Gas Versus Diesel RV's

This article discusses an age old question and one I get asked a lot, should I buy gas or diesel? This question has fueled many a heated debates too. Sometimes this question involves truck that will be used to tow a trailer, and other times it involves what type of motorhome to purchase. A universal response you could expect to hear to this question goes something like this: Diesels cost more. Don't buy a diesel unless you plan to put a bunch of miles on it and keep it for a long time. That's the only way you can justify the extra cost of diesel.

Gas Versus Diesel RV's

Gas Versus Diesel RV's

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Gas Versus Diesel RV's

Gas Versus Diesel RV's

Several years ago there was some truth to this somewhat typical response. But things are changing, especially when you're talking about motorhomes. Today, the cost of some gasoline powered motorhomes is about thesame as many of the entry-level diesel motorhomes available on the market. This higher cost is mainly due to advanceMents in gasoline RV chassis ' design; Gross Vehicle Weight with greater Ratings (GVWR) to accommodate coach designs with 3 and 4 slideouts. And don't forget to factor in the new technology in gasoline engine and transmission design over the past several years.

The old response, of diesels costing more, does hold true with some of the specialized diesel chassis manufacturers, but it's not just the engine that accounts for these higher prices. You are moving to a much higher plateau across the board. For the most part gasoline RV chassis ' are heavy duty truck chassis ' modified for Recreation Vehicle use, whereas many chassis ' are a diesel bus chassis. These buschassis ' have even greater GVWR 's, Air brakes, Air ride suspension systems, transmissions, rear mounted larger diesel engines and more. They handle better, ride better and cost more. I always say you get what you pay for.

Other than the cost factor between gas and diesel motorhomes, what are we really talking about when it comes down to gas versus diesel? Say for example then a truck you want to use to pull a trailer. This is where we need to factor in the engine itself. This is also where torque and horsepower come into the equation.

Explaining torque and horsepower can get extremely technical, and we want to keep this simple and easy to understand. With that said, torque is basically the force or energy required to move something. Torque is the measureMent of force,and force is measured in reference to a twisting or rotating shaft. In English terms torque is measured in pounds-feet, but is more commonly referred to as foot-pounds. So in keeping it simple let's just say that torque can be thought of as the amount of turning force it takes to move one pound of weight the distance of one foot.

Torque can be multiplied through gear ratios. You have probably heard that the higher the real axle gear ratio is the beMa tter the truck will tow. The axle ratio is the number of times the driveshaft must rotate to turn the rear wheels one time. If you have a 3.73: 1 axle ratio the drive shaft turns 3.73 times for each full turn of the axle. So in a sense torque really equalls towing capacity.

Horsepower on the other hand is torqueX RPM 's. Torque is how much work is being done, and horsepower is how Fast you get the actual work done. What's interesting is an engine rated at 350 horsepower only produces that horsepower at a rated peak power RPM. This RPM range, for a gasoline engine, is often between 5.000 and 6.000 RPM 's. When an engine is idling the horsepower is significantly lower, and as the RPM's raise so does the horsepower. When you're towing a trailer the engine speed is more likely to be in the low to mid RPM range, 2.000 which means you probably have slightly more than half of the rated horsepower. Horsepower is measured by a dynamoMeter. A dynamoMeter puts a load on the engine and measures the amount of power the engine produces against the load at various speeds. In reality it is measuringtorque in pound-feet and converting it to horsepower. Even at the peak power RPM rated you won't really get the rated horsepower because a percenTAGe is lost through auxiliary equipMent on the engine and the process of getting it back to the wheels.

In a diesel engine the horsepower peaks at a lower RPM, and there is more torque at a lower RPM compared to a gasoline engine. This results in a diesel engine having much more power at a lower RPM, RPM range around the you will be towing at. This higher torque and higher horsepower at a lower RPM equates tor better towing.

There are many other factors involved in the question of gas versus diesel that you will need to consider. What are the maintenance costs involved, cost difference between fuel types, fuel economy,your budget, and the resale value? Whether it's for a tow vehicle or motorhome, take your time and make a well informed decision when comparing gas to diesel.

If the question is which truck will tow more or which motorhome has more torque the diesel will win hands down, but I honestly have no complaints with our gas powered motorhome either. Especially when considering the price.

Q & A

Question: Why does a diesel engine have more torque?

Mark Says: Much of the reason is in the way the engine is designed. Internal combustion engines use spark from a spark Plug to ignite fuel in the combustion chamber of a gasoline engine and the high heat from compression to ignite the fuel in a diesel engine. It's more difficult toburn diesel engines diesel fuel so have higher compression ratios resulting in more heat to ignite the fuel and more power.

Question: I have always heard that a diesel engine is much louder than a gas engine, is this true?

Mark Says: If you asked me that several years ago the answer would have been yes, but newer diesel engines are actually very quiet.

Question: You said in the article on diesel motorhome rides better, why is that?

Mark Says: Most gas motorhome chassis ' leaf spring suspension systems use. With this suspension system you will experience things like "body roll and pitch." whenever pressure is exerted against one side of the motorhome. It can be caused by a gust of wind, a shift in weight while cornering, or a passing truck. The effects of sway on a motorhome are increased because of the height and mass of the motorhome. Diesel chassis uses an air ride suspension system. These systems keep the chassis adjusted to the proper ride height at all times by adding and releasing air as required. And the way the system is designed eliminates the pitch and roll affect you get from leaf spring suspensions, resulting in a smoother riding motorhome.

