The End All/Be All of Non-Slide Rigs - Or No?
Hi folks. New to the truck camper world. Will be retiring late next year and have a very specific question regarding truck campers. Here's the setup to the question: I need the most rugged, inde...
Forum Discussion
I weighed the differences between a gas and diesel. Created a very detailed spreadsheet calculating things like oil changes, filters, mpg, purchase, resale, miles (empty and with camper), diesel premium (15% in my area), $/gal ($4 at the time), and anything else I could think of that would be different between the two. Both vehicles came with the same 5yr/100k mile power train warranty though I could have gone to a different dealer for a lifetime engine warranty on the gasser. For the diesel numbers, I used 9 years of detailed records from an 04 Dodge CTD manual transmission. For the gasser with automatic I used an average of the worse numbers I could find. After all said and done, the gasser over 6 years and 120k was going to cost me about $4,000 more.
I still choose the 6.4 Hemi because it is better suited for handling the short daily drives I do in between my camping trips. Yet it has the power needed to handle the load.
I now have almost two years and 35k miles on the truck and feel my decision was right. Using the exact same spreadsheet I used to make my decision, it now uses actual numbers. My camper mileage is 22% higher than expected, my empty mileage is about 5% worse than expected. Gas prices dropped about 40%. After all the calc, my first two years of ownership has cost me about $250 more than if I had bought a diesel. Resale difference compared to purchase cost difference is negligible.
I much prefer the quiet of the gas engine (We now listen to the radio) and we don't have to let the turbo cool down when I make a stop (and I stop often at times). Have never missed the power of the diesel because I don't carry a very heavy load or tow much. Even with the setup in my sig, it handles it well running in overdrive and very rarely see above 2,500 rpms.
I'm not saying if you only do x get a gasser. I'm just saying do the calcs, think about how you will use it, think about what you feel comfortable doing, and then get what you decide is the best for you. Be happy at your decision and understand it isn't the best decision for everyone.
My first new truck was a diesel and it was the right one for what I planned on doing with it considering what was available at the time. My second one is a gasser because it is the right one for what I'm doing now and what was available when I ordered it. Who knows what my next one will be, maybe an electric mobility scooter?
I still choose the 6.4 Hemi because it is better suited for handling the short daily drives I do in between my camping trips. Yet it has the power needed to handle the load.
I now have almost two years and 35k miles on the truck and feel my decision was right. Using the exact same spreadsheet I used to make my decision, it now uses actual numbers. My camper mileage is 22% higher than expected, my empty mileage is about 5% worse than expected. Gas prices dropped about 40%. After all the calc, my first two years of ownership has cost me about $250 more than if I had bought a diesel. Resale difference compared to purchase cost difference is negligible.
I much prefer the quiet of the gas engine (We now listen to the radio) and we don't have to let the turbo cool down when I make a stop (and I stop often at times). Have never missed the power of the diesel because I don't carry a very heavy load or tow much. Even with the setup in my sig, it handles it well running in overdrive and very rarely see above 2,500 rpms.
I'm not saying if you only do x get a gasser. I'm just saying do the calcs, think about how you will use it, think about what you feel comfortable doing, and then get what you decide is the best for you. Be happy at your decision and understand it isn't the best decision for everyone.
My first new truck was a diesel and it was the right one for what I planned on doing with it considering what was available at the time. My second one is a gasser because it is the right one for what I'm doing now and what was available when I ordered it. Who knows what my next one will be, maybe an electric mobility scooter?
