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
At the end of 10+ yrs of owning a rig, diesel or gas, the chance of me getting 8G more out of a diesel is pretty slim and none. If I get $1000 I'm doing pretty good, considering how I work my trucks. They get washed once a year whether they need it or not. I load 2-3 tons of gravel, dirt, lawn clippings etc daily. I also do not buy leather or carpets.
So reality is, a diesel as said, already costs 8G more to start with, lets add a SC to a gas, and both are about equal in initial start up costs.
Along with I am talking 30%, not 30degrees. I travel up and down 15-20% grades daily locally. Granted all at what i would call sea level. Using some formula's I have, a 6.0 gas WILL pull over a 30% grade with 3.73, 35% with 4.10s, a dmax a whopping 25%! On a 3% freeway grade, the dmax will be a bit faster, maybe 5 mph to 10 mph tops per most of the recent magazine tests using equal trailers. The new 6sp 6.0 gas GM, also out pulls the old 8.1 with the almighty allison. As the 8.1 did not have as much HP as the 6.0. The allison only has a 3.08 first gear, the 6l90e a 4.10. The dmax uses a 1.73 TC, the 6.0 and 8.1 a 2.05. Yeah the dmax has more torque to start with, but if it does not have the gearing to multiply it as much, it will not pull as steep a grade. Oh by the way, my whopping 175/335 idi 7.3 has the ability to pull a 30+% grade at 30K lbs. Altho I admit, way the heck slower than my dmax or a current gas rig on a 3-4% freeway grade. As it was not setup for freeway hauling, it was setup to do city driving at speeds under 50 for the most part. Which is what I typically do with it. It is a rare day it is on the interstate. i have no need.
At the end of the day, if the rig works for you, does not stall out on steep grades, keeps up a decent speed on the freeway if you drive it, carries the load you want, you have the right rig. GCWR, max hp,torque, low gears, in and of them self, are not the end all be all. I had a 235HP 454 get out pulled by a 105 hp 292 I6 more than once when I had both working in my landscape biz. The 454 could not move on a grade, as the th400 had a super tall first gear of 2.48, 4-1 at best with the tc working. Too tall, thing stalled out at gvwr on a 20+% driveway grade I had to go up at times. Not to mention the client that had a 33% grade goin up from Lk washington to the road. YES 33%, 6" rise per 18" run, built a set of stairs up along the driveway. Interstate max is 6, for short bursts 8%, as that is the max military will allow to mover rigs about among other reasons.
marty
Marty
So reality is, a diesel as said, already costs 8G more to start with, lets add a SC to a gas, and both are about equal in initial start up costs.
Along with I am talking 30%, not 30degrees. I travel up and down 15-20% grades daily locally. Granted all at what i would call sea level. Using some formula's I have, a 6.0 gas WILL pull over a 30% grade with 3.73, 35% with 4.10s, a dmax a whopping 25%! On a 3% freeway grade, the dmax will be a bit faster, maybe 5 mph to 10 mph tops per most of the recent magazine tests using equal trailers. The new 6sp 6.0 gas GM, also out pulls the old 8.1 with the almighty allison. As the 8.1 did not have as much HP as the 6.0. The allison only has a 3.08 first gear, the 6l90e a 4.10. The dmax uses a 1.73 TC, the 6.0 and 8.1 a 2.05. Yeah the dmax has more torque to start with, but if it does not have the gearing to multiply it as much, it will not pull as steep a grade. Oh by the way, my whopping 175/335 idi 7.3 has the ability to pull a 30+% grade at 30K lbs. Altho I admit, way the heck slower than my dmax or a current gas rig on a 3-4% freeway grade. As it was not setup for freeway hauling, it was setup to do city driving at speeds under 50 for the most part. Which is what I typically do with it. It is a rare day it is on the interstate. i have no need.
At the end of the day, if the rig works for you, does not stall out on steep grades, keeps up a decent speed on the freeway if you drive it, carries the load you want, you have the right rig. GCWR, max hp,torque, low gears, in and of them self, are not the end all be all. I had a 235HP 454 get out pulled by a 105 hp 292 I6 more than once when I had both working in my landscape biz. The 454 could not move on a grade, as the th400 had a super tall first gear of 2.48, 4-1 at best with the tc working. Too tall, thing stalled out at gvwr on a 20+% driveway grade I had to go up at times. Not to mention the client that had a 33% grade goin up from Lk washington to the road. YES 33%, 6" rise per 18" run, built a set of stairs up along the driveway. Interstate max is 6, for short bursts 8%, as that is the max military will allow to mover rigs about among other reasons.
marty
Marty
