Dodge - Diesel or gas?

[kohldad]

Already know my new truck will be a 2014 Dodge SRW Crew Cab 4x4 with auto tranny. What I don't know is if I should go with the new 6.4 or diesel. Worked outthe numbers and the cost for my use of 15k miles/year with 50% TC duty, 25% DD, and 25% errands is only a few hundred difference a year.

So it comes down to the other advantage to decide.

Diesel - all the power and torque could need and then some.

Gas
-no cool down time (important due to lots of stops for sightseeing)
-less weight on the same axles/brakes equals better braking (best I can find, the 6.4 will use the same axles as the diesel)
-less to worry about (no DEF, turbo, etc)

My previous truck was a 92 F350 w/460 auto which I used to pull a 7,000# TT including a trip to Yellowstone and Arches. Never had an issue with power on that truck. So am familiar and comfortable with reving the engine for the power.


Which would you choose and why?

[JumboJet]

Redsky wrote:
There are emotional reasons for buying a diesel pickup as there are for having a Hummer or having a truck lifted and putting on 35 inch tires and that is OK as it a person's right to be illogical if it is their money they are spending. But trying to make it sound like the smart thing to do is a waste of time and not being entirely honest, both with oneself and with others.

Since my truck is used for duties other than hauling a TC, I guess your post has me covered somewhat.

But, stating that it is not a "smart thing", a "waste of time". and "not being entirely honest" is a little strong.

Load identical models, excepting the engines, with the identical campers and run them side-by-side for thousands of miles up and down the mountains, into 25-30 mph headwinds, etc. and see which delivers the better performance and reliability.

Ask the man I ran into in Clinton, OK while driving into a 30 mph headwind while the temperature was 105F and his new Chevrolet 8.1 gas engine equipped 2500 if he wished he had purchased a diesel equipped pickup.

[Redsky]

Lots of old cars and trucks with problems that were fixed in later years so it makes no sense to bash a particular brand based on experiences with these vehicles.

Diesel costs more and is more difficult to find (along with DEF) when traveling off the interstates. The trucks cost more to buy and more to maintain. These costs are offset when towing a heavy load of 10,000 lbs. or more but for a truck hauling a 3000-5000 lb. camper load it is overkill.

I owned a full size SUV and it had its place but at 16 MPG I did not use it for commuting or to go shopping. I used the SUV to go skiing or scuba diving or take the dogs to the beach or pickup plants at the nursery where it was the better choice over the two cars I own.

If someone is asking whether to get a gas or diesel powered pickup for towing a trailer my advice would be based on the weight of the trailer when fully loaded. If someone is buying a pickup for a camper the choice is a no brainer with gas coming out ahead by any logical criteria chosen.

There are emotional reasons for buying a diesel pickup as there are for having a Hummer or having a truck lifted and putting on 35 inch tires and that is OK as it a person's right to be illogical if it is their money they are spending. But trying to make it sound like the smart thing to do is a waste of time and not being entirely honest, both with oneself and with others.

[zman-az]

Have 2010 dodge 2500 diesel, 2011 Grand Cherokee 5.7Hemi and 2011 Winnebago with Ford V10.

One thing I can say is I would not make the exhaust brake a big deal anymore. The tow/haul mode in all 3 of my vehicles above is just awesome. I have towed 7000lb loads with all three vehicles down 6-7% grades and the tow/haul really is that huge of a difference. I cannot use the exhaust brake and tow/haul mode on my truck, it just slows me down way to much.

As far as longevity. Diesels engines may last longer, but everything around them breaks and costs way more than the gas counter part. Diesels cost more up front so you better get more back on trade it.

The only real argument on Diesel vs gas is power. Gas is not even close to the power of a Diesel. If your pulling 9,000lbs frequently I would not even consider gas. If power is not a concern for you then gas may be the way to go as it is cheaper in the long run.

[lincolnmatthews]

Having owned a Dodge V10 1 ton then to a 1 ton Dodge Cummins I think I am "entitled" to at least my opinion on Dodge products?? I would never ever buy a Dodge truck with there gas pot!. The only thing the Dodge truck ever had going for it was the Cummins! certainly not there truck! They had all sorts of casting issues with the V10's & 360's in the 90's. Bad foundry's in Mexico so they said!.
My mechanic tells me that the Hemmi's of the 04-05 generation are the #1 engine being replaced in cars & trucks in America! He's replacing them all the time. I don't know, thats what he claims. I do know that my V10 went out after about 20,000 miles, Chrysler had to replace the complete engine.
In my opinion Chrysler always cuts corners, crappy gear boxes, smaller brakes etc, there always short of cash they just don't quite engineer it enough.
If your going to go with a gas pot I would stick with Ford or GM, or Dodge with a Cummins. I've had them all, sorry if I offend anyone out there, thats not my intention!

[JacintoKid]

rooney77 wrote:
I don't get the whole warm up cool down thing. By the time I've pulled into the campsite no cool down is needed and it's got a grid heater to warm it up. I crank and go and kill it when I get there. I get aggravated by people that leave their junk idling all the time like that.

