If you are transitioning from a Gas RV to a Diesel Pusher or purchasing your first RV, there’s a lot to consider. It’s not as simple as changing the type of fuel your engine takes. This checklist will help you evaluate potential motorhomes so that you can make an educated purchase.
We will focus on high quality, affordable Diesel Pushers that range from $50k to $150k. We believe the older motorhomes are a higher quality than many of the newer coaches. In this post, we focus on the mechanical aspects of Diesel Pushers vs the layout, taking you through a list of features your future Diesel Pusher should have as well as features to avoid. This will help you narrow down your search.
Things that would be on MY list with respect to mechanical/safety features.
- Must be a Diesel Pusher not Front Engine Diesel (also called FRED)
- Must have a Side Radiator for better air flow and access to belts, and alternator. Rear radiators run hotter and cost more for simple repairs
- Preference for a semi-monocoque chassis
- Preference for a Residential Fridge – too high of a risk of fires with RV Fridge
- Must have Air Brakes
- Preference for either a CAT or Cummins ISL or ISM engines (most prefer the Cummins ISM but either are good)
- Preference for Allison 3000 or above transmission
- Preference for Tire Pressure monitor system (could be added later)
- Must have full fiberglass roof (some have rubber)
- Must have wheelbase divided by Length greater than 52% (higher numbers are even better and provide more stability)
Things to Avoid
- Aluminum Radiators
- DEF (Google “DEF Limp Mode” for more information)
- Rusty bays
- Lots of corrosion in battery compartment
- Mold Smell
- Water stains on interior headliner (ceiling) or sagging roof
- Some older coaches have paint checking – fine little cracks in the darker colors
- Flexsteel seats that have deteriorated. Many people have replaced them but some have not. Company is out of business.
- Roadmaster Chassis with 4 Air Bags which had a problem with drivetrain axel
Things to Deduct from Price
- Tires older than 6 years (tires should always be replaced within 7 years regardless of tread)
- Batteries older that 3 years (except lithium)
- No recent service for both coach engine and generator
- Signs of neglect – rust, sloppy photos, excessive wear, engine leaks, water in oil etc (have inspection done)
Diesel Pusher Chassis Comparison
Dynomax: A proprietary chassis of Country Coach began in 1998 after Gillig left the RV market. Semi-monocoque, all-welded all-steel construction, including suspension mounting and adjustment, all IFS. A premium chassis with excellent ride & handling.
Freightliner: A dependable chassis with a focus on price. Very popular in the entry level to mid-range DP’s. Tends to ride softly and wallow more than the other chassis in its price class.
Gillig: A popular chassis for expensive, high-end DPs (Beaver, Country Coach & Foretravel) until 1997 when they left the RV market to focus on their school busses. Each of these DP makers responded by developing their own proprietary chassis. A very heavy-duty traditional raised-rail chassis with a Cadillac kind of ride and handling.
Magnum: A proprietary chassis brand of Safari. Starting with the Safari line in the mid-90’s and migrating up the Beaver line in the late 90’s. A wide variety of innovative chassis ranging from lower-middle level to the very high-end Beaver Solitaire. The higher end Magnum chassis used on the Beaver Patriots, Marquis & Solitaire were equipped with 8-bag like the Monaco, but with larger air bags for a better ride.
Newell: Proprietary chassis semi-monocoque chassis for very high end Newell DP’s.
Roadmaster: The proprietary chassis brand of Monaco Coach. Purchased from Chrysler Corp in 1984. Makes the widest variety of chassis from entry-level through high-end semi-monocoque DP’s. The entry level RSR & RR4R chassis are similar to their entry-level competitors but did have problems that we discussed in the video. Their mid-range & up chassis are known for their 8 air bag suspension (10 with tag axles), yet their high-end S-Series doesn’t have IFS.
Spartan: A specialist chassis builder that makes motorhome & fire engine chassis exclusively. While they do make an economy chassis, they are more known for their high quality components in the mid-range to high-end DP’s.
TravelRide: Foretravel’s proprietary semi-monocoque chassis that came after Gillig. Another 8-bag premium chassis with excellent ride & handling characteristics.
For full explanation of this checklist we suggest you watch the video which can be found here. https://youtu.be/0ymdqhxk8Dw
Questions & Comments
We invite you to leave comments below with any questions you may have and if we don’t know the answer we can point your to someone who will know.
