Becoming diesel gunshy

[brnzbk]

I have been searching for a diesel truck to pull a to be purchased fifth wheel.
After reading all of the nightmares and maintenance problems I'm concerned about future costs and down time. Do most diesel owners experience a multitude of problems or am I just seeing a small percentage that are venting? Seems to be mostly injector and fuel pump problems however, shelling out 60K for a truck that is going to need constant repairs is concerning, I hope this is the exception and not the rule.
Any experiences will be appreciated.

[Cummins12V98]

Greentreena wrote:
I've towed with a V10 gasser and a diesel on the same 5th: the diesel wins hands down. Honestly, the diesel maintenance is a little pricey and the fuel is consistantly more at the pumps but I'm still happy with my choice. I bought it to tow and it does it extremly well.

Please tell me what is "pricey" about maintaining your 08 Cummins?

Cummins/FleetGuard filters

OIL $13.95 Every oil change

Fuel $51.95 Every 15-20K

Air $27.95 Every 15-20K

[Greentreena]

I've towed with a V10 gasser and a diesel on the same 5th: the diesel wins hands down. Honestly, the diesel maintenance is a little pricey and the fuel is consistantly more at the pumps but I'm still happy with my choice. I bought it to tow and it does it extremly well.

[freddmc]

As well as having a 200Ram Cummins I also have a 1965 diesl highway bus motorhome conversion so I frequent a board for bus conversions. I don't drive the bus often but when I do I'm always amazed that it makes it to the end of my 600 ft driveway without braking down after reading the constant problems of others. After a few miles my comfort level increases and is usually clear sailing. I have the same problem, but to a lesser degree, with the Ram.

[C7XR7]

I think it all depends on the year of truck you're considering and how well the particular truck has been maintained. In my case zero issues and I do have all the records of maintenance from a local shop that took care of it (and now still does). Modified vehicles tend to have the greater issues. Once you start changing one thing it leads to something else.

I think any of the newer trucks are going to be good if taken care of.

[Bird_Freak]

IDman wrote:
Gee, if I had known diesels were so trouble free, I wouldn't have just traded mine for a gasser.

Since October, it cost me $4500 on the "repair of the month club". Each month, it was something different such as fuel rail sensors and other things, plus the factory recommended 60K service was $995.

Now I have a new gasser and a new 3 yr warranty and I am enjoying it! Sleeping better, too!

Can't be true! You had trouble with a RAM !:E

[Bird_Freak]

TomG2 wrote:

brnzbk wrote:
I have been searching for a diesel truck to pull a to be purchased fifth wheel.
After reading all of the nightmares and maintenance problems I'm concerned about future costs and down time. Do most diesel owners experience a multitude of problems or am I just seeing a small percentage that are venting? Seems to be mostly injector and fuel pump problems however, shelling out 60K for a truck that is going to need constant repairs is concerning, I hope this is the exception and not the rule.
Any experiences will be appreciated.

Check out the repair bays at any large dealer to verify that a lot of diesel pickups spend time there. A mechanic friend won't recommend one for that reason.

Really, I guess all cars and gas powered trucks never go in the shop.:S

[tomman58]

If your towing need a reliable tow get a diesel. There isn't anything that can take even the heavyist TT and drag it all over the US without a care!

[Grodyman]

Diesel emission regulation technology is still fairly new. Personally I would not buy a diesel right now. Maybe in a decade or so. Get a gas truck and live stress free.

Gman

[hawkeye-08]

When I get asked why I didn't get a diesel, my answer is,

for less than 7000lb travel trailer, really don't need the extra power, nice to have diesel, but not really needed. you can easily get by with 1/2 ton and until recently, no diesels in half tons.

for 7000-10000lbs travel trailer, 3/4 or 1ton recommended, gas or diesel, if towing very many miles, especially mountains, favor diesel.

over 10,000lbs I would be looking at diesel 1 ton. Yes, I know an F150 can tow more than 10000 lbs. I would still be looking at 1 ton diesel.

These are just my personal guidelines and not hard rules. Obviously, whatever you are towing should be within the tow rig specs and provide a safe, enjoyable towing experience. There is nothing good about arriving at a camping spot completely stressed out and exhausted because you don't have the right tow vehicle.

