diesel or not to diesel

[Bikersarge]

Originally Posted by BigBay

Not to start a truck war KingFisher but "Ford Super Duty is the 2017 Motor Trend Truck of the Year" so I did mean F350 diesel.

Next year it will be GM, they take turns seriously they are both good trucks

[Bikersarge]

Originally Posted by FordHauler

Most people who have a diesel will tell you that it is the ONLY way to go!
The "gasoline guys" make a lot of good points about not going to diesel (I used to be one) but once I went to "the dark side" I will not go back.
We pulled 17,300 miles last year on our trip to Alaska, the only time I really knew that trailer was behind me was going over Monarch Pass in Colorado. I could hear that 7.3 working as it climbed over the top at 11,312 feet on cruise control at 60 mph.
Go diesel, you will not regret it.
Travel safe

X2 there is really nothing better then a diesel. They are just better for pulling lots of weight and the durability of a diesel motor and high miles just makes more sense IMO if you do alot of RVING, pulling cattle...etc.

Once you go there you'll never turn back.

[carlsbad]

Rent a diesel. Spend the extra money on beer.

[kollinr]

Originally Posted by doc73

I agree with this. Short trips is a killer for diesel.

I've never owned a diesel. Can you explain this one to me?

[doc73]

Originally Posted by kollinr

I've never owned a diesel. Can you explain this one to me?

Diesels take a while to get up to operating temps. They also need to get up to temp to keep the emissions stuff happy and burn the crud off the filters. If not they go into the regen where it does it for you. So I have been told, if you do mostly highway driving the truck just does it as your driving along. Now I am not a diesel mechanic so I could be wrong in some parts...

[Iwannacamp]

Don't buy a DEF diesel if you idle frequently either.

[Big Bill]

Is this toyhauler within towing capacity of the truck and is this your first towing experience? Sooo I think your 6.0 will do fine Your friends will wait for you . And you can trade later if you want

[Shorefamily]

Heres my. 02 on it if your only going to take a trip like that once then I wouldn't waste my money upgrading. Like others have said as long as your weights are good you should be fine. It shouldn't be a rat race to go camping as long as you can get there safely and in 1 piece that's what should matter. However if you do consider the diesel heres the problems I've seen. If you break down there isn't as many diesel shops as there are regualkr automotive shops and on top of that there isn't as many diesel techs that are up to date on a lot of the emmissions updates that have come out that's something to think about. And also as others have said maintenance is going to be a little higher than gas engines. There is a place for diesels and they do a darn good job at towing they all have their pros and con's it just boils down to being worth it to you personally.

[moose074]

Hey my Tundra did just fine I passed a lot of diesels going up the Rockies do I drive a diesel now yes because I got a bigger 5th wheel and wanted the power and mileage . But my Tundra never lacked for power when others didn't. Don't buy for one time trip let your truck an

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by moose074

Hey my Tundra did just fine I passed a lot of diesels going up the Rockies do I drive a diesel now yes because I got a bigger 5th wheel and wanted the power and mileage . But my Tundra never lacked for power when others didn't. Don't buy for one time trip let your truck an

Those diesels you passed had stopped for lunch.

[moose074]

Could be or could be the4:11 gearing The truck passed everything but a gas station about 160 miles between gas stops 26 gallon tank light comes on with 6 gallons left in tank frequent stops

[carlsbad]

Originally Posted by doc73

Diesels take a while to get up to operating temps. They also need to get up to temp to keep the emissions stuff happy and burn the crud off the filters. If not they go into the regen where it does it for you. So I have been told, if you do mostly highway driving the truck just does it as your driving along. Now I am not a diesel mechanic so I could be wrong in some parts...

Pretty much. I had a dreaded 6.0 Ford. It went back and forth between NM and Texas 500 miles at a time. It had 200k miles and all I did was filters and fluids. No DEF required. They have an engine hours clock. Mine averaged over 40mph over 200k miles. That's pretty high. It was a highway vehicle.

My buddy had an almost identical truck and used it as a daily driver. He had constant problems. He did the Bullet Proof fix, EGR stuff, turbo fix, and still had problems. He probably averaged 20mph. Constant stop and go.

A diesel guy in Las Cruces told me that a highway 6.0 was a 500,000 mile motor. A city 6.0 was a 5,000 mile motor.

[Awilson]

Originally Posted by carlsbad

Pretty much. I had a dreaded 6.0 Ford. It went back and forth between NM and Texas 500 miles at a time. It had 200k miles and all I did was filters and fluids. No DEF required. They have an engine hours clock. Mine averaged over 40mph over 200k miles. That's pretty high. It was a highway vehicle.

My buddy had an almost identical truck and used it as a daily driver. He had constant problems. He did the Bullet Proof fix, EGR stuff, turbo fix, and still had problems. He probably averaged 20mph. Constant stop and go.

A diesel guy in Las Cruces told me that a highway 6.0 was a 500,000 mile motor. A city 6.0 was a 5,000 mile motor.

