Half ton diesels

[coupe1942]

njfishing, Is your Honda Ridgeline an AWV? What year is it? I am looking at possibly getting one when my wife's CRV is finally paid for. She like the idea that the Honda Ridgeline is so much like a car inside and unlike my Ram 1500 Hemi, she does not have to take a running jump just to get up into the passenger seat. Me, I am in the same boat, as my rheumatoid arthritis does not do well in trying to get in and out of my Ram these days, even with the Bullly Steps added recently.

[madhuji]

Very happy with my 2017 GMC Canyon SLE. Average non towing mileage is 30mpg. When towing my Geo Pro 19fd I average about 18/19 mpg. It is rated for pulling 7K.

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by madhuji

Very happy with my 2017 GMC Canyon SLE. Average non towing mileage is 30mpg. When towing my Geo Pro 19fd I average about 18/19 mpg. It is rated for pulling 7K.

Looks like a good combination ....

[njfishing]

Originally Posted by coupe1942

njfishing, Is your Honda Ridgeline an AWV? What year is it? I am looking at possibly getting one when my wife's CRV is finally paid for. She like the idea that the Honda Ridgeline is so much like a car inside and unlike my Ram 1500 Hemi, she does not have to take a running jump just to get up into the passenger seat. Me, I am in the same boat, as my rheumatoid arthritis does not do well in trying to get in and out of my Ram these days, even with the Bullly Steps added recently.

Mine is a 2007 and yes it’s AWD. Great daily driver since it handles like a car. Towing is limited to 5000 pounds but surprisingly high 1522 Payload for a midsize. Only things I’ve done is add a break controller, upgraded the factory tow hitch since it was only rated for 500 pounds and I use a weight distribution hitch.

It’s been a great vehicle, very reliable, wife has no issues driving it, 21 MPG on the highway, 17 around town and 10 while towing.

[herdsman]

Everyone hears "diesel" and thinks towing, but the new real small diesels are designed more for fuel economy than towing. That wouldn't seem strange to Europeans, but here in NA we still need to get used to that.

[Le Whaley]

I saw someone towing a 5th wheel with the Nissan 1/2 ton diesel. He said he didn't have any issues.

[USMC0369]

2018 Nissan Titan XD Platinum Reserve. DIESEL Came with everything needed for towing my camper (except my puck mounted hitch). Does come rigged for gooseneck. I put bags just in case but keep only 10 psi in them when towing, 5 psi when I am not towing. (Dont need them)
Houston to SanDiego twice and once Houston to Iowa. 13mpg towing 65 to 70mph on open highway (I 10). Ave mpg in town without towing is 16mpg (I am a leadfoot) 21mpg hwy. Over 25k miles towing this camper.

[Jimmy-D]

"EcoDiesel" = built for economy mileage. It's the Prius of pickup trucks, so keep the trailer light and small.

I had 1500 pickups and now have a 2006 megacab 2500. My old trailer was 7500 lbs and the 1500 pickups can tow them, however going up mountains or grades was very slow and the big rigs would pass me. Even with my current pickup my 5th wheel is 10k lbs . Hauling at the vehicle's limits is very dangerous in my opinion.

[goduc]

The issue isn't that people hear diesel and think towing. It's that they hear diesel and think you have to tow big and heavy.
Using common sense the new 1/2 ton diesel will do better than their gas counter parts. Tow 6000 lbs with a 1/2 ton diesel and you'll get better mpg's and still arrive at your destination in time. Also a 1/2 ton diesel will net much better mpgs out on the hwy.
FLT got over 30 mpgs with a Ram 1500 ED.
No ones saying that just because you buy a 1/2 ton diesel you're instantly expected to tow 9,000 lbs.
Fords diesel sucks plain and simple. It's a big flop. GM and Ram are offering a much better truck.

[67L48]

Originally Posted by goduc

The issue isn't that people hear diesel and think towing. It's that they hear diesel and think you have to tow big and heavy. [...]

No. The issue is that people hear, "Diesel," and think you can tow big and heavy. Not that you must, but that you have that option. This is the problem. With the 1/2 diesel, we have a paradigm shift where that is not true. For the first time in a full size truck, a diesel engine option does not confer upon the owner the ability to tow larger, heavier loads than the gasoline engine equivalent ... and the customers don't know or realize this.

Originally Posted by goduc

[...] Using common sense the new 1/2 ton diesel will do better than their gas counter parts. Tow 6000 lbs with a 1/2 ton diesel and you'll get better mpg's and still arrive at your destination in time. Also a 1/2 ton diesel will net much better mpgs out on the hwy. [...]

No. This isn't common sense that a 1/2 ton diesel will do "better" than its gas counterpart, without a careful definition of the word "better." Again, this begins with an understanding that conventional wisdom around full size trucks with diesel engines has historically been rooted in capacity and capability. Likewise, common sense, if there is such a thing, would also be more apt to define "better" in terms of capacity and capability rather than fuel economy.

If you use this more common expectation around full size trucks with diesels, then the 1/2 ton diesel is not, in fact, "better." The gasoline 1/2 tons (e.g., Ford's 3.5L V6 EB) have more capacity, more payload, higher rated torque and hp numbers, and more rated capability.

It's only after you redefine the term "better" around fuel economy that the 1/2 ton diesel becomes the winner. I don't consider this "common sense." In fact, I consider this to be a quite uncommon sensibility for an average truck consumer have with respect to diesel engines.

Originally Posted by goduc

[...] No ones saying that just because you buy a 1/2 ton diesel you're instantly expected to tow 9,000 lbs. [...]

No, again. The literal first line of copy from Ford reads, "The available 3.0L Power Stroke delivers outstanding turbo diesel performance and capability: 11,500 lbs towing -- great news if you tow a lot for work or recreation; [...]"

Fuel economy is at the end of the list. So, absolutely people are saying that you're instantly expected to be able to tow 9,000 lbs ... and more. This is the key problem as already described above: people hear, "Diesel," and think you can tow big and heavy. Not that you must, but that you have that option.

If fuel economy is the benefit, then Ford and others are burying the lead.

Originally Posted by goduc

[...] Fords diesel sucks plain and simple. It's a big flop. GM and Ram are offering a much better truck.

I think that when the truth catches up with the perception, then it will be a flop, as you say.

As of now, market data don't seem to support that it's a flop.

[njfishing]

Originally Posted by Le Whaley

I saw someone towing a 5th wheel with the Nissan 1/2 ton diesel. He said he didn't have any issues.

He might be towing with a Titan XD which is a totally different animal and more of a 2500 series then a 1500. I've seen a few and they are beasts!!

TITAN XD has an available maximum towing capacity of 12,710 pounds and maximum payload capacity of 2,990 pounds

[bikendan]

Nissan is no longer making the Titan XD diesel. Only the gas version.
So it was only available for a couple of years.

[babock]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Nissan is no longer making the Titan XD diesel. Only the gas version.
So it was only available for a couple of years.

Nissan probably won't be making any pickups within a couple of years. Don't buy a Nisasan pick up.!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by babock

Nissan probably won't be making any pickups within a couple of years. Don't buy a Nisasan pick up.!

Yep, they've been losing ground, to the Big 3 and Toyota, for years. The Titan XD diesel seems to have been a bad move for them.

[babock]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Yep, they've been losing ground, to the Big 3 and Toyota, for years. The Titan XD diesel seems to have been a bad move for them.

The next truck I may look at is the Toyota when they finally upgrade it ant the end of 2021 and get their payload up to the levels that Ford and Chevy have.

[USMC0369]

Love my 2018 diesel titan, can still find them around if you need a (tweener)

[frank4711]

1/2 ton diesel's are all about fuel economy ... the guy I ran into with a Ram Eco Diesel was so obsessed with losing his mpg when not towing was pulling a 5ver that put him 5000 lbs over his tow capability just silly... So all trucks gas or diesel will tow the camper that fits your truck ....

[Rick J]

Originally Posted by rrosson67

When I bought my Ram Ford had just released their diesel for the F150. I was not ready to jump in on ford with its first gen motor for the F150. In Googling the 2020 F150's it looks like it is around 1700lbs. Downside is with ford you are going to pay for the trim to get that motor. With Ram the EcoDiesel motor is offered in all trim models with could possibly increase your payload.

So you bought an engine with proven bottom end problems and that was taken off the market for that and emission problems The Ford diesel is a proven engine made by Ford, not Fiat, and has been in Land Rover and others for years.

[Rick J]

Originally Posted by Theb2b

Well I do, I have responded to couple posts about the topic, while 1/2 ton diesel isn't for everbody I truley enjoy mine, Ram 1500. I like the mileage and all the low end power, close to the hemi after some "tune adjustments". Down side is the diesel weight penalty and with early models the cooling system is over taxed under load pulling long grades.
The cost per mile is within .01 of the wifes Nissan Rouge, for a half ton truck I can live with that. I'm pulling a 7k trailer fully loaded to camp, she pulls hard and strong just keep an eye on oil temps.

Most of the Ram 1500s have barely over 1000 lbs. payload. At 7000 pounds, you must have 800 or so lbs tongue weight in all likelihood you are overweight

[Rick J]

Originally Posted by ronheater70

I dont have any issues with them, personally I like the Idea. I wonder about payload impact, but it sure seems they should be able to mitigate that somehow.. But a 1/2 ton truck with 460 +/- lp ft of torque at pretty low RPM has gotta tow pretty decent.

You can get that with a 3.5 EcoBoost Up to 510 lb ft at 2700 rpm.