[IDman]

Gee, if I had known diesels were so trouble free, I wouldn't have just traded mine for a gasser.

Since October, it cost me $4500 on the "repair of the month club". Each month, it was something different such as fuel rail sensors and other things, plus the factory recommended 60K service was $995.

Now I have a new gasser and a new 3 yr warranty and I am enjoying it! Sleeping better, too!

[sky_free]

I have 80,000 miles on my 2012 VW Touareg 3.0. It won't pull a 5th wheel, but it does have the dreaded Bosch 4.2 HPFP. There was one temporary electrical problem with that vehicle early on, but absolutely nothing else since. The only extra maintenance with the diesel on that model is the fuel filter every 40K, which runs about $100. This is a daily driver and also gets driven on some very long road trips. We got the diesel for its towing ability.

My 2012 F350 is a 6.2 gasser with a 5,000 lb TC on it. The truck sits in outdoor storage for as long as 2-months at a time without being used. 60,000 miles and no problems. We got the gasser because we knew it would sit for long periods of time and wanted the lighter overall weight. This is a notoriously reliable engine requiring little maintenance. I wouldn't want to pull a large 5th wheel with it, but opinions vary on that one.

Each choice was based on intended use. If you want/need the torque of a diesel you are going to pay the price of higher fuel prices (usually), slightly higher maintenance costs, higher upfront costs, and need for DEF, but I don't think reliability is a valid concern with any truck after about 2011.

[Greene728]

In a nut shell diesels are superior at towing. However, gas engines have improved at leaps and bounds over the last few years. Another very strong point is the transmission in today's tow vehicle's which will make either engine shine!

You have to decide for yourself which choice is best for you. But I would not hesitate to buy either of the big 3's gas or diesel engines of today. I personally have a 2012 F-250 with the 6.2 and it does fine. A few things you should consider such as I did are......
1. Intended use for vehicle "most" of the time. Daily driver? Dedicated tow vehicle? Or combo of both?
2. Payload and rated towing capacity. What are you gonna tow? What's it weight? What's the pin weight/ tongue weight?
3. Cost? Purchase price between the two? Fuel? Maintenance? Future resale value?
4. What you like!

#4 was a biggie for me. I liked different things about all the big 3 manufacturers. But in the end I am just a Ford guy and liked there trucks the best. And the 6.2 has a very, very good track record so far and is proving to be a very reliable and tough engine. Fuel mileage could be better, but its a 3\4 ton truck and was purchased for a specific job and need so I accept it.

Its a mind boggling process in choosing and I sympathize with you. I spent months before I made a decision and its a tough one.

Good luck!

[mich800]

cutty72 wrote:

TomG2 wrote:

Check out the repair bays at any large dealer to verify that a lot of diesel pickups spend time there. A mechanic friend won't recommend one for that reason.

Because no gassers ever go to the shop???

Local dealership employs two good friends of mine, one a diesel tech, one a gas tech.

Diesel tech is the one of two that work on diesels that come in, and yet still is often working on gassers or other non diesel related issues.

FWIW, I have an '01 Ford with the 7.3L. I can do about any repair needed on it myself. Doubt I will ever get rid of it.

Agree. I would highly recommend NOT doing something like this to determine what to purchase. The only insight you would receive is it is better to walk. Seems like the service department at every dealer I have been to seems to have plenty of work to do.

[Fordlover]

There are lots of things that would keep me from buying a new Diesel 3/4 or 1 ton. None are maintenance costs, or reliability concerns.

If you want a Diesel, buy one and sleep well at night.

[naturist]

Do be aware that very few people will post "hey, bought one and it's great/troublefree." But man are we quick to vent when a problem occurs. So they build 2 million of 'em, and a single person has a problem while all the other 1,999,999 are dreams. Who do you think we're going to hear about???

So you have to take reports of problems with a grain of salt. Sure, that's how you find out where the weak spots are, and it's certainly where you go when you yourself have a problem, but a couple reports of a malfunctioning whatever do not mean that YOU will have that problem. Odds are that you will be one of the 1,999,999 who don't, truth be told.

After all, if everybody was having a particular problem, the manufacturer would be on it like a cheap suit because it would be a warranty nightmare.