trying to decide between gas and diesel, short or medium

[mfalkner]

looking for best fuel mileage either in gas or diesel in a short bus or a medium bus. Best engine size and rear axle gears or two speed. Trying to figure this out for long trips across country. I'm hoping this is the place to get the best info.

[crazycal]

Diesel is the only way to go for fuel economy.

[chev49]

diesel is best in many applications. i also add 2 cycle oil and centane booster...

[Tango]

Once again...Diesel. No comparison for longevity (up to a million miles)...mpg (you can squeeze 30 out of a Cummins 4BT even in a small RV)...and low maintenance. They still have to be cared for, but nothing like a gasser. The real trick to mpg is final gearing matched to driving style. For long range highway cruising you want a combination of tranny, rear end and tire size that will keep the engine in its' "sweet spot". In my particular case, that is 1800 rpm's at 65mph but you will have to run some numbers to get it right for any other rig.

Take a look at the site below. It is a calculator for doing just that.



http://www.csgnetwork.com/multirpmcalc.html

Happy hunting & welcome to Skoolies!

[ol trunt]

Make that X3---or is it 4 now? I cant remember As Tango says, you have to find the sweet spot for your particular rig. Jack

[Accordion]

I think the "sweet spot" for my motor (1160 CAT), is pedal to the metal. I have had it up to 72mph. The motor has not blown up. I wish I had a tachometer. When I try to go just 60 mph, it does not go up hills very strongly.

The placard says 6.8 rear end. (perhaps it has been changed before I bought the bus). I have 11R 22.5 tires.

[dirtygoat]

I have to jump on the diesel band wagon... A gasser won't take the abuse, will get less mpg and **** the bed way before a diesel...

[ol trunt]

AH, I just re- read, get the longest, tallest, widest bus you can find room to park. My bus is only 22' long and while I LOVE it, its size does cramp my style and it costs no more to outfit a big bus. While I'm at it, try to find a bus someone else has taken the seats out of--that is a pita. Often by the time the seats are gone the would be bus nut will have had a change of heart and be ready to sell cheap. My two cents worth. Jack

[dirtygoat]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

AH, I just re- read, get the longest, tallest, widest bus you can find room to park. My bus is only 22' long and while I LOVE it, its size does cramp my style and it costs no more to outfit a big bus. While I'm at it, try to find a bus someone else has taken the seats out of--that is a pita. Often by the time the seats are gone the would be bus nut will have had a change of heart and be ready to sell cheap. My two cents worth. Jack

I agree, get the biggest bus you have room for... Mine is 25', but I wanted a Shorty to get into tight spots we camp at...

And the seat thing is spot on... They can be a pain to remove and get rid of...

I would be most concerned about over all condition, how it runs, tires, glass that you want to leave in, lights/lenses, wiring, brakes... You can spend a lot of money just doing maintenance that has be neglected...

[Diesel Dan]

Well, I think my "handle" speaks for itself: Diesel all the way bro!

[roach711]

Agreeing with DirtyGoat on the overall condition thing. A set of skoolie-sized tires alone will nuke your budget. Thumbs up on diesel motors.

Our 25 footer is a good length for us. We were able to get all the basic creature comforts in without it being too cramped and still be pretty maneuverable and parkable, but then again, we're doing the weekend warrior thing, not living in it.

[sdwarf36]

Everything Roach says. Diesel-yes. And I'm another weekender-so a shortie works fine. I get 10mpg-and from reading, larger ones are the same or better. And prices seem backwards-larger busses run cheaper than short ones.
Get as big as you're comfy driving.

[mfalkner]

this is Mike thanks for the info keep it coming trying to learn all I can. I am a mechanics instructor in shreveport louisiana for a local high school system so getting a bus is no problem, just trying to decide where to start, Ha Ha

[Tango]

Hey Mike --- you are going about it the right way. As an instructor, you obviously know the value of "homework". Just keep it up. Ask questions, solicit opinions (there are plenty of those here), question folks who have been there, done that...and you'll develop a your own priorities and wish list. From there...picking "the" bus is easy.

(unless of course "love" gets involved...then all rational thinking goes out the window.)

[ol trunt]

Yup. That's how Tango and I ended up with our old busses--that and their age makes us feel young by comparison. At least it does me Jack

[RUskoolietailgater]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say gas. My bus is gas but then again I don't drive it more than 1,000 miles a year so it should last 50 years at this rate Seriously though, the one thing I didn't like with diesel is the cost of replacing any part in your engine, it is extremely expensive. Depends on what you're looking for. Heck if I ever do a bus again I may do deisel, it is nice for deisel owners to not worrying about pesky things like inspection.

[rachelkae]

Reviving this old thread rather than starting a new one.

We are just starting our search for a short bus or shuttle bus. We are limited to 22 feet as far as what we can park on the street at home. Wondering if your recommendations around gas versus diesel change given we're in Colorado? Our plan is not to live in the bus, but to use it on weekends and vacations. So, mostly driving Colorado and surrounding states. Thanks for the thoughts!

[peteg59]

There are good arguments for both fuel types.

It sounds more like you won't be cross country~ing in your planned use, making gas the most logical choice.

Use fuel stabilizer in the tank if you're sitting more than 30 days or so...

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by rachelkae

Reviving this old thread rather than starting a new one.

We are just starting our search for a short bus or shuttle bus. We are limited to 22 feet as far as what we can park on the street at home. Wondering if your recommendations around gas versus diesel change given we're in Colorado? Our plan is not to live in the bus, but to use it on weekends and vacations. So, mostly driving Colorado and surrounding states. Thanks for the thoughts!

You might want to check out the threads linked in my sig... Most here agree it is highly useful info for newcomers... Welcome to the community!

[ISAF2009]

Smaller is better in many cases. I chose a diesel bus that would fit on a lift. also 1 ton chassis have cheaper parts my little bus clocked 19.2 mpg on part of way home from kansas.