I have owned and pulled with both HD gas and HD diesel trucks, and my opinion is the anticipated cost of repairs and maintenance of a modern diesel outstrips the longevity benefits of a diesel. A fuel pump failure in a Bosch CP4 equipped truck (not an uncommon occurrence) would cost as much to repair as it would cost to put a brand new engine into a gas truck. EGR cooler and DPF failures are close to the cost of a full engine swap.
I believe the diesel longevity myth is rooted in two things, the past durability of lower powered/pre emissions diesels and the past lack of durability of gas engines. Modern pickup diesels are less reliable and durable than in the past, while modern gas engines far surpass their older brethren. It ain’t 1985 anymore.
No doubt the new diesels pull like a champ, but the new HD gas motors pull far better than folks who haven’t driven them give them credit for. If you are a hot shot hauler (or you just want to feel like a Billy badass on the way to the mall) then a diesel is a good choice. But, just because a diesel is a good choice doesn’t make a gas truck a bad choice.
