Who Daily Drivers their diesel TV?

[RoyBell]

I am looking for honest real-world feedback from people that use their TV as a daily driver as well. I am thinking of upgrading from my Tundra to get a little more capacity. Tundra has been a great truck since I bought it new 6 years ago, however, I feel I could use a little more TV with my new camper I got last year. Around 7300lbs loaded. Everything seems fine until I load the truck full of passengers and it's a different towing experience.

I have a concern going to a diesel because they get a bad rap for expensive repairs and poor reliability. Right now I am swaying to the F250 because I like their looks and hp/tq figures seem to be the best currently. Some people cry that they are very expensive to maintain and repair. Can anyone share real world opinions on that?

In 6 years I have done nothing to the Tundra but put gas in and change the oil. Brakes/tires at 50K miles but that's been it. Very good truck in that regard.

It's a little surprising the Big 3 don't offer better gas engines at this point. All current gas engines make as much power as my 5.7 Tundra. At a heavier curb weight and the same or less hp, I am taking a step backwards in power which is not something I am willing to do. I was sold on the GMC 6.2, but they only put it in their 1500 trucks. Their 1500 HD barely tows more than my Tundra when you look at GVWR numbers.

Which has me looking at Diesels again. On days I do drive it, I would be looking at 30 minute minimum trips in it. I know short drives or not driving Diesels under load is not good for them which has me wondering what kind of driving people with issues actual do.

Appreciate any input. I figured this asking this here would be better than going to a vehicle specific forum. Looking forward to the unbiased responses.

[IdaD]

That's correct, Aisin/HO is 3500 only. Aisin/HO is a package deal, so if you order it you get both.

I love mine. Rides and handles great unloaded and tows my fifth wheel effortlessly. I live in Idaho so the exhaust brake is essential with the terrain we have out here. It's also a great family vehicle for our family of five even when we aren't towing. No issues yet but I've only got 9000 miles so far so that should be expected. I truly thought I'd buy a Super Duty when I started looking at trucks but in the end I bought a Ram and it was a surprisingly easy decision.

[FishOnOne]

IdaD wrote:
A year in the Arctic.

This thread should be required reading for prospective buyers who are looking for info on how the current exhaust systems hold up in extreme conditions.

If I were to read that report when shopping I would go with a gasser... Having said that, it's the exception and not what I read on the forums.

Here's some cold testing my friend... Link

[RoyBell]

IdaD wrote:
The Ram has three engine outputs and it varies by transmission choice, not trim level or 2500/3500. The manual transmission gets the least power, something like 350/650. The 68RFE is the standard 6 speed auto and it gets 370/800. The Aisin is a medium duty 6 speed auto and it gets 385/900. I believe the Aisin upgrade runs about $3000.

Most, including myself, have the 68RFE. The Aisin is worth it if you're towing heavy or (imo) if you are planning on a performance tune to make the truck run faster. Of the three diesels the stock Cummins is the slowest off the line, but once you get up in speed a little bit the torque management backs off and the Cummins will run with the others. If that bothers you I'd plan on a tuner or buy one of the others.

Make sure you click on the link to Grit dog's report on his experience with the three diesels up in the Arctic.

According to their website the Aisin isn't offered in the 2500 and neither is the HO version? http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/ram_2500/capability/#link-3

I did run into someone buying another vehicle there that had a '14 CTD 2500. Talked to him for a bit, 65K miles and he had nothing but positive reviews on it. I like to talk to real world owners to get their story. He said he would buy another one no problem. Tows the kids and tows a 15K lb trailer for work with it no problems.

[IdaD]

The Ram has three engine outputs and it varies by transmission choice, not trim level or 2500/3500. The manual transmission gets the least power, something like 350/650. The 68RFE is the standard 6 speed auto and it gets 370/800. The Aisin is a medium duty 6 speed auto and it gets 385/900. I believe the Aisin upgrade runs about $3000.

Most, including myself, have the 68RFE. The Aisin is worth it if you're towing heavy or (imo) if you are planning on a performance tune to make the truck run faster. Of the three diesels the stock Cummins is the slowest off the line, but once you get up in speed a little bit the torque management backs off and the Cummins will run with the others. If that bothers you I'd plan on a tuner or buy one of the others.

Make sure you click on the link to Grit dog's report on his experience with the three diesels up in the Arctic.

[RoyBell]

camp-n-family wrote:

The step up to a 3/4 ton from your Tundra will be a real eye opener with either gas or diesel. An HD truck is just in a whole other league.

I thought this would be the case (and could be with a diesel) when I traded my Tundra for a new Ram 2500 5.7l Hemi. I was in the same boat as the OP last year. I had been towing our new 31BHPR @7600lbs loaded with the Tundra. No problems towing other than being 400lbs over payload all the time but under axle and tire ratings. I traded to get more payload.

After towing with the new Ram I was disappointed. The Ram and Tundra make nearly the same power and both have 6 speeds so I thought the Hemi would be fine. The Ram has 900lbs more payload but also weighs 1k more empty. Tundras aren't known for good fuel efficiency but it gets better mileage than the Ram.

Overall, the Tundra towed my tt better than the Ram. The 4.30 gears and tranny spacing made all the difference. The Ram struggled where the Tundra excelled, in the hills. The only difference was I didn't have to watch what I threw in the bed of the Ram.

I won't even get into the reliability issues and recalls. Lets just say I'd gladly take my old Tundra back. Problem is the Ram has depreciated to nearly what I got for trade on my 7yr old Tundra. I'll probably get slammed for it but IMHO, keep what you have and make it work.

Interesting. Aside from the lack of power, how does it tow compared to the Tundra? Every 1/2 ton side by side tests the rams 5.7 cant keep up with the toyota 5.7. I can't imagine it in a huge truck like the 2500. Does it feel more stable?

[RoyBell]

3 Dealers, this is the only truck I was able to drive.

2016-01-30_04-05-33 by RoyBelluomini, on Flickr

[RoyBell]

Thanks for the postings everyone. Not sure why people are telling me how reliable a 2005 diesel truck is? It's 2016 and the engines and trucks themselves, are nothing like the old trucks.

I stopped by the Ford dealer. They had no diesels. Only work crew cabs on the lot, which I checked out. Hard to tell because interior was totally different, no center console or bench even. Asked the salesman what about the '17 redesign, he didn't know, but said I should wait till they come out. Didn't seem interested in selling me a 250 cause they didn't have much.

Stopped at Dodge. Let's just say my experience was sub par in the sales department. Did test drive the 2500 CTD. The ride was a bit stiffer than I had expected, but I will have a cap and stuff in the bed which will help. The brakes were hard to tell since the truck was so new and we only took it around the block since it had no fuel in it.

I wanted to try the 6.4 for comparison, they put me with another salesman, he left to fill the truck up, never came back, so I just left.

First impressions- the 2500 is a big truck. Felt slow off the line. I will not be winning any drag races with it. Interior was really nice. Engine was a little louder than I had expected, but not bad.

Went to GMC after and they had nothing on the lot either. Sat in a 2500 crew cab work truck. Felt really small for a 3/4 ton. I think interior was about the same as my Tundra. Not impressed for their biggest cab. They had no diesels on the lot and I had no interest in the 6.0 model. Salesman was really interested in my Tundra though. Said they have some Diesels coming in and would email me so I could check them out.

So I am back to square one. I really would had liked to try the 6.4 dodge and I am leaning Dodged direction. I will check out some more dealers that have trucks on the lot and see how they stack up.

One thing I don't get is Dodge has a different power output for every engine depending on options and trim level it seems. Totally confusing. I asked about the 3500 vs 25000 cause the 3500 had more power. He seemed to think the 3500 would be quicker cause of the higher power output. I have no idea? Why not just keep the same power in each truck!

He did tell me they were making a Hellcat Ram 1500 which peeked my interest. Too bad no 2500s.

[rickeoni]

I switch between my BMW and the F450 depending on what I feel like driving that day. My commute is 50 miles roundtrip to downtown. We usually take the Big beast for all other duties, as my wife complains on how I drive the M5, and her SUV is her baby and I don't like driving it.

[IdaD]

A year in the Arctic.

This thread should be required reading for prospective buyers who are looking for info on how the current exhaust systems hold up in extreme conditions.

[boshog]

You can find less than happy comments about the Duramax, Powerstroke, or Cummins engines in today's diesel pickups. Seldom do folks post a happy comment, typically they come to post a complaint. Most of the folks complaining have modified their powertrain and/or deleted their emission system which adds to their complains when something doesn't work right. The big three sell thousands of these pullers each year but you only read comments from what, several hundred, is that a fair number? You can see the proportion.

If you live in a cold climate, the diesel takes time to warm up but it isn't that bad, you will get heat. That is the only negative comment I have about running a diesel tow vehicle as a daily driver. The other issue with tow vehicles is the ride quality, a truck that can carry up to 4,000 plus pounds is going to have a stiff ride.

I can tell you I have just over 4,000 on my 3500 Cummins but that really doesn't mean much. Now, my son has over 130,000 on his Duramax, pulls his camper, and uses it as a daily driver, all issue free miles.

As far as cost of ownership, the diesel is less than gas over time. A recent study published by the University of Michigan compared gas to diesel using metrics like depreciation, fuel, repairs, insurance, and maintenance.

You can download the paper here;
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/111893

[camp-n-family]

The step up to a 3/4 ton from your Tundra will be a real eye opener with either gas or diesel. An HD truck is just in a whole other league.

I thought this would be the case (and could be with a diesel) when I traded my Tundra for a new Ram 2500 5.7l Hemi. I was in the same boat as the OP last year. I had been towing our new 31BHPR @7600lbs loaded with the Tundra. No problems towing other than being 400lbs over payload all the time but under axle and tire ratings. I traded to get more payload.

After towing with the new Ram I was disappointed. The Ram and Tundra make nearly the same power and both have 6 speeds so I thought the Hemi would be fine. The Ram has 900lbs more payload but also weighs 1k more empty. Tundras aren't known for good fuel efficiency but it gets better mileage than the Ram.

Overall, the Tundra towed my tt better than the Ram. The 4.30 gears and tranny spacing made all the difference. The Ram struggled where the Tundra excelled, in the hills. The only difference was I didn't have to watch what I threw in the bed of the Ram.

I won't even get into the reliability issues and recalls. Lets just say I'd gladly take my old Tundra back. Problem is the Ram has depreciated to nearly what I got for trade on my 7yr old Tundra. I'll probably get slammed for it but IMHO, keep what you have and make it work.

[romore]

It depends how much towing you plan to do? One or two weeks a year and a few weekend jaunts to me at least hardly justify the premium price for a diesel. I think you would notice an improvement with the big three's larger gas offerings. If regular long trips are in the cards, I would no longer consider gas.
I used our Ram as a daily driver before I retired, I had absolutely no problems with it except for the a/c clutch. It was a little more expensive for fuel as mileage was about the same as a gasser and diesel price was higher. Oil changes are pricier but less frequent so that's a wash. It was a bear to park at the mall so the Ranger got the nod most of the time.
Whole new story on the highway. It pulls anything I need to move and will run all day on a tank of fuel. We find it very comfortable and my wife enjoys towing although she won't pull in next to the pumps or move it in the cg. The Cummins is super reliable, will possibly out last the truck.

[FishOnOne]

Grit dog wrote:
You're comparing to a 50k mi pickup for reliability? That should just be an expectation.
50 k on any truck is expected to be maint only and any of the diesels offered will be no different.
There is absolutely no issue with using a diesel pickup especially a new one as a DD, short trips, etc.
Read my thread on here about diesel pickups in the Arctic if you want a guage as to how much abuse it takes to make them an issue.
Go buy your favorite truck and drive it. Only diff is what you put in at the gas station and the smile on your face from being able to drive a real pickup! Lol

Some of the diesel emission systems has caused issues with the diesel's being runned as a daily driver.

Some people (not saying names) on this forum always recommend running their diesel trucks with the exhaust brake on to mitigate the soot build up problems.

[john_bet]

I have driven my diesel as a DD and a TV for the last 12 years. Only work done to the engine was a water pump replacement. The model year '13 Navistar school bus that I drive had to have its EGR cooler replaced in Dec. It only had 36K on it. Go figure.

[Bedlam]

1. If your commute is long enough to get the engine to operating temperature, diesel is a fine choice.
2. Consider the SRW F350 or 3500 if choosing a diesel so you get more payload on paper. In realty, only Ram has big difference between 2500 and 3500, but it is important to some people.
3. Have you looked at F150 HD with EcoBoost? It will perform at altitude better than a normally aspirated engine plus has good payload figures.