| Diesel Pushers and Wheelbase
We often receive comments about how very difficult it is to find a diesel pusher motor home with a maximum length of 36 feet, that has a wheelbase long enough to reflect a 54% or higher
ratio.
All diesel pushers
we know of use the same engine and drivetrain arrangement as a front engine
motor home: Engine, transmission, driveshaft, differential (rear end).
They simply reverse the whole arrangement so the engine is in the far
rear. A problem with this scenario is that the components take up a certain
amount of space and that length cannot be reduced past a certain point
no matter how short the motor home is. Therefore, a 32-foot MHp may have
the same rear overhang as a 40-foot MHp. Next, the front wheels are typically
moved rearward to get that popular "bus" look, and also to transfer more
weight to the front wheels since there is about 1,500 - 2,000 pounds of
engine, transmission, etc., well behind the rear wheels, creating a potential
balance problem.
About all the manufacturers are willing to do to reduce overhangs,
and thus increase wheelbase percentage, is to move radiators from the
rear to the side and adjust the front axle position a bit, as the overall
design of the motor home allows. Manufacturers who build their own chassis
have more freedom in that respect.
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