Why diesel trucks?

The biggest difference appears to be in the owner of the truck and what he or she wants out of their truck. And by the way I use the 270.

The biggest difference appears to be in the owner of the truck and what he or she wants out of their truck. And by the way I use the 270.

Grit dog wrote:
I love your love for your truck Jaycocreek!

I do love my truck.I looked long and hard at trucks to haul a TC and found this one with 89K on the mighty 460 without a scratch/ding or dent anywhere to be found with the under carriage treated with some kind of rhino type stuff and with air bags/big wig sway bar and happi jack tie downs mounted...Not a rip/tear or mark on the inside either and the AC is cold..Lol

I payed just shy of 7K for it..No payments on it or my TC..

Grit dog wrote:
You're good with 240hp and 11mpg going 47mph with a camper on the back. I prefer 400+ hp and 900ftlbs doing 80mph getting 12 mpg with the camper on my old Dodge. Differnet strokes for different folks.

Hey,I'm over 250 hp with a minor mod and I travel the speed limit,thank you,not 47 mph..(grin)

The problem here is you could have 1000 HP and 2000 ft lbs and you would not get anywhere faster than I would, both with campers loaded on any Idaho State or County roads..The speed limit will not let you and I can do any of them at the posted speed limit loaded and or pulling my UTV and trailer...

I don't live by any freeways(200 miles away) and have not been on one for years so I don't even know what the speed limit is on Idaho freeways but I doubt it's 80..Could be wrong though...

So see,the gas engines will do just as good as a diesel in Idaho with less cost for maintenance/repairs/parts and fuel and a very minor difference in fuel mileage and no additives needed..

This appears to be like the 270/30-06 debate..A never ending debate with both racking up tons of game with modern bullets..No winners and most important,no losers..They both do just fine if you do your part..

I love your love for your truck Jaycocreek!
Yeah I've been around my share of small blocks big blocks diesels take yer pick.
I agree in the 80s and early 90s, up until the 2nd Gen Rams and Squarebody Powerstrokes, big blocks ruled the roost for pickups. You could put a FREE sign in the window of a 6.9 ford and someone would steal the wheels and leave the truck there.
My fleet in high school, well, I wrenched on the fleet and then bought part ownership in the company for a few years. My favorite truck was a 86 F250 460. Except for the pos limp d_ck TTB front axle. Horrible axle to hang a 8' plow on. It blew away the rest of the trucks we had for towing, but the 454s never seemed to run right, not unlike the 80s model GM small blocks and Dodge didn't make a big block but the 360 I had in a new 1 ton dump truck was pretty good. But even the old 70s 350s would embarrass any of the early diesels from GM and Chev. Only diesel that could even pull its own @ss out of bed was a 12valve.
You're good with 240hp and 11mpg going 47mph with a camper on the back. I prefer 400+ hp and 900ftlbs doing 80mph getting 12 mpg with the camper on my old Dodge. Differnet strokes for different folks.

free radical wrote:

jaycocreek wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
Even with my 12' camper I can get 30 mpg

You are entertaining..

It could happen
Going downhill with strong tailwind LOL

No need for tailwind. This is what I can get in my diesel sedan anytime coming down from Mt Charleston.
Don't plan to go there with camper, but I think I can bet highly on exceeding 30 mpg.
Obviously you will not convince people with no imagination.. unless they have to put money where their mouths is.


Click For Full-Size Image.

S Davis wrote:

burningman wrote:
I like my modified, hot rodded diesel that makes ridiculous power.
I have it because I’m an old hot rodder... but is it worth it, cost-wise? Hell no!
Diesels do not make economic sense for pickup trucks.

But, they’re fun.
I still roll my eyes when someone says you “need” the extra power.
A long time ago, an old guy ttold me, rather harshly, ‘That’s what you got gears for!!” when the subject of getting up hills in trucks with small engines came up.
He was right. You will get where you’re going. You don’t “need” 800+ ft/lbs. torque.
But it’s fun to roll uphill like a jet taking off.

