Didn't want to muddy the other thread about the 6.4Hemi, so I thought I would start a new one. When I see the questions about gas vs diesel for towing, and see the responses, sometimes I smile a little.
I'm on my second 3/4 ton diesel truck, this one has 160k miles on it. the previous one had almost 300k when I sold to it a fellow Campfire member in Houston Tx. As far as I know, it's still doing fine with probably 400k or more on it. I think what a lot of people don't take into consideration when comparing the 2, is the ease of pulling a load with a diesel, compared with a gasser. I had 3 gas powered half ton trucks before the diesels, and since "moving up", I would find it really difficult to back to gas. Fuel efficiency under load is far superior, and has been stated in other threads, if you tow heavy and often, the diesel wins hands down. For the occasional tower, diesel over gas is not really convincing, unless you tow over steep terrain. I had always felt that I was punishing my gas powered trucks when pulling, even moderate (5-8k lb) loads. With the diesel, it's no big deal. That alone, makes it worth it to me. The potential deal breaker, IMO, is the emission control systems on the modern diesels. They are problematic and expensive to repair, and will strand you if you're on a road trip. If you are lucky enough to live in a state with emission controls, there are ways to make your truck more dependable, but I'm not advocating that. Overall maintenance is a little higher with a diesel, which is more than offset by the better fuel efficiency, and of course resale value.
As with all opinions, your mileage may vary.
Last edited by badger; 10/19/20.
