Gone to diesel? Some questions for those that have.

[rhagfo]

Looking for those that made the switch from a gas TV to a diesel some questions.

1. Happy with your choice?
2. Are maintenance cost as high as you were lead to believe?
3. What gas rig did you switch from, to which diesel?
4. What are you pulling and what is its GVW?
5. Will your next TV be Gas or Diesel?

Just looking for honest feedback from those that have stepped from gas to diesel as a TV. This is NOT a gas vs. diesel, but real life feedback from those that have changed to diesel both positive and negative.

To the moderators, this is NOT a gas vs diesel post, looking for honest feed back from members who have made the switch, and if it was a positive or negative experience for them.

[macsplinter]

curt12914 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

curt12914 wrote:
I guess I'm not in the same financial bracket as you guys that can waste money. I have had a couple diesels, when they made financial sense, but with the change in diesel price and the newer, more capable gasoline engines, diesel just doesn't add up to a better deal for me any more.

I may change my mind, but at this point, when I trade trucks (which may be quite soon), I will probably look for a gas engine.

The bottom line is PM for Dodge and GM diesels are cheap and PM for Fords (6.0 on up) are expensive.

I pay 5 bucks for an oil filter for my D-max. 10 qts for oil about every 10K. And around 30 bucks for a fuel filter around every 15 to 20 thousand miles.

Fuel has been a few cents more than gasoline around my town and #2 was a few cents less than gasoline in a town down the road.

My diesel is cheaper to own than my gasoline truck.

If diesel were even close to the same here, I would probably stay with a diesel, but 60 cents per gallon more, which equates to about $50 per month, is getting ridiulous for me!!!!!!!!

I wish some of our politicians would investigate why diesel is more than gasoline ANYWHERE!

I'm on my second diesel and last. It is also my daily driver and the extra cost of the truck, fuel and maintenance is not worth the few miles it pulls our camper each year. Not to mention the high cost and limited repair shops in my area.

[JIMNLIN]

2) Freight being pulled and moved by a diesel in commercial applications makes no sense in a consumer level argument. Those vehicles can have literally millions of miles and often hundreds of thousands of hours on them (in train and boat applications).

A one ton DRW diesel which is the most popular LTL size truck in commercial service moving general freight makes a excellent towing platform for consumers pulling/carrying anything including just a RV.

IMO when it comes to trucks many folks on a RV forum think in terms of pulling a RV only and forget many of us use our trucks for other purposes including commercial service.

[mpierce]

wnjj wrote:

Paul Clancy wrote:
4.5 much of which you see back in resale value over gas truck.

As long as you own a diesel truck, that money is "invested" in the truck. So unless you sell your last one before you buy the farm, that money is as good as gone and only means your heirs will get more cash.

Partially true. However, if you TRADE the diesel on another, you will recoup most of that additional cost, so then the NEXT diesel does not cost near as much. It is a one time investment.

If you trade 6 times, you only pay the big price increase ONCE, NOT every time. Around here, especially if you have high mileage, diesel will return 75-80% of initial cost.

[nevadanick]

If i plan everything right my truck will be worn out when they inherit it.

[wnjj]

Paul Clancy wrote:
4.5 much of which you see back in resale value over gas truck.

As long as you own a diesel truck, that money is "invested" in the truck. So unless you sell your last one before you buy the farm, that money is as good as gone and only means your heirs will get more cash.

[Jarlaxle]

mpierce wrote:
Put a 18,000# trailer behind that gas engine, and see how you do! LOL

Diesel will get in the 8-10 mpg range, gas will get 5-6 mpg. And pull its guts out doing it, while the diesel loafs along.

Don't even think about hitting a big hill with the gasser at 28,000# gross! LOL.

Might have to have the wife get out, walk along behind, warning the cars about a slow trailer ahead!

Funny...Ford installs gas engines in trucks rated for 29,000lb GVWR. They install the same engines in F53 chassis rated for 30,000lbs GCWR. For an 18,000lb trailer...I'll take an F-550 with the 30-valve V10. Not a problem! Diesel has jumped the shark.

[Jarlaxle]

nevadanick wrote:
Waste ? Do you have power windows when you could easily crank them up and down and save that money too ? What about the rest of the options ?

I'm willing to pay a premium to NOT get most options...my truck & my Cherokee both have crank windows.

[Hannibal]

mtofell1 wrote:
After going from gas to diesel I'd rather not ever go back to gas but would depending on what I need to tow and do with the truck otherwise.

A couple things that drive me nuts with the debates:

Maint. costs for the diesel are exactly the same except for fuel filters. I buy from fleetfilter.com and pay $23 for a a fuel filter. So, there you have it - I pay $50 a year to drive a diesel vs. gas. Oil changes are a wash and actually in the favor of a diesel since they are only needed half as often.

