Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Thinking about an F250

Good call on the diesel. If you need a 3/4 or 1 ton truck, I don't think there's any other option besides the diesel. Add in any towing and diesel is mandatory. Around Colorado, elevation and hills are the norm. I'm a Ram guy and the Cummins tows 10,000lbs up and down mountain passes at 10,000+feet elevation with ease and can pass Subaru's while doing it. There is no replacement for a turbo diesel.

I've had my F250 gas with the 7.3 and 4.30 rear end since March, about 10k miles on it. Absolutely love the truck, no problems pulling our 12k 5th wheel around the western mountains, even with 37" tires.

I ditched a diesel for gas and don’t miss the diesel yet. Emissions and other diesel specific issues were mounting. I towed nearly 6,000 miles so far, including through Colorado with a 22’ travel trailer and didn’t notice any real deficits to having a gasser. Lower mileage is offset by lower gas costs, and towing power at altitude has been just fine. I was worried about losing the diesel power but am very pleasantly surprised. Unless you tow super heavy nearly all the time, I would say a gas truck is a better choice.

257 and K1500 I'm doubting you're posts. I've been there and done it with a gasser. There is no way you are maintaining the speed limit up and down the 10,000' passes of Colorado pulling a 12k 5th wheel with unleaded or a 22' RV with a 1500. You might, that's a big might, be doing 10 or 15 under the speed limit and watching the temp gauges on the way up and on the way down you're in 2nd gear with the engine revved at 5000rpm doing 45 trying to save your brakes. If that's what works for you and qualifies as pleasing or no problems, then go for it, just don't do it here. I hope you pull over and let normal speed traffic pass as needed. 2five7 a 2021 2500 with a gas 7.3 has a tow rating of 12,500lbs. You're maxed out...at sea level.

I see it every weekend here. A gas pickup/SUV/van, you name it, trying to pull anything from a smaller camper to a triple axle RV...all because the tow rating says it should be possible. Again, a tow rating that is for SEA LEVEL. Without fail, they have 20+ cars lined up behind them because they can't keep up with normal traffic speeds. In my opinion if you are consitstently holding up traffic, it's not a safe and legitimate pulling vehicle.

Have you towed with a newer gas 2500, or are you basing your comments on older trucks and speculation? Doubt all you want, but I’m guessing you have zero experience behind the wheel of a new gas 2500. Or maybe it’s just the Ram’s that can’t hold speed in a grade.

I went from a 2011 Duramax LML (397hp/765tq) to a 2021 gas 2500 L8T (401hp/464tq). With my travel trailer I could hold the speed limit wherever I towed. These are not the same gassers that were out 10-15 years ago. There is a noticeable increase in towing power from my 2016 2500 gas 6.0 (360hp/380tq). Heck, the new L8T has more horsepower than my 2011 Duramax, and I believe it’s the least powerful of the new gas 2500’s. Torque gets things moving, but ultimately horsepower is the measure of an engines ability to produce work.

You do have to let them work in their powerband, which is at higher revs than the diesel. Cottonwood pass and Monarch pass are not at SEA LEVEL and I had no issue going up (or controlling my decent) as fast as I wanted. Also had no issues on I40 and I80 through the plains. I was more worried about losing the exhaust brake, but the grade shifting algorithm on the gasser seemed almost equivalent to the exhaust brake on my LML. Probably not quite a effective, but pretty darn close. No temp issues either. Too bad you weren’t with me for the drive, you could have seen it for yourself.

I don’t have a super heavy trailer, so maybe it’s different if you are pulling at the max load rating of the truck all the time, I don’t know. I will say I was nervous making the switch, but for my trailer my fears were unfounded.

ETA, I have also towed with a 5.3l 1500 (2005) (285hp/325tq) and it did struggle over the same passes and was pushed around with the same trailer.

So far, I'm liking the diesel. It pulls better than anything I've ever owned and gets great MPG. Only three weeks and 3,000 miles in but don't regret not getting gas now. We'll see long-term how reliable it is, but so far, the best truck engine I've ever had. With that said, I wouldn't want it for short hops around town but it's great for the 30-minute to 2-hour drives I normally do.

DMD, I really have no interest in a diesel powered truck but have enjoyed reading yours posts with this new truck. And your open perspective on long-term reliability of the diesel engine. Seems like the right attitude going in. So many people get stuck on defending whatever they purchased that they are biased from the get go.

I hope you that you continue to share your experience with this truck.

Thank you, 4th point. I will continue to share.

Maybe next time do a little simple research before running your mouth. My truck is rated for 15k on the bumper, and 18.6k on a gooseneck or 5th wheel.


http://imgur.com/a/SoP8Fb1

I'll put $1000 that my truck can maintain the speed limit on any road you can find in the USA with the 5th wheel on the back.

Here is the same truck pulling 16k up to the Eisenhower tunnel, no problems.

https://youtu.be/4HiR9dxvGLY

Diesels will out perform gassers EVERY time when it comes to towing up any grade.
Question: Do you see ANY Big-rig gassers hauling a load on the highway? There is a reason for that 🤔

The modern big-engine gasser lovers also forget this important fact: gassers usually crap-out within 200-300k. There have been, and continue to be, 7.3 and 6.7 Powerstrokes, 5.9 & 6.7 Cummins engines that are still going strong towing at 500k+ miles. Gassers just aren’t made for longevity. Diesels are.

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.

And that^^^^^....is spot on!
Amen Brother!

Here's one of the best posts I've read here regarding diesel trucks.
The wisdom of Northern Dave:

Spot on!

I always enjoy the, “a diesel will run 500k” comments. They very well may but 99 percent of people aren’t keeping the same pickup that long or aren’t driving that much. Another point is that gas or diesel, your average pickup is getting pretty well worn out at way less than 500k. Even on a pavement pounder the transmission, front and rear end, interior, rust on bodies and frames, all have to be taken into account even if the engine still runs like a sewing machine.

I've no dog in this fight, but I watched 2Five7's Youtube video and I was kind of taken back at seeing that tach at 5,000 rpm and nudging over to maintain 60 mph and that ten speed transmission staying in fourth gear the whole way. High rpm to make any kind of usable power is why I sold off my old 5.0 F150 to get a larger v-8 with better low end torque. I realize that was a heck of a test load, but 2.2 mpg would sure be an assault on my wallet.

I stand corrected sir. My info came from the pre 2017 year models.

I know what you are referring to, especially people pulling with half tons, but the new big block gas motors are a different animal and you don't know what your talking about there. I've logged about 700,000 miles over 25 yrs in diesel pickups, including a lot of towing up to 24-25k gross, and yeah a good bit in CO and other western states, so put that argument back in your pocket. Guess what I drive now? An F-350 with the 7.3 gas motor, first gas truck I've owned since 1993. It pulls, and pulls well.

Diesels motors are not what they used to be either, much more problematic. Of the 18 or so here at work that have the new emissions at least one of them is broke down or throwing a code weekly.

Diesels still have their place, but the gap is narrowing, and reliability no longer goes to them.

Bill

Well said.