As a diesel field engineer modern diesels with tier 4 systems are a nightmare . Unless you delete you’ll have a ton of issues . I think big displacement gas engines are better if you want a big truck but don’t tow much
I agree except for the don't tow part. I have a 2022 Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi and I tow 10,000 lbs. regularly, on steep mountain grades, and it performs like a champ. While I fully admit a Diesel is superior in those situations, the margin is a lot narrower than even I expected. My fuel economy drops to 7 mpg in those applications but that hasn't been an issue for me. To each their own but given the emissions nightmare that have been mandated on diesels, I'll only own 3/4 ton, big displacement gas motor trucks for the forseeable future.
We talk about this in the video, but that simply isn't true. Out of a sample size of thousands of customers, only a small handful have issues with their diesel truck's emissions systems. We have no horse in the race as we sell suspension for both, but saying as a blanket statement that all diesels have issues just isn't fact based when you actually sample a large group of owners that are out enjoying their trucks and not looking to voice issues on a forum.
@@CJCOffRoad I agree ! Can’t generalize everything off a small sample but I manage a fleet of 75 light duty trucks and an about 45 heavy duty class 6,7,8 tractors and most of the issues are after treatment . I can definitely say most diesels have more issues than gas engines for the most part . Maintaining them and putting good fuel and def helps a lot . We have 8 trucks that are 2020 models that have over 250k with little issue . We also have 2024 trucks that had to have their dpf already ripped out
@@zakobrien8764 Not to mention you have about 1k more payload than your diesel counterparts in the 3/4 market. Many don't really understand how much weight is transferred to the truck when you hook up to a trailer. I multiply about 13.5% of the trailer weight to determine the weight i will transfer.
@@CJCOffRoad I think it matters less that people don't have many "issues" with diesel trucks, and more that jumping through the hoops of the diesel emission systems on a day-to-day basis (DEF, regens, filters, etc) is a hassle that doesn't really make sense to have to deal with unless you actually NEED the massive torque that those engines provide, which most people don't.
Generally speaking I agree 💯 percent. There are some missing points to this argument however. -Fleets use gas trucks because 6 gas trucks are cheaper than 5 diesels. More like 7-5 when you factor in discounts and interest rates. -Then there is the maintenance, operating costs outside of oil changes, like tires and drive line maintenance and insurance costs, and down time. More power wears things out faster, and heavier engines can wear out steering components faster. -Then there is the fuel cost argument. In the summertime when diesel prices are lower, it may be near half the operating cost of 93 octane gasoline, but in many states it would be much cheaper than diesel to run a flex fuel gas truck on E-85 or propane. The Godzilla 7.3L V8 when run on E-85 or propane is a much lower cost and reduces harmful emissions by up to 97% when compared to the diesel options. -there is also the heat issue. Gas engines will produce heat for the cabin much much faster than a diesel engine will. -for world travel the fuel quality in South America and parts of Africa is not sufficient to run a modern diesel cleanly. This can cause premature maintenance issues. -Then there is the question of whether DEF systems are causing forest fires. Lastly there's the new versus used argument. Since gas trucks are cheaper to buy new and depreciate more, it stands to reason that used gas trucks, are the best deal of all.
New Truck Gas Older Trucks Diesel w manual If you work on your own stuff, older diesels are a better option, especially if you need the vehicle for everything life will throw at you. My truck has many more uses that the Deisel compensates for. Especially longer distance towing while offroad, while fully loaded.
