Folks go round and round with this question on the tractor forums that I hang out on.
I think the general consensus is that a diesel will last longer than a gasser and it gets better mileage.
Personally I don't like diesels.
They STINK and they are incredibly NOISY.
As for size, I just bought my second Chevy 2500 HD. http://www.airforums.com/forum...evy-28451.html
It's got the standard 6.0L, auto, and the trailer tow package.
I pull a 7000 Lb. trailer a lot with it and can't imagine why I would need more horse power.
A diesel is at least $5000 more than a gasser too. It would take a lot of miles to pay that off with the increased fuel mileage that a diesel gets.
Since I never run mine more than 150 K I would never get it back.
How many people have an auxillary fuel tank in the bed of their trucks..??? We are about to put one in our diesel truck.
I have considered it due to the 26 gallon fuel tank on my shortbed 2500hd (holds just over 27 gallons though). At 10-11 mpg towing, it would be nice to have a 50-80 gallon transfer tank in the back just so that I can buy gas at the price I want to pay rather than being at the mercy of a late night high priced pump. I wouldn't think that the added weight would effect the big block or diesel engine that much.
__________________ Craig
AIR #0078
'01 2500hd ext. cab, 8.1 litre gas, 5 sp. Allison auto
3.73 rear end
Mag-Hytec rear diff cover
Amsoil Dual by-pass oil filtration system
Amsoil synthetics all around
265 watt AM Solar, Inc. system
Folks go round and round with this question on the tractor forums that I hang out on.
I think the general consensus is that a diesel will last longer than a gasser and it gets better mileage.
Personally I don't like diesels.
They STINK and they are incredibly NOISY.
As for size, I just bought my second Chevy 2500 HD. http://www.airforums.com/forum...evy-28451.html
It's got the standard 6.0L, auto, and the trailer tow package.
I pull a 7000 Lb. trailer a lot with it and can't imagine why I would need more horse power.
A diesel is at least $5000 more than a gasser too. It would take a lot of miles to pay that off with the increased fuel mileage that a diesel gets.
Since I never run mine more than 150 K I would never get it back.
The new generation of diesels do not stink/smoke like older diesels. And boy are they quiet, the direct inject (common rail) really quieted them down in this latest generation. Several of my buddies, have looked at me puzzled when they saw I was driving diesel but couldn't hear me coming!
Also, you don't buy a diesel, or any TV based on HP, it is the torque that gets you towing. And this diesel torque is really the reason many of us have gone diesel, not the economy (although it doesn't hurt!). I am pretty sure no one got into the AS game thinking they would save $
Happy New Year to All!
Bill
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Life is Good-Camping all around New England
Good people drink good beer-Hunter S Thompson
I am currently driving an 04 E 350 12 pass van with a 6.0 diesel. It replaced my 15 pass E-350 with a v10. by far I prefer the diesel. The fact that it is a full size van makes it the perfect tow truck. It lets me carry more of the accessoriies for camping, easy to load and unload and gives me good mileage. If you seriously look at all the info including the price of diesel contained in this thread, you will realize that the costs are really the same over 100k miles. Things like depreciation, insurance, original cost all even out over time if you keep the truck long enough. Therefore, buy what you like to drive, enjoy the travels, and stay out of these endless and useless discussions, because if you are driving the car you really like, you will enjoy the trip that much more.
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stagecoachbill
WBCCI #5345
62 Globe Trotter 19'
69 Sovereign 31'
04 E-350 Van 6.0 diesel
I am currently driving an 04 E 350 12 pass van with a 6.0 diesel. It replaced my 15 pass E-350 with a v10. by far I prefer the diesel. The fact that it is a full size van makes it the perfect tow truck. It lets me carry more of the accessoriies for camping, easy to load and unload and gives me good mileage. If you seriously look at all the info including the price of diesel contained in this thread, you will realize that the costs are really the same over 100k miles. Things like depreciation, insurance, original cost all even out over time if you keep the truck long enough. Therefore, buy what you like to drive, enjoy the travels, and stay out of these endless and useless discussions, because if you are driving the car you really like, you will enjoy the trip that much more.
It would be a tough call for me, if I had to replace my Duramax/Allison combo. With the D/A option getting close to $8K and diesel 20-30 cents higher than regular, it's going to be a hard decision in the future. However, since I have owned mine, diesel fuel has dipped as low as 30 cents lower than regular on several occasions. Fortunately it was low in 2004 during my move to Florida where I made 5 trips back to Ohio!!!
I would give the big block gasser a serious look if you are using it 12K a year or less.
