Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives The real difference between gas & diesel....

Lots of reasons for and against diesel ownership as far as the economics of it are concerned. I read of the higher cost of diesel, the higher cost of maintenance etc and they are valid points. I suspect though, that many people who espouse gas over diesel haven't had much seat time towing with a diesel vs gas truck. For me, the added (though debatable) cost of a diesel is well worth the price of admission based on my own experience. My Cummins tows 2-3 times a month, total of about 1k miles a month with a trailer behind it, and compared with the gas trucks I used to own, is cheaper to operate overall due to greater efficiency while towing. More importantly though, is the ease with which it tows. If I'm running over 55mph, it stays in overdrive with up to 8000 lbs behind it, no gearing down on the hills, no lack of torque and is very stable. I've covered many miles pulling less weight with half-ton gas engined trucks using more fuel and always felt as though I'm punishing the tow vehicle. Not so with the diesel. That alone makes it worthwhile for me........

There is a higher cost associated with diesel and more maintenance but if you tow a lot of heavy things then it is worth it. I loved my Silverado 1500, but it screamed just to keep a decent speed while pulling my tractor. I live in a mountainous area with a lot of grades and my Silverado was staying at 4,000 rpms to just trying to stay between 35-40 mph going a section of mountain near my house while towing my NH TC 40. If i let off of the accelerator the truck would upshift and then loose speed and then downshift again at 4,000 rpm. I used the truck to pull a 6,500 pound camper down I-81 and it would be running at 4,000+ just to maintain 50mph. I sold the truck before I caused it's early death. My neighbor has it and loves it.

I bought an 07 Dodge CTD with the 5.9 and there is a huge difference. Both the Dodge and my Silverado has 3.73 rear ends and the HP difference is not that great (285-295 vs 325) but the torque difference is huge. The Silverado had to work at high RPM to stay in the upper torque curve while the CTD has the torque curve between 1500-2000 RPM. My diesel going up the same mountain with my tractor just humms away and will gain speed if needed. I can cruise at 65mph on the interstate with the camper and the truck never seems to notice the camper behind it.

My dad used my Dodge to tow his camper and he sold his Chevy 2500 for a LBZ 07 Duramax. I'm not advocating any brands but if you tow heavy loads or tow great distances then a diesel can't be beat.

It's all about intended use. I love diesels, but won't own one right now. My pickup gets me to work and back 12 months a year, tows a 16' aluminum boat 4 month a year, carries a couple of deer or antelope once or twice a year, maybe a little lumber here or there, but if it's too heavy, I'll just get it delivered for ~$40. I can't justify having one. There are more pickup owners that fit my use profile than fit yours. With the new EPA regs, the diesel option is looking worse still.

Do what I did- own one of each!

After driving diesel p/u's since 1993 and also several tractors, heavy equipment etc..

I'm still baffled by all this talk of "extra maintenance".

Yes, diesels take more oil, but they can go longer between oil changes than a gasser. Oh sure, the dealers would love for you to come change your oil every 3-5k miles, but its not needed, and a waste of oil.

Air filter change interval is no more than any other motor.

Diesels have no sparkplugs to change or igintion associated electronics.

Yes, the fuel filters need changed more often, I'll give everyone that. But thats about all I can think of.

I'm sure someone will say injectors, but if you keep your filter changed injectors should not go out. (this does not apply to 6.0L powerstrokes, which you could not give me for free)

After putting about 500,000 miles on three diesel p/u's I've had a grand total of 0 injectors go out.

The reason those of who use our trucks for work choose diesels is partially because of LESS maintenance.

Now I agree with everyone, if you don't pull or haul much its kind of silly to own a heavy duty diesel p/u.

Bill

Should add that at 181k miles on my Cummins, I'm probably less than 50% into its useful lifespan, whereas a gasser pulling similar loads is getting ready for overhaul or replacement. (I over-maintain my vehicles, oil changes every 5k etc. Cummin's 350k projected life cycle between overhauls is based on 15k oil change intervals.)

I'm down to just one gas burner: my '56 Chevy hot rod. I'm considering putting a diesel in it though.

When the Germans owned Chrysler, I thought long and hard about buying a diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee, but decided that it is just cold enough in NE to opt out of the gel factor. Probably a mistake, but I'll look on the used market.

Jeff

There is not more maintenance with a diesel, that's a myth. There is a higher up front cost but if you keep the vehicle long enough the savings will far outweigh the initial cost. My 99 dodge diesel has 360K miles on it and has been the least expensive vehicle I've ever owned.

Pics? Gotta love the old Chevs

I used to pull a twin-engine boat down to Florida every fall and back here every spring. I started out with a big-block 3/4 ton Suburban, then a 99 F-250 4x4 V10, then a F350 4x4 dually V10. I then picked up a deal on a program truck from Ford, an '00 Excursion Limited 4x4 diesel with the 7.3 (I now have an '02 Limited Ultimate). The biggest difference between the gassers and diesels wasn't necessarily the fuel usage but the ability to handle the hilly portion; Tennessee in particular. The gassers just plain couldn't handle pulling that load up the hills without a helluva lot of gear searching, even with 4.10/4.11 rears. The Excursions never came out of overdrive, not even once.
I don't care about horsepower numbers. They mean nothing in the area of power. Torque rules, and it's that arena the diesel wins. If you don't tow, it's hardly worth going the diesel route. If you do, there is no comparison.

