If I ever move up to a pusher, I think I will have a mental meltdown. The mind boggles on all the engines, chassis and models.

Will someone or someones please start a thread on what is what and the plusses and minuses of each, and when and why they were made, and how much they cost then and are worth now?

Tell us why you love yours and why it is best, and tell us what your dream Barth would be. Also tell us what you don't like about yours, or would like a little different.

The only thing I know for sure is I want a side entry.

If enough of you post, when my ship comes in, I will be able to buy the right one the first time. (My ship came in once, but I was at the bus station)

bill h,
I spent a long time looking for just the right coach. Barth was always a strong contender. I wanted something durable, well built and set up to provide the capability to boondock or connect to campground hook-ups. I spent nearly three years doing research and learned a lot. One of the things I learned is that the perfect coach does not exist. There will always be compromises. However if you learn enough about the systems in motorhomes, you can make a list of the important attributes of your dream coach and then at least have a starting point to work from. Then when you find candidates, compare the list and see where the compromises are. This is essentially what I did. For me the compromises were in the little things that in time I could correct. I didn't get the big inverter, corian counter tops and leather upholstery. I did get a quality built coach with (what I determined to be the best) engine running gear and chassis. I got a great layout and color scheme inside and out and I paid a price that was much lower than what Blue Birds, Prevosts and Newells were selling for. I am extremely happy with my Barth and as a tinkerer have a multitude of projects that are planned.

My reason for wanting a diesel pusher had more to do with better suspension, more power and increased road safety than any thing else. I'm not a rich person, but felt that the investment in diesel was worth digging a little deeper for, especially for the road worthiness and added safety.

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Bill & Georgene Goodwin
92 Regency 36ft
300hp Cummins
Gillig Chassis

When I had my 15 minutes of an RV sales career I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time around Holiday Rambler, Tiffin, Blue Bird, Country Coach and others. When it was slow I would go out and play with the gadgets so I could demo them to customers. Never could figure out the Country Coach radio/rear and side monitor/GPS/toothbrush etc. But then we went to the rally last June and I spent a lot of time in my friend Jim Bentler's 38 foot 1987 Regency. I found that coach to be as comfortable and inviting as any coach I have been in. Yup no slides or anything.

He had the 3208 CAT 275hp and he said that he would like the 300hp. But it is just a beautiful coach and everything ran very well.

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Hi Bill, I know the two greatest factors that attracted me to a Diesel unit is the chassis, and the power plant being in the rear. http://www.spartanchassis.com/default2.asp
I owned a gas unit before that sat on a 1-ton truck chassis. I couldn't stand listening and feeling the heat from the engine being up front...let alone working on it. Shaking,rattling,squeaking and straining down the road we would go.With the diesel the ride is so quiet because the engine is 30 feet behind me. And the chassis gives you a ride like that of a transit autority bus...smooth, soft, straight, and safe. Everything is better engineered for longetivity vs the disposable gas units. I like my Cummins manual where it states the first recommended rebuild is at 400,000 miles. Our Breakaway was around $120K new. I paid $35K Fortunately the dealer I bought it from included a 2 year service contract that repaired about $4K of problems. Normal wear and tear stuff. So far this coach exceeds my expectations. I was replacing my house batteries with some 6 volt units and just marveled over the stainless steel battery trays on both sides of the coach. My last coach the batteries sat on some wood and angle iron. There's just no comparison. Our coach has the Cummins 5.9 Turbo 190 hp unit. I'm looking to Banks for some additional HP. MAX speed of this coach is 65-70 with the throttle wide open. 10 mpg is good but I want more power. My next coach will have no less than 300HP. Especially living here in CA. Our entry door is midway on the coach. I don't think I'd like the entry next to the passenger. You'll love looking at the engine under the rear bed. Plenty of room to hang your feet in the compartment and look around. Nothing to do on these diesel units other than maintenance. Finally, for me these diesels do wonders for your ego. Pulling up and putting on or releasing those air brakes always makes me giddy. Pull up to a truck stop and you feel like you belong. I also have found the Diesel truck mechanic vs. camper bob's RV service to be two comletely different repair experiences. I have had my coach serviced at a truck stop where the guys work on Spartan and Cummins with a seriousness I can't explain. I think they know this caliber vehicle has hundreds of thousands of miles to go by design. I've taken my gas unit to rv repair shops and they let any Tom,dick,or three best guys work on it. Bill, let me know if you want to take my coach for a weekend and see what you think. I'm only an hour away from you.
Larry and Heidi in Costa Mesa CA

Golly, I don't mind my gas Barth noise that much. I guess the Barth doghouse is pretty good. The few pusher Barths I drove seemed underpowered, but they were all the Cummins 5.9. In fairness, I didn't climb any hills with them. Perhaps I should have. Do you travel with a toad? How do you go up Chiriaco Summit? If you go to Anza Borrego, how do you climb Montezuma? I have never driven a 300 hp Barth, but I think I would agree with you on that. Would your choice be a Cat?

