3/4 ton diesel vs. gas

^Youre still going to get about 30% better towing mileage with a diesel.
And I pull those weights you’re talking about with the older 6.2 Fords and newer 6.0 GMs. Of course they’ll pull 6-7 tons, and capably too. Just not the first to the top if you’re racing a diesel up the hill. Capable tow rigs nonetheless.
I have to believe the Godzilla/10speed combo is a GREAT tow rig for a gasser.

What most of the dill holes forget is it’s not gas vs diesel. We’re on the same team here boys. The enemy is the impending doom of NOT having either of those kinds of rigs to tow with in the future. And instead of cam, headers and a tune or a bigger turbo and injectors, we’ll be upgrading to “high performance “ extension cords and some super duper lithium sodium barium unobtanium 600V batteries!

Wonder when Accel will begin marketing high performance charging cords?? You know yellow with orange plugs! Lol

Lantley wrote:

Hannibal wrote:
I’ve owned six diesels. Bored family and friends to tears with how wonderful they were. Got tired of the sound of the diesel groaning up the hills because they can’t rev. A Cummins howling at 2900 rpm up hill gives a new meaning to a screaming engine. Between that and the potential for horrendous repair costs, I went back to gas. My new 2020 7.3 powered F-250 makes very easy work of towing our trailer. Very quiet and vibration free. Not even a hint of a desire for another diesel.

I don't dispute your thoughts but if 2003 is the last time you owned/experienced a diesel, a lot has changed since then.
On the other hand, I think some of us diesel guys have outdated thoughts/memories of how a gasser performs when towing.

In 1995, I had a new Chev 1/2 ton short bed extended cab, small block 350, that I was towing a 26 foot Holiday Rambler Alumalight trailer . I towed that trailer all over Utah , Idaho, and Montana. Did a great job. Then I went on a trip with another couple with a new 97 Ford 7.3 diesel crew cab ,thats all it took . I ordered a new early 99 Superduty ,and never gave a gas truck another thought since. It was as much the crew cab as it was the diesel . But having that diesel enabled me to move up to a fifth wheel, that I couldn't with small block gas engines.

Now reading what you have to say ,a 7.3 gas powered truck would be tempting. I would sure like to see how well they tow north of 10K . Say around 13-14K if that is even possible with one ???.
Towing with a diesel I never see much better then 10MPG , Not that I expect too, but would the gas perform as well. I know back in the day those big block gas motors were doing 6-7 if they got worked much. Not a whole lot better running bobtail.

valhalla360 wrote:

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Diesels don't have the regular tune ups that gassers do. No spark plugs and other related parts to replace. I have friends in the gas guzzling department that try to convince me it costs more to maintain a diesel. I call horse puckey on that one.
Years ago it cost me $80 for an oil change, last one I did was $115. And it is always done at the stealership, not those drive in cheapo places run by incompetent monkeys. I want my truck serviced properly.
All I ever do is oil changes, fuel and air filters. Gas engines need that too.

What is this "tune up" you speak of? Tune ups went out of style around the time fuel injection became standard.

Spark plugs are now pretty much a once per life of the vehicle item (maybe twice but most people buying new trucks have long since sold it before it hits 200k miles).

Of course, I've never paid $80 for an oil change on a gas truck (let alone $115). I think my wife got taken for $50 one time but usually you can get it done for under $30. It's not rocket science. Just check the fluid levels before driving away. Have sold all my trucks with the engine running just fine. Other issues pushed me to sell them.

Admittedly, oil changes are a small part of the cost of either type of truck but the savings more than make up for a set of plugs every 100k miles. Add in diesel fuel filters, extra battery and regular maintenance comes down in favor of gas.

If you have to start tearing the engine apart, gas is much cheaper to get work done. For the price of some of the injector failures, you could have them drop a new gas engine in.

Get diesel if you are towing heavy or you feel the need to south your ego.

Oh well, shoot , if I knew you could get your oil changed for less than $30 ida bought a gasser.....hey, check your calendar, it’s not 1985 any more...
Some of you guys are so full of ____. You can’t even buy the oil and filter for les than $30.....
Why is this place like who can make up the biggest story?