It's a work in progress, that I haven't progressed on in several years...one of these days I'll get back on her.

To be pulling a heavy load once or twice a year or pulling a 1000 miles a month is little in way of needing or justifying a diesel truck. One needs to be using that truck a bunch to override the extra expense of even having a diesel. Start with the $7000 dollars additional on the original cost of the diesel truck. Maintanence is more money on a diesel truck and it MUST be done in order to get your expected 400,000 miles from the engine.

Right now the fuel costs are very close to gas costs and that is a plus for diesel owners. However, when that fuel shot up to $4.80 a gallon just North of me and gas was running $2.90 a gallon, there is a heck of a difference in expense running a diesel.

Now must of us realize what it takes to pull heavy loads but I can sure tell anybody that my Ford Superduty with a V-10 gas engine has NOT be shorted on get over any hills. Nor has it had to strain to do so. Perhaps someone with a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton pickup with the 5.3 or 4.6 Triton engine has had to strain pulling a heavy load but I sure have not had that problem and I live where they hills are plenty and you can bet they are steep too.....The Ozark Mountains in Missouri!

Now I'll admit I am not going to do any pull-offs with any diesel trucks but I don't have any problem pulling 10,000 lbs up any of those hills around me. In case your wondering about that fact, I will invite you all down to Branson, Missouri for the summer shops or perhaps better yet, the FALL FESTIVAL and you can judge those hills for yourself.

Yes, it is true about the extra cost of a diesel over a gas engine, but that doesn't exactly evaporate at trade in time. The real cost of ownership is much closer than many people realize and the difference between the trucks is more than just a motor.

Thats very true, around here you can't hardly give away a used 3/4-1 ton truck with a gas engine, but used diesels rarely stay on the lot very long at all, even when they have high mileage. And a used diesel will bring sometimes up to twice the money what a used gas heavy duty p/u will.

Tonk, something else to consider. I do pull with my truck a good bit, but I also have to log quite a few miles empty. I have owned a gas 3/4 ton before. I get 17-18 mph average with my diesels, with the gas trucks I averaged 11-13 miles per gallon empty. I get 11-13 with my diesel with 10,00-12,000 lbs behind it, not empty, my gas trucks got about 7 mpg loaded.

If a person trades trucks every couple yrs it may not matter, but I generally drive my trucks 6-8 yrs. After 100,000 miles the diesel does pay for itself for people like me.

And $4.80 a gal for diesel???? Even at its highest here I don't think it ever broke $4.00 and gas was only .50 cheaper during that time.

Bill

Whooooa HOSS! I don't knock anyone for getting a diesel if that is what they want ok. I myself like quite and I honestly do NOT haul enough to justify the added expense and care one must give a diesel. I personally do not like the smell of fuel and the wife does not want that smell in the house or on my clothes either, it just does not go away like gas does.

You talk about expense, OK and getting more mileage out of diesel but in the long run, you are spending a bunch of extra money if you don't haul Long and often compared to a gas truck. I can take that $7000 or $8,000 dollars extra money spent up front for that diesel engine and in 3 to 4 years time, at least double it via my investing process. I have done so before and hope to do so again.

I have friends in the car & truck business and I know you can not deal on a new vehicle with trading in a used diesel truck with 100,000 miles on it period. You will take a beating twice!!! Dealers do NOT want your diesel truck with a 100,000 miles on it period. However, they will take your gas truck with a 100,000 on it in a heart beat! Now that is in the state of Missouri, Iowa and Illinois.

Wasn't knocking you liking a gas truck. If you won't use the benefits of the diesel then your not wrong for not getting one.

Things on resale are exactly the opposite here,

a good friend whom I hunt with alot owns two used lots here. He deals only in later model vehicles in very good shape. He will buy high milage diesels all day long if their in good shape, he won't touch a gas truck unless its half ton. Why? He can't sell it.

Used diesels with 100,000 miles here still bring about $12,000-$15,000. The equivaleent gas truck would bring about $8,000.

Bill

Absolute BS here in northern Illinois. 7.3PS or Cummins-equipped trucks have excellent resale, whether at a dealer or private sale. I know plenty of dealers, go to the auctions often with a few of them, and a v10 or v8 equipped truck with high miles winds up at the auctions every time.

Drive what you want. If you don't pull enough to justify owning a diesel, can't stomach the price of the engine, or don't like the smell, fine. To each his own. To say that they're worthless in the dealer network in comparison to a gas engine truck is just plain azz-backwards. YMMV.

In a 4x4, I much prefer a diesel for off road work as they generally have more power available at lower revs. Also, on steep down hill sections you get far better engine braking from a diesel due to the high compression of the engine..

The major down side with modern diesel engines though is just how complicated they have got. These days, they can have just as much critical electrics/electronics as a petrol engine.

What I was thinking and also knew. But I'm not from Illinois so I let it go.