Diesel vs gas......................
OK folks, there have been a few to many diesel vs gas threads that have shall we say gone to "Hell and a hand basket"! So if all of you would put in you BEST, no flaming reasons for going gas vs diese...
Forum Discussion
Rich,
My understanding of what my Army truck friend (actually a Defense Department procurement specialist assigned to inspect trucks delivered to the Army) and the buyer reviews/forum posts at Edmunds.com mean is that diesel trucks with emisisons controls in the Ford F-250/350 and Dodge Ram 2500/3500 range require a certain proportion of hauling use relative to other uses to work properly. The proportion varies depending on what the other uses are. This is almost certainly true for similar GM's, and probably true for the heavier duty trucks in the 450/550 and 4500/5500 classes.
An improperly working diesel emissions system does bad things to diesel trucks. Just what is bad, and how bad is bad, likewise varies, but you don't want to find out. Or go to Edmunds and read the complaints. As a general rule, the more stop & go driving you do, whatever load you are carrying, means three things - more oil changes, worse mpg, and the proportion of "keep the emissions system happy" hauling has to go up or the emissions system will get you.
Hauling basically means carrying a load in the truck, or hauling a load behind the truck, which somewhat stresses the engine (which is good, not bad, for a diesel) at a reasonably steady speed somewhere between 30 mph and 60 mph. I get this mostly from my friend. The truck doesn't care whether you are hauling an RV or have a load of bricks in the back as long as it is some appreciable proportion of its maximum rated load however that is computed.
The purpose of hauling a load is to make the emissions system work the way it is intended to work. They are designed to reduce emissions most effectively when the truck is working hard and steadily. If they are denied the opportunity to work the way they are designed to work, invisible gremlins hop out and do a number on the engine or something.
The only way to keep these invisible gremlins, all wearing Environmental Protection Agency uniforms, from doing a number on your truck is to give the emissions system enough of a workout hauling relative to other things you do with your truck. I suspect single-occupant no-cargo freeway driving is at least not injurious, while local driving is bad and stop & go driving is horrible. I.e., ya gotta haul a load and the more milage you do of that, the better.
My understanding of what my Army truck friend (actually a Defense Department procurement specialist assigned to inspect trucks delivered to the Army) and the buyer reviews/forum posts at Edmunds.com mean is that diesel trucks with emisisons controls in the Ford F-250/350 and Dodge Ram 2500/3500 range require a certain proportion of hauling use relative to other uses to work properly. The proportion varies depending on what the other uses are. This is almost certainly true for similar GM's, and probably true for the heavier duty trucks in the 450/550 and 4500/5500 classes.
An improperly working diesel emissions system does bad things to diesel trucks. Just what is bad, and how bad is bad, likewise varies, but you don't want to find out. Or go to Edmunds and read the complaints. As a general rule, the more stop & go driving you do, whatever load you are carrying, means three things - more oil changes, worse mpg, and the proportion of "keep the emissions system happy" hauling has to go up or the emissions system will get you.
Hauling basically means carrying a load in the truck, or hauling a load behind the truck, which somewhat stresses the engine (which is good, not bad, for a diesel) at a reasonably steady speed somewhere between 30 mph and 60 mph. I get this mostly from my friend. The truck doesn't care whether you are hauling an RV or have a load of bricks in the back as long as it is some appreciable proportion of its maximum rated load however that is computed.
The purpose of hauling a load is to make the emissions system work the way it is intended to work. They are designed to reduce emissions most effectively when the truck is working hard and steadily. If they are denied the opportunity to work the way they are designed to work, invisible gremlins hop out and do a number on the engine or something.
The only way to keep these invisible gremlins, all wearing Environmental Protection Agency uniforms, from doing a number on your truck is to give the emissions system enough of a workout hauling relative to other things you do with your truck. I suspect single-occupant no-cargo freeway driving is at least not injurious, while local driving is bad and stop & go driving is horrible. I.e., ya gotta haul a load and the more milage you do of that, the better.
