Should I switch to diesel?

[wrvond]

I'm not trying to start another gas vs. diesel thread, but need some real world anecdotal input.
We just completed a 1000 mile round trip from West Virginia, through the mountains, to Murrells Inlet, SC, and back, towing our new TT.
My 5.4 liter F150 4x4 pulled the Coachmen Catalina 253RK pretty well.
I was surprised that I was able to average about 50mph uphill (I expected I might have to push the rig up), but was very disappointed that I only got about 8mpg on average.
At 8mpg, I won't be able to afford to make many four day weekend trips of any kind of distance, I'm afraid.
So, I'm thinking of moving up to an F250 diesel, or similar.
Questions:
Is diesel really going to be enough of an improvement in mpg to justify the move?
Is diesel torque/towing going to be a quantum improvement?
What size engine should I be looking at? Is a 6L diesel going to "whup" the 5.7L gasser, or do I need something bigger than that?
Finances dictate a unit in the 8 to 10 year old range, do these pre-date DEF and other emissions requirements?
Are there any particular engines/years I should be wary of?
Are there any particular engines/years/models that are most desireable?
I'm sure none of these questions are new to you guys that have made the transition, and I look forward to reading your thoughts and experiences.
Thanks.

[Tystevens]

Sounds like a decision has been made. But for comparison, my '06 Duramax was in the 10-12 mpg range when towing. Our 5.3 Suburbans are 8.5 - 10. Plus, diesel is about $.50 more than regular here. So we weren't saving much money towing w/ the diesel, especially if you take into account the extra to purchase it.

That said, the diesel was sure a joy to tow with.

[Terryallan]

wrvond wrote:
Folks, your posts are exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so very much!
In spite of my inability to remember from one minute to the next what size engine I have (I still think in terms of cubic inches, not liters), my truck did a very reasonable job of pulling, and I don't think it was really overworked doing it.
So, based on your observations and experiences, I think the best thing to do is stick with Old Faithfull.
Thanks again!

Good choice. It would take about 30 years to recoup the price difference between your gas TV, and the price of a diesel TV, based on MPG alone.

[bigorange]

Very good points made, and I found myself in an almost identical situation with our Sierra T22. A little smaller than yours (I like your floorplan a lot BTW) but pretty comparable.

I started with a 2001 F-150 4x4 Crew Cab...it was my hunting truck, but not a great towing truck. 4x4, lift kit, oversized tires all decreased the payload and towing capacity. Anyway, my F-150 struggled anytime I climbed and had similar gas mileage to what you've reported. I also had some issues with sway that a WD hitch helped, but could still tell the trailer was pushing the truck around a lot. I was honestly never really comfortable towing.

Had some mechanical issues with the F-150 (maybe towing caused some of the issues...unclear since it had pretty high mileage for a gasser anyway) and decided to trade up. We ended up with a 2011 Ram 2500 CTD. Could not be more pleased with this improvement. I know it's too much truck for our trailer, but we went the route of buying for our next trailer since the family is growing.

Night and day difference between the two, especially climbing. I've towed a couple of the steeper routes here in AZ with no difficulty and even ample acceleration uphill. No significant increase in MPG...maybe a couple MPG on average, but the towing experience is much better for me. I only use the Ram for towing and hunting trips with some very short in-town driving, so daily MPG and fuel cost not an issue for me. Only on the road.

I have a friend with almost identical trailer and a gas F-250 and he's very pleased too. I never feel like the trailer is pushing the truck anymore, and towed in some pretty serious wind and dust storms this weekend with no problems.

Honestly my favorite feature on the diesel is the exhaust brake. I rarely even use the brakes going down some really steep grades. Exhaust brake combined with the proper gear make for nice towing.

Just my two cents in what appears to be a similar situation.

[goducks10]

Unless you can trade straight across then spending more money to save on fuel won't work. You'll definitely get better mpg with the diesel. But remember gas prices typically drop in the winter and diesel stays the same. Lately it seems that during the summer they even out.

For me my break even point is when diesel is .50 or less and when towing and non towing @50/50. That's coming from a 2010 F150 5.4 3.73, towing a 31'TT @7300lbs getting 8.5 and switching to diesel and getting 10.5. We now tow a mid profile 28' 5'er @9000lbs and get 10.5-11.9.

I save enough on one single 200 mile RT in fuel to cover the extra cost for oil changes.

8-10 year old diesels IMO would put you in the Dodge 5.9 or Dmax. 04-06 Ford 6.0's seem to have more issues than the 5.9 or 6.6. I know one thing for sure towing with a diesel in a 3/4-1 ton will be a lot nicer than the 5.4

Couple nice buys in my area.
http://salem.craigslist.org/cto/4367565243.html
http://salem.craigslist.org/cto/4418257425.html

[wrvond]

Folks, your posts are exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so very much!
In spite of my inability to remember from one minute to the next what size engine I have (I still think in terms of cubic inches, not liters), my truck did a very reasonable job of pulling, and I don't think it was really overworked doing it.
So, based on your observations and experiences, I think the best thing to do is stick with Old Faithfull.
Thanks again!

[Jayco-noslide]

That 8 sounds low, I'm guessing due to the terrain. Also, wind can make a huge difference. I averaged 10 mpg with a half ton Chevy pulling a similiar size trailer. Some days 8, some 11 but the average over a long trip was 10 and your's might be too. 1000 miles isn't really a very long trip to get a true average. One point to consider is that it will be very difficult to make up for the cost of trading trucks with better MPG especially considering diesel runs from 20 to 90 cents a gallon more. Yours is already depreciating but you can stretch that out over a period of years. Buying a new one will start up the cycle of depreciation again. Diesels cost more in other ways also. There's much more to the cost of RVing than the cost of fuel. But the diesel is guaranteed to pull stronger.

[downtheroad]

the bear II wrote:
For many years I chased the better gas mileage when towing. Then I decided to sit down and do some hard calculations.

I agree with this thought.

Forget about the mileage thing unless you tow and camp A LOT. It doesn't pay off to switch trucks from gas to diesel just for mileage if you are basically a close to home weekender or take an occasional longer trip.

Yes, diesel have more torque and power and will pull harder at lower RPM's. If your current truck does the job and you don't camp a lot, then financially it makes more sense to stick with what you have.

[mbutts]

There's no real justification like "it'll pay for itself with better fuel economy!" Yes, it gets better MPG. Yes, you'll stop for fuel less often (which I find really nice). The big difference is the effortless towing, uphill, downhill, flat land. Just set the cruise control and go.

I went from a 2004 5.7 liter Expedition to my 2006 6.0 liter F350 diesel last year. Phenomenal difference with a 7,300 lbs. trailer.

I got the 6.0 because is was old enough for me to afford it and, although there were some problems with the engine, I personally knew people with five of these vehicles that haven't had a lick of trouble.

[the_bear_II]

For many years I chased the better gas mileage when towing. Then I decided to sit down and do some hard calculations. If you take into consideration the savings back at home while you are gone for 4 days you may find that the gas cost at 8MPG isn't really that bad. Especially when you add in the fun factor.

Take a look at the savings in electric, water use (if you pay for water), entertainment (movies,dining out,amusement parks fees..etc), heat or Air Conditioning and other expenses you would have if you stayed home.

The fun factor is priceless. You can always find a way to pay for the gas and camping fees. We used to not eat out for a month so we would have extra gas money to go camping during the following month. Don't miss out on the fun.

[Bull_Rider]

We pull a 30' bumper pull with a 2006 Duramax and have towed around the U.S. from one end to the other.

Before that we pulled a 25' bumper pull with a F150 Ford with the 5.0 engine.
We had that combination for many years, and put on a lot of miles.

With the gasser, we got about 8-9 MPG. Empty the truck got 14 MPG. It was underpowered for towing, but it worked.

With the diesel, we get about 11-12 MPG. The RV weighs about 8200 loaded for camping. The diesel has power to spare. But, when you get a head wind then your mileage with either one will take a hit. I've gotten as low as 9 MPG with the diesel on occasion.

But, you will never come out financially by swapping from gas to diesel.

Diesel costs more per gallon. Oil changes cost more. The diesel fuel filters are an added cost. The diesel has two batteries instead of one. If something goes wrong with the diesel, ChaChing, get out your checkbook.

I would stick with the gasser, and deliver Pizzas during the week to make the budget work...

[96Brigadier]

Diesel will give you around 50% better mileage (12 mpg versus the 8 mpg you're getting now). I had a 2006 5.7L Hemi with a similar TT to your current one, I would get anywhere from 8 to 9.5 mpg. When I went to a diesel I would get 12-13 mpg with the same trailer. I get that same mpg with a heavier fifth wheel, wind is the biggest impact to my mileage not trailer weight.

Really i'd say it depends on if you are able to do a straight trade across from your current truck to the diesel. If you have to pay any money for the diesel then it probably isn't worth it. Put that money into gas instead.

Diesel torque/towing will be a huge improvement over a 2006 5.4L for anything relatively heavy... your trailer isn't relatively heavy. 7.5k GVWR is nothing behind a diesel truck, if you like to drive and not notice you're pulling anything then diesel will give you that with your current trailer weight.

I would stay away from Ford diesel trucks, the years you'd be looking at had a lot of issues. Others will likely chime in on the 6.0L Ford versus the 6.4L ford (and maybe even the older 7.3L). Chev/GM and Dodge in those years should be fine.

8 years old should pre-date all of the extra emissions junk, 10 years old definitely will.

I'd personally make sure the truck has never been chipped, others may disagree with this statement but I know too many people who bought used diesel trucks that had been chipped and had a ton of issues with them.