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What is an "orphan" in RV parlance?
An RV is referred to as an "orphan", if the company that manufactured it is no longer in business. Since over 80% of the companies that once manufactured RVs are now out of business, orphans are quite common and since most of the parts are shared across all brands, owning one is not too great an issue. On the other hand, buying an orphan manufactured by a company that has just gone out of business can cause problems, if warranty work were required on the construction of the RV such as the roof or sidewalls.
What is a "PDI"?
The term PDI refers to the "predelivery inspection" that is supposed to be completed before a RV is delivered to the buyer. It is done to insure everything works prior to delivery, although whether it is done or done well, varies with the dealership. Since it in the only insurance a buyer has after delivery, wise buyers complete their own PDI, regardless of that they are told at the dealership.
Should I buy a motorhome with a gas or a diesel engine?
Good question. Not a simple answer. In general, I do not think one type is always better or worse, rather, I encourage buyers to consider size and weight. When you get into larger motor homes, which I define as more than 34 feet and certainly more than 36 feet, I tend to think in terms of diesel power. As motor homes reach those sizes, they need more torque or grunt than gas engines can achieve.
The biggest advantages of diesels are their power, along with better mileage, and less complexity. The disadvantage comes when repair time rolls around. Anything diesel is heavier and costs much more to repair. Some folks also have very little tolerance for the smell of diesel fuel and filling at truck stops virtually guarantees diesel on the carpet. The normal life expectance of diesel engines is 500,000 miles, an irrelevance for most owners given how long motor homes are kept before being traded.
The advantage of gas engines is their much lower cost, compared to diesels; they average $20,000 less. The industry says life expectancy is about 200,000 miles and I think their longevity and reliability has improved dramatic starting in about the year 2000. At times it is easier to find gasoline than it is diesel fuel, although this is much less a problem than in years past.
Buy diesel, if you need the power. I question that diesel power is ever necessary in any class C motor home where the current line-up of GM and Ford power trains do very well. I also see little advantage for diesel in shorter class A coaches, unless cargo carrying capacity is very large. I think many consumers have gone overboard with the weight issue and seldom use the thousands of pounds of cargo carrying capacity (CCC) they demand.
Snob appeal? Diesel wins hands down!
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