Diesel vs gas......................

[blt2ski]

OK folks, there have been a few to many diesel vs gas threads that have shall we say gone to "Hell and a hand basket"! So if all of you would put in you BEST, no flaming reasons for going gas vs diesel, pro and con, I will either leave your thread, or copy and paste pertinant info to the 4 posts of pro and con of diesel or gas. This can include the GM 8.1 vs Dmax or Ford V-8/10 vs PSD etc too.

Be real and honest in you answers, not hear say, flaming etc PLEASE!

If posts are good ones, I will leave, if inflamatory or trolling in nature, they will be deleted! I will get this stick'd to the top for future parusing for those that need this type of info.

Added 6-23-04

We are getting closer to answers I am looking for etc.

Stuff like Ken's - T-Bone posts are good. There are a few others of you that have not posted, some with a 9 point question and answer type to figure out how you went with one or the other. If you are one of those, PLEASE repost in this thread. I may have to look up whom has done this and PM you, but if you think this is you, you now know what to do.

Also, for those of you with $ per gallon for either fuel right now, I would prefer to see a post with ...."in my area, diesel is typically .10 less than unleaded" then explain your numbers. As currently in the Seattle area, diesel and unleaded are any where from 2.05 -2.30 per gallon, with mid test .10 more and premium about .20 more, with equal high low splits. Two weeks ago those prices were upwards of .30 -.40 per gallon more. people were posting $ per gallon that were for me. "I wish" If someone is reading your post a year from now, they may want to know where your paying 1.65, when the price of fuel is over $3 per gallon. Let's keep prices out of it if possible.

Bert and tin tipi, got into a good discusion on the pros and cons of RPM's, drive train etc. I would prefer to NOT see the quote of the other in responding threads, maybe just write a quick wording of re tranny gearing, instead of the whole 40 words or so in that paragragh, so the repsonse is shorter if possible quicker and easier to read etc.

I have deleted some 15+/- posts, that were off topic etc. Please note, I am trying to keep this at the top, as the ONLY gas/diesel thread in this area. So if one is trying to decide, we do not have to go thru this BS any more. As such, I will be deleting ANY future posts close to resembling this type of topic. I may have to change "this" title to a better one, if one has a better sounding title, to be more positive, better claification, let me know here, or in a PM/e-mail, what ever you feel most comfortible with.

Again thank you for all of you that are keeping responses positive, etc.

Also we could use a few more positive reasons to go gas, as many can see I have both gas and diesel, both have a place! Both have positive reasons to buy that fuel, lets keep the threads etc to that purpose only!

Marty

[loveshack1]

Just had a chance ti update. Towed 10-5-07 on 20% mix of waste vegetable oil.

16.5 MPG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be testing further with higher blends, and the big test will be when we go to Florida in March.

[penokee]

I tow with a 2001 Chev 2500 HD - Vortex 6000, and a 2007 Chev 2500 HD - Duramax/Allison. In my opinion, there's no comparison - the Duramax Diesel wins everytime.
penokee:)

[loveshack1]

No qualifications needed. Solo: 22mpg on diesel, still testing "biodiesel"
towing: 16mpg on diesel, test biodiesel mix on 10-5-07

[work2much]

mustang071 wrote:


Yes, Diesel is more expensive (20-25 cents more per gallon on average). However, with the power & MPG I'm getting, I will never go back to a gas engine. And, I do not feel the need to get a duelly either; no quirky problems towing.


SS

Just noticed today at a local staion (Stockton, CA) that Diesel was cheaper than reg unleaded. (2.98)

[mustang071]

I've got an '05 Dodge-Cummins 3500, SRW CrewCab that will take me anywhere I want to go pulling my '06 Carriage Cameo 5th wheel (about 14 K lbs). Driving the Freeways of Dallas, after a little practice at conservation, I've been getting 24 MPG driving to & from work. Towing the big 5er- flatlands: I get right at 16 MPG, in the hills & mountains: it drops to around 14.5 MPG.

Yes, Diesel is more expensive (20-25 cents more per gallon on average). However, with the power & MPG I'm getting, I will never go back to a gas engine. And, I do not feel the need to get a duelly either; no quirky problems towing.


SS

[blt2ski]

I'd be happy with prices in the 250-280 range. In Seattle we are in the 295-3.10 for diesel and premium fuel! 2.80 for 87 octane!

Any way one looks at it, if comparing a BB to a diesel, you will save money, if your comparing the new more powerfull SB 8's to a diesel, the SB may be more cost effective, while maybe not as fast, still very cost effective and plenty of power for pulling loads.

Marty

[Sport45]

When I corrected the prices the savings went to 21% so you are correct, sir. I'm not saying diesels aren't more fuel efficent, only that that is not the sole reason for making the choice.

[bluenote]

Sport45 wrote:
My bad, that should have been 2.52 and 2.86 for gas and diesel respectively.

Even with these "corrected" prices, I would be seeing around a 25% savings driving the diesel. Again, that's the same driver, same roads, same towing loads, not one buddy versus another buddies' truck.

[Sport45]

My bad, that should have been 2.52 and 2.86 for gas and diesel respectively. Guess I need more sleep!

