DIesel Or Gas

[Beck*A*Poo]

looking into buying a truck for a daily driver/tow rig maybe late summer

So my question is .. Diesel or gas

Single cab or Double

[Desert Dog]

Diesel:
Pros: Absolutely the best thing to tow with. Burns half the fuel of a gas engine while towing; goes uphill just as fast as it goes downhill. Diesel trucks are all 3/4 ton and up, so you get big brakes and a beefy suspension as part of the package. You can engine brake a diesel (jake brake) for steep descents without burning the brakes.

Cons: Diesel fuel is expensive, and diesel trucks are way more expensive than gas burners. Unless you get the old 7.3, modern diesel trucks are no more reliable than gasoline trucks. When you do have a mechanical issue, diesel engines cost about 3 times more to fix. Diesels are loud. Modern diesel engines need DEF added about every 3K miles, which is annoying.

Gas-Burners:
Pros: Gas is much cheaper than diesel. Gasoline engine trucks are much cheaper than diesel trucks. Mechanical repairs are cheaper with a gas engine, and just about any maintenance shop can do repairs. Gas engines are very quiet compared to diesel engines. Your tow rig runs off the same fuel that your Jeep or buggy runs.

Cons: Gas engines get horrible fuel mileage while towing - often down in the single digits. Gas engines require quite a bit of RPM while towing over mountain passes, which really eats the fuel fast. Gas engines need routine maintenance about twice as much as a diesel engine.

If looking at older trucks:
Diesel: Stay away from the Ford 6.0 and 6.4. Also stay away from the pre-Duramax GM diesels. Stay with Duamax, Cummins, and Ford 7.3 or 6.7.
Gas: Small block Chevy's suck for towing but are great around town. The Ford V10 tows great and is extremely reliable, but it gets horrible fuel economy. 1/2 ton trucks lack the suspension and brakes to tow a heavy Jeep good IMO.

[81BigBrett]

I have had both diesel and gas trucks. I had this same dilemma recently. I looked into what kind of driving i will be doing most of the time and what was in the budget. I settled with a gas motor because I couldn't afford the diesel right now. If I had the budget I would have gone diesel.

I had both the 7.3 power-stroke and the 6.6 duramax. They both were great trucks to tow with. I liked my Chevy better. It was way more comfortable to drive, the interior was better and the engine was extremely quiet for a diesel. I had the 4x4 model and as far as I can tell that was the only weakness of the Chevy. The Chevy's front end was an a-arm setup and the while out on bc-109 one day with it; one of the tie rods bent then broke. Other than that, the truck was great.

In both trucks I got an even 16 mpg loaded or unloaded.

Right now fuel is higher priced than diesel, but on average diesel is about like buying premium. But in my opinion it's totally worth it.

If you were to get a power-stroke be sure to find one that is a 1997 or older. The older ones you don't have to smog.

The truck that I have now is a dodge ram 4x4 1/2 ton. I bought it for a dd and to occasionally tow the jeep. Surprisingly it tows great and the mpg's while towing were better than expected. I get 9.5 mpg while towing the jeep up the grapevine at a steady 45 mph. Now the mpg's empty are another story. I average 12.5 on a good day. I'm lucky if I get over 15 on the freeway.

If you have to buy a gas truck I would look for a Chevy strictly because most of my friends are averaging 17-18 mpg. For a dd that makes more sense.

If you can hold out for another year or so, I've heard that a few manufacturers are coming out with a couple of 1/2 ton diesels that are rated to tow what the 3/4 ton trucks of the mid 2000's are rated for. Not to mention mpg's in the 20-30 range.

As for the single or double cab, it's really just personal preference, I've had a few crew cabs and used em. But for me I prefer have the extra room of an extra cab or the crew.

[Beck*A*Poo]

Yea im mostly looking for a truck that will get me power to tow and also be a daily driver ( which I work 2 miles from work ) , I might be looking to sell my rig and invest in a buggy .

Thanks for the info , hopefully I make a right one

[Dirt Mover]

[quote="Beck*A*Poo"]Yea im mostly looking for a truck that will get me power to tow and also be a daily driver ( which I work 2 miles from work ) , I might be looking to sell my rig and invest in a buggy .

Thanks for the info , hopefully I make a right one [/quote]

After you get a truck we can debate buggy vs street legal.

[Uncle Cracker]

[color=#40FF00]RAM 1/2 ton DIESEL (Italian v6 diesel) for sale now [/color]
will be the perfect truck for you, but i would wait and see how this little diesel
motor works out

[Beck*A*Poo]

[quote="Uncle Cracker"][color=#40FF00]RAM 1/2 ton DIESEL (Italian v6 diesel) for sale now [/color]
will be the perfect truck for you, but i would wait and see how this little diesel
motor works out[/quote]


HATE DODGES lol

[chuckanut105]

that half ton diesel is not worth the money. The mpg is about the same as hemi, you loose tow capability and it costs a metric fuck ton more.

