What are (is) the advantage(s) of diesel engines in RV and personal travel
service?
I had one, a '94 Ford turbodiesel F250 4x4 SuperCab, and I can't think of any
that are not directly related to mileage.
All parts were more expensive than their gas engine counterparts, such as the
starter ($250 rebuilt vs. $35 rblt), the fan clutch ($200 vs. $40), oil
filters ($10 vs. $3-$5), oil (more expensive 15W40 plus more frequent oil
changes and nearly twice as much oil to refill), and a few more items.
Then, the diesel was rated at only 190 HP while a similar gasser with 460 is
rated over 100 HP higher. S-L-O-O-O-W up the Cascades and Rockies. The big gas
PUs zoomed past me towing huge 5th wheelers that weighed 2-3 times as much as my
trailer.
Then, the rattle and stink. The diesel oil tracked into the cab.
Diesel PUs roar past the RV park all day and night. Many make more noise than
the 18-wheelers. Diesel PUs come in and out of the park, blasting us with
their clatter. Very disturbing to the peace. I would give great preference to
a park that banned diesels from the premises. Even the diesel MHs, which one
would think have plenty of room for effective muffler and sound deadening,
make much more noise than the gas MHs.
The Dodge-Cummins are the worst. Don't they have mufflers?
When I was out on my bicycle today, a diesel PU went by on the other side of
the 5-lane road, making such a racket that it left my ears ringing. I could
hardly hear traffic for several minutes.
Has anyone run a cost comparison between the same vehicle in gas and diesel
versions (RV or other heavy trailer pulling service)?
Al Grayson