2500 TV Gasser vs Diesel

[95TLC]

You said yourself that the used diesel 3/4 ton trucks are more money. That means the diesel trucks get a much higher return when you go to sell. Cry once - get the diesel. You will get it back when you sell and get to enjoy the power/torque/mpg while you own it.

[Daquenzer]

Originally Posted by chuckgarvey

Any of the diesels are great for towing. I have owned GMC and now own Ford diesel. Problem is the electronics they are putting in these vehicles. I had three electronic modules fail within one year on my GMC duramax (yes, out of warranty) at a cost of $4K. Engine only had 60K miles. Don't know who has most reliable electronics these days but engine life is not problem, electronic module life is problem.

That's why if you buy a diesel buy an extended warranty. And this is the issue with the modern diesel truck. Yep, they can pull like crazy. But fixing them is very very expensive. It only takes a few things like this happening and all that money everyone says you get back on resale goes to the someone else i.e. the repair shop.

[out of sight]

RAM has a 5 yr 100,000 mile drive train warranty. Nissan has the same but on the whole vehicle.

[Moflash]

Originally Posted by Daquenzer

That's why if you buy a diesel buy an extended warranty. And this is the issue with the modern diesel truck. Yep, they can pull like crazy. But fixing them is very very expensive. It only takes a few things like this happening and all that money everyone says you get back on resale goes to the someone else i.e. the repair shop.

No need they come with a much longer warranty than the gas variant.I have seen your unwarranted negative post on Diesel engines on numerous threads.Do you speak from personal experience from ownership?

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Daquenzer

That's why if you buy a diesel buy an extended warranty. And this is the issue with the modern diesel truck. Yep, they can pull like crazy. But fixing them is very very expensive. It only takes a few things like this happening and all that money everyone says you get back on resale goes to the someone else i.e. the repair shop.

Anyone who has that much fear of repair costs is in the wrong hobby. HD trucks are not cheap to fix whether gas or diesel. But the heavy components hold up much better and longer than 1500s. And if you think the cam phasers on a 6.2 gas are cheap to fix you’ve been reading too much online and haven’t been under the hood enough (and coming out to the shop when the dealer mechanic calls you out to look at your truck doesn’t count).

I’ve always had Ford, GM and now Ram trucks, always way out of warranty. If I thought any of these were unreliable I wouldn’t own them. But fact is with proper maintenance (and I don’t mean “taking it to the dealer for everything” ) a competent owner can run them for years. Today’s google truck expert may have trouble making things last and should stick to new trucks under warranty or Consumer Reports Top Picks (and maybe stay in the right lane so I can do the speed limit).

[Bill M.]

Most of us do go to a dealer for almost everything, I suspect.

Why would I ever want to be "under the hood" on my truck?

We go out for 6-7 months every year. A home based independent shop does us little good. So,.. we have been to dealers in Alaska, the Yukon, Canada, Seattle to Florida and up to St. Johns (those Canadian dealers can be very expensive).

Dealer service is something maybe to consider when purchasing. I know have been generally happy with the service we have received for the Dodge.

For me, potential repair costs are a frightening issue. But we have gotten enough use out of the truck to write it off if it really breaks. I suspect with the fancy transmissions and electronic engine controls I would feel the same about a gasser also. I may well be in the wrong "hobby" for my economics. But I am going to "pull" until I can not.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

Most of us do go to a dealer for almost everything, I suspect.

Why would I ever want to be "under the hood" on my truck?

Unfortunately way too common these days. When I hire an engineer I ask what they drive and look at their hands. In today’s world too many “engineers” who can’t turn a wrench or run a machine.

Why look under the hood? Maybe to check the oil or spot a leak? I dunno, you could count on the dealer to fix it. Yeah, there’s yucky stuff under there as my wife says (but also has been “under the hood” of her new 2019, checking the oil).

Wow, just wow.

[21Airstream]

Originally Posted by Daquenzer

That's why if you buy a diesel buy an extended warranty. And this is the issue with the modern diesel truck. Yep, they can pull like crazy. But fixing them is very very expensive. It only takes a few things like this happening and all that money everyone says you get back on resale goes to the someone else i.e. the repair shop.

I bought an extended warranty when I bought my ‘12 Ram 3500 and never used it. Biggest waste of money ever (for me). I skipped the extended warranty on my ‘18 Ram 3500 (although I’m sure I’ll get plenty of offers when the original warranty expires).

[Bill M.]