Yes it is.
https://youtu.be/XnTXSO_uFqI

https://youtu.be/ixSLgk4Zm0Q

And thats one reason I never buy used trucks LLL

jaycocreek wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
Even with my 12' camper I can get 30 mpg

You are entertaining..

It could happen
Going downhill with strong tailwind LOL

And apples to apples, a EFI 460 doesn't get the same mileage as a comparable diesel. That is almost laughable.

Nobody said it did when everything is equal..My 13.9/11.6 mpg was done on highway 12 mostly from Grangeville Idaho to Missoula Montana over Lolo pass and back empty and loaded, which is a windy narrow road with a grade..These are the types of roads I travel when on pavement...

I have never said a gas engine gets better mileage or can tow better than a diesel.What I said was,my truck with my truck camper gets the same mileage as Kaytegs diesel with Lances largest TC that he has in his sig line..My mileage was taken as I described above....

The actual difference in the same era diesel vs gas mpg gain is listed as a "slight" improvement in mileage for the diesel..So the 460 had more horses with slightly less fuel economy...

The 460 is known as a good heavy duty towing, marine and motorsports engine. These 460s actually had higher horsepower and torque ratings than the IDI 6.9 liter and later 7.3 IDI diesel engines, as well as higher horsepower then the 94.5-97 7.3L powerstroke, (245 compared to 215), however the diesel did have a small torque advantage (415ftlb@2000rpm for the diesel, 410ftlbs@2200rpm for the 460, 94-97 rateings)though fuel economy was slightly better with the diesel. The 460 began using fuel injection in 1988, leading to a slight increase in horsepower and torque ratings. For 1993 and up 460s saw an improved cylinder head design that further improved power. While perhaps best known for its poor gas mileage, the later 460 is considered by most to be a reliable, long-lasting, heavy-duty, and powerful engine for towing and hauling purposes, as well as a good starting point for engine builders building dragsters.

I guess you can say what you want if you have owned both but I have owned a ton of 454's and a couple 460's and none of them got the mileage or even close to my current 460..

Maybe I just got lucky like my high school friend and his stock 396 auto took everything Boise had to offer in the 1/4 mile..Nobody believed it until the race was on..

In summary it is evident this forum is diesel minded but that doesn't mean that works for everyone because it doesn't.

There is always two sides to every story..

jaycocreek wrote:

Kateg1 wrote:
Diesel #2 (summer blend) has gelling point about 10F, so it would take 0F overnight to bring tank to this point (will wary with wind chill).

That would be fine where you live maybe but not where I live/lived and play..It is common to get -25F or more in our mountains..When my diesel gelled I had to go 20 miles to get a winter blend/#1 diesel..I had to put a tent over my diesel truck to warm it enough to get it to run that 20 miles and I had a gas engined pickup following with a good chain.

By the way,I get almost the exact gas mileage you have in your signature for your '17 Ford with my TC loaded and from Missoula to Kooskie over the pass(Lolo) then another grade(Harpster) to get home..11.6 mpg hand calculated for my 460 Ford DRW but with only 4K for a TC...

Diesel for your needs and gas for mine..Go figure we both have different needs and uses for our TC haulers and the different area's we use them in.

I get it, you don't want an oil burner pickup, but I could come up with different (trivial) issues with a gas engine. I grew up and have spent many other years where it can and does get -25deg. You'd have to try hard to hit your scenario of fill up one day with summer fuel and be below zero the next day. That actually happens in Kaytegs area, though. Rip up out of Vegas on a 70 deg December day and hit the backside of the Uintas that afternoon and it's below zero. But guess what? Every fuel station out of town once you get around the state line has a big sign saying "WE SELL WINTER DIESEL HERE."
And apples to apples, a EFI 460 doesn't get the same mileage as a comparable diesel. That is almost laughable. You two may have gotten the same claimed mpg but there was a difference in load, wind resistance, speed, terrain or all 4 to get one to equal the other.

Good thing is, they make both flavors. I'm not downplaying one against the other, it's just silly though when someone tries to defend their preference with outlandish claims. No different than the diesel guys who claim 22mpg in their Duramax Dually with stacks!

Kayteg1 wrote:
Even with my 12' camper I can get 30 mpg

You are entertaining..