Gas engine and Diesel of same specs.Pull the same.

jerem0621 wrote:

M GO BLUE wrote:
AS LONG AS I AM TOWING SOMETHING IT WILL ALWAYS BE WITH A DIESEL

Good for you!

x2.

It's all about finding what makes you happy...

deleted, accidental duplicate post

Hannibal wrote:

wnjj wrote:

ib516 wrote:
The diesel will pull at lower rpm with much less transmission shifting. It will also get 50% better mpg towing or empty.

Lower rpm = lower road speed, unless you run in a higher gear which means lower torque at the wheel. You can't have it all unless you've got HP. I seriously doubt a stock 235hp diesel with similar torque to a 345hp gas engine would pull as well but I can't say I've had first hand experience. Modded is another story for either engine.

I have had that experience. My '05 345hp/365ftlb Hemi powered 2500HD towed our 10,400 lb 5th wheel faster up the grades than my '03 duplicate 250hp/460ftlb Cummins powered 2500HD. It was at 4500rpm vs 2900rpm, not 5k rpm vs 1800rpm. And we got 2mpg better with the Cummins. Not twice the mileage. A stock 8.1 would run circles around a stock '01 Cummins.

Hannibal speaks from real-world experience, not speculation or theory.

Seems easy to me to decide which responses to give weight to and which to ignore.

this is what I know. We bought a 2001 3500 8.1 dually with a 4:10. At that time the duramax was also the first year. the test was going up a test climb to compare both engines. The 8.1 was quicker. the difference was the duramax was a 3.73 rear gear and pulled the test climb in one gear higher in the Allison. Now we have the 05 same model as the 01 truck and it is a superior tow truck. the 8.1 was not bad for fuel for towing and 7.9 was the lowest mileage but in a windy day towing from Palm springs though El central to Yuma. 13.52 was the only mileage I ever checked solo on a 234 drive one day filling up to the brim at the same pump both times. 9.30 mpg was the best on one perfect day on I-5. I have talked to other 8.1 owners and they didn't get up to 7mpg towing. I always did the best test I could do because no reason to lie to myself, in fact I do not lie period. I would pull the hills around 3500 rpm's with 4000 a couple of times to see the difference but not my style to drive that way. I go with what feels good to me is good for the truck. The 8.1 was great for us but we decided we had too much money so the reason for the 05.

chevman

M GO BLUE wrote:
AS LONG AS I AM TOWING SOMETHING IT WILL ALWAYS BE WITH A DIESEL

I really could care a less what fuel I am burning. Currently the diesels make superior tow vehicles but that could change. It wouldn't take much to develop a gasoline powered electric truck that would outperform a current diesel.

the_happiestcamper wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

JustLabs wrote:


You'll use more fuel and RPM to do it,but an 8.1 will run circles around a CTD of that era.

I really doubt that.

Doubt it if you want but that big block would smoke the oil burner of those years. The big block has more than a 1/3 more HP. Would not even be close.

I used to have a 2003 Quad Cab Long Bed 2500 with the 5.9 CTD. I now tow with what's in the sig. Definitely my 8.1 tows better than my Cummins did. 8-9 MPG gas vs. 13 MPG diesel towing. Maybe not all are like this, maybe I had a bad Dodge, maybe I have a superior GMC - just my observation.

Well that 8.1 has a 27% displacement difference over the 03 CTD, and was likely running 3.55 gears not the 4.10 you have. I traded a F250 in on my 01 CTD, it would not pull my trailer art the time up a grade at speed. I don't think it was 100%, but as a DD getting 7 mpg, I dumped it for the CTD, now get 15 city driving, 12 towing and move an 11K 5er up 6% and 7% grades at speed with 3.55's.

The other thing to think about if a gas TV gets 10 mpg, a diesel gets 12 mpg that is a 20% improvement.

It all boils down to personal preference, some will never enjoy the pleasure of towing with a diesel.

M GO BLUE wrote:
AS LONG AS I AM TOWING SOMETHING IT WILL ALWAYS BE WITH A DIESEL

Good for you!

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

JustLabs wrote:


You'll use more fuel and RPM to do it,but an 8.1 will run circles around a CTD of that era.

I really doubt that.

Doubt it if you want but that big block would smoke the oil burner of those years. The big block has more than a 1/3 more HP. Would not even be close.

I used to have a 2003 Quad Cab Long Bed 2500 with the 5.9 CTD. I now tow with what's in the sig. Definitely my 8.1 tows better than my Cummins did. 8-9 MPG gas vs. 13 MPG diesel towing. Maybe not all are like this, maybe I had a bad Dodge, maybe I have a superior GMC - just my observation.

If I were looking at buying a used truck for towing, diesel or gas, I would ask the seller if we could hop in his truck for sale and go for a test drive towing a trailer I brought along. I would tow it over the same route I just towed it over with my own truck. Sort of a direct comparison.

When gas engine people at the pump ask what kinda mileage I get with a Cummins?"I say 9.6 mpg. That is the most I've seen it use."

Changing vehicles for fuel economy reasons only normally has about a 91 year payback so I don't want to be the cause of that kind of rash behavior. :)

AS LONG AS I AM TOWING SOMETHING IT WILL ALWAYS BE WITH A DIESEL