Drove a deleted 2014 6.7 on 35s for 9 years/175K miles. Now I’m in a 24’ F350 Tremor with the 7.3 and love it. For my needs this is the perfect engine. If I was towing >10K pounds every week on the highway I would have went diesel again. But I don’t. I tow 11K pounds maybe 6-8 times a year for several hundred miles at a time to go wheeling (7K pound 392 Jeep on one tons & 40s/4K pound 20’ PJ deckover trailer). Anything else I tow during the year is sub 5K pounds. Definitely don’t need a diesel for that. I also live at sea level on the east coast. If I lived in the mountains out west I’d have a diesel for the exhaust brake alone. If you go gas get the deepest gears you can. Love the 4.30s in my Tremor. Lifetime average after 5500 miles on 305/70/18 Baja Boss ATs is 12.4. That average is including 450 miles of towing the Jeep at 8.2mpg. I’m happy with a 12-13mpg average. And no DEF 🤓
In 2003, I had a 2001 Ram 1500 Off Road package on 35's. Fun an nimble, but a gas hog. I also looked at all kinds of stregnthening mods and came to a self realization.......Dodge does make a stronger truck from the factory with better fuel economy (and cheaper fuel at the time), and lasts 300-400 thousand miles or more. The 2500 CTD truck. So with forethought of getting my forever truck, I purchased a new 2003, 2500 CTD with 6 speed manual, LSD, & factory 4:11 gears. In 03 there was no DEF or crazy emission stuff. I also was aware that one day down the road injectors would be "a thing" and kept a "christmas account" in place for that day. I envisioned evolving it to a "Diesel Power Wagon" one day. Fast forward 21 years to present day......still run this truck and still LOVE IT !!! Very early on and standing the test of time: VR 3 inch suspension, 37 inch tires, left the LSD and open front in place, winch bumper, light camper (some times remove it)....anyway, I employ all the different uses you mentioned in the video. Some episodic pains with diesel prices. Through the years have upgraded componenets thru you guys, DPP, Geno's, Carli, Thuren, & KORE. I never bought into the Chrysler mentality of "no one wants a diesel for off roading" when I asked them about a diesel PW. There is no trail I have turned away from because of the CTD that I wished I had a gas engine for. And I left my engine bone stock all these years with regular maint. I had to do injectors once. I am at 156K. 1000 pound camper milage about 14-16 mpg, and just recently a light 300 pound camper trip.... 17-almost 19 mpg. A N D ...... diesel is coming down again to cheaper than the mid grade my Jeep needs to run on. (in my area anyway). Was cheaper to run my big truck than my Jeep this last trip. I realize I am lucky to have that 2003 with no emmission junk to fowl up the mix, and am now more than ever in love with my truck and hope it out lives me...... or at least get another 20 years out of it ! But bottom line, the heavy CTD engine has never hindered in any way, "my" off road use of it, that I wished I had a lighter gas engine. I also never added lockers. At 21 years of ownership, the longevity I expected from the engine and HD drivetrain when I bought it, seems to be paying off. Just my opinion and long term observations. ((( And yes....I do use the truck hard at times: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K-2bJz27owo.html )))
Great video. I myself have had several diesels over the years and love them and have diesel in my blood, but most recently purchased a used new to me 22' ram 2500 6.4. I do not tow every day and was able to find a decent low mileage truck for an appropriate price considering the ridiculous cost these days for diesel trucks, especially as well as gas. I did look for a Ford 7.3 gas, but they were hard to find, and the ones I did find were quite expensive. So far, the 6.4 has been good and just recently towed my camper from southern Colorado to Lake McConaughey in Nebraska and have no complaints. Yes, I would have gotten better fuel mileage with a diesel, but it cost less to purchase and would not have seen the fuel savings over time due to not driving much since I have a take-home work vehicle.
Bought a 2023 Rubicon gladiator eco-diesel. It is a vehicle I will be taking to my grave. I got it off of a great deal new with some of the overstock deals last year. It is the most spectacular off-roading truck ever made with full luxury. I’m in shock when I first drove it back from Utah to California, 28 to 30 mpg depending on my speed.
Modern diesel have reliability problems in slow technical offroad plus the front end weight hurts off road ability significantly. I agree pulling on highway diesels are good off road hunting or technical stuff like in the Rockies diesels not very good. Some trails I hit in northern Rockies are 2 mph for hours over boulders sharp rocks etc. Besides the reliability issues the diesel wears suspension parts pops tires and just doesn't do nearly as good off road. I agree highway truck pulling heavy loads often get diesel for everything else gas is just better.
If it helps, we have zero complaints about a diesel off road and are currently selling our Power Wagon to swap to a diesel for our off road shop truck. Obviously all personal preference though!
Great video showing points for each case - no need for debate - Buy what you think is best for you, new, old, gas or diesel - no matter - as long as it is what you want - for me I now have a 2022 6.7L F-350 Tremor with full build from CJC - 36,xxx miles trouble free miles - about half towing 16.8k toybox to and from fun. Power, range and towing manners make the diesel the best choice for my use and needs. Have owned both gas and diesel trucks and both served their purpose - current truck is best one of a long line of great trucks - the modern 10 speed is a game changer for towing with a modern diesel engine. Only bad truck I ever had was a F-250 6.0 diesel from Ford years ago - other than that had Ford and GM and both have served me well. Get what you want and enjoy it
Diesels are tough to start in cold weather. If you are not idling the whole time there is a risk they may not start or gel up. Gas starts right away in cold assuming good battery.