I have a neighbor who used to wake up the whole neighborhood idling his 01' 24 valve Cummins. I had the exact same truck and informed him that the engine wouldn't start to warm until he started driving and got the RPM's up. He didn't listen but thankfully, he sold the truck last year. I guess some folks love watching money exit the tailpipe.

[run100]

Buzzcut1 wrote:
That said: buy what ever works for you , making sure it is the right tool for the job.

Well said!

[rooney77]

billtex wrote:

rooney77 wrote:
I don't get the whole warm up cool down thing. By the time I've pulled into the campsite no cool down is needed and it's got a grid heater to warm it up. I crank and go and kill it when I get there. I get aggravated by people that leave their junk idling all the time like that.

Maybe he is talking about Folks w/big rigs and air brakes...

I think he was talking about my neighbor's son with his hot rodded cummins...complete with stacks.

[billtex]

rooney77 wrote:
I don't get the whole warm up cool down thing. By the time I've pulled into the campsite no cool down is needed and it's got a grid heater to warm it up. I crank and go and kill it when I get there. I get aggravated by people that leave their junk idling all the time like that.

Maybe he is talking about Folks w/big rigs and air brakes...

[rooney77]

I don't get the whole warm up cool down thing. By the time I've pulled into the campsite no cool down is needed and it's got a grid heater to warm it up. I crank and go and kill it when I get there. I get aggravated by people that leave their junk idling all the time like that.

[whizbang]

Group hugs.

We full timed for two years and camped in RV parks all around the country. For whatever reason, many, many diesel owners, either warming up or cooling down, seem to run their engines way longer than reasonably necessary. It would be OK with us if we never heard another diesel engine.

Pull up in a gasser --- your neighbors will have a chair and a cup of coffee ready for you. And group hugs.

Seriously, buy the truck you want. You can't go wrong either way.

[brholt]

My conclusion in shopping for the right truck

Towing heavy, diesel wins hands down. I can see why 5th wheelers and large trailer people like them.

Hauling heavy, get the gas. You get around 1,000 pounds of additional payload capacity (at least on the Fords). This means you can carry your heavy TC without worrying about airbags and the like and still be at your GVWR.

[Buzzcut1]

As someone that owns trucks and cars well into 200,000 plus miles resale is something I never consider. What I do consider is performance that matches my needs. I travel in the mountains, I tow horse trailers, and I tow in the heat and cold. I have seen too many gas powered trucks overheated on steep grades with loads, Not many diesels. A diesel generates very little heat at very low speeds and you can crawl up winding mt passes with the AC on with little worry. My truck does not smoke or stink. The maintenance on it is low I have only replaced things that have reached their normal lifespan with just a few exceptions. I can't imagine every wanting a gas engine pickup unless I was going to spend my time on the flats. On my last trip we went from San Francisco to Los Angeles without stopping for fuel with my Lance in the bed.

That said: buy what ever works for you , making sure it is the right tool for the job.

[campingken]

We had the turbo replaced at a Dodge dealer. Since we were out of state when it broke and were towing our horses we didn't have the ability to price shop.

[oilslick]

oilslick wrote:
Although the 68RFE is a good transmission the Aisin is way better, you can ONLY get the Aisin with the CTD.

I take back that statement, apparently the Aisin is no longer available to order in the SRW 3500 and now requires a DRW 3500.

[run100]

Whew! I'm exhausted after reading all the posts on the gas-vs-diesel topic. There's a lot of good information and a wide array of opinions provided. In the end, it comes down to how each of us decides to spend our hard-earned dollars, to go do the things we enjoy.

Here's some thoughts (for whatever they're worth) based on my experience of first carrying a truck camper with a gas truck, and now with a diesel:

- RESALE: Personally, I could care less what the predicted resale of my vehicles will be. The longer you own a vehicle, the less you really need to be concerned with resale. Shoot, I'll probably be dead before we sell our truck. For consumers that trade out their vehicles every few years, resale becomes pretty important (many consumers don't know what it means to not have a car payment! Yikes!)

- GAS V-10: Our first truck was a Ford with a gas V-10. The vehicle was trouble free for the 12-years we owned it, but it sure sucked down the fuel. Plenty of power, but still worked hard on certain grades. The biggest challenge was controlling the speed on descents - a lot of braking. Sometimes it felt like holding back a freight train.

- DIESEL: Our current truck is a Ford 6.7 diesel and all I can say is WOW! Carrying a camper with this truck is night and day difference from the V-10 - much more climbing power, tremendous control on the descents and far better mileage. I simply can't describe how nice it is to travel with the diesel. Plus, the new diesel is quiet with minimal fumes. Only time will tell the rest of the story.

- MONEY: We are teaching our kids to save their nickel and dimes, by not wasting them on various junky knick-knacks, so then they have dollars to spend on the fun stuff (and saving & investing).

I place rv's and travel in the fun stuff category. We skip a lot of the pricey money wasters (strictly a personal opinion), for example lavish cell phone plans, cable/satelite tv, season ball game tickets, fancy clothes, etc. Instead, we'd rather spend the dollars on exploring this beautiful country in our rv. So, allocating those dollars to a diesel was an easy decision.

Not sure if my ramblings add any value to the thread, but there you have it.

Happy New Year and happy travels to all!