I did spend 60+ years as a broke family man forced to be a shade tree mechanic driving junk and fixing everything that broke from the suspension to engine work. I even made it though 3 camshafts and a broken timing gear on a 6 cylinder Volvo. (I think they bought them from Ford that year). As one of my friends who had a similar car said to his mechanic, "I don't know how long a camshaft is supposed to last but it ought to me more than a tank of gas, shouldn't it". Getting the car back together at 3 am to pick up the carpool at 7 am was too frequent an occurrence. My hands always looked terrible. Now I enjoy sitting in an air-conditioned lounge reading a magazine getting my oil changed and the truck checked over. I usually do not even go out to look when they come ask me something.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Hermes

Is the use of different materials between gas and diesel explain why a Duramax engine weighs 900-1000 lbs more than the gas equivalent?

Hi

Nope, still made out of the same stuff (steel). You need to go to something like ceramic to get to higher temperatures. The weight difference comes from a lot of things and not just the engine.

Bob

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by Moflash

No need they come with a much longer warranty than the gas variant.I have seen your unwarranted negative post on Diesel engines on numerous threads.Do you speak from personal experience from ownership?

In every heavy duty use, marine, freight hauling , construction it is a diesel engine doing the heavy lifting.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

I did spend 60+ years as a broke family man forced to be a shade tree mechanic driving junk and fixing everything that broke from the suspension to engine work. I even made it though 3 camshafts and a broken timing gear on a 6 cylinder Volvo. (I think they bought them from Ford that year). As one of my friends who had a similar car said to his mechanic, "I don't know how long a camshaft is supposed to last but it ought to me more than a tank of gas, shouldn't it". Getting the car back together at 3 am to pick up the carpool at 7 am was too frequent an occurrence. My hands always looked terrible. Now I enjoy sitting in an air-conditioned lounge reading a magazine getting my oil changed and the truck checked over. I usually do not even go out to look when they come ask me something.

Well I quit driving junk after college so I must be doing something right. Always had a choice between working on it myself or picking up a rental and leaving it at a competent shop (never a dealer). Still have a full set of tools, powered by air, and can choose to leave the heavy work to a shop.

To the original question of the thread, there is no comparison in the feel of gas and diesel HD trucks even if they are rated at the same power. Go diesel, and please walk around your vehicle once in awhile so a simple problem doesn’t strand or wreck you. Remember the dealer oil change guy is 20 years old and will start lug nuts with an impact wrench while you sit in the lobby.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

In every heavy duty use, marine, freight hauling , construction it is a diesel engine doing the heavy lifting.

Hi

Giant passenger airplanes .... M-1 tanks .... modern peak power generators ...

(all are quite heavy duty and all run on turbines)

Bob

[dkdouglas]

Part of this discussion is the price of diesel to gas. Just filled up yesterday. Diesel 19 cent a gallon cheaper than mid-grade gas which is what my 2500 gasser required.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by dkdouglas

Part of this discussion is the price of diesel to gas. Just filled up yesterday. Diesel 19 cent a gallon cheaper than mid-grade gas which is what my 2500 gasser required.

Hi

You would *never* see something like that in Pennsylvania ...

Bob

[Bill M.]

Diesel is often cheaper than mid-grade gas, I think. Not often cheaper than the lowest grade gas.

[CRH]

I filled up last night at a truck stop in Virginia. My TV only requires 87.

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by CRH

I filled up last night at a truck stop in Virginia. My TV only requires 87.

That’s a pretty extreme example. Driving from metro ATL to North GA today, I noticed large variations in the delta price between regular and diesel. Generally it varied from 10-20%.
Out west the delta is much less.

[CRH]

There were 3 stations at that exit....All of them about the same in price....That pic was from a Flying J.

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

Unfortunately way too common these days. When I hire an engineer I ask what they drive and look at their hands. In today’s world too many “engineers” who can’t turn a wrench or run a machine.

Why look under the hood? Maybe to check the oil or spot a leak? I dunno, you could count on the dealer to fix it. Yeah, there’s yucky stuff under there as my wife says (but also has been “under the hood” of her new 2019, checking the oil).

Wow, just wow.

If you can tell the skill of an engineer by looking at his hands then that engineer needs to learn how soap and a nail brush work.

There's plenty of 18 year old Jiffy-lube techs with dirty and torn up hands, and I sure don't want them engineering anything more complicated than a sandwich.

I can take apart and rebuild just about anything out there and my hands look good. My hands (and brain) make my money, so I take care of both of them.