Greene728 wrote:
OP
In a nutshell without all the banter, a gas will be just fine but a diesel will pull better. It's nothing more than getting either one configured in a manner and equipped to handle your 5th wheel. If only towing 2000mi or so a year, then the upfront cost and added maintenance probably isn't worth it. Unless you just really want a diesel and don't mind the extra cash up front (pretty substantial) and added cost of ownership (not a big deal) I believe you will be fine with either one. And as someone else pointed out, if you plan to trade at roughly 80,000mi, then the diesel seems kinda pointless to me considering your needs and plans.
I'm convinced the money in gas vs diesel is a wash. You pay more up front and a little more in maintenance with the diesel, pay a little less for fuel and get all the extra expense back on resale. So it'll cost you a little more up front but it comes out as a wash in the end.
As far as towing goes, I would agree a gas truck would be sufficient in this scenario, especially in the northeast. It'll tow different but that doesn't mean it can't do it.
One other point is that personal preferance plays a role. I could have gotten by fine with a 6.4, but I just wanted a diesel more so that's what I bought. It's no different than somebody paying more because they want the features that come with a Longhorn (except most of that money doesn't come back on resale).