The whole cost of fuel debate is funny and I'm not sure if some of you gas guys are just trying to make yourselves feel better or just don't realize it. $4 vs. $4.50 a gallon is a 12.5% difference. MPGs on a capable gas (let's say a Ford V10) run roughly 10 towing the same load my Duramax gets 13 (and I think I'm being overly generous to the gasser here). Run that through the old calculator and see what you get.

I really have no problem with gas trucks... I've owned them and I'd gladly own one again but come on guys..... let's get real here. There a reason 99% of the commercial freight being hauled down the interstates is done with a diesel truck.

I said the same thing almost thirty years ago. Bored family and friends to tears with praise for the larger than life diesel engine.
Do you really go 15k miles between OCI's? I changed my '03 Cummins at 7500 miles. Same as my current incapable, struggling, screaming, trouble free, issue free 5.4L grocery getter.
I think you're being generous with both the V10 and Dmax. I got 10.5mpg towing 68~mph consistently with my Cummins Rams and 8.5 with my gassers around the southeast. The 18.5mpg I got around town compared to 14~ with the gassers is where the diesels paid off for me. Don't forget to add in the cost of DEF for the new ones! Honest newer diesel owners are reporting empty mileage similar to what I'm getting with my spark plug spitter. "Real trucks don't have glow plugs either!"
Getting real here, if I ever need to haul 80k lbs GCW 2500miles plus a week for a living, I'll buy an OTR tractor with an appropriate HP diesel engine, not a pickup truck with a car sized diesel engine with it's delicate little fuel injection system. It's a pickup truck, not an OTR tractor trailer.:B

[Paul_Clancy]

4.5 much of which you see back in resale value over gas truck.

[jerem0621]

Get what you want... we are gonna do that anyway.

these are all semantics and we gassers can say whatever to justify our purchase and the diesel guys are gonna say whatever to justify whatever.

few points

1) a "loafing" diesel working at 80% capacity is actually not "loafing" its working hard its just not turning high RPM's like a gas engine would at 80% capacity

2) Freight being pulled and moved by a diesel in commercial applications makes no sense in a consumer level argument. Those vehicles can have literally millions of miles and often hundreds of thousands of hours on them (in train and boat applications).

3) For most RV hauling purposes most TV's will only see 75k-300k miles before the owner wears out and wants a new truck. I would venture to say that from signature observations around here most TV's last 3 years, regardless of diesel or gas or mileage..

4) Diesel cost 6-8 THOUSAND dollars more than gas

5) Diesel gets around 30% better MPG

6) Maintenance is a wash (Not all diesels are super expensive to maintain, not all gas vehicles are cheap to maintain)

7) Get what you want, you don't have to justify anything to users on RV.net

[mtofell1]

After going from gas to diesel I'd rather not ever go back to gas but would depending on what I need to tow and do with the truck otherwise.

A couple things that drive me nuts with the debates:

Maint. costs for the diesel are exactly the same except for fuel filters. I buy from fleetfilter.com and pay $23 for a a fuel filter. So, there you have it - I pay $50 a year to drive a diesel vs. gas. Oil changes are a wash and actually in the favor of a diesel since they are only needed half as often.

The whole cost of fuel debate is funny and I'm not sure if some of you gas guys are just trying to make yourselves feel better or just don't realize it. $4 vs. $4.50 a gallon is a 12.5% difference. MPGs on a capable gas (let's say a Ford V10) run roughly 10 towing the same load my Duramax gets 13 (and I think I'm being overly generous to the gasser here). Run that through the old calculator and see what you get.

I really have no problem with gas trucks... I've owned them and I'd gladly own one again but come on guys..... let's get real here. There a reason 99% of the commercial freight being hauled down the interstates is done with a diesel truck.

[Hannibal]

Truck capability isn't the only thing exaggerated here.

2011 Sandpiper 345 RET

Hitch weight: 2,175
Dry weight: 10,983
GVWR: 14,175
Exterior height: 12' 9.5"
Awning: 18'
HOLDING TANK CAPACITIES:
Fresh: 54 gallons
Gray: 108 gallons
Black: 54 gallons

[curt12914]

First of all, I never plan to tow 18,000 lbs. I have decided that I will never own another trailer as heavy as the one I have now (14,400 lbs.).

Secondly, as I said before, I have driven big trucks most of my adult life. If you tell me you are pulling 18,000 lbs (which incidentally is way overloaded for your truck or any other 250/2500 series truck) and your truck never shifts down, you are either towing on very flat land or are very late for April Fools Day.

I have owned a lot of gas and diesel powered truck in my life and have towed with both. I have never had any problem towing what I wanted with a gas or diesel. If you prefer diesel and have no problem shelling out the extra money, I have no problem with that, but with current prices, I am looking to go back to a gas powered truck.

[zogg]

What he said!!!,!!