^ And you guys are funny. Because flat pedaling a Triton engine or basically any OHC engine is, well, an auditory non event.
But hey , keep up the “oh my ears hurt from the screaming gas engine” whining and you wont even be able to hear the engine over the other noise! Lol

valhalla360 wrote:


What deafening noise? Maybe if your exhaust is rusted out.

Our V10 is smooth and quiet. You can hear the change in pitch when you get up to 3000rpm but nothing deafening.

Talk of 5500rpm is just trying to sooth his ego to justify why he paid so much more for a diesel.

Again, you have to figure that you only tow a 7,500 lb trailer with a V10 which any half ton on the market can do(even the 3.0L diesels). One can say pulling such a small load with a V10 that is rated to tow 15k is soothing an ego just to justify a gaser. Start pulling closer to that V10's max ratings up hills at higher speeds than 60 mph(if you can even get there) and you will know what 5,500 rpm sounds like.

Hannibal wrote:
I’ve owned six diesels. Bored family and friends to tears with how wonderful they were. Got tired of the sound of the diesel groaning up the hills because they can’t rev. A Cummins howling at 2900 rpm up hill gives a new meaning to a screaming engine. Between that and the potential for horrendous repair costs, I went back to gas. My new 2020 7.3 powered F-250 makes very easy work of towing our trailer. Very quiet and vibration free. Not even a hint of a desire for another diesel.

I have driven both the new PSD and the 7.3L at a fleet event my company was invited to and will say that the PSD tows a lot quieter than the 7.3L. Going up hills especially at highway speed is where the difference really lies. Under 55 mph, there was not much of a difference between the two other than the 7.3L needing to go into the higher rpms to get the trailer moving. Above 55 mph, the 7.3L starts to feel lacking in comparison to the PSD and you need to drop down a few gears at higher rpm to get close to the same effect of acceleration and/or grade-ability. If a diesel is howling at 2,900 rpm to get up a hill, then a N/A gaser would be well above 5,000 going slower pulling the same hill, just my expereince.

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
I'm sure by "screaming" he means the deafening noise, not that the engine isn't doing what it's supposed to. Call me 'uninformed' if you like, but noise is noise -- and it's not a pleasant sound.

What deafening noise? Maybe if your exhaust is rusted out.

Our V10 is smooth and quiet. You can hear the change in pitch when you get up to 3000rpm but nothing deafening.

Talk of 5500rpm is just trying to sooth his ego to justify why he paid so much more for a diesel.

IMHO todays gas engine are plenty adequate for most towing applications, unlike 20 years ago when gas engines were pretty marginal for heavy towing.

So.... today gas vs diesel is a personal preference. As for the claims of high maint. costs etc. on diesels, my 2004.5 duramax that our son now has turned 250K miles. Other than oil changes, filter changes etc. the ONLY engine/transmission repair has been a new fuel filter seal kit.

We now have a 2015.5 duramax, only 60K miles but again very trouble free.

so pick what you want, not what others try to convince you of.

Lantley,
A lot of folks have probably not towed with a recent gas rig. My new to me 3014 GM 1500 with a V6 has pull three times in two months, granted not high profile trailers, but 6500 and 8000 lbs. I've only been at 0-600' elevation. Never got what I would call slowed down. Including the 8000 lb rig putting me over gcwr per say. I'm sure comparing my 05 dmax to a new one, would be night and day too.
ALL the newest trucks be them gas or diesel have improved majorly since 2014.
I did notice mpg dropped on 2020 gm 1500 models. Not sure if it's body design. Or dare I say, last DC inhabitant playing political games reducing mpg goals, along with other removals of vehicle regs.
In 14 across the board mpg and HP went up in gas rigs.
Marty

Jarlaxle wrote:
Don't forget to add the various ways any 2008+ diesel can dump enormous bills in your lap with no warning. Say, an exhaust filter (sell your first-born), an injection pump ($1500+), new injectors ($2000+), perhaps a turbocharger ($4000+ even if it doesn't blow up anything else).

Waaaaaaa....stop buying Fords...lol!