Bill, I only tow a couple dirtbikes. Climbing the Cajon Summit or Grapevine are the two primary hills I climb with no problem at 40 mph. The best part is no temperature related problems as the diesel runs cool and steady. I don't know enough about the manufacturers or the engines to make a choice of engine....all I know is I want more power. Of course I don't NEED it though...

bill h, I did a lot of talking to diesel mechanics, in the end Cummins ruled, at least in the typical pushers we are discussing. The Cummins 5.9 and 8.3 along with the CAT 3208 were in most coaches looked at. I chose the Cummins 8.3 because, like Larry said, the under 300 HP units seemed underpowered. The Cummins was touted highly as being easier to repair, both in parts and service center availability as well as less expensive for parts. The Cummins 6CTA is a sleeved engine which is rebuild able where the CAT 3208 is not. My coach is a 36 footer weighing in the neighborhood of 28,000 pounds. I've climbed some pretty good hills here in New England without problem and cruise easily at 65-70 MPH. I will start towing a toad this year, so don't have that experience to offer.

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Bill & Georgene Goodwin
92 Regency 36ft
300hp Cummins
Gillig Chassis

OK, Bill, those are good reasons for the Cummins 8.3. Which chassis offered it? Did you choose a Gillig chassis because it had the 8.3, or did you choose it for another reason? Did the other chassis have shortcomings? Is the Gillig your ideal chassis? Does it have shortcomings?

My wife picks motor homes by color, layout and cabinets.

Bill, In my research, I have decided that I want a Regency for the side-mounted radiator and diesel genset. This makes it easier for rear access belt/hose maintenance. Climbing in from the top doesn't look like fun to change belts. I'm looking for the big 22.5" tires for better tire selection and more heat tolerance. I'm also leaning towards a Cummins, but I wouldn't turn down a Cat 3208. I haven't found any hot rod parts for the Cat.

I'm not sure if all Regencys are side mount radiators. I've only seen pictures of late 80's and early 90's. The Breakaways that I've seen all had back radiators with no access to the motor bay. I have no info on the Monarchs or XL's. The performance parts like the fuel injectors from http://www.dieseldynamics.com/ look to be a reasonable add on with up to 150hp and over 200 ft.lbs torque. You might check out Bully Dog and of course old Banks. Bully Dog even has a nitrous setup with propane injection...better get out the drag chute and get the roll cage NHRA certified. The diesel genset is a bonus because propane is so expensive and harder to get than diesel. I prefer a Spartan Mountain Master chassis for the air bags. I believe air bags should be easier to change than springs when they sag. I don't know if any Barths were built on the Freightliner chassis. Did Gillig get bought out by another company? The only real one to avoid is the '88-'89 8.3 Cummins with the potential Brazillian cracked blocks (per Dave). Pass us your thoughts Bill. I trying to learn everything I can before plunking down some large $.

Bill h,

My 92 regency has the 8.3 Cummins which is turbocharged, after cooled and rated at 300 HP. It has the side radiator and good access to the engine compartment from the back and passenger side. It is coupled with an Allison 647 tranny offering four speeds and downshift drag eliminating the need for an exhaust brake. It sits in a Gillig chassis with a four air bag suspension.

The Gillig chassis was very well built using large frame members and a unique rear suspension that floats over the road very nicely. Few other chassis can compare. However, they are made in California and I live in Massachusetts, so there are not many people familiar with them around here.

The gen set up front is mounted on a slide out frame for easy access. My coach had an upgrade on the gen set. They put in a Power Tech 10 kilowatt unit powered by a twenty HP, four cylinder Kubota diesel engine.

This is, all together a very nice package that works well. Plus, I can get on a creeper and slide under without problem.

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Bill & Georgene Goodwin
92 Regency 36ft
300hp Cummins
Gillig Chassis