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CP 9 miles off Exit 399, I75.
2003 GMC 2500HD 4X4 D/A Ext. Cab
Propane Powered Honda EU2000i
Lots of Hot Sauce! Air # 283
Make sure you are paying attention to the important stuff. To me, big blocks and diesels pretty much do the same job. the real question is overall weight - braking system - comfort and pleasure of driving - visability - and most important of all "color". Gotta be silver. Make sure there's a comfortable place for the dog!!
Here's my thoughts on this...with a bit of math from our recent trip.
I tow with a 2001 Chevy 2500 HD...4:10, w/ 8.1 with Alison tranny. This truck could pull anything I'd ever put behind it and pulls our 27 FB with ease no matter what the terrain or altitude. But it does drink gas. Above 70mph the gas mileage drops to 8mpg...7 if I'm bucking a head wind. But at 65mph I usually get 9mpg. Considering that the truck gets 10-11 mpg without a load, driving around town, that doesn't seem to be a considerable drop while towing. The power and performance of this truck are worth it. I've been considering a newer truck, and switching to diesel 4wd, but have been wondering if there would be any savings down the road. Considering that I don't use my TV for daily driving and normally use it only to pull the AS, which is about once every 60 days with a couple of long trips per year, the gas consumption hasn't bothered me. The Alision tranny is all it's cracked up to be and provides up and down hill service without comparison so it will be the tranny of choice from here on, despite the gas/diesel choice. Our last road trip, just a month ago, showed gas at an average of $2.20 and diesel at an average of $2.60. The trip was a 2500 miler. We purchased approx 312 gallons of gas = total $685. The same trip with diesel would have consumed approx 192 gallons ( @ 13 mpg average)..and run approx $500 in diesel fuel expenses, a difference of approx $185. My two long trips per year and several short hops around Texas might end up totalling $600 difference for the year in a gas/diesel comparison. The question is this: would switching to a diesel truck offset that savings? (My 01 just hit 90K miles and still has many years of service left). Over the course of ownership...say 8 years...that would be a high end total fuel savings of around $4800. Compared to the initial cost of $6500 for the duramax diesel option plus the added expense of oil changes it looks like the gas hog comes out the winner in the long run, if 8 years and approx 100K miles is the ownership/use duration. Even at 10 yrs the gasser would come out ahead in expenses. In my particular use scneario to equal out road expenses the ownership term of the diesel would have be exceed 11 years. Fuel for thought....
No one ever seems to talk about servicing the diesels. I understand that is somewhat expensive as compared gasoline engines. Is this correct?
It hasn't been the case for me. I bought my '99 F250 7.3 new and it now has 109,000 miles. I do my own oil changes and routine maintenance. The engine has required no repairs-only oil and filters. The oil filter costs about $10. and it takes nearly 4 gallons of oil at about $28. so these costs are a bit higher.
Originally Posted by Happycampers How many people have an auxillary fuel tank in the bed of their trucks..??? We are about to put one in our diesel truck.
I have considered it due to the 26 gallon fuel tank on my shortbed 2500hd (holds just over 27 gallons though). At 10-11 mpg towing, it would be nice to have a 50-80 gallon transfer tank in the back just so that I can buy gas at the price I want to pay rather than being at the mercy of a late night high priced pump. I wouldn't think that the added weight would effect the big block or diesel engine that much.
****
Since I have a 26 gal tank, I normally carry an extra 5 gal fuel in the back of the truck when I'm towing the AS. If I'm going to be in no man's land type territory, I carry 10 gal. (2 x 5 gal containers) Recently had to use them in the middle of West Texas at 1:30 in the morning. First time in years I've actually had to use the backup gas but was mighty glad to have it. However, we usually are ready to stop and stretch our legs, let the dog stretch and relieve herself, etc, about every two hours or so while on the road so I just gas up when I get down to around a quarter of a tank...unless, of course, I missed my gas stop in the middle of the night like I did in W. Tx.
as for me, I sold a recently purchased F250 diesel...nice looking clean truck (with a stinky noisy motor) and bought a V10 Excursion used. The Exc tows smooth and strong, I understand what it means to not realize the Airstream was behind me. I got 10-11 mpg in town towing, but never needed the highway so I can say what that mpg would have been. On the 97 diesel 7.3 I got little if any better difference in mileage, and the fuel was 50 cents a gallon more.
Not knocking diesels, but I will say this V10 is very strong.
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Rallys twice a year..Lots of fun, food, and aluminum.
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I second that. 
'07 27 FB - H.A.
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