Motorhomes: Gas or Diesel?

Shopping for the perfect recreational vehicle is a challenging task when you have so many options out there. If you’ve decided that you don’t want to bother with towing a camper, then a motorhome is what you want. When you’re trying to choose a motorhome, one of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make here is whether you want a gas or a diesel model. We’ve drawn up this comparison between gas and diesel motorhomes to help you determine which option is best for you.

Cost

Between the two options, diesel motorhomes will have a higher initial sticker price. These motorhomes contain more moving parts, aren’t as common, and have more unique assembly needs. They are also much heavier and larger than their gas counterparts. Gas motorhomes are more common and lighter in weight.

Maintenance

Gas motorhomes are cheaper to maintain, but they’re more likely to break down faster than diesel motorhomes. You’ll have to perform more expensive repairs on gas models and replace them sooner than you’ll have to replace a diesel motorhome.

Diesel motorhomes are costly to maintain and require more experienced technicians to work on them. You may also find that locating the right replacement parts is a more challenging and costly endeavor. However, due to their resilience and longevity, you won’t need to buy a new diesel motorhome anytime soon!

Accessibility

Motorhomes are sizable and somewhat difficult to maneuver, even the smaller models. Of the two fuel types, gas motorhomes will be more manageable in terms of how easily they can access tight campsites and narrow roadways. On the other hand, diesel motorhomes are much larger and can be more difficult to maneuver and harder to learn how to drive. You’ll need to spend some extra time practicing with a diesel model to master driving it.

Fuel Economy

One of the costliest parts of any recreational vehicle trip is the fuel. Motorhomes get fewer miles per gallon than a typical passenger car or truck, so you’ll have to fill up the tank more often. So, which of these two options is more fuel-efficient? Diesel is more expensive than gasoline, however, it gives better mileage. You won’t have to spend as much money on it in the long run if you’re going hundreds of miles. For short trips, a gas motorhome will be more efficient because the fuel is cheaper and if you aren’t using as much of it, then you won’t have to fret about the high cost.

There are many parameters to consider when choosing the perfect motorhome. We hope this guide has helped demystify this one aspect for you. Ready to see some models? Visit White Sands RV in Summerdale, AL, to browse our selection today! We welcome all our patrons visiting us from Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL.