To Diesel or Not to Diesel?

[transamz9]

^^ I am real close to that also. I'm 11.5 with my 39' Sandpiper and a 21' bass boat behind that on the interstate. I get 16-18 with just the boat (4000#). I also get 21.5 - 22.5 empty on the interstate and 19 on mixed. I have 3:73's in my QC SB 2500 Cummins.

[Olratlr]

Well every body has their prefernce but for torque and pulling power
you will not beat the diesel.
I have the Dodge with a 5.9 Cummins in it and couldn't ask any more from it.

[Hob]

I went from a Silverado with a 350 gas engine in it to a 7.3 liter Ford diesel and wouldn't ever consider goin back to a gas engine for towing. Went over the 8640 foot pass between Cheyenne, WY and Laramie, WY on I-80 at the legal speed limit without so much as a gasp from the Ford. We have since been over that pass at least 6 times and still don't want to go back to gas.

Hob

[07ultra]

gas all the way , cheaper to work on and pull just fine , diesel are expensive to maintain if you really don't need it like doing alot of traveling

[Del]

My Chevy gets 13.6mpg at 67mph gentle hill country

[mike54]

went to diesel last July will not go back to a gasser as long as towing an RV

[transamz9]

Originally Posted by 07ultra

gas all the way , cheaper to work on and pull just fine , diesel are expensive to maintain if you really don't need it like doing alot of traveling

Have you worked on a newer gas engine lately?
Depends on what you are pulling, yes they pull just fine but if you have never pulled with a diesel you wouldn't understand.
I change my oil half as much as a gas motor so that's a wash. I have no plugs or coils to deal with.

All my diesel does is sit in the garage and wait to hook to something. We drive it on the weekends because it is fun to drive. My truck is 7 years old and only has 65,000 miles on it but I will tell you this. I would not trade it for 3 gas trucks and I have had them.

[MikeDett]

I have worked for several class 8 truck manufactures and one major diesel manufacturer this past 45 years.Torque and gearing is what matters.

Startability loaded and maintaining grade at the best RPM is what matters. Haveing gas of diesel doesen't matter the formulas apply to both.
TORQUE and GEARING

What happened to my old Ford station wagon with the 360 V8 and our 20ft TT that worked good for 5 years??? The kids played in the back of the wagon from Indiana to Flordia no problem. But gas was $1.10 per gallon.

Go figure...

God Bless Merry Christmas

[HondoPatrick]

Switched to diesel this year. The tow "experience" with the diesel is unbelievable and I got roughly 5mpg's more with the diesel. There will be no going back to the gassers for me...

[07ultra]

Originally Posted by transamz9

Have you worked on a newer gas engine lately?
Depends on what you are pulling, yes they pull just fine but if you have never pulled with a diesel you wouldn't understand.
I change my oil half as much as a gas motor so that's a wash. I have no plugs or coils to deal with.

All my diesel does is sit in the garage and wait to hook to something. We drive it on the weekends because it is fun to drive. My truck is 7 years old and only has 65,000 miles on it but I will tell you this. I would not trade it for 3 gas trucks and I have had them.

sorry bout that but got ya beat , my Dodge is a 95 [ 17 yrs old ] and 61000 , V10 gas plenty of power but all we do is go around the state, if we did alot of towing it probley would be a diesel but yes it depends on what you are doing and what you have , I stole the truck because it was gas and have had it for 8 yrs and put about 5000 on it as I have a company truck I drive daliy , best advise is not to under power yourself

[BobandArlene]

For ease of towing, Duramax/Allison is what I went with. Cost was not a consideration - I didn't care that it cost more, nor that the service cost more, or that fuel cost more.

For many folks, all that extra cost is not worth it though.

[flintlok]

I have a Toyota Tundra 5.7 liter with 6 speed auto trans. Pulled an old Holiday Rambler 25' (actual loaded weight 6750 lbs) with 750 lbs hitch weight 27,000 miles last year from NH to FL to Alaska to San Diego, and back to Florida and NH. Averaged 11 mpg for the entire trip. The Tundra has 390 hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque, and wants to run up the mountains. At 11,000 ft in CO, was passing all 18 wheelers going up the mountain, and most fifth wheels. No problems for the entire trip.

