Gas or Diesel Motorhomes

With so many considerations to keep in mind when you’re buying an RV, you’re probably not looking for something else to make the process more complicated. You probably just want to get the perfect vehicle and hit the road. Well, Airstream of New Mexico has another consideration to add to your list, but it’s a good one so don’t pass it up. If you’re looking at motorhomes, you’ll probably get to choose between gas or diesel models. This is fairly common in the bigger rigs, but it may not be common knowledge as to who should choose which fuel type. That’s why we’ve provided some reasons to choose one or the other. There isn’t really a right answer, there’s just what’s going to be more beneficial to you, so if you need one-on-one help, stop by our location in Albuquerque, New Mexico, near Gallup, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe.

Initial Price

When it comes to the amount of money you’ll be paying up front for the rig itself, there isn’t really a competition. Gas motorhomes are usually much cheaper than diesel. This is because they’re usually smaller, they use materials that aren’t as expensive, and the general assembly of the vehicle isn’t more expensive, so there’s no need to jack up the price. This can come with its own long term problem, but sometimes this is the deciding factor--you can’t buy a motorhome with money you don’t have. 

Maintenance Costs

Then again, this is usually where those nicer materials come into play. Diesel motorhomes tend to last longer than gas motorhomes, so even though you’d have to pay a little more up front, you wouldn’t have to pay for a replacement vehicle nearly as quickly. Not to mention, lasting longer means putting off the more serious maintenance issues that generally take place over time. The downside is that when maintenance does need to happen, you’ll need to find a specially trained technician and it’ll probably be a higher bill, especially if a part needs to be replaced.

Gas motorhomes will probably require more maintenance over the course of your ownership, the bills won’t be as high since gas motorhome technicians and parts are a little more common. You’ll just want to think about what you expect your long term budget to be and which option seems more feasible for you. 

Accessibility

You’ll also want to consider where you enjoy camping the most. If you’re getting a big motorhome, then you probably already need to make special arrangements so your campsite can accommodate your vehicle. However, as we’ve mentioned before, diesel motorhomes are even bigger, so you may be even more restricted when it comes to places to stop and rest. You’ll also probably have a steeper learning curve when it comes to learning how to drive it, what with all that extra size and weight.

Fuel Economy

Finally, there’s fuel economy. Once again, you’ll just have to think about what’s going to make the most sense for your travel needs. Diesel burns slower, which means you can drive longer and farther before needing to fill up the tank. However, if you’ve noticed at your many stops at the gas station, diesel is often slightly more expensive than gas, and over time that can add up. You’ll want to think about how far you usually travel on each trip, how often you’ll want to stop, and how much you can spend on gas. 

Hopefully this helps, but we know there’s a lot of nuance to your choice. If you feel like you’re still struggling to narrow down your options, stop by Airstream of New Mexico and we’ll help you pick the perfect Airstream motorhome for you and your family. You can even decide to go a little smaller and check out some of our Class B motorhomes. We proudly serve Albuquerque, Gallup, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe, NM.