My nephew is a certified master tech with Ford and he told me the 6.0 was a fantastic boat anchor but drain the fluids first for the environment. [emoji6]

[Awilson]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I don't buy trucks new, I buy high mileage used and keep them 2-4 years. According to Carfax this wouldn't be my Ram's first set of injectors. The injectors are a problem on the 2003 up 5.9's, earlier 5.9's not and new 6.7 not so much. Also according to the Carfax there have been countless other problems fixed on the Ram but I understand it had 275k put on it in 13 years hauling loads all over the country. That owner got his money worth out of the Ram. I don't put those kind of miles towing, more like 2-3000 miles per year, and that's most of the mileage that truck will get on it the 2-4 years I own it. Then when I go to sell it hasn't hardly taken a hit resale wise. I admit I was unaware of the cost and failure rate on the common rail 5.9 injectors or I would have probably passed on this truck even at the wholesale auction price I got it at. It actually may not be injectors, there could be 5 other $500 parts that might be causing the issues, and I have already thrown about $400 at it hoping to avoid the $3500 injector job. No most Hemi's don't go 275k towing but some do, and my last one was going strong at 145k. The thing there is you can put a whole low mile motor in them for just the cost of injectors on the Cummins and go another 150k which is better than the average set of injectors in a CR 5.9 last. Honestly my Hemi wasn't perfect, it did need a $38 coil in the 3 years we had it. I lived only 2 years with my 2004 Duramax because it didn't live up to the hype either. It was nice don't get me wrong, but not double the price of a similar used gas truck nice. I was afraid to go with the Fords because supposedly they have the most motor troubles. I can't imagine being worse than the GM or the Cummins. Granted I am talking the previous generation trucks. These newer 6.7s and 6.6 look improved. I just am not about to spend $25-45k on something I use less than 4000 miles per year and I'm not about to commute in a 3/4 or one ton crew cab. The 1500 Ram ecodiesel is my goal, but they are just too unknown and expensive still. Or in a few years I hope to find a under $20k 6.7 Ram and delete the emissions if they haven't been already. I paid $13,000 total (tax freight, docs, everything, it was $11,500 on the bid) for my 2004.5 Ram CC/LB/4wd SLT so I will be fine. Other dreamers like me seem to think they will go 500,000 trouble free miles at least on the motor, and if you discount all the other little bits as not being the motor, and throw $3500 injectors on it 3-4 times you probably will. Ignore the injectors or use rebuilt ones and you may be looking at a $10,000 rebuild 6 months down the road.

I assume you are talking 5.7 if you're talking about a Hemi. I have the ecodiesel. A 2014 Longhorn as I drive a lot of miles. When you driving a lot it is great but if you have to run to the store a few times, idle at stoplights in heavy traffic it is like all other new diesel meeting government regulations that use def fluid. The exhaust filter will get filled up and the only way to clean it is to get it on the highway and drive it at highway speeds for about 15 miles or so. I hate that cause if you are in Chicago or another metropolis that isn't always easy to. Mind you, this only happens on it when you start cold and already in the city. These new diesel seem to require being hot enough in the exhaust to be able to burn off the filter. Over five grand if you repair or replace the exhaust filter I have been told. I have been virtually trouble free on the 5.9 Cummins.

[Springerdad]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

Don't buy a DEF diesel if you idle frequently either.

Why?

[BandJCarm]

I never heard so many unsubstantiated myths and rumors about diesels.

Unsure why the subject invokes such chauvinism.

Get whatever you want.

[Sunseeker24]

Originally Posted by Dock_Rocker

I am a GM guy through and through but I had to make the switch to a Ford 6 months ago. I wasn't willing to R&D a new series of Diesel engines for GM. Last new gen truck (2014 1500) I got to buy a new motor because of a lifter rotating in its bore 3k out of warranty.

Hopefully you are getting 22 mpg on your Ford. A neighbor trades his Chevy 2500 HD diesel every two years. Got his new Chevy Silverado 2500HD Diesel and he is getting around 22mpg pulling a 35' 5er. He has passed me like I am standing still so I know he runs 80 with it.

[creedster]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

I never heard so many unsubstantiated myths and rumors about diesels.

Unsure why the subject invokes such chauvinism.

Get whatever you want.

[emoji106] [emoji106] [emoji106]

[guyster]

Interesting how people that do not own a Diesel try and talk more people into not owning a Diesel. People that own a Diesel try and talk more people into owning a Diesel. Me............... I own a Diesel, it just does the job better.

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by guyster

Interesting how people that do not own a Diesel try and talk more people into not owning a Diesel. People that own a Diesel try and talk more people into owning a Diesel. Me............... I own a Diesel, it just does the job better.

I own both.
Heck, I own a diesel dually, a gas 1/2 ton, and another gas half ton (1984). I own a travel trailer, boat trailer, and 16' utility trailer. I pull a lot of stuff a lot of different ways. It's not A OR B with me.......but I know which one pulls better, and I know what the maintenance is on all three.