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Does anyone drive one of these? I am curious about fuel economy, reliability and ability to tow around 8000 pounds on mountainous roads.
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Fred

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I test drove a 2012 F-250 Super Duty with the 6.2 Gasoline engine for a few days last year before I bought my 2012 F-250 SuperDuty 4wd Diesel King Ranch Crew Cab.
I did not really like it because the gas mileage really sucked & it did not even come close to the power of the 6.7 Ltr Diesel I ended up buying. I only test drove it because it was much cheaper than the Diesel model.

Of course, Diesel fuel is about .30 cents higher per gallon than gas here in TX, I feel that I'm making up for it in fuel economy. My new diesel gets 16mpg in town & 21mpg on the highway without pulling a trailer. I pull cotton trailers & stock trailers loaded with cows weighing well over 20,000 lbs per load, & the diesel pulls so easy that it the fuel economy barely drops when I'm pulling a trailer.
My new 6.7 Diesel feels like it has twice the power & torque of my old 7.3 Diesel & is much much quiter! I normally drive a new truck at least 7 or 8 years, & I really feel that the F-250 Super Duty Diesel was the best investment for my money. Especially if your going to be pulling heavy loads quite frequently. JMHO, though.


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Thanks and thanks again for the good information. Right now, there are some good deals on left over 2012 diesels so that the cost differential between gas and diesel is not so severe.
I am primarily towing an 8000 pound camper. My Tundra does well with it, except when trying to pull uphill into 40 mph headwinds. I guess if I am going to upgrade the diesel makes the most sense.

Fred

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While I cannot comment on a Ford or any late model gas 3/4 ton, I went from a 2005 Chevy 1/2 ton with the 5.3 to a 2011 Chevy 3/4 ton with the Duramax. I tow the same sized trailer as you do, and have driven the same roads with both rigs.

While the 1/2 ton made it through the mountains, the diesel is so much more capable it isn't even close. Where I struggled to break 65mph in a headwind on I80. I can walk away from the trailer as fast as I dare with absolutely no signs of struggle with the diesel. Hills mean nothing, and with the exhaust brake, going down is a stress free event. I am sure a 3/4 ton gasser would have done the job well, but I doubt it would be anywhere as nice as the diesel.

I tow about 5,000 miles per year, mostly in the summer on long trips. The rest of the year I am a bit 'over trucked' but I don't care. The diesel makes a great daily driver as well. Although the price is higher than the gasser, I plan on keeping the truck for a very long time, so it was worth it to me. Even if it is $10,000 more, if you keep the truck for 10 years (my plan is to keep it longer than that) you are only paying $1,000 per year more. Pair that with better mileage, and the diesel starts to make sense if you tow a fair amount. Maintenence cost is a bit more, repairs should be less frequent as you are not stressing the truck as much, and resale is better. Good luck with your choice.

Last edited by K1500; 05/25/13.
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Both my step-brothers have the 6.2 and one friend, one step-brother pulls a skid steer quite often (bumper pull trailer).

Other brother and friend haul 8-12k horse trailers with living quarters. All three have adequate power, but the two with horse trailers heading out West River really start to lag behind once they hit the hills.

I haul the same size trailer with my 5.9 cummins and really don't loose any speed, unless it's a really long/steep hill. I can leave White, SD and make it to Rapid City on one tank full of fuel.

Those guys usually fill up in Chamberlin and Wall and will top off when I fill up in Rapid.


ps: Should add I only use my full sized truck to haul loads, have an older Ford Ranger for my run around hunting/fishing truck.

Last edited by cal74; 05/26/13.

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Thanks again. I am pretty sure I am going to go diesel within the next year. It's only May and I have already towed over 5000 miles this year and will go to Alaska in a couple of weeks which will be at least 8000 miles so it looks as though I am going to be towing somewhere around 10-15000 miles a year. I,ll use the diesel mostly for towing and should be able to get a long life out of it. I drove a new 2012 Ford diesel and liked it a lot.
I appreciate all the first hand info you guys provided.

Fred

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You sound like you will use your truck like me, only more so. If you have the coin I would go diesel and never look back. You will LOVE it when you tow.

Last edited by K1500; 05/26/13.
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Consider adding a by-pass oil filter, or even a centrifuge unit.

And the most important thing on all new common rail diesels (filtration filtration filtration). For the couple hundred it costs, ad an additional 2 micron fuel filter. Can save you thousands down the road.

Diesel fuel in America is CRAP


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I've driven nothing but diesels for 20 yrs.
BUT, the truth is anymore with the extra cost of diesel, plus def fluid they all take now it will be a minimum of about 150,000 miles before you ever break even on fuel savings.
Diesels are now 8k-10k higher than the same truck with a gas motor, all else being equal. Yeah they have great rebates on the diesels but you can get the same deals on gas 3/4-1 tons here.
I also don't trust these smogged down, EPA restricted diesels like I did the pre-2007 trucks.
Unless you tow constantly or plan on driving the truck 200k+ miles you'll likely never see an economic benefit anymore from a diesel.

Last edited by tx270; 05/27/13.
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That said if you tow 10-15k miles a year like your expecting too then yes I would definitely go with a diesel rig.

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All of what tx270 said is true for sure, however DEF is cheap and lasts a long time, so it is really a non issue. The new DPF's do hurt hurt mileage. The only think I can add is it isn't all about the economics. I enjoy driving a diesel truck, even if it doesn't pay for itself over a gas model. I am sure I would have been happy with a gasser as well.

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I really don't understand the folks that enjoy driving a diesel for everyday. I drive a company Dodge Cummins. Great for towing, but for everyday driving, I'll take my personal 6 liter GMC 3/4 ton everytime. mtmuley

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397 horsepower, 765 lb. ft. of torque, Allison transmission, what's not to like as a daily driver?

The 6 liter is a great motor with 360 horsepower and 380 lb. ft. of torque., but it isn't any quicker than the Duramax.

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My truck isn't meant to be a racecar. And in the hills in the snow, I leave the big, heavy diesels in the dust so to speak. mtmuley

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Well..that's why I enjoy driving the diesel.

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Compared to the rest of the world, diesel fuel in the US is mighty fine. It tends to absorb or adsorb water and can grow algae if it sits too long. Take precautions and change your fuel filter and you will have no problems. The original German design was made for peanut oil. Diesels will be able to use all sorts of fuels in the future.


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