DP side vs rear radiator - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Gpndavid · RV-Dreams Family Member

DP side vs rear radiator

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

Steer toward a side rad. Stays cleaner (will run cooler)...........And a lot easier to do any work in the engine compartment.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Obviously many get by with rear radiators. But a side radiator is superior in many ways, maintenance, being able to glance at the engine and see everything looks OK, cooler, cleaner. It is still your budget and choice.

Jake62 · RV-Dreams Family Member

If you're looking at a Tiffin Bus or Phaeton, do yourself a favor and look at the Entegra Anthem or Aspire. Similarly priced and both the Anthem (like the Bus) and Aspire (prices like the Phaeton) have side radiators. There are some experts who have done reviews on the Entegra product and they compare favorably with Newmar, and have several advantages over the Tiffin; however, the Tiffin is a good product nonetheless. They have a complete forum dedicated to Tiffin where you could also get very good information.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

It's been a while since I looked at the Tiffins, but also consider the location of the fuel filters and the ease of access to them. We were looking at Phaetons before deciding on the Mobile Suite fifth wheel. If I remember right, I think one had to go through the floor of the closet to reach the fuel filters on them. The Allegro buses had easier access to those filters.

Terry

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

No doubt the side radiator makes it easier to get to the engine. But for me about he only reason I need to get to the engine is to check the oil. I'm not going to be working on it. And the people that will be know how to work around it.
Even though not a lot, the extra storage the rear radiator gives could be a plus. And since Tiffin took care of the slobber tube issue by switching to the Cummins the rear radiator stays much cleaner there for reducing the possibility of running warm.
The suspension, larger fuel tank and smart wheel would be nice in the bus. And depending on what year Phaeton you can they have narrowed the gap on other differences.
There are a lot of rear radiators running around without ever having a overheating problem. BUT, ya ever know. Have fun lookin!

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Go talk to a mechanic that works on motor home engines and see which he prefers.

This question has been discussed on many forums many times, and the general consensus is that a side radiator is the way to go. The engine compartment on a DP is a pretty big space, and if the only access is via the bedroom whoever has to work on the engine is always going to have to walk through the coach and crawl into that space. Assuming that they can do the job completely once there they will then have to walk out through the coach. I've rarely been able to work on something without having to go get another tool or part, so that would mean at least two trips from the dirty engine through the coach. Having access to the engine from two directions is going to make working on it much easier.

I saw a Newell with a Detroit Series 60 in it that had a side radiator, so there was the normal access from the bedroom and the rear, but also a side access. That particular coach had the start batteries accessible from that hatch, but the batteries were covered with a clear sheet of plexiglass (removable) so any tools that were accidentally dropped couldn't short out the batteries. I liked that plan.

Gpndavid · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks to all. Most confirm my thought that the side radiator is a discriminator and when added to other upgrades, the Bus is preferable over the Phaeton even if it is a couple years older.

Selah · RV-Dreams Family Member

I am very new to this so please fell free to educate me. It is my understanding that the only routine maintenance item where you need access the the engine is the coalescing filter which really doesn't need changing very often. That and the serpentine belt, which I would not change anyway. I would have Coachnet do that. All of the other filters can be accessed from the underside or side panel.
The side radiator will stay cleaner and is easier to clean when it does get dirty. I think floor plan and amenities would take precedence of rear or side radiator.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

side radiator has better access to the engine from the outside.......rear radiator means a greasy,diesel smelling ,boot wearing ,tool carrying,need a part ....on the fourth pass kinda guy is going to be running back and forth thru the INSIDE of your coach from front to rear to get to the engine hatch......and dirt is inevitable......stains happen.....diesel smell lingers........and this is in the bedroom area!!

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Paul, you are correct that the right floor plan is more important than where the radiator is located. You will need to be in the engine compartment on a regular basis, though, and that is reason enough to go for a side radiator. Each travel day you will want to check the oil, the belts, coolant level, etc.

Dave, even if you personally aren't going to do the work on the engine, the mechanic will charge less for a job if it takes less time. Side radiators are going to make life much easier for the mechanic, and that will be reflected in the bill.

As Lucky Mike says, if the access to the engine is from the bedroom, you will have the mechanic running through your coach, and sooner or later there will be some damage or extra dirt that you will need to take care of. Yesterday and today I've been working on replacing the old battery chargers with new ones. I'm working in a basement bay, but I've lost count of how many trips in and out of that space I've made. If I was running in and out of the coach I'm sure that there would be some evidence of my many trips by now.

While we were researching I checked out an older Airstream DP. It had a rear radiator, and NOTHING was accessible from the rear of the coach. After seeing that, a side radiator was on the "must have" list.