[garbageman]

I have a 03 duramax a 05duramax and a 13 duramax, that I use for work and they are pulling mofos but the two older ones have both cost me about 8k each in the shop in the last 12 months with fuel pumps and misc stuff so be aware when you get into the high millage rigs. the 13 is a pain in the ass with the def fluid
my trucks all have service beds and weigh 10000lbs so I felt the need to run diesel, but if I was just running around empty and only towed once every month or two I would go with gas. plus sometimes its a real bitch trying to find diesel
my wife has a suburban with a chevy 5.3 and we tow our jeep with it and it works just fine.

[Uncle Cracker]

[color=#00FF00]Just buy a TUNDRA [/color]

I love mine,, it's got plenty of power for towing my rig, and i don't
guess your's weighs much more. plus,, the reliability of toyota.
do the research> tundra is [color=#FFFF00]assembled in Texas, with more american
sourced materials then ford or gm.[/color]
the "gm" or "Obama brand" being the worst as far as being
american made, just behind nissan don't believe me,
do your own research.





Peace out!


[color=#40FF00]Wait for it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,[/color]

[Beck*A*Poo]

[quote="Uncle Cracker"][color=#00FF00]Just buy a TUNDRA [/color]

I love mine,, it's got plenty of power for towing my rig, and i don't
guess your's weighs much more. plus,, the reliability of toyota.
do the research> tundra is [color=#FFFF00]assembled in Texas, with more american
sourced materials then ford or gm.[/color]
the "gm" or "Obama brand" being the worst as far as being
american made, just behind nissan don't believe me,
do your own research.





Peace out!


[color=#40FF00]Wait for it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,[/color][/quote]


lol I do like the Toyotas and chevys... fords are 3rd in place

[Uncle Cracker]

[color=#FF0000][size=200]NO GMC[/size][/color]



sorry love

[81BigBrett]

[quote="chuckanut105"]that half ton diesel is not worth the money. The mpg is about the same as hemi, you loose tow capability and it costs a metric fuck ton more.[/quote]


The half ton diesel from Dodge only cost $2850 more than the new hemi. I would love to see the hemi get 23 mpg's in the city and 28 on the highway. It can tow 9200 pounds. How often do you tow 9000 pounds with your half ton?

I love Dodges, they are the only truck that has been able to put up with my abuse. Ford is a close second for me on durability.

I plan on getting one of these eco-diesel dodges in a couple of years, unless something else better comes out. I'll buy used though, the base price on a new one is $36,500.

[Desert Dog]

Some good considerations in this thread.

I towed my Jeep with my Tundra for 2 years, as far away as Moab Utah and Wyoming, and on lots of trips to the Con and JV. Honestly, owning a diesel now, the Tundra was not great for long distance towing. I would get my ass TOTALLY kicked by Richard and Cliff when we towed places. Matter of fact, I couldn't even drive to far-away places with that group because I had to stop for gas MORE than TWICE as much as they did, so they were always way ahead of me. This had nothing to do with tank size; I was getting about 7MPG and they were in the teens while towing their rigs. You also need to air-bag them if you want to tow something heavy. Other than towing, that Tundra was the best truck I ever had. If I was just running local places, I wouldn't hesitate to own one and tow with it occasionally. The brakes were way bigger than any other 1/2 ton truck. The axles are also tougher than any other 1/2 ton truck out there.

I also towed my 28ft travel trailer, my 25ft boat, and my XJ with a suburban and it was the worst tow vehicle in history IMO. The brakes and suspension are just not up to the task. You can't leave Bakersfield to go wheeling without going over some steep mountain passes. It just flat-out sucked, and needing the brakes to work for you in an "ohh shit" situation was sketchy. I broke a ring gear and an axle shaft on that Suburban while towing because a semi-float rear axle is really not up to the task of towing heavy weight.

Garbageman also reinforced my opinion that modern diesels are no more reliable than modern gas engines. Modern Diesel manufactures are using Aluminum heads and other components to cut weight, they are attempting to add more power in a smaller package, and are struggling to add components to meet new emission requirements. And while diesels are getting less reliable, gas engines are getting more reliable. Putting 250k on a gas engine with no issues is pretty common nowadays, whereas 20 years ago this was unheard of with a big gas-powered truck.

So aside from engine choice, which really doesn't matter if you are not towing long distance, I would definitely only get a 3/4 ton or bigger truck so the suspension, axles, and brakes are up to the task.