[transamz9]

Originally Posted by flintlok

I have a Toyota Tundra 5.7 liter with 6 speed auto trans. Pulled an old Holiday Rambler 25' (actual loaded weight 6750 lbs) with 750 lbs hitch weight 27,000 miles last year from NH to FL to Alaska to San Diego, and back to Florida and NH. Averaged 11 mpg for the entire trip. The Tundra has 390 hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque, and wants to run up the mountains. At 11,000 ft in CO, was passing all 18 wheelers going up the mountain, and most fifth wheels. No problems for the entire trip.

It's not whether you can pull it or not. The difference is the ease of pulling it. Believe me , it is a much more comfy and relaxing ride with a diesel. Where it come in is the hills you are talking about, with 6,750 # or 8,000# for that matter my truck will not gear down and hold speed on cruise control.

You feel good about 11 mpg. I am pulling 18,000# and get 11 MPG.

[flintlok]

I agree that there is a big difference in pulling and pulling well. In your case, where you have a larger load, a deisel will perform better, along with a heavier suspension. For a trailer less than 8k lbs, the Tundra pulls very well, and as I stated wants to run up the hills, not struggle with them. 11 mpg with a gas engine pulling that load is more than acceptable.

[RubenZ]

Originally Posted by 07ultra

gas all the way , cheaper to work on and pull just fine , diesel are expensive to maintain if you really don't need it like doing alot of traveling

I've never noticed a big difference in maintenance price. My duramax takes more oil but thats it. Have almost 70k in 5yrs and have not spent much on maintenance.

[RubenZ]

Originally Posted by BobandArlene

For ease of towing, Duramax/Allison is what I went with. Cost was not a consideration - I didn't care that it cost more, nor that the service cost more, or that fuel cost more.

For many folks, all that extra cost is not worth it though.

Its hard explaining to people the extra 7-10k for the dmax/allison combo LOL. I just say well it kicks ***** and its what I want!!!

[onetonford]

Originally Posted by flintlok

I have a Toyota Tundra 5.7 liter with 6 speed auto trans. Pulled an old Holiday Rambler 25' (actual loaded weight 6750 lbs) with 750 lbs hitch weight 27,000 miles last year from NH to FL to Alaska to San Diego, and back to Florida and NH. Averaged 11 mpg for the entire trip. The Tundra has 390 hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque, and wants to run up the mountains. At 11,000 ft in CO, was passing all 18 wheelers going up the mountain, and most fifth wheels. No problems for the entire trip.

You say you passed most fifth wheels well most of them are well over 10000 lbs and still if they are Diesels they are all getting between 11-14 MPG still way better than your Toyota if it had to pull the same weight.

[M109Rrider]

Old truck was a 04' 1500 dodge with a hemi. Thought it was the best towing truck in the world after I installed the 4.56 gears. Buddy at a local dealer made me an offer I couldn't refuse on my current truck. A very clean and unmolested 4.5 year old cummins 4x4 with 70k on the odo for $19k before trade in equity. I hooked up to my 8k keystone travel trailer for the first time and was in disbelief. Didn't think it in a million years it would be so different. I will never own a new diesel truck... too much money, not worth it to me. But I will never buy another gas truck as long as I still pull an RV. There are plenty affordable used diesel trucks out there. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I do all my own maintenance and and it hasn't costed me a penny more to maintain this truck as it has any other. In fact, I believe I spent more on the old truck just to make it tow half decent.

[dezolen]

Originally Posted by transamz9

It's not whether you can pull it or not. The difference is the ease of pulling it. Believe me , it is a much more comfy and relaxing ride with a diesel. Where it come in is the hills you are talking about, with 6,750 # or 8,000# for that matter my truck will not gear down and hold speed on cruise control.

You feel good about 11 mpg. I am pulling 18,000# and get 11 MPG.

What's relaxing about driving in a truck where you can't hear anything other than the clatter of a diesel. Admittedly the newer ones are somewhat less noisy but after refuelling the stink of diesel fuel seems to linger for days when you spill a drop on your hands or clothing.
More than happy with our gasser and it does not need an aux heater to warm you up on those cold days

[M109Rrider]

Your right. The older ones can be noisey. Mine is fairly loud outside and a little noisy inside when pulling hard. The new Ford 6.7 sounds like a gas engine and dmax is pretty quiet too. Not sure what heater your referring to. Only heaters I know of is the block heater and glow plugs or intake grid heater(cummins) and that's to help it start when cold. I've never used my block heater. Coldest I've started mine was -5 and it fired right up with the remote start. Got us on stinky fuel. I just wear gloves. Biggest problem with that is the slob that fuels before you. Since diesel won't evaporate quickly like gas it tends to coat the nozzle handle.