Gas Class A Motorhomes – The Top 3 Choices

Gas Class A Motorhomes

This article is about the best gas Class A motorhomes. Or at least the top three anyway.

Now when people think about Class A RVs, they’re usually thinking about diesel pushers.

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Table of Contents

Gas vs Diesel Motorhomes

But as soon as you put a diesel engine in a Class A motorhome, the cost starts rising for all sorts of things.

For instance, the engine itself is just going to cost you more than a gasoline engine.

So that means the initial cost of the RV itself is going to be more.

But RV manufacturers know that diesel engines push around a lot of weight too.

And as a result, they stuff all sorts of luxuries and amenities in those diesel pushers that are expensive to maintain.

Also, there are higher costs associated with maintenance and repairs of the engine itself. Especially for larger repairs on diesel engines.

Diesel engine
Repairing diesel engines can be costly

So what are we saying here? Well, I’m basically saying that gas Class A motorhomes are just more affordable overall than diesel pushers.

Gas Class A motorhomes

Now usually you’re going to find that gas powered motorhomes are built on a Ford chassis these days.

And that chassis will most often have a V-8 gasoline engine in it now.

Gas Class A Motorhomes Ford chassis
Gas Class A Ford chassis

Of course, the Ford chassis used to have a V-10 engine to power many motorhome RVs.

But they switched to the V-8 engine with 350 horsepower instead in recent years.

And the Ford chassis is very popular with RV manufacturers. The reason for that is because it’s generally proven and reliable.

It’s been in use for many years by the RV industry and so they can count on it.

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But that doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. And one of the biggest complaints about the Ford chassis is its ride and handling.

Gas Class A RV Chassis Suspension

Of course, you can usually take care of that by upgrading the suspension with aftermarket products.

And one of the best ways to do that is with what’s called a Liquid Spring suspension system.

In fact, it works so well that Tiffin, one of the largest Class A manufacturers, actually offers the Liquid Spring suspension as an upgrade right at their factory.

But it’s not cheap. Especially if you buy Liquid Spring suspension on the aftermarket and have it installed.

Usually it’s going to be at least $12,000 for that kind of suspension upgrade. And obviously, that keeps a lot of people from buying it.

Ford Chassis Affordable Suspension Upgrades

Now what you could do that’s less expensive, is upgrade many of the chassis suspension components.

For instance, you could install Koni shocks all around. Or you could put a steering stabilizer bar on the coach.

Koni shocks
Koni shocks

Steering stabilizers are very popular. And that’s what we have on our Class A diesel pusher. It works very well.

But beyond that, many gas Class A motorhome owners also install Sumo Springs. And these beefy springs help prevent sway and rocking.

Sumo Springs
Sumo Springs

Now by making these adjustments, very often you hear owners say that they’re very happy with the results that they’ve gotten from making these suspension upgrades.

Gas Class A Interiors

But there’s another thing that a lot of people kind of complain about with gas Class A RVs. And that is the motorhome’s interior.

They say that they’re drab when compared to diesel pushers. And when you look back over the years. they do have a point there.

But the newer Class A RV interiors are much nicer in recent years. And I invite you to take a look at them to see if you feel the same way.

Alright, having said all of that let’s get to my list of the top three gas Class A motorhomes that I can recommend as being a quality choice.

How To Avoid Buying An RV Money Pit

Top Rated Gas Class A #1

And number one on the list is one of my favorite manufacturers. That’s Newmar. And they make the Bay Star.

Newmar Bay Star Gas Class A Motorhomes
Newmar Bay Star

Now the Bay Star comes with 11 different floor plans to choose from. So most likely, you’re going to find a floor plan in there somewhere that you like.

But they also give you a wide variety of lengths to choose from too. All the way from 30 feet up to 38 feet.

And you know, there’s a lot of RVers that really want a shorter Class A. That’s because they want to go boondocking.