No mention of day to day reliability. Lost time due to the truck being down and in the shop. I had a diesel F350 that was down at least 13 times before getting rid of it. Turbo, EGR and injectors. I’ve got a 250 6.2 gasser. I do more off road than most people and I wanted the axles and frame of a heavy duty. Truck gets atrocious gas mileage, at times feels like an old school bus but the thing is as reliable as you can get.
I've had quite a few trucks, both diesel and gas. In my opinion there are a couple reasons to get a diesel over gas. 1) You want it and you can afford it 2) it's a work truck that tows heavy regularly As far as getting the price of the diesel back, most people don't think about extra tax and interest charges for the diesel. You don't get that back when reselling. Either downtime due to emmissions issues, or deleting to make them reliable is an extra cost. Currently I run a paid over and over 5.7 ram 2500 with my tools, gets paid just as much as the guys with the Denalis. I love my F350 7.3L gasser too, been awesome towing my 30' TT even thru the rockies. I'd never say no more diesels tho...😄
For real offroad situations nothing beats a pw. You would have to pay 100k plus on a new diesel with the required upgrades to even match a 65k pw. Im talking about a lot of work, front and rear e-locking diffs, suspension lift, 4.10 gears, disconnecting sway bar, oem winch which would require a custom bumper to have room for the intercooler, also with 1k more pounds on the nose good luck going over big boulders or steep terrain. Now with that being said if all you want is to overland aka dirt road camping then by all means just get a diesel put 35s on it and call it a day.
Get a nice cruising diesel, tow your favorite toy for extreme off roading, use the diesel truck on ‘fire roads’ and camp. It’s a real strategy, in my case, I will just keep my Jeep Rubi and Tundra!
I drive a 4th gen Ram with a 6.7 Cummins and G56. I’ve owned a few others. I spent some time pulling with my dad’s new 7.3 gas ford, and honestly it’s impressed me so far. If I were in the market for a new truck, the ford 7.3 gas would be hard to beat if you don’t tow heavy every day.
Off Road my 2500 Cummins frequently and also in Moab and haven't really noticed any issues with the weight in the front and I actually feel the front has better traction while climbing because the additional weight giving my front tires more traction. Also the added sound of the diesel and its turbo in the mountains and canyons is just music to my ear. And if you are towing anything or hauling heavy load, gas will get it done but doesn't even compare to the difference with a diesel. I switched from 5.7 Hemi to 6.7 Cummins and the Hemi did great but would get real load going up steep hills and and if I wanted to pass that was a much slower go off it while towing. Passing semis on the freeway at 65+ going up a 6%+ grade with my Cummins no problem even if I needed to accelerate from much lower speed. Love my diesel even w/emissions bs.
The cost between a used power wagon on 35s is totally different than going diesel route with a potential suspension upgrade to fit bigger tires on a diesel. Power wagon stock suspension fits 37s unlike the ram 2500 which probably caps at 35 in. Ford f250 fully built out is probably double the cost of a used power wagon. However I would like to see any responses of people who have built off-road diesels for less than 60k-70k. Power wagon also comes with more off-road features and a built in warn winch.
The payload on the powerwagon aint so hot. .The fords are great gas or diesel. The f350 is only 500 more msrp than the 250. The basic 4x4 package has rear diffs 2023 and up now. You get a winch you don't need front diffs. Tremor package is nice as well. But with newer fords you only need the 4x4 package.
I did the same thing, but you CAN tow with your wagon as long as you bag it. I tow a 10,000 lb. fifth wheel, in the mountains no less, and it pulls like a champ. Look at the CJC Offroad bag setup for the PW, it's pricey but it's the best out there for our wagons.
@@michaeljordan4571 A Wagon can tow, you just need to bag it, which is a pretty simple process. Then, you have a truck that can tow as well as go offroad whenever necessary and be one of the most capable trucks on the market to do so. I'd rather have that than a one trick pony.
TY for breaking this down. Ive tried to figure this out myself and you have brought up some valuable points. One thing you didn't mention that I think is relevant is the lifespan of a maintained diesel vs gas. 400K miles isnt unrealistic for a diesel, but that is a stretch for gas engines. Not saying it doesn't happen, but they aren't engineered to run for 500k miles either.
I guarantee a modern diesel will have a catastrophic failure before 250 300k miles just to do injectors will out cost a complete crate gas engine with warranty the hype of how long your new diesel will last is bs remember its not an old CAT or N14 it won't ever see 500k
Maybe 400k is realistic for the diesel engine itself, like others have said, it's not so much the engine as the emissions and other components that won't last on modern diesels. You'll spend way more in emissions and other diesel components over that 400k miles than you would on rebuilding or buying a crate motor for a high mileage gas engine. Guy in our office just spent $4,000 on injectors for the SECOND time on his diesel (at 60,000 miles and again at 120,000 miles). And, it really depends on how you use the truck and maintenance you do as to how many miles you'll get out of each so hard to even generalize.
