Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives tell me about Ford gassers...

I did mention initial cost and repairs. Def is $15/2.5gal good for about 3K miles. That is less than 1/2 cent/mile. Figure it out you will spend about $7000 more in gas than diesel over 100,000 miles. 14mpg vs 23mpg. Compare the 7-8 mpg vs 14 mpg hauling heavy loads and it is even more than that. That will pay for injectors or an injector pump. Factor in diesels are quoted as commonly running 300K vs 200K for gasser. As you mentioned they hold their value more, so you get that back if you sell it. What is the GVCR rating for a big gasser vs a big Diesel? 1 ton diesel go about 30K + pounds.

A person has to decide based on what they need vs the price.

I get free oil changes

Nice score, 30338! Let us know what you think of it after you've used it some.

Definitely a situational comparison is warranted before one really knows what they “need” because your weight example brings into a whole nother matter of what a person who is pulling a load needs to be aware of.

Also, per your math, if a person buys new, and does not ever keep a truck past 100k mile mark, then it would cost them more to own the diesel than the gas burner because the higher initial cost of the diesel motor as an option would never pay for itself in the fuel efficiency it holds over the gas within that 100k miles of use.

A person who keeps vehicles longer than 100k miles of use may actually benefit from the initial diesel purchase.

Each person just needs to look at their overall use and what makes sense for them.

No comparison when you start talking about towing capabilities and torque, but a person really needs to understand all this in order to make an informed decision.

My last diesel, a 98 Dodge I had just shy of 20 years.Sold it for 1/2 of what I paid for it.

Never get rid of that truck.....I have had a 99 dodge diesel....2003 dodge diesel.....just sold a 2016 f350 deleted diesel......still have a 2018 f350 deleted diesel....and have never gotten any where near the milage you are claiming.......bob

Yes they pull better but how about stopping with all of that weight behind a 10k# truck??

Are the diesels equipped with heavier brakes?

Some of the guys that haul cattle around here have gone to smaller 4900 International, Freightliner and other single axle tractors for hauling cattle. They found it easier on the trucks and also easier to control if needing to stop quick, fast and in a hurry.

Same way semis stop pulling 80,000 pounds.Trailer brakes and compression brakes. I pull and descend 10,000 foot passes with no problem. I very seldom touch the brakes except maybe for a swithback tight curve. Stopping quick is always challenge no matter how much you are hauling. I try real hard not to get into that situation.

Some guys claim to get phenomenal mileage. I had a 2011 Duramax LML and saw 14.5 mixed/empty and 10.something towing.

I did a 1200 mile round trip from my place to the Grand Canyona a year ago, empty. I did mostly 80-85 the whole way on I-25 and then 40 going west. Solid 23 mpg on my 2018 Duramax. Going 60- 65 with a 17K total load, I get a tad less than 14 mpg.

pretty much in line with what I got with my dodge and ford trucks.....know a guy very well that claims he gets up to 28 mpg sometimes with his duramax...bob

Getting milage like that would be great. My 1 ton Ram gets 18 and sometimes 20 empty at 70 mph. Pulling a 28ft camp trailer it averages 10 and quite often less.

My ‘22 Chev 2500 with 6.6 gas got 19-20 mpg yesterday otw home from bow hunting. Best I’ve got out of it yet.

Rob, is that canadian or US gallons?

Be US, just used a conversion site online. 12L/100km

That is good mileage for a 3/4 ton 4wd!

You have to consider fuel prices in different parts of the country. Here gas is 3.09 right now and diesel is 4.39.

I drove nothing but diesels for 25 years straight, of every brand, I never once saw 14 mpg pulling that heavy except with pre emission diesels (read that 93 to 1999 or so), and never saw 23 on a regular basis except with a two wheel drive first generation cummins.

I'm not saying I'm doubting what your saying, again I think its a geographical thing. My diesels (and the 7.3 gas I drive now) always got better mileage at higher altitudes than they do here at home in Texas.

My 6.7 powerstroke only averaged 3 mpg better than the 7.3 gas I'm running now, loaded and unloaded. The 7.3 pulls, and pulls well. I've grossed around 24k with and it did fine.

I am at 7600 ft+. I go to Denver about every other month. 5600ft and my trip to Grand Canyon varied but they were 23 mpg.
My elk hunting where I am at 17,000 pounds is going over two 10,000 ft passes the rest of it varies from 5000 ft to 8000 feet. 300 miles each way That varies somewhat between 13 and 14 depending on how heavy my foot is. These are not one time trips. This is what truck computer is telling me.

Before I had this Chevy, I had a 98 Dodge diesel, 5 sp Std, Stock rear end . It got 12mpg pulling the same load, same trips and about 18 on open hwy.

Here where I live its up and down and I don't get quite the open hwy mileage.

Different gearing makes a big difference.

Man, I’m dying to hear about the 7.3 buddy. I’ve been thinking it might be a lot easier than any of the new diesels. My 3500 has been in the shop now for 2 months waiting on recall parts. I’m slowly getting tired of new diesels and the BS wrapped around them.

Did you order anything special with yours? 4.30 gears?

I’ve got a 2020 3500 and haven’t ever recorded more than 17 empty. Love the power but the mileage isn’t even close to my two older Ram diesels.