Towing Dilema: Diesel vs gas

[usvipaul]

I thinking of upgrading my truck. I currently have a 2012 Tundra 4.6l DC 4x4 and pull a 2011 Rockwood 2604. The truck pulls fine here on the east coast, but I'm retiring next year and DW and I want to travel west and I know this truck won't do mountains well. I'm looking at some used Silverado/Sierra 2500hd trucks. My dilemma is do I go with a 2006-2009 Duramax LBZ/LMM in the $30-$35000 range (low miles) or something like a newer 2011 6.0l gas engine? I know the diesel will do it fine, but I worry about a used diesel and maintenance/repairs. If anyone out there has any experience towing with a gas 6.0 2500hd pulling a 6000lb trailer (5800 empty) in the mountains I sure would like to hear from you. Thanks for a great forum. Can't go a day without checking in here!
Thanks. Paul

[NJLOAD]

usvipaul: I bought a 2011 F-350 Diesel with the same goals of traveling cross country towing my 29' Cherokee. I have towed on the east coast also and can tell you this truck likes to work, and the harder it works the better it runs. so it seems. I have had the pleasure of driving to California twice in a car and can tell you the Rockies are some hills to reckon with. And with that I would recommend a Diesel. I towed a 17' Roo to Maine with an F-150 gas and it was fine but that is also where I traded it in on the Diesel and have never looked back.

Good luck with your decision

[X96mnn]

Went from gas to diesel about a year ago, still own my gas truck as well. I camp and travel a LOT more now with the diesel truck.

I find the maintenance over the first year a wash, two oil changes that cost me 400 compared to 4 oil changes that cost me 320. Fuel savings while hauling for me was huge, close to 40% less. Resale I get more back then I paid, depends on your area really.

Here is a similar post, think you will find for the most part the topic is split down the middle.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...gas-90778.html

[elundquist]

Usvipaul,

The Tundra should do fine if you are only pulling 6k. Here in the mountains the real issue is control going downhill. Wheelbase and braking is more important.

You will not need the power to tow 6k at 80 mph up vail pass! On most passes you will be restricted to the right lanes with semis and others towing while traffic passes you on the left. You don't want to be going uphill fast just to slow down at the top for the downhill ride. Fuel is more expensive here, so why waste it fly uphill just to take it easy going downhill?

Unless you are towing close to 10k or love the sound of diesel the Tundra is really popular here in the mountains of Colorado!

I love mine


Erik Lundquist

[Cypressloser]

Engine breaking is what you get with younger generation diesel trucks which is a very important safety feature especially in the mountains. Also diesel engines are designed for hard work they tend to have better engine cooling when working under heavy load, this in addition to what the other posters have already mentioned.

[Wlasota]

I switched from a gasoline to a Diesel engine in a pick-up I purchased 15 months ago. I would never go back from a towing perspective. Fuel economy is significantly improved and the extra horsepower and Diesel engine brake make it a joy to tow. Quite a difference in initial price but very pleased I made the investment.

[robsshots]

Call me crazy…but we've been hauling our Rockwood Signature 8280 WS fifth wheel for a year with a Ford F-150 Ecoboost. We've clocked 32,000 miles on the Ford, and have moved that Rockwood from the mountains of WV to the Smokies to the Colorado mountains, down to the Phoenix area, along the east side of the Sierra Mountains, up to Yosemite, Big Sur, through Grants Pass to the Oregon Coast, up to Olympic National Park, then Mount Rainier, and now sitting in Coeur d'Alene. In three days we are moving to Glacier before beginning our slow trek back to Florida for the winter. Towing has been a breeze. We've accelerated up 5% grades, passing 18 wheelers and Class A motorhomes. The key with the F-150 is a) the 3.73 differential, b) the heavy duty tow package, and c) the 6.5' bed. We got the super crew model and it is a marvelous touring truck with all that room and long wheelbase. On the road we get between 10 and 11 mpg depending on the terrain. Combined city/hghwy we are getting close to 20 mpg. I took a trip around the perimeter of Olympic NP and got 24.3 mpg. BTW, our fifth wheel weighs just under 8,000 lbs empty. We figure close to 9,000 fully loaded. Towing capacity of the F-150 is 11,300 lbs. And it does it!

[mike.t]

Can O worms. I,m out.

[breezyhillfarm]

I have always had gas V8s in my trucks. I sold my Dakota and bought a Chevy 2500HD 6.0 gas. I'm pulling an XLR27HFS toy hauler with a big Harley in the back. The Chevy struggled in the "mountains" of Kentucky and Tennessee where we mostly hang out. I got real tired of not being able to use the cruise control, getting 7 mpg and the constant jumping into passing gear. We found a 2006 Ford F-450 diesel dually and the difference is night and day. Go for the diesel if you can manage the money. I like having WAY more truck than I need, because it's not whether you can pull it...it's whether you can STOP it.

[Bob Vaughn]

Originally Posted by usvipaul

I thinking of upgrading my truck. I currently have a 2012 Tundra 4.6l DC 4x4 and pull a 2011 Rockwood 2604. The truck pulls fine here on the east coast, but I'm retiring next year and DW and I want to travel west and I know this truck won't do mountains well. I'm looking at some used Silverado/Sierra 2500hd trucks. My dilemma is do I go with a 2006-2009 Duramax LBZ/LMM in the $30-$35000 range (low miles) or something like a newer 2011 6.0l gas engine? I know the diesel will do it fine, but I worry about a used diesel and maintenance/repairs. If anyone out there has any experience towing with a gas 6.0 2500hd pulling a 6000lb trailer (5800 empty) in the mountains I sure would like to hear from you. Thanks for a great forum. Can't go a day without checking in here!
Thanks. Paul

I towed a 12,000+ 5th wheel with a 2000 Chevy 6.0 gas 2500 .......The only reason I traded it for a 3500 diesel was were were going to Alaska via Colorado and crossed the Rockys a number so I was glad I had the diesel. If were not going to Alaska I would still have it because it was an awesome truck.....

