The Distinction of Diesel Motorhome

Diesel pusher. The very phrase conjures up an aura of the finer things in life. Can you
hear your new coach’s deep-throated rumble as you roll into the RV resort in stately
elegance — and all eyes turn to see who’s coming? The cachet of diesel comes with a price,
although some manufacturers are striving mightily to put a diesel coach within reach of
more consumers. The lowest base MSRP in our guide, $124,000, is only about $3,400 higher
than the average base price for high-end gas-powered Class A coaches (the upper end of this
entry-level guide to diesel-pushers is $180,000 — hey, we had to cut it off somewhere!).
So you can spend a little less or more for gas, or you can trade up to the grace, power,
torque and longevity of the big dogs: Cummins and Caterpillar — names that just give you
chills. Planning to travel more extensively or head for the mountains more often? Hoping to
tow something more substantial than a compact car up those mountains? Yearning to be
surrounded by real wood, tile, mirrors, porcelain, Corian and all your important stuff
without worrying about exceeding the coach’ s gvwr or watching its fuel economy plummet?
Just want to feel the security of an industrial-duty chassis and heavy-hauler tires and be
confident that no tractor-trailer’s wake can sway you? Give the feature-rich players a
once-over, and see if one is right for you. For chassis specs and model information in “The
Distinction of Diesel,” pick up the May 2005 issue of MotorHome magazine on the newsstand
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