Precept 36T

[Magnolia Tom]

Anyone seen or own of of these? We love our fifth wheel but this looks like it would work for us very well. Interested in fuel economy....how bad is it? Can you tow a mini van without feeling like the motor is really straining? We've never owned a motor home but are really interested in the possibility. Any insight would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

https://youtu.be/g6Gb3yZQW3g



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mowdoc]

Compared to the truck you now have a Precept will have about 60% the torque and slightly more HP. The get up and go as you enter a freeway will be similar but once you are at speed, the gas motor is going to have to "strain" to keep things moving - compared to the diesel you now enjoy. The gas motor has 20% more cylinders firing plus it will be turning a lot more RPM so it is going to sound like it's gonna blow - compared to the diesel!

I had a 2012 F450 scorpion and pulled a 37 foot fiver before the Precept. I ain't gonna lie to you, you will certainly think you made a huge mistake buying a gas rig at first. The lost power is that noticeable! Once you get used to driving a Precept it becomes a lot better and you will be satisfied. Your diesel is prolly doing around 7-8 MPG currently and you can expect the Precept to be about that too. Gasoline is cheaper to purchase so it will cost less in the long run. You will enjoy the simple maintenance of a gas rig compared to costs on a diesel.

The class A motor home is much better for us. We keep most of the camping stuff in it so all we have to do is load food and drive away! We use the coach a lot more than we did the fifth wheel as it is so easy to get going. We prolly camp three times more nights per year since getting the motor home. Very easy to just get in and go.

One other benefit I did not count on was trading my diesel for a smaller gas truck. It saves me money every time I turn around too! And, I can park it anywhere which was always a nightmare with the F450!

As far as the 36T Precept, I don't know - never saw one yet. My advice is buy the floor plan you like and deal with the other issues as they come up.

[Magnolia Tom]

Mowdoc

Thank you for your insight. My 2014 f350 gets about 10-11 mpg while towing and it pulls easily so that would be a big difference in economy. I guess as you say I'd get used to it.
We keep our fiver loaded and ready to go as well, but it would be nice to just drive off instead of hitching up. Plus my 3 kids are getting older and bigger so spending long drives in the back of a truck is tiresome for all of us.

Do you tow anything behind yours? How does it handle the load?

Thanks again


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Magnolia Tom]

Double post

[mowdoc]

Yes, I tow two different things depending on where we are headed. I tow a JEEP Wrangler or I tow a trailer with a full dress Harley and a RZR on it. The JEEP weighs 3400 and the trailer and load weighs 2900. I don't know they are back there except when accelerating and they both slow that process! Both toads have braking systems so stopping is not bad at all and they both follow the Precept very nicely at speed.

My diesel had 410 gears and only got 13 MPG empty! It would do 7 pulling my fiver at 75 mph or I could nurse it at 65 and do about 8. That truck weighed right at 10k full of fuel but it was very strong on the road. I set cruise control a little above speed limit and drove it like a car - the load never bothered it at all. I wish Ford offered that engine in the chassis options but I doubt the drive shaft in a motor home would take the torque.

I think the Precept could get 8 pulling a toad if you drove under 65? I don't do that unless I can't maintain the speed limit due to wind and hills. I don't mess around on long trips so I run the limit plus a few. I would rather spend time camping instead of driving.

One thing is for sure - you will miss the diesel power a lot!! However, driving the motor home is fun and does not get old. Heck, my wife gets up and makes me sandwiches as we go!! Can't beat that.

[Magnolia Tom]

Sandwich on the road sounds good to me! Thanks for all the helpful information. And yes, the precept would be nice with a diesel but that would push the price out of my budget.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[abarkl]

We have owned a few class A motorhomes of another brand. Everything from a 36' gas to a 40' diesel.
We have a Jayco Super class C motorhome as it fits our current needs. It also includes the crash safety of a real truck chassis with driver and passenger airbags, as do all class C motorhomes.
We have added many chassis aftermarket upgrades to all of our motorhomes to make them more comfortable and safe to drive.

*We have not driven or owned a Jayco class A motorhome.

[StevL]

We tow a Wrangler as well behind a 32-33ft, I drive from 65 to 70 on the interstate, while running the gen we are averaging about 7 mpg. I don't think the extra length would make much of a difference in mpg.

The new coach should have a six speed transmission instead of the five Ford had for years. I believe the red line has changed as well, most people that have had both state the new 6 speed isn't as loud.

The noise level goes up when pulling a hill and stays up pulling a mountain grade. Does really bother me, I'm sure it's a personal opinion.

I'm not sure you can flat tow your mini van, you need to look in the owners manual for Recreational Towing, or towing.

Love having the bathroom, a sandwich, cold drink while on the road.

Good luck in your decision,
Steve

[mowdoc]

Something else to consider, Tom, is the truck. When you camp in a class A, you don't have a truck to get rid of. The space it takes in your camp spot can be used for other things. Most places we camp are tight enough without a truck to park. And those Super Duty trucks require a lot of space!!

My wife and I do motorcycle rallys and I have started parking the trailer right next to the coach. I mean only three inches away. I bought outside carpet cut to fit the trailer bed so after parking it along side the coach i roll out the carpet and we have an elevated patio! The height is same as lowest step inside coach so a normal step and you walk from coach to patio. This sets you up perfect for the outside TV and radio and we carry nice furniture for the patio.

My "elevated patio" was so popular at Sturgis last August, I saw others doing same thing. I bet they have carpet this year too. It is really a great idea when camping in "unimproved" campgrounds that are not paved. Keeps the coach much cleaner and much easier to go to bed after a few drinks (wink).

The bed of my trailer is same size as awning so everything is covered!!