Happy Camping,

Mark J. Polk

Copyright 2007 by Mark j. Polk, owner rveducation101.com

Gas Versus Diesel RV's

Benefits of Golden Berries

Going back to the basics like eating organic products is highly advised by many nutritionists will, health enthusiasts and medical practitioners compared to consuming processed goods and instant meals. They claim eating fruits and vegetables in their natural forms are the best sources of nutrients to keep our bodies healthy and free from any diseases.

Benefits of Golden Berries

Benefits of Golden Berries

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Benefits of Golden Berries

Benefits of Golden Berries

Some fruits and vegetables are believed to be superFoods that are enriched with many vitamins and minerals in their natural forms. One of the most popular among them is the organic Golden Berries (gooseberry), also known as Incan Berries or Cape Gooseberries, which are eaten as healthy snacks and processed as an ingredient for different recipes. These berries are little golden nuggetsyellowish orange in color, with similar flavor of a candied lemon having sweet and tart taste. Incan Berries are found to have high nutritional value. These berries, which are bigger than raisins, have many seeds with a grainy texture and frequently eaten dry.

Golden Berry was first found in the South American tropics, where it was widely grown. The Incas the earliest cultivated berries and brought these to South Africa treading the path of the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Gooseberry "where the name originated in the 1800s. These berries were then introduced to Australia and New Zealand and have been widely grown in the wild ever since.

Fruit eaters in the past may have enjoyed eating the little berries because of theirrefreshing and delicious sweet taste, but little did they know that the Golden Berry has amazing health benefits like a multivitamin. With its holistic and all-natural ingredients, eating Gold Berries is highly recomMended than taking a multivitamin suppleMent.

The Incan Berry has high content of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12 and C, along with Vitamin P (bioflavinoids). Vitamin P has antioxidants and contains anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-histamine and anti-condition components. This makes the little dried fruits act as little soldiers protecting the body from toxins and free radicals that wash out the body wastes.

Benefits of Golden Berries

How to Hook Up Your VCR, TV and Satellite Receiver

Using a VCR to record your favorite tv epsodes when you have a satellite TV service installed can be a bit tricky but it certainly can be done. It's always important to remember that in a scheme, the satellite TV set-up boxes (also known as the receiver) is the original feed and it always outputs on the frequency of Channels 3 or 4.

How to Hook Up Your VCR, TV and Satellite Receiver

How to Hook Up Your VCR, TV and Satellite Receiver

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How to Hook Up Your VCR, TV and Satellite Receiver

How to Hook Up Your VCR, TV and Satellite Receiver

Almost all TVs VCRs have NTSC tuners which can only receive channels stations from either analog stations using a receiver or cable and not directly from digital OTA stations like satellite TV or even digital cable. The only way to record programming using a VCR to record whatever channel is you're Watching on TV or that's being played on the satellite TV receiver.

First is to connect the VCR to the receiver box through the red/white/yellow jacksof both the receiver and the VCR. Alternately, you may also use a coaxial cable to attach the RF output signal of the receiver to the input of the VCR and then choose channels 3 or 4 on the VCR. Do not forget to change channels, you need to use the receiver rather than the VCR itself.

A different method is to use an antenna if you are trying to save local channels. With this method, you need to make sure your the receiver is turned off even if the antenna is attached into your DTV box or else you can just attach the antenna to your VCR, totally bypassing the receiver.

How to Hook Up Your VCR, TV and Satellite Receiver

HDTV Antennas-A Simple Buyers Guide

Those of you who thought that TV antennas have become obsolete, think again. Due to technical changes and advances in Hdtvs, more and more people are looking to buy antennas. These are mainly required to receive OTA or over-the-Air digital signals and for this purpose, you may need over-the-roof antennas. People who have subscribed for satellite signals also need antennas to receive local channels.

HDTV Antennas-A Simple Buyers Guide

HDTV Antennas-A Simple Buyers Guide

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HDTV Antennas-A Simple Buyers Guide

HDTV Antennas-A Simple Buyers Guide

Set-top antennas today, provide cutting edge designs-but they can also set you back by hundreds of Dollars. The older rooftop antennas have also undergone a treMendous change. While the older designs stood on your roofs like scarecrows, the newer versions can be easily camouflaged and stuck under the eaves of your roofs. These> antennas can also be amplified to boost signal receptions.

There are two methods of broadcasting OTA signals-the eight bit vestigial side band modulation technique and the coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. Both these systems have their pros and cons. The 8 VSB Uniface utilized the broadcasting spectrum more efficiently so the US laws have made this as the broadcast standard for US digital TVs. The reason why antennas have become even more necessary is the fact that the 8VSB signals are difficult to receive in many areas.

An important consideration when choosing antennas for your Hdtv is the distance from the broadcasting stations; if you live more than 10 miles away then adequate reception can be had using roof top or attic mounted> antennas. On the contrary, the indoor antennas are sufficient for distances less than 10 miles. The second drawback of US 8VSB broadcast is that its performance is quite poor multidirectional. Hence you need to invest in good UHF antennaunidirectional. These are available at most electronic stores easily. Do remember to place the antenna at the highest point on your roof if you live more than 15 miles from the broadcasting station.

Another important factor you must not ignore when you purchase antennas for Hdtv is the front-to-back ratio of the antenna. Larger this ratio, lesser is the interference in signal and better the picture quality. If you are living in an area with very tall buildings, then signal interference is a majorissue; a highly directive antenna with a good front-to-back ratio can help your signal reception greatly.

When you purchase a Hdtv you also get a HDTV receiver. Some TVs also come with built-in HDTV tuners called ATSC. The HD signals can be phased in on some regular and cable channels and a rooftop antenna can receive these.

HDTV Antennas-A Simple Buyers Guide