Another guy confused about diesel

[Jimbee]

Hey All,

Not trying to add to the "Diesel vs Gas" debate, but like many other readers who are contemplating the Diesel upgrade I'm confused about just how needy the new Diesels are. In my area diesel is pretty much 70 to 90 cents per gallon more. I'm ok with that if the mileage is better and helps offset that difference. But what about all the various fuel additives I see on the shelves at the auto parts stores? Are they really necessary? Cold weather anti-wax/gel build up? Hot weather fungicides? Monthly fuel filter changes?
Temperamental fuel pumps that disintegrate and ruin the engine and aren't covered under warranty?

I love the idea of diesel power but the fear factor sure makes it hard to come up with the extra $10K.

Hard to choose sides of the fence!

[Grit_dog]

I could see how a guy could get cornfused with conversations like this where people are arguing about 2 quarts of oil capacity!

I’m gonna start a new thread.....wait for it.

[Grit_dog]

old guy wrote:
well the one thing that confuses me about the diesel thing is how many times on this forum I have seen posts of guys who are going from diesel back to gas. I sit here with a gas truck and wish I had a diesel truck.

You’re ok man. It’s them, not you. Trust me, you’re still ridin the right side of the fence!

[ppine]

In oold parts of the country you may be able to find Diesel No. 1 fuel which has higher cetane and some additives. I really like the fuel additive in the white can available at any truck stop. It takes moisture out of the fuel that condenses in the tank in winter. It has some cleaners in it and a little cetane boost. Using it is much like adding Heet to your gas engine.

If you go back to the auto parts store and notice how many additives there are for gas engines it will give you some perspective. Temperatures below zero, it really helps to use synthetic oil and plug in your engine with either a block heater or a dip stick heater.

[Bedlam]

Additives to fuel do have their place. If you were to buy an older diesel prior to the introduction of ultra low sulfur fuel, you should add a friction modifier to the fuel prevent accelerated component wear. This is no different than having to add a modifier to the fuel of gasoline engines that were designed for leaded fuel and had soft valve seats. Current engines do not need additives unless the vehicle will be stored for an extensive period or if the fuel you are using is improper for the current ambient temperatures.

[Cummins12V98]

"1 oil change 10,000 miles or once per year - 10 quarts of oil."

What modern Diesel takes 10 quarts? YOUR Diesel takes 12. How do you come up with once a year? Your oil change is 6 mo or 15k, what ever one comes first.

Diesel or Gas the OP asked? Not sure I even have a choice as I tow 33-35K combined.

[rhagfo]

4x4ord wrote:
I used to haul a trailer with a gas truck. The trailer weighed 11,000 lbs loaded and 4500 empty. I hauled that load every week for years. My 350 Chevy got 14 miles per imperial gallon round trip. My 6.5 turbo diesel did exactly the same. My 03 Duramax got 14 mpg as well. If I wanted to save money on fuel I'd buy a half ton and a lighter trailer.

I find your numbers hard to believe, trip loaded 11K and 4.5 empty and a 14 mpg average, with likely a big gas engine?

[LIKE2BUILD]

NJRVer wrote:

My 2500 when I bought it, I could have gotten the diesel option for an extra $8500 if I chose.
When I got rid of my 2500, I could have gotten an extra $10,000 for it if it was a diesel.

I didn't buy my diesel for the resale value, but NJRVer makes a really good point. I have a local small used dealer that sells only diesel trucks. They clean them up nice, put on a few bling pieces, and sell trucks with 150,000+ miles for $25,000 or higher depending on mileage or condition. That price sounds high, right? Nope....they sell them at those prices all day long. You almost never see the same truck on the lot for more than a week.

There is still really strong demand for diesel trucks and that's keep the values high. I bought my truck at a great price 3 years ago. I've put 60,000 miles on it during that time and I could probably sell it today for nearly the exact same amount that I paid. Crazy, but true.

[4x4ord]

I used to haul a trailer with a gas truck. The trailer weighed 11,000 lbs loaded and 4500 empty. I hauled that load every week for years. My 350 Chevy got 14 miles per imperial gallon round trip. My 6.5 turbo diesel did exactly the same. My 03 Duramax got 14 mpg as well. If I wanted to save money on fuel I'd buy a half ton and a lighter trailer.

[valhalla360]

Unless you are putting on 40-50k miles per year, you get diesel because you need higher tow ratings. Commercial operators can amortize the cost of a diesel with better efficiency but your average recreational user never will.

Only additive (not really an additive) is DEF.

[2edgesword]

For me it comes down to need. As your towing requirements increase above about 10K pounds diesels begin making more and more sense with respect to cost and real benefit. FLT took a gas 6.2L with an 8,000 pound trailer up the Ike Gauntlet. The truck maintain 60 mph all the way to the top. If I was going to be doing this type of driving on a regular basis (or with a heavier trailer) I'd get a diesel. On the other hand if this type of driving was going to be a rare occasion I'd be going with a lower cost gas engine model.

[Retired_JSO]

Bottom line, much more Umph!

[NJRVer]

My 2500 gasser got 13 mpg.
My 3500 diesel dually gets 16 mpg.

My 2500 when I bought it, I could have gotten the diesel option for an extra $8500 if I chose.
When I got rid of my 2500, I could have gotten an extra $10,000 for it if it was a diesel.

[ScottG]

The maint. differencces are tiny either way. So much so that if a person knowledgeable in the facts has to be concerned with them then they should probably reconsider this hobby.

[Walaby]

Oil changes, if you think about it, are at least the same, maybe even cheaper than gassers.

1 oil change 10,000 miles or once per year - 10 quarts of oil.

Gasser oil change every what, 5K miles, or 6 months? = 5 quarts of oil?

Seems like a wash in that regard, overall.

Fuel filter change every 15K miles. You can do it yourself if you want, and filters are not all that expensive.

I bought my first diesel in 2016. It was a 2014 Ram 2500. Paid $37K plus tax for it in 2016. Had 17K miles. Sold it to a dealer last month for $35,500. Had 54K miles. So, I drove it for 2.5 years, put 37K miles on it, and it cost me $1500 plus tax for those two years. Sold it and bought a brand new 2017 Ram 3500 for $47,500.

You can probably justify your decision either way. It's all in what you want. The towing experience with a diesel is remarkably better than a gasser in my opinion. The engine brake itself makes it a heckuva lot better going down hills etc.. I can tap my brakes to exit off the highway and the truck with the exhaust brake engaged will dang near stop by itself by the time I get to the stop light.

Mike

Mike