3/4 ton diesel vs. gas
Because of quite expensive repairs on my diesel (see signature) it has got me thinking. I am half way contemplating trading for a 3/4 ton gasser. My diesel tows very well, so I am wondering: would a ...
Forum Discussion
jamesu wrote:
Because of quite expensive repairs on my diesel (see signature) it has got me thinking. I am half way contemplating trading for a 3/4 ton gasser. My diesel tows very well, so I am wondering: would a 3/4 gasser’s towing performance be comparable to my Duramax, or would it be more like a “beefed up” version of the 1/2 ton gasser I used to tow with years ago? On trips I am towing 8500-9000 lbs.
I own both a 2005 Ford F350 V10 2WD with 4.30s and a 2019 Ram 3500 HO 4WD with 3.73s and tow the same trailers. My 5th wheel is lightweight and about the same weight as your trailer.
The new diesel gets about 1.5 mpg better than the 15 year old V10. It's true that the gas engine will need new plugs every 100,000 miles and if replacing plugs every 100,000 miles is a hassle, then maybe a diesel is the better choice. I changed my at 126,000. I could have paid someone but I did it myself. The horror, the horror. I think I got my hands dirty. LOL. Once in 126,000 miles really isn't that big of a deal.
But, you'll have to replace fuel filters every 10,000-15000 miles. Diesel owners love to replace fuel filters when they compare a diesel to a gas engine. Plus, they love to argue about oil type, brands and change intervals. I know the gas guys have the same arguments. The only difference is that the diesel guys spend more money on oil and filters (and fuel filters), and for some reason, that doesn't matter.
Towing? The diesel doesn't slow down going up hills and the exhaust brake is great. When I tow with the Ford V10, I generally don't beat up the engine by spinning it at a high RPM, even though it's designed for it. Getting up the hill a few minutes sooner just isn't worth it. I also drive a bit slower. The diesel tows easy at 70-74 mph. I generally tow with the gas engine at 62-65, so we're in the truck longer.
To be honest, the diesel is nice but not worth the added cost. If you tow a lot, maybe it's worth it. If you don't, save your money. I bought the diesel because the added cost wasn't an issue.
On a completely unrelated note, the manufacture (Ram) and dealerships sucks. The diesel is the only thing that works well.
