Gas vs. diesel

Honestly. IF I towed really heavy. I'd have a diesel. Otherwise, for normal trailers. It would take the life of the truck to make back the difference in the sticker price of a diesel truck over a gas truck.

I own a gas truck, my SIL owns nothing but diesels. he and I took a trip once towing our TT's. I gassed up four times and he fueled up twice. same distance, same year truck, one gas, one diesel and his TT was 5 ft longer than mine. BUT there are many posts on this forum from past diesel owners that have gone back to diesel. after seeing my SiL pull his TT, I am thinking going to diesel. so it all comes down to what ever you want, you get. don't think you will go wrong with what ever you decide. right now I'm pulling with a 3/4 ton 6.0 with 4.10 rear end and it pulls good, might take me a little time to climb the rockies but it does what I ask it to do.

DutchmenSport wrote:
If you're looking only at the cost of fuel, you have to really compare apples to apples.

Consider your diesel vehicle get's 20 miles a gallon. Consider the cost of diesel per gallon is $4.00 per gallon. 15 / 4 = $0.20 (twenty cents) a mile.

Consider your gas vehicle gets 15 miles a gallon. But the cost of gas is $3.60. The price per mile is $0.24

For example:

Diesel (realistic in Indiana right now) is $3.70, my truck gets 14 mph that equals $0.264 (twenty six cents) a mile to run.

My car (gas) gets 34 mpg. Gas, right now is abut $3.20. That costs me $.064 (six cents) a mile to run my car!

That's how you should REALLY determine fuel costs!

Do you math and then see what works best for you.

3.70 divided by 14 equals 0.264
3.20 divided by 34 equals 0.941

rvten wrote:

ChooChooMan74 wrote:
I will be getting the popcorn ready. Another Gas vs Diesel thread. OH BOY!

Just got a new corn popper just for these post:R

"GAS VS.DIESEL" SITE SEARCH 150,000 posts and counting...

If you're looking only at the cost of fuel, you have to really compare apples to apples.

Consider your diesel vehicle get's 20 miles a gallon. Consider the cost of diesel per gallon is $4.00 per gallon. 15 / 4 = $0.20 (twenty cents) a mile.

Consider your gas vehicle gets 15 miles a gallon. But the cost of gas is $3.60. The price per mile is $0.24

For example:

Diesel (realistic in Indiana right now) is $3.70, my truck gets 14 mph that equals $0.264 (twenty six cents) a mile to run.

My car (gas) gets 34 mpg. Gas, right now is abut $3.20. That costs me $.064 (six cents) a mile to run my car!

That's how you should REALLY determine fuel costs!

Do you math and then see what works best for you.

ChooChooMan74 wrote:
I will be getting the popcorn ready. Another Gas vs Diesel thread. OH BOY!

Just got a new corn popper just for these post:R

curlysue321 wrote:
Which is more economical? Diesel costs more, but supposedly gets better gas mileage. Anyone have both and find one more economical over the other?

I have owned both with the same trailer.

The gas got 9 to 10 towing my trailer.

The diesel got 12 to 13 towing the same trailer.

Where I live, the diesel comes out waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay on top. When I travel over the country, the diesel comes out waaaaaaaaaaaaaay on top.

As far a maintenance goes "my" diesel edged out the gas (cost less) by a small amount.

You have to pick the "right" diesel to come out on top though. Pick the wrong one and you will get buried in cost.

Diesels cost more, can typically pull/carry more, cost more to maintain, have better brakes, better ride. If you travel a great deal then MPG becomes more of a concern. Want to tow a large trailer or SUV in the mountains then towing capacity is a bigger concern.

Me I have a smaller (31 ft) class A gasser, do not tow, and am perfectly happy. I don't see a need for a diesel in my future.

All depends on what your towing and how much. I absolutely love my 2011 chevy duramax 3500. It pulls my 12k 5th wheel with ease and gets just under 12mpg doing it. But 3 trips to the dealer in the past couple weeks has me nervous. Two of the trip were related to the DEF system. Which gas trucks don't have. I am beginning to think maybe gas is better considering the cost and complexity of the diesel motors today. But if money was no issue I would choose a diesel every time.

I will be getting the popcorn ready. Another Gas vs Diesel thread. OH BOY!