Buying a Diesel
my husband and I just went to an RV dealership and happened upon another C class but it is a Diesel. It’s a Forest River. It only has 1100 miles on it. It’s a 2024. There were a few things they needed to fix like the screen in the window was off and the jackknife sofa didn’t appear to stay upright. I don’t know if anyone here has had any experience with the forest river. I also don’t know if maintenance is more rigorous with the diesel. I know it’s more expensive to repair. It’s in a Mercedes Chassis. Any comments or info is appreciated. We are going back this weekend to take for a ride
We don’t know much about FR as when we saw so many recalls from the manufacturer, we chose to stay away from them, but I think Richard may have one, he’d be better to talk to. Good luck.
Forrest River has issues with quality control and they use the cheapest product to maximise their profit. I've made a lot of upgrades and modification to get my rig just right for my needs. Not familiar with Mercedes RV but I'm sure maintance is going to be high. Good luck.
Just my two cents from a lot of reading and observation.
Diesel is more efficient than Gas, more power per gallon. Diesel engines are pretty simple to maintain, excel in fuel efficiency, torque, and longevity, making them ideal for heavy-duty applications. However, not everyone services Diesel.
Newer Diesel Mercedes in the US seem to be iffy, but ones with the EU engine seem to be OK.
Mercedes service is expensive.. My Toyota dealer here is Mercedes/Toyota and I always have to watch to make sure they don't quote the Mercedes service standard price..
Me personally, I would go for a Ford Transit based Gas unit, as Ford repair facilities and other shops that handle them are all across the country.
That said of course, the bus I am converting (still) is a E-350 Ford chassis using Gas. I am however adding in a Diesel tank for Heating as I wish to stay away from propane refilling. Everything in the unit will be Electric other than the Diesel Heat.
We have a diesel truck, a F350 dually and they can get expensive, but like Alan stated, they run better than gas. We have looked into Mercedes Vans and wondered about the cost on those as well, and yes they are expensive to get fixed. Finding the repair places may also be harder, something to think on. Sorry not much help, hope you find the perfect one.
I also have a Ford F-350, not a dually. Yes they are a little bit more costly on services but for me, the performance outweighs the difference in costs. BUT, I am a mechanic so I do all of my own diagnostics and repairs. Just my time and any parts expenses for us. That being said, I haven’t worked on any Mercedes, (yet), but I sure do see a ton of those RV’s on the road quite often and I haven’t ever heard anyone say avoid them. If I had to take my vehicle to be worked on, I would seek out an independent shop over a dealer. Always search reviews on what you are planning on purchasing and also reviews on any repair shops you may be using.