dieselfreak21
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Re: Diesel vs gas......................
First I will say I am very partial to diesels, but gas motors do have their place. It all depends on usage of the vehicle and how long you want to keep and how you want to travel. Here is what I have learned over the years for anyone that is considering or wants some information, on dealing with 3/4 and above, as my opinion is that unless your are towing a pop up a 3/4 and above it mandatory. I am no expert but here is goes. Gas-They have come along way in recent years. They make decent power and torque and if you are religious on maintence you can get 150k-200k reliably out of them. Gas is more dependant on gear rations, based on the application. That starts their possible down fall in comparision. Gas needs RPM's to make power and torque and the only way to get it is with taller gears. At that point you are making a sacrifice in your mpg not a large one but they are in direct corrilation. Good points: Gasers are cheaper on the inital price. Oil changes are cheaper on a per cost basis they just need more of them if you want a healthy engine and you tow alot. The new ones get about the same mileage empty as the new "green diesel" do. They are easier on drive line parts as they don't have the low end torque a diesel does but will still get your load moving and in some cases accelerate faster than a diesel. If you don't tow alot and like a new vehicle every couple of years they are probably the best in terms of cost for that application. Cons: If you tow heavy and alot you need a taller gear set and that cost fuel. You also need to do oil changes more frequently. Spark Plugs- need I say more. Fuel milage towing will be worse than a diesel. Don't hold value as well once you get near 100k mark. More than likely hills will cause you to slow down more than a diesel. They require more shifting to stay in the sweet spot. Stacks look goofy on a gasser and black smoke out of them is a bad thing. Diesels-If you want low end torque this is were they rule. Until the govt started forcing "green" diesels they would usuaully get better mpg. The fuel used to be cheaper until the govt mandated ULSD. Power possibilies are limitless. If you want a motor to out last the rest of your truck the diesel is king. They would be the choice if keep a truck long term and tow alot. Pros: Better towing mileage. Oil change intervals are longer than a gasser even when towing heavy. Logevity. Better cooling capcity. The diesel trucks come with slightly larger and better drivelines, which will last longer if maintained and driven correctly. Higher Resale value past 100K. If you want to increase power the $ per HP is a better value. Hills are not a problem in most cases. The rattle. Black Smoke is good thing and stacks! Cons: The rattle and the black smoke. Govt mandates on the new motor and the ULSD. Maintence cost can be more due to larger volumes of fluids. Initial cost. Slighly rougher ride. Takes a while to make up the premium on inital price and maintence. Price of fuel now is usually more than gas. If something in the fuel system fails it isn't cheap the fix. Weighs more so affect pay load capacity. Slower acceleration in stock form. I'm sure I am missing loads of information but these are some of decision points I have used when the decision time came up. I went diesel and partial to Cummins, and that is the only reason I would have a dodge after the dodge problems with my 03. My 99 with 300k is still my best truck. Once I get sick enough of the dodge body my CR Cummins might find its self in a Ford Super Duty as IMHO that would be the ultimate vehicle. Hope this helps someone and it wasn't to partial.415Views0likes0CommentsRe: Whats Your Real Weights? Truck and Trailer. The Real Deal
TV 2003 Ram 2500 Quad Cab Long Box Cummins: Actual Weight Full of fuel, hitch, dogs, kid, wife and tools 7130. GVWR 9000, GCVWR 19000. RV: 32' Cardinal, 3 slides, GVWR 14000. Ready to camp minus water as I don't haul with water (personal choice), TV and RV 20500. 2800 on the pin.457Views0likes0Comments
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