Or they want to get into national parks and forests where the sites are smaller. And the same thing applies with state parks too.

Or maybe they just like being able to drive around a smaller RV in general.

Well, a 30-footer is a very good choice then. And Newmar can fulfill that easily with the Bay Star.

Also, the MSRP for the Bay Star is right around $229,000. And you can discount from there for the actual sale price.

Top Rated Gas Class A #2

Number two on the list is the Tiffin Open Road. And the Open Road has been in use for years and years.

Tiffin Open Road
Tiffin Open Road

There are lots of fans out there for that particular model. But Tiffin only offers you five floor plans for the Open Road at this point.

And they also cut down the choice of motorhome length as well. In fact, the range goes from 34 to 38 feet.

Now 34 feet is still much shorter than many Class A motorhomes out there. So it still could be a good choice for you if you want a smaller RV.

Now from what I can tell on RV Trader, it looks like most Tiffin Open Road RVs in 2023 are being offered for around $230,000.

At least that appears to be the average for brand new. And then you can discount from there for the actual sale price.

Top Rated Gas Class A #3

Number three on the list is the Entegra Emblem. And Entegra builds a great Class A RV.

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Entegra Emblem Gas Class A Motorhomes
Entegra Emblem

Unfortunately, the Emblem only comes in three floor plans. So they’re not giving you a lot of choice there.

And they eliminate the choice of length because all three floor plans are 38 feet in length. But what a great RV though!

And I’m sure you would like it if you like the floor plans they offer at that length.

Now the Entegra Emblem’s MSRP will be right around $229,000 also. And then you can discount from there for the actual sale price.

So as you can see, all three of these choices are right around the same cost.

Also, all three are very good quality brands that I can recommend for you.

More Great Brands To Consider

Now does that mean these are all of the gas Class A brands that I can recommend? Or is that all that’s on my list of better brands?

Not even by a long shot! There are plenty more gas Class A RVs that I can recommend for you to consider.

In fact, I created a guidebook that lists the best Class A RV brands to choose from.

Gas Class A Motorhomes Guidebook

And right in that guidebook is the section on gas Class A RVs. So I recommend that you download the guidebook and go through it.

Because it will give you all of the brands that I can recommend for consideration.

You know, the ones I mentioned here in this article are a very good place to start.

But the guidebook’s list will give you lots more to choose from. So consider getting that guidebook for an even more complete listing of quality brands.

Now there is another thing that I want to mention to you at this point though.

What You Must Do Before You Buy

And that is that if you buy a new gas Class A motorhome these days, make sure that you get it inspected before you take delivery of that RV.

Now does that include the manufacturers that I talked about today in this article? Yes it does.

And does it include the ones that’s on my full quality list too? Yes it does.

And that’s because every brand out there pretty much has some kind of quality control issues going on these days. Even some of the best quality brands to some extent!

And on top of that, dealers are many times not performing anywhere near a quality pre-delivery inspection when they get new RVs from the manufacturers.

So I highly recommend that you protect yourself in the buying process. And you can do that by hiring a certified NRVIA inspector.

RV repairs - don't pay for them
NRVIA Certified RV Technician Badge
Get an inspector that is certified by the NRVIA

They will go through that new RV right out of the factory and find the majority of issues that are in it.

And then he will give you the list of problems that he found in his inspection.

How To Get RV Problems Fixed

You can then hand that to the dealer as a punch list of problems that needs fixing.

And tell him “I love this RV and I’m ready to buy it. Just as soon as you fix all of these items to my satisfaction.”

Now if you do that before you take delivery of the RV, you’ll find that you’ll get very good service as a result of that.

Conclusion

Now let’s take a quick review of the best way to buy a new motorhome.

The first step is to buy an RV from my list of the best Class A gas motorhomes. Then get it inspected before you buy it.

And finally, get any problems and issues fixed before you take delivery.

And if you follow that advice, you can expect to get the RV that you paid for from the very first day of ownership.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!

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