[Desert Dog]

[quote="81BigBrett"]I plan on getting one of these eco-diesel dodges in a couple of years, unless something else better comes out. I'll buy used though, the base price on a new one is $36,500.[/quote]
That 3.0 eco-diesel is going be a sweet little engine when they work the bugs out. If they put that in a wrangler, I would buy one tomorrow. And the list price for that truck isn't bad IMO for a diesel engine.

But still this is a half ton truck. The engine is rated to 9000 lbs, but the Hemi in the same truck is rated to 10,500 lbs. And they still come with a small semi-float axle and small brakes. 4wheeler magazine just reviewed one and said they had to keep it above 4000 RPMs to do 55 over the grapevine while towing a Jeep. My Ford 6.7 will do 65MPH at 2500 RPMs on the steep side of that pass while towing (going south from Bako). I think it definitely has the fuel economy advantage, but the Hemi actually tows better than this engine IMO.

The new 5.0 Turbo Diesel built by Cummins (rated at 550 ft lbs of torque) is coming out in the 2015 Titan and the 2016 Tundra, so this could be a huge game-changer. If they had that engine in a Tundra, I would have totally ignored the Ford.

[Uncle Cracker]

More to the puzzle

buying a truck, daily driver, buying a trailer & tie downs, hauling the jeep,
selling the jeep, buying a buggy(which will be lighter)
all this, and having money left over to travel great distances to go wheeling

[color=#40FF00]Buy the freeking tundra, put an electric brake set up on it, buy the trailer, buy the buggy> lets go wheelin[/color]
(nearby)


there have been many FACTS posted, and some opinion.
go, with this new found knowledge, considering all the while, what [color=#FFFF00]your[/color] intentions and your price range are
in the end,, you are responsible for your decision


P.S. the turbo diesel tundra would be "crazy money" , but MAN! would i love to have one

[Beck*A*Poo]

These are all good feedback as to what I need and don't need

[garbageman]

Or get the buggy first and have one of these dickheads tow it for you.

[NinjasYota]

I also want a diesel tow rig/daily driver, I'm pretty much set on 1997 f-350 with a 7.3 power stroke, not as fast or powerful as a cummins, but the truck as a whole is better than the Dodge. The ultimate would be a Super duty with a cummins!

[Toy4xchris]

Normally I avoid these discussions because you get the normal I like this and I like that and the drinkers of the (insert brand name) kool-aid.

At the end of the day its all in what fits your budget and needs. Go out and test drive some trucks and research recalls and common issues.

I have owned all 3 of the diesels and now currently drive a dodge mega cab with the hemi. It does the job I need it to do its not the best at anything but its pretty decent at everything I ask it to do.

Now go out and test drive you some trucks and see which fits you best.

[Beck*A*Poo]

[quote="Toy4xchris"]Normally I avoid these discussions because you get the normal I like this and I like that and the drinkers of the (insert brand name) kool-aid.

At the end of the day its all in what fits your budget and needs. Go out and test drive some trucks and research recalls and common issues.

I have owned all 3 of the diesels and now currently drive a dodge mega cab with the hemi. It does the job I need it to do its not the best at anything but its pretty decent at everything I ask it to do.

Now go out and test drive you some trucks and see which fits you best. [/quote]

Thanks I like to hear it all lol gives me a better view of what to look for... ill go out and drive some in the next month or so ...

[Uncle Cracker]

[quote="garbageman"]Or get the buggy first and have one of these dickheads tow it for you.[/quote]


you're such an ass gm,

[Beck*A*Poo]

[quote="Uncle Cracker"][quote="garbageman"]Or get the buggy first and have one of these dickheads tow it for you.[/quote]


you're such an ass gm, [/quote]


its kinda true lol jk....


I gotz to do things my own way homz ...just cause im a chick don't mean I need to depend on anyone

[garbageman]

I just thought i would throw that out there. just to skip a step and move closer to the buggy.

[chuckanut105]

[quote="81BigBrett"][quote="chuckanut105"]that half ton diesel is not worth the money. The mpg is about the same as hemi, you loose tow capability and it costs a metric fuck ton more.[/quote]


The half ton diesel from Dodge only cost $2850 more than the new hemi. I would love to see the hemi get 23 mpg's in the city and 28 on the highway. It can tow 9200 pounds. How often do you tow 9000 pounds with your half ton?

I love Dodges, they are the only truck that has been able to put up with my abuse. Ford is a close second for me on durability.

I plan on getting one of these eco-diesel dodges in a couple of years, unless something else better comes out. I'll buy used though, the base price on a new one is $36,500.[/quote]


Do you really think that diesel is gonna get the EPA estimated mpg? I think ill just grab used 2500.