg conversion here i used to run on cars .took them off diesel is every where . lpg can be a bbbbbber to find when you need it. have fun i do. cheers alan.

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[superk]

Georgie Boy Landau is an entry level RV but has a good reputation.

If it's a diesel it will probably be at the front - these were pretty much only made for the UK market as most Americans will only accept a diesel pusher. Hence, it will be noisier than a front-engined petrol (or LPG conversion) until at cruising speed.

(The Americans did toy with a front-engined diesel recently (known as a FRED))

Slightly better fuel consumption on the diesel.

Need to check the vehicle very thoroughly as repairs ans parts can prove expensive.

When you first look at RVs they can be overwhelming but look behind the grandeur - they are robust but there's still a lot that can go wrong and empty your wallet pretty quickly. Damp anywhere is a no no. Check everything and I mean everything works and continues to work ( a new fridge is £1,500 or thereabouts.) Don't accept any excuse that something can't be demonstrated.

You need to be sure of the weight - that is what is known in the UK as the MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) or printed on the plate in the vehicle (usually inside behind the driver's door or in the wardrobe as the GVWR - the maximum loaded vehicle weight including everything - fuel, water, people and their goods. If it's over 16,500 US lbs most peoples opinion is that you need an LGV licence. (Dealers or those selling are motivated to tell you that a car licence will do.)

If it's a diesel, over 30 feet and has a slide out it almost certainly falls in this category.

Tyres are expensive and are recommended to be changed every 5-7 years whatever wear they've had.


Keith

 

[pappajohn]

hi welcome to the fun.. as we dont live in america i say get a diesel if lpg was that good trucks would be running it instead of diesel . i have lpg conversion here i used to run on cars .took them off diesel is every where . lpg can be a bbbbbber to find when you need it. have fun i do. cheers alan.

trucks need lowdown torque Alan, and lots of it.
power is meaningless without it.

a deisel will out-torque a petrol / LPG of the same size any day:thumb:

 

[scotjimland]

Hi

My GeorgieBoy Cruisemaster Diesel pusher will be on the market very soon, we have been full time for three years and are in the process of moving to a house, details and some pictures on the RVOC club site.

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36ft A Class
5.9lt Cummins Turbo Diesel pusher
Spartan Chassis
Four speed Alison Auto Transmission
Granning Air-Ride suspension
Air over hydraulic brakes.

Average MPG 14-15

Offers around £22k

If interested, PM me and I'll get some more pictures and answer any questions ..

jim

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[Dodgey]

Good advise, and a nice sales pitch so far?

To add, we have a 28ft Winne with the Chevy 6.5TD motor and we find it great. I've never been much of a diesel fan but it makes sence in a big vehicle, noise arguments accepted, though I've yet to stand next to the petrol equivalent running. I haven't done the MPG calculation mainly due to I don't realy care, big vehicle/engine = low MPG, but the reconing for ours is around 15 and I have no reason to doubt it.

One thing I did hear, apparently the main diesel pump/distribution thingy, I understand diesel principle but have yet to really work on them (get the techy terms) can be prone to early failure. Chap we got Winne of had same, she's only got 51K on the clock, and alledgedly there is/was a 13 year warrently forced on the manufacturer because of failures. Winne had had hers done and eventually previous owner did get his money back, £1500 I beleive, as said this is second hand info but may be of use/something to check?

Yave fun:thumb:

 

[scotjimland]

To add, we have a 28ft Winne with the Chevy 6.5TD motor and we find it great. I've never been much of a diesel fan but it makes sence in a big vehicle, noise arguments accepted, though I've yet to stand next to the petrol equivalent running. I haven't done the MPG calculation mainly due to I don't realy care, big vehicle/engine = low MPG, but the reconing for ours is around 15 and I have no reason to doubt it.

I think your MPG estimate is about right .. maybe even a tad low..
benefit of the pusher diesel is you can barely hear it while driving .. you can listen to the radio and have a conversation at normal voice level .. and it doesn't have the 'dog kennel' which frees up a fair amount of floor space ..

an added bonus, it heats up the double bed ..

 

[Dodgey]

I think your MPG estimate is about right .. maybe even a tad low..
benefit of the pusher diesel is you can barely hear it while driving .. you can listen to the radio and have a conversation at normal voice level .. and it doesn't have the 'dog kennel' which frees up a fair amount of floor space ..

an added bonus, it heats up the double bed ..

Ahh, noise, remember we started with a '77 C class, so going 'modern' anything seems quieter:thumb:

No what you mean about the 'dog kennel', but I/we find it usefull as a foot stool, and gives us the height to get in the cupboards:Blush: Me 5'6, her 5' nothing

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[Forestboy]

I had a Damon A class with a front engine Chevy diesel for 3 years which I've just sold and loved it and would still have it but it didn't suit my needs anymore. It was very very reliable for the whole 27000 miles we did, had masses of torque, fuel economy was up to 15mpg depending on driving style. Don't let the noise issue put you off its only applies when ticking over when cold or pulling up a very steep hill in a low gear. We have a A class in the USA which we've done 25000 miles in and that has a petrol 8.1 V8 Vortec and I can honestly say at normal cruising speeds there is virtually no difference in the noise levels. The Chevy diesels are old design but that's not necessarily a bad thing. As for Georgieboy I've not had one but know plenty of people that have. Georgieboy and Damon are entry level but as your looking at one several years old you'll find the build quality far far superior to the new vehicles about today.
Plenty for sale, look at loads and haggle like hell. With your budget you should buy a beauty. Good Luck.:thumb:

 

[Colin and Jaen Andrews]

American Rv for Sale`

Hi
Home is where the heart is. You will find the one you want. Have a want list, a compromise list and 'sensible' list.
We settled and were very happy with lpg/petrol, layout etc etc etc.
She is for Sale due to personal reasons but in another world would not sell her.
Everyone to their own but have a look at what is for sale on this site - some really amazing RV's but at the end of the day its your choice.:thumb:
Cheers Jaen

 

[PeteH]

Diesel V`s LPG

Hi

At the moment LPG wins the (fuel economy) argument, IF you buy it already installed (costs up to 3K to retrofit). HOWEVER. Remember that back in the 80`s Diesel was 10 to 12 pence a litre Cheaper than Petrol Now it 10 to 12 p MORE because of TAX. So the chances are that before long the TAX advantage of LPG WILL be eroded by the Government thieves. As some one has to fill the "Black Hole" left by the greedy bankers. Which would make the "payback" time on a conversion much longer.

pete

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[NickF]

If it's any interst I think the £3K price for a retrofit LPG system is a little on the high side and not what the majority of gas installers out there charge ( unless they are very greedy!)

If it helps give you an idea, one of my local installers, Bob (he converts my own cars and demo vehicles) charges much less than the £3K you mentioned for a retrofit gas system and there might be more installers around the UK doing them for less as well.

I've just called him to find out for my fellow motorhome owners and his normal price for a V8 LPG conversion on upto a 8.1 ltr with full sequential gas injection on say a 2006 to 2009 V8 with a single 230 ltr 4 hole cylinder will cost around £1600 all in. A V10 engine with the same tank will be £1950 - Now this is a very expensive tank and 450 diameter so space and ground clearence could be an issue. If you replace that single 450 diam tank with say 2 x 110 ltrs for example, the cost is still only only £1700 all in. even adding more tanks the price will start to rise but not to £3K for a normal system.

If anyone wants a number of a Autogas dealer in thier area or bob's number who does my own cars, drop me an Email and i'll reply with their details.

Nick.