Diesel truck issues - thinking of going to gas

[blcrandall]

Hey, everyone! I'm new here. I have a dilemma - I drive a '17 Ram 2500 Diesel. Love it, but have had nothing but problems since we pulled off the lot. It's currently in the shop for transmission issues. While there, I was looking at the specs on the new gas burners. We have a bumper pull horse trailer that is easily pulled by the truck, but we are about to buy a Jayco Eagle 355. I have looked and read and calculated all I can. Can someone give me some advice as to whether or not I'd be safe to pull the 5er with a 2500 gas? I'm just sick of the issues we are having with the diesel. Thanks in advance.

[JIMNLIN]

I was looking at the specs on the new gas burners. We have a bumper pull horse trailer that is easily pulled by the truck, but we are about to buy a Jayco Eagle 355. I have looked and read and calculated all I can. Can someone give me some advice as to whether or not I'd be safe to pull the 5er with a 2500 gas? I'm just sick of the issues we are having with the diesel. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like much of the trucks issues is the dealer ship mechanics or the service dept super calling the wrong shots.

I've yet to see any owner with a 3/4 ton Ford/Ram or GM brag on how the good truck with the 6.0/6.2/6.4 small block gasser pulling a 14k-15k lb trailer.
I've seen more complain and even dump their small blocks for a diesel with those size trailers. Mosty complaints were from Ford 6.2 gas owners who bit into Fords 15.5k tow ratings.

As was said even a one ton SRW may be at its max load carrying capacity with trailers that size.

You might wait as Ford and GM are coming out with new 7.3 and 6.6 gassers with some good towing HP/torque numbers being thrown around.

[Grit_dog]

Double post

[Grit_dog]

"Around here in Pa diesel is a consistent $1 more per gallon over gasoline right now 2.79 for a gallon of gas and 3.79 for a gallon of diesel. Add that cost difference in over 5 years and it will cost you around 750 more for the diesel fuel over those 5 years(Yup in worst case scenario for extra super expensive diesel, I'm with ya. Hence my comment about farm fuel, lol!). Not that big of a difference. Where the difference comes in is initial cost of 10k more (Or $8700 - the $150 for towing gears in the gasser. It's alot, not question.) and if you finance that 10k over 5 years you're looking at another 220 a month (Or $166 a month unless your credit s ucks, in which case you should buy a new diesel anyway) avg totaling 13.2k more in expense over those 5 years...So if you can afford that extra 220 more a month that's up to the individual...higher trade in value yes but it better dang well be if it cost you that extra 13.2k to have that diesel over the gasser." (And with the time value of money, over 5 years, if you financed it with good credit, you can knock off a couple % a year for inflation, making the overall hit making that $8700 just shy of $8k, apply the same to your bad credit decisions too)"

Now back to your originally scheduled program for the OP who is driving 40k? miles per year (conservative probably unless his 4 hours school commute is at 30mph and frankly a 10 year old Hondai Civic would be better for that anyway). Combine it with the 7 to 8 ton 5ver his wife demanded or she's going to deevorce him. Now he's gotta drag her and the crumb muncher who already has worn out his welcome in the back seat after 4 hours a day every day to school and back screaming over the 5000rpm Hemi "are we there yet, are we there yet" on his only vacation of the year and he's only able to do 40mph uphill because he saved money on the gasser!

On second thought, he won't be around long enough to see the re-sale value of the truck anyway because he will be on suicide watch by year 2 and then when his wife asks him once, just once why he sold the diesel and now she can't hear the dinging on her Candy Crush game and how Rachael Ray is preparing the souffle on Pintregram because that dang gas engine is too loud, he's going to make a hard left when the road goes right and that will be it! All over!

[librty02]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

2. You "commute" 4 hours a day with the truck. What's that 150-200miles? Gasser will net you 13mpg average on good days if you're not in a hurry. Diesel 17mpg ish. Or about 400 extra gallons of fuel per school year.