[Grampa Jim]

I laboriously towed my 6600# Jayco TT up the Rockies in low gear going painfully slow to prevent overheating in my 1997 350 gas Silverado and after I got my 9400# Windjammer and started pulling it with my 2004 6.0 F250 diesel, it was all the difference in the world. We pulled over Monarch Pass in Colorado and my truck didn't even know that the trailer was behind us. And Monarch Pass is no molehill either. I highly recommend a diesel over gas.

[ckabrahamson]

Another consideration that I haven't seen mentioned is that with a Diesel Truck and a big Trailer, you can fuel at commercial truck lanes. Lots of room to maneuver, and fast pumps! Every time I pass a gas station packed with cars, I'm grateful to fuel with the semi-trucks... Maybe it's just me...

[floridela]

After having 3 diesels from 2000 to 2014, I switched to a gas F350, with a 410 rear. I haul 12,500 pounds of fifth wheel and I didn't have to pay the $6000 dollars extra to get the diesel. So, that helps pay for the less fuel mileage. I will agree that there is nothing the diesel will not pull but the price of the diesel fuel and the expense of filters and additive just seemed to keep adding up the cost of ownership. Also when the diesel broke down on the road it was just a bit more difficult to find a certified diesel mechanic, but a gas motor can be easier to find a repair shop for most problems. With all that said there is nothing more exhilarating than firing up a diesel motor first thing in the morning, fueled with testosterone. It just comes down to what do you want?

[RubberNail]

I've had both. Either will do the job. Check the blogs for the diesel engine postings on the diesel you are looking at. There are some problem diesels out there, but most are solid for 200 or 300k miles with only minor maintenance.

[Flatlander49]

IMHO it all comes down to personal preference. I really like the low end torque that I get with our Duramax but that's just me. Once up to cruising speed I hardly notice that we have the fiver with us. While I don't have any empirical data to support it I still believe that we get better fuel economy at highway speeds with the diesel. Our experience is that headwind vs. tailwind is still a huge factor no matter what engine you have. Personally I wouldn't want to go back to a gasser a tow vehicle.

[KarenDLS]

Originally Posted by usvipaul

I thinking of upgrading my truck. I currently have a 2012 Tundra 4.6l DC 4x4 and pull a 2011 Rockwood 2604. The truck pulls fine here on the east coast, but I'm retiring next year and DW and I want to travel west and I know this truck won't do mountains well. I'm looking at some used Silverado/Sierra 2500hd trucks. My dilemma is do I go with a 2006-2009 Duramax LBZ/LMM in the $30-$35000 range (low miles) or something like a newer 2011 6.0l gas engine? I know the diesel will do it fine, but I worry about a used diesel and maintenance/repairs. If anyone out there has any experience towing with a gas 6.0 2500hd pulling a 6000lb trailer (5800 empty) in the mountains I sure would like to hear from you. Thanks for a great forum. Can't go a day without checking in here!
Thanks. Paul

We went from a gas Class A to 39 foot fifth wheel towed with 1999 Ford F350, 7.3 diesel with power booster and 4 inch exhaust, 8 foot bed crew cab. Have towed it thru WV, Pa, and Western New York state and to Florida. Not one problem, and a very smooth ride. The savings in fuel has allowed us to camp a little more often. By the way the truck used with 103,000 miles only cost us $14,500. That is considerable less than newer trucks and the 7.3 is an awesome engine.

[Jim34RL]

I have own both a gas Chevy 6.0L and now the Ram with the 6.7L Cummins. I will never ever go back to pulling any trailer with gas engine. Why the fuel mileage was terrible, the engine stayed in the higher RPM's when ever we needed to start moving the trailer at least 3,000+ RPM's and trying to put gas in the truck almost cost me my marriage.

The Cummins torque is down low around 1100 to 1500 and some times as high as 1900, but never ever above 2000 RPM's when pulling. Fuel mileage is between 10.5 and 11.5 MPG when I am pulling my trailer (hand calculated). When on the road I fill up at truck stops with no issues at just pull in fill-up and pay. Easy in and out; this is extremely important when the combination of the truck and trailer is over 55' long and the trailer is 13'6 tall.

In fact we do not own any gas driven vehicle since we bought the Ram new in 2008. My wife now drives a VW TDI Jetta.

[jackandjoanne]

If anyone out there has any experience towing with a gas 6.0 2500hd pulling a 6000lb trailer (5800 empty) in the mountains I sure would like to hear from you

I have a 2015 2500 HD gas and pull a Silverback 5er that weighs 12k lb.
Pulled through the mountains in West Virginia and Tenn. and it did great.

[dcheatwood]

Not a fan of GM nor duramax but if you're getting a 3/4 ton truck, get the diesel.
The tundra with 5.7L would be a good TV for your 6000lb trailer.

[strat56]

It's your decision, but I'll just say the gas engine running at 3000 to 4000 RPM is running close to it's max power band, there is nothing wrong with that, the engines are designed for that. Some people say it's too loud running like that, I have a GMC 2500HD with 6.0 and it doesn't sound very loud to me in the cab, I've ridden in diesels where the engine noise in the cab was louder.

Diesels get better mileage but depending on where you are and the cost difference of fuel, it might not be less expensive, there's a gas station on every corner, I don't think they all have diesel.

Diesels are good, gas engines are good, they both do the same job just in a different way.