Dodge - Diesel or gas?

rooney77 wrote:

FreeLanceing wrote:
I drove a big rig, like in 318 detroit for a few years. Hard to start in the winter, expensive to fix. The worst for me was the smell. After a fill up, after a long haul I could smell the fuel for a long time. When I worked consrtuction they asked if I wanted a gas or diesel, took the gas. Pulling a heavy job trailer with welder etc never looked back, took the gas welder as well. The guys who ran the diesels were always in the shop getting repaired truck or welder. We worked on a partial performance bonus so I was glad to keep the gas. I just bought a new JD subcompact utility tractor 27hp diesel. Now I feel real macho, sounds cool, power up the a, but its hard to start in the cold. My HHR sits next to it in the garage it smells like diesel, the house is starting to smell like diesel. The maintence is 200 bucks to change the oil. We all can rationalise anything we want. If I were buying a truck to haul a camper it would be gas all the way. These new gas motors are so powerfull, effient, the transmision are so much better than just a few years ago. You did not mention the cost diff, nor the cost of feeding the beast. My book, if you never drove one, and you want to look cool and feel mocho diesel. If you have nothing to prove and like to keep your cash in your pocket for other use gas. You wont be disapointed with either.

I have had many different diesels and not one has ever smelled. If it smells something is wrong (like a leak). If you are referring to the exhaust smell, well on older diesels I'll give you that but the newer ones have little to no odor. And I highly doubt that gassers are requiring less repairs than diesels. Diesels are built much stronger. They have to be due to the way the motor works.

If the motor is hard to start in the winter then you probably should have used a block heater. Or maybe cycle the glow plugs more than once. It's not rocket science that in a cold environment, a motor the requires heat to run will need heat put into it.

From many years of owning diesels it sounds like a lot of user error leading to your complaints. They are a different beast and have to approached from a different angle. They aren't harder to deal with, just different.

I can only think that experience with diesels is from 20 years ago!

Winter blends...of all fuels...are always supplied in the appropriate regions. We use our diesel in temps as low as -25* F with no block heater and no issues. These temps are routine in New England winters.
Does Dodge still sell the V10? That would be the way to for a Dodge gasser HD truck...

Go big block or go diesel. The Cummins is an awesome power plant-you can't go wrong there.
IMO running ANY small block in an HD truck is kind of like buying a corvette with a 4 cyl.