Around here, diesel fuel sells for about 10%-25% premium over regular gasoline.

Around here in Pa diesel is a consistent $1 more per gallon over gasoline right now 2.79 for a gallon of gas and 3.79 for a gallon of diesel. Add that cost difference in over 5 years and it will cost you around 750 more for the diesel fuel over those 5 years. Not that big of a difference. Where the difference comes in is initial cost of 10k more and if you finance that 10k over 5 years you're looking at another 220 a month avg totaling 13.2k more in expense over those 5 years...So if you can afford that extra 220 more a month that's up to the individual...higher trade in value yes but it better dang well be if it cost you that extra 13.2k to have that diesel over the gasser.

I'm not sure about anyone else but 13.2k in my pocket is ALOT sweeter than making it to the campground 15 minutes sooner having the diesel truck...

[Me_Again]

To much trailer for 2500 gas or diesel. Would have to watch loading with 3500 SRW.

[azdryheat]

I've pulled with gas and diesel, I'll never go back to gas. Gas engines can't touch the torque of a diesel.

[Grit_dog]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

2. You "commute" 4 hours a day with the truck. What's that 150-200miles? Gasser will net you 13mpg average on good days if you're not in a hurry. Diesel 17mpg ish. Or about 400 extra gallons of fuel per school year.

Around here, diesel fuel sells for about 10%-25% premium over regular gasoline.

Good for you, keep your gasser and live long and prosper. Buy it at the place that sells it for 10% more and put the extra $120 a year you spend in $/gal against the $1200 a year saved in # of gallons and dooo the math. Or burn farm fuel and save even more!
Diesel costs more in MN too, just saw that last week, but fuel was so cheap there compared to where I live, I pumped a couple gallons into the trash can before filling my tank just to make it seem like I was paying my fair share! Lol
To your point, you also need to add DEF and fuel filters are expensive, but oil changes only required every 15k miles and the "old" diesel will sell for about as much more as you pay in premium to get it in the first place.

But at least the gasser will tow worse. It's got that going for it too!

[Grit_dog]

To get a little more subjective, aside from wishing the weight cops wouldn't chime in to every thread, a person's knowledge of vehicles/mechanics and the ability to understand or affect the outcome of an "issue" plays a large part in their perception of an "issue" and also the difficulty in getting it resolved.

For instance, you said "rear main seal" cracked once and is cracked again? To me rear main seal is the rear crank seal on the engine, but I believe you were referring to the trans, or are you actually referring to the rear output seal on the transfer case.
From top to bottom, the first is pretty much major surgery to get to the rear main engine seal, the second is much less intrusive and cheaper to fix and the last is less than an hour and a $30 seal. I've replaced 2 of them on my 07 and countless others on many different vehicles.
If that is the transmission issue, it's not a big fundamental transmission problem, but rather more of an inconvenience.
Front end? Pretty much bulletproof save for a couple odd cases of early unit bearing failure. An alignment issue, short of a very rare yet possible bent axle (presuming 4wd here), are 99% of the time the result of a poorly aligned front end, bast caster adjustments or purely driving habits. (A diesel or any vehicle will eat soft tires if driven primarily on high speed curvy roads even with a good alignment and frequent tire rotations are necessary or your not getting max life out of the tires)
Whistling noise? IDK, cant help you there, but I'd be poking around the fire wall and the door seals. Only a few places where air could "whistle" into the cab.

How many miles on the truck?

[theoldwizard1]

Grit dog wrote:

2. You "commute" 4 hours a day with the truck. What's that 150-200miles? Gasser will net you 13mpg average on good days if you're not in a hurry. Diesel 17mpg ish. Or about 400 extra gallons of fuel per school year.

Around here, diesel fuel sells for about 10%-25% premium over regular gasoline.

