Towing in the real world. gas or diesel
I've been down the gas road in 04 and the diesel in 09. Looking to buy again. I had a lighter trailer in 04 but my siverado 6+ liter gas would just scream in a head wind. 4000 rpm was common. Bigge...
Forum Discussion
Look, it is one thing to tow 35K up a grade, or the up to 80K combined I typically pull up a grade. But most folks are not doing that sort of thing. Either a combination weight of 35k nor pulling up 6% or 7% grades longer than a short distance. So the argument is hyper inflated for the realities.
I have no problem with either diesel or gas. I can deal with my Detroit 12.7L diesel on a daily basis, but I also like my 6.0 V8 in my 2500 with a great Magnaflo 3.5" in and out straight thru muffler and that nice, mellow sound reminiscent of my old muscle car days. But I am also very practical. I get what is needed to get the job done. And I have nothing that calls for a diesel in my 3/4 ton for any towing needs. It tows, it plows snow, it hauls well over a ton in the back occasionally, it works off road on the property. A general all around rural living kind of pickup that still has a 13,500 tow rating and over 2500 lb payload capacity. Gas works just fine. Didn't even consider diesel when I got it almost 3 years ago and wouldn't do it any different. Not when I got this one, new off the lot, for roughly $8K lower price than a equivalent diesel version. I have better things to do with that $8K.
And on an fuel economy basis, diesel offers no real advantage to me either. Typically, I use
E85, which is going for about $1.62 a gallon in my area. Now it is true, the mpg sucks, at the roughly 11 mpg average I typically get with the stuff in my 3/4 ton. But at $2.98 for diesel in my area now, a diesel 3/4 ton would have to exceed an average (city, highway, hauling, etc) of 22 mpg to do better than just break even on a fuel cost per mile basis. While a diesel 3/4 ton would exceed that in highway only or with down hill or with a pretty strong tail wind, very few diesel 3/4 tons can average 22 mpg or more for all miles on a daily basis.
I only advocate that folks run the numbers, find out what they actually need, and do it in the most economical way possible. If that calls for diesel, then go for it. If it can be done with gasser, go for it.
I have no problem with either diesel or gas. I can deal with my Detroit 12.7L diesel on a daily basis, but I also like my 6.0 V8 in my 2500 with a great Magnaflo 3.5" in and out straight thru muffler and that nice, mellow sound reminiscent of my old muscle car days. But I am also very practical. I get what is needed to get the job done. And I have nothing that calls for a diesel in my 3/4 ton for any towing needs. It tows, it plows snow, it hauls well over a ton in the back occasionally, it works off road on the property. A general all around rural living kind of pickup that still has a 13,500 tow rating and over 2500 lb payload capacity. Gas works just fine. Didn't even consider diesel when I got it almost 3 years ago and wouldn't do it any different. Not when I got this one, new off the lot, for roughly $8K lower price than a equivalent diesel version. I have better things to do with that $8K.
And on an fuel economy basis, diesel offers no real advantage to me either. Typically, I use
E85, which is going for about $1.62 a gallon in my area. Now it is true, the mpg sucks, at the roughly 11 mpg average I typically get with the stuff in my 3/4 ton. But at $2.98 for diesel in my area now, a diesel 3/4 ton would have to exceed an average (city, highway, hauling, etc) of 22 mpg to do better than just break even on a fuel cost per mile basis. While a diesel 3/4 ton would exceed that in highway only or with down hill or with a pretty strong tail wind, very few diesel 3/4 tons can average 22 mpg or more for all miles on a daily basis.
I only advocate that folks run the numbers, find out what they actually need, and do it in the most economical way possible. If that calls for diesel, then go for it. If it can be done with gasser, go for it.
