RV shopping would like to find Diesel pusher but seeing a lot of V-10 ford Class A's that seem pretty nice. Towing locally 65-70 miles fairly flat tow planning on 34' Trailer, Dragster, Jr.,Golf Cart plus spares, can they do it or should I hold out for a diesel?
Blake

That is a serious load for any Class A gas MH.

Likely will need a trailer toad to handle the tongue weight.

We had a 30 ft Class A for a few years, 28 ft with dragster, golf cart etc. Always a struggle, even with the trailer toad.

It can be done, lots of folks doing it. But not the safest setup.

Think about the braking capabilities on the gas coach.

Good luck with your decision.

I have a 32' Holiday Rambler with a V-10,at first I pulled a 26' enclosed with exactly what you have.It pulled no problem,updated to a 30' lightweight aluminum trailer and lost the JR.,it pulled fine. Just upgraded to a 30' Intech 1' xtra height and the motorhome is having a hard time on the hills,just going to my local track and flat roads it is fine. I am looking for a diesel as we speak.

I have a short Class C V-10 MH and tow a 26' trailer with just a dragster.
No real problem pulling most any hills including some pretty step grades but my MH and trailer are pretty light.
I have seen and worked on some really long Class A's that are used to tow some pretty big trailers with door cars and golf carts.
The V-10's in those MH's are the newer 3 valve heads and rated about 40-50HP more than my 2 valve engine...I ask how it pulls their stuff and they say fine
One racer friend has a class A Toy Hauler MH that is well over 30' and it has an area in the back behind the bedroom you could use as a lounge or to pile your Motorcycles or whatever in....3 AC units and he pulls at least a 28' trailer with a doorcar and golf cart.
I put a bigger Onan generator in his MH....
I don't think he has a Toad.....
Another friend also has a V10 powered big class A and tows a 28 or longer trailer with a door car….
My rig goes down the road fine but is a handful of steering wheel at times....Trucks and wind.....
Stops better than when I used my Duramax pickup with a Lance Camper.....Very good brakes on my MH...…
I do see lots of big Class A's with gas engines at the track...….

If I was traveling a lot and had the room, I'd have a diesel pusher.....

I think that if you're using it for local or maybe even divisional racing only, a V10 will be a great choice. Staying local, definitely.

I towed for a few years with a 2000 35’ V10 with a slide. My trailer is a 32’ steel triple axle with Dragster, golf cart, drum of alky and the usual amount of associated junk. Power & fuel economy was surprisingly good on flat roads but it really struggled on hills. My trailer has the axles moved forward though so it’s light on the tongue- as others have said, that’s a big concern on the wimpier chassis & leaf springs that the gas coaches have. My current MH is the 300hp Cummins, everyone says that’s too small to tow with but it’s still way better than the gas coach so I would definitely go diesel if you can but a gas one will do the job. PM me and I’ll give you my number if you want to discuss it further.

No experience with MH V-10s, but the ones we have in trucks at work (F350-550) seem like they do about 2 gallons per mile on gas usage...

My V-10 MH gets about 7-8 mpg. Towing or by itself doesn’t make a huge difference. 4.56 rear gear and 2400-2600 rpm at 65-70+. 5 speed O/D trans. V-10’s spin way up in rpm when you lean on them. The Transmission shift timing is terrible Stock. A 5Star Programmer is supposed to be a real good improvement on any V10 MH or pickup. A little more power and much better shift timing. I do not have one but the forums on RVs generally are nothing but positive on them.

I tow with a gas motor home, approximately the same amount of miles and equipment as your asking about. I do go 8 hours away, twice a season.

I didn’t pay a whole lot for it, since, due to its age, has already depreciated out..

Most of my tows are flat, I cruise at a even 70 or so on the interstate, and I’ll admit it slows on the hills a little, but outside of that, it tows, rides, and handles much better than I thought or even expected.

I’ve never had a braking problem, and I adjusted the tongue weight by putting the four wheeler in the back of the trailer instead of the front.

Gas Mileage is about 6-7 but, after all, it’s a house...towing a race car. But once you get to the track, and put it in park, it’s time for a cold beer from the fridge! (Priceless)

One advantage (I think) I have is, that if anything happens when I’m 6 hours from home, it’s just a ford truck engine combination.. (maybe this is just psychological...)

My race season is Apr-Oct, so I don’t feel bad when it sits (without a payment) for 6 months a year..

I know I might get flamed, but that’s my opinion.

I should add, I have towed with gas and diesel MH before, although they were both of the underpowered variety 454 gas MH, and my pusher was a 5.9L cummins 260 HP. That being said the cummins ran circles around even my dodge one ton with the same engine. I WOULD PREFER TO DO AN 8.3 CUMMINS but the budget just isn't there at this time.

We have a small (25.5') compact class A. We tow a 5500 lb open trailer without issue. It is newer with 6 spd trans and V-10. 4.56 gears and 16' wheels means it never wants for power. Easily cruises at 70 - 75MPH. Trucks not much of an issue, crosswinds are a pain. 9 - 11 MPG, seems like it is same with or without trailer.

12,500/13,500 RV only. 18,500 RV and trailer with extra water and spares, GCVW rating is 22000.

I considered buying a diesel pusher but when combined with the trailer the overall length (over 65 feet) became a legal issue in California. I could not find a shorter (under 36 ft.) diesel pusher with sufficient power so I built a stroker engine (506 ci) for my 30 foot Class A Coach. Clean but certainly not fancy it does the job, it does however get swallowed up in the sea of big rigs at the track. You would need a GPS to find me at the track. Fortunately we don’t race the tow rigs or I would retire from racing and stay home.

I refused to go that far into debt buying a Toter Home that is used as infrequently as a race car hauler. There are no inexpensive alternatives that get the job done adequately if you live and tow in a mountainous area like I do.

Bob

I was thinking a diesel was a must since its rated to tow the trailer. What are the v10 MH's rated to tow? I know they don't make them anymore but the newer workhorse chassis with 8.1L where supposed to be decent but i think there was different size chassis with higher tow ratings.

I know I've seen a few of the V-10 Chassis on the 22.5 tires figured that was a heavier chassis as well.

I spent a long saturday adding metal to my rear frame and hitch.

Boxed the C channel....and welded it all to the hitch itself....and beefed up the hitch cross bar and shank drop as well.

4 years and no issues back there....

My 30' Winnebago on a Ford Chassis with the gas V10 pulls a 28' Pace GT trailer with a dragster and a golf cart in it - but only after adding a helper spring in the rear and reenforcing the frame work for the hitch.

Getting to and from local races on basically flat roads is not an issue. Tackling the long steep hills through PA on a 14 hr drive is another story (you might need a tranquilizer for the PA ride).

Is it underpowered? Yup. Does it get the job done? Yup.

I towed several years with a Georgetown Ford V-10 Class A coach. Depending on weight, as was said you'll want helper springs or at least air bags. You'll also need to beef up the back of the coach AND the hitch.
They go ok on flat ground but struggle up hills and sound like the engine is about to blow (very high revving engine).
As was said, you'll need plenty of drugs while towing this way especially if you drive thru highly populated areas.
People just LOVE to pass you on the right then pull in in front of you then proceed to lock the brakes up. This is where these types of coaches fall short.
Going, ok, stopping that's another story. Leave plenty of room between you and the car in front of you.

I have picked up a used trailer toad to possibly help my transition!

Good idea Blake. The Toad will protect the investment you make in a coach and overall it will improve handling and smoothness of the ride.
Any questions on setting it up, give me a call.
Jok

Jok
You will be my first call when I go to set it up!
Blake