[Lynnmor]

blcrandall wrote:


I also drive my daughter to school every day, and it's two hours roundtrip twice a day. We live on the east coast, so our mountains don't compare to those out west. I just simply don't know if I NEED the diesel to pull the Jayco - was hoping to get by with gas. I prefer diesel, they're beasts, just not sure it's completely practical. I was hoping for some insight from some of you who tow. Thanks.

If you want practical, get a small commuter car for hauling one daughter.

[Grit_dog]

Not to downplay your issues, and in your shoes, I'd want to burn that turd too.
I can also say that having had probably 40 or so personal and company trucks in the last 25ish years, I've had 1 or more trucks from each of the big 3 that had a problem or problems that shouldn't have happened.
Some of the issues could be related to dealer incompetence (front end namely. I had a tire eater that the alignment shop couldn't fix and I aligned it with a stick and strings and voila, no more issues....)

Couple things point you squarely at a diesel, if not this one then another one.
1. You're planning on a big 5ver that will s uck to tow with a gasser, any gasser. Safe? Sure. Not as safe as with an exhaust brake in the hills but the chassis will pull it. Just be ready for milquetoast at best and crappy at worst pulling power for that size trailer.
2. You "commute" 4 hours a day with the truck. What's that 150-200miles? Gasser will net you 13mpg average on good days if you're not in a hurry. Diesel 17mpg ish. Or about 400 extra gallons of fuel per school year. Not to mention the 30k miles (estimated) a year of wear n tear on the engine. Yes new gassers are good for 200k + miles all day long. Diesels still win for longevity. The rest of the truck is a wash, save for maybe the trans. In general the heavier duty the vehicle and the lesser the duty cycle it sees, the longer it lasts.

I'll leave the rest of the cost/residual value discussion alone.
But to say that all of the big 3 diesels are generally regarded as quite reliable is an accurate statement and I think you just got one with a few issues, none of which sounds like the engine.

[theoldwizard1]

blcrandall wrote:

I also drive my daughter to school every day, and it's two hours roundtrip twice a day. We live on the east coast, so our mountains don't compare to those out west. I just simply don't know if I NEED the diesel to pull the Jayco - was hoping to get by with gas. I prefer diesel, they're beasts, just not sure it's completely practical. I was hoping for some insight from some of you who tow. Thanks.

Unless you put a LOT of miles on your truck every year (>50K ?) WITH a load/towing, I don't see how anyone can justify the initial cost, higher fuel cost and higher maintenance cost of a diesel pickup truck. Yes, the torque is fantastic, but ...

Properly equipped, a 2019 F250 with the 6.2L engine and 6 speed transmission has a 22,000 lbs GCWR and 15,000 lbs 5th wheel towing capacity vs 24,100/16,600 for diesel.

Still not in production yet, but Ford's new for 2020 7.3L gas and 10 speed transmission should beat the old 6.2L/6 speed.

(All FCA vehicle have a bad reputation for electrical problems after about 5 years in the snow belt.)

[time2roll]

I would go 3500SRW

[camperdave]

blcrandall wrote:

No problems with engine, no, but it's one thing after another. AGAIN - I love it regardless and will have another Dodge.

so... you've had tons of Dodge problems, no diesel problems, so you're going to trade the diesel Dodge for a gas Dodge? That makes no sense at all. :?

[librty02]

blcrandall wrote:
Hey, everyone! I'm new here. I have a dilemma - I drive a '17 Ram 2500 Diesel. Love it, but have had nothing but problems since we pulled off the lot. It's currently in the shop for transmission issues. While there, I was looking at the specs on the new gas burners. We have a bumper pull horse trailer that is easily pulled by the truck, but we are about to buy a Jayco Eagle 355. I have looked and read and calculated all I can. Can someone give me some advice as to whether or not I'd be safe to pull the 5er with a 2500 gas? I'm just sick of the issues we are having with the diesel. Thanks in advance.

Ok I'll be that guy.....you're going to pull a 42' long 14995 GVWR 5th wheel with a 2502lb empty pin weight with a 3/4 ton diesel truck?