Don't kow how I missed that obvious typo. I've edited the previous post to reflect current prices. (I only wish fuel was a dollar a gallon cheaper here!)

[SKIRMISH]

bluenote wrote:

Sport45 wrote:
At the stations around here unleaded is 1.52 and diesel is 1.86. For every 500 miles I drive I burn 37 gallons and pay $56.30. He burns 27 gallons and pays $50.30 (oops! I was wrong, it's actually almost 12% in fuel cost savings).

Wow! How old is this thread? And I thought my computer was slow! Was this lost in cyberspace and finally got here?

[bluenote]

Sport45 wrote:
At the stations around here unleaded is 1.52 and diesel is 1.86. For every 500 miles I drive I burn 37 gallons and pay $56.30. He burns 27 gallons and pays $50.30 (oops! I was wrong, it's actually almost 12% in fuel cost savings).

This statement makes it pretty obvious you are just inventing figures. Show me actual proof (photographs, links to local station pricing, etc...) of stations in your area selling gas or diesel for those prices. Isn't it nice you can just discount my actual comparison with the same driver, towing load, etc... and claim your figures are more valid? It is truly laughable, but not as laughable as getting anyone to believe on the date of this post, the stations near Houston, TX are selling gas and diesel for almost half the price everyone else in the country pays. :R

[Sport45]

I have a friend here with a '02 D/A 2500 Crew Cab. I drive a '00 F-250 Crew Cab with a V-10. We both drive mainly back and forth to work and occasionally tow. He averages 18.5 overall and I average 13.5 overall so my mpg is 73% of his. That's pretty close to the percentage change in the post above, if you look at the peak mpg figures given for towing and not. (Cant't really do a meaningful calculation from a "range" without knowing where the average falls within that range. At the stations around here unleaded is 2.52 and diesel is 2.86. For every 500 miles I drive I burn 37 gallons and pay $93.33. He burns 27 gallons and pays $77.22 (Oops! I was wrong, it's actually almost 21% in fuel cost savings). Of course he doesn't have to stop and fill up as often (which I envy). We talked trucks before I bought mine and before he bought his. The decision wasn't easy for either of us. I went the gasoline route and don't regret it. He doesn't regret getting his diesel and I don't blame him. It's a fine truck and he drives a lot more than I do. They are both paid for now, but my payment (and insurance) was lower at the time, which was a major factor for me. Right now, I'm now putting considerably less than 1000 miles a month on the truck and with 80,000 miles on the clock I'd still be short of the diesel "paying for itself".

Of course if I drove more or pulled more and was using a couple hundred gallons of gasoline every month I'd be looking at used diesels now. The only economic incentive I see with diesels is the fuel economy and I just don't burn enough fuel to push that to the top of the list. I figured mageep was in the same boat from his question.

Gasoline engines aren't for everybody and diesels aren't for everybody. You have to base your decision on how hard you work it and how much you drive. That's why I asked him to look at how much his total gasoline cost is per year.

I've got nothing against diesels, they are fine engines. It's just that fuel savings only add up in a significant way if you burn a lot of fuel.

*Edited to correct erroneous fuel prices.

[bluenote]

Sport45 wrote:
What is your total gasoline cost per year? A diesel will save about 10% of that (more towing, less empty, but probably about 10% overall*). If this is enough savings per year to offset the extra upfront and maintenance cost of the diesel, then go for it. If you want more low-end grunt, get the diesel. If you like the gas engine stick with it. Either will haul a 7000 pound trailer.

*The diesel will save more than 10% of the gallons of fuel, but with diesel currently costing more than unleaded the fuel cost savings is probably closer to 10% for the occasional hauler. YMMV

You've gotta love people who throw statistics out there which are based on supposition. Here's the truth....

I went from a 1999 GMC 2500 with the Vortec 7400 to a 2001 Chevy 2500HD with the Duramax. I drove the same roads, with the same driving habits, to work and elsewhere and towed the same 5er with both trucks. Driving empty, the big block got a low of 11 mpg and a high of 15 mpg...the diesel ranges from 16 mpg to 22 mpg. Towing, the big block got a low of 5.5 mpg and a high of 8.5 mpg...the diesel ranges from 10 mpg to 12.5 mpg. Furthermore, when I upgraded to our current 5er, which is longer, taller and heavier than the previous one, I saw virtually no change in mileage towing with the diesel.

Finally, diesel is NOT higher than gas everywhere in the country, even though it must be in Houston, TX for sport to makes such claims. I'm paying about the same as 87 octane and sometimes several cents less per gallon here in mid-Michigan.

Supposition says a 10% savings...my actual results (from actually owning and operating both - not guessing) show a savings of over 30%.

[BudnLiz]

I

[BudnLiz]

I love my 5.9 CTD and have no plans to change but filled up this AM with 30 gals. @ $2.959/ gal.(in Atlanta area). That is about 15 cpg more than three weeks ago. It may be a momentary spike but in the current issues of the diesel mags there are several articles about mfrs. coming out with more diesel cars. That will make the demand curve stay up with not much new supply on the horizon.