They are all pretty cheap to own if you are mechanically inclined and can get parts at a reasonable price . Definitely gotta have Deep Pockets if you wanna play with Diesels .. I won't even listen to the radio in my diesel trucks because I'm always listening for new noises always paranoid something catastrophic is gonna happen 😂 I don't feel that way in a Gasser . It's kind of a relief to drive a Gasser sometimes .
Would of loved a diesel for my Rebel 2500, however for the following reasons I went with Gas: Decreased bed payload capacity Cold Temperatures Insane high way traffic Unfortunately that diesel engine won't breathe much in the conditions that it's in with the DEF, but I look forward to getting a 3500 in diesel if I do need to go heavier and move away from City traffic.
I live in the Boston area, outside of the normal Diesel complaints, sitting in constant traffic trying to escape can’t be good for the emissions gunking up.
Seems like the diesel emission issues are more prevalent when the truck isn't worked hard enough, used regularly for short trips, etc. It also matters if you are replacing the truck every 60,000 - 120,000 miles or keeping it long term, like we do. For us, we use our Superduty for overlanding with a slide-in, pop-up camper and chose the 7.3L gas because of the way we use our truck. Yes the 6.7L diesel is fun to drive and put a smile on my face. If upfront cost was the same and long term expenses were the same, it might have been an option we considered, but for our use case, there were other factors that guided us to choose a gas engine. First factor was the upfront cost. The upfront cost was not a deal breaker and I could afford it, but can and want to are two different things. I weight that decision by based on how much I value what I get for the money. For us, I much preferred to spend the $10k - $12k on trim/options rather than a diesel engine. Fuel cost spread is another factor. In some areas of the country, the spread between diesel and gas costs isn't very much. In other areas, diesel is so much more expensive per gallon that it offsets a large percentage of the better mileage. The range of a diesel, on the same amount of fuel, is attractive for both overlanding and towing long distances, but larger fuel tanks are available for gas as well as diesel. For us, the stock gas tank is plenty and a big step up in side from our 1/2 ton gas tank size and we don't even carry extra gas cans anymore. One important aspect to choosing gas was weight. Extra weight reduces payload, but more importantly, impacts performance. It's subtle on the street and highway, especially when one has a camper in the bed, but we didn't want the extra engine weight for both both street driving and, more importantly, driving trails. Every 500 - 800 extra lbs is just that much more for the suspension to deal with when braking, corning on curvy highways and especially trail driving. Regarding the emissions, a modern diesel needs to be worked to reduce the complication with modern emissions components. If most of your hours are short commutes, light towing (3,000lb trailers or less), camper trips and/or driving on trails for 6 hours at a time near idle speed. Those use cases are hard on the diesel emissions equipment. If your diesel is doing mostly passive regen and less active regens, that is an indicator you are working it sufficiently. We would not work a diesel engine hard enough to reduce the risk of emission component issues. Diesel engines used to be the choice if you were going to idle excessively, but that is another situation where the emission equipment had flipped things since the emission equipment does like long idle hours longer term. Besides towing heavy regularly, its seems like a big deciding factor is if the owners are short term owners vs long term owners. The guys trading in every 3 or 5 years have a different decision factors than those that keep their trucks for 120,000 - 200,000+ miles because even if they are using the diesel in a way that may contribute to emission equipment issues (short commutes, excessive idling, not working the engine hard enough by towing heavy), they are selling/trading them off before they have the expense. Seems like strong advocates of diesel for recreation pickups sell them and buy new trucks regularly rather than running them long term. Gas was the right choice for us, but in the end, I fully support everybody buying what they want/prefer and then just accept and live with any of the cons of that choice. Great that both choices are available.
@@fireflyraven2760deleted is obviously the best, since a Diesel is generally the best for a heavy duty vehicle. But modern Diesels are basically neutered and stuffed full of shit that actively destroys them, so you should only get a modern Diesel if you can delete most or all of the emissions crap
Great video but to your last point on issues with trans and emissions problems: your customers have brand new trucks or have exceptional quality older trucks that have had all their issues figured out before they come to you for 5-10$K in suspension and wheels. The Ram 68rfe horror stories are real, fuel system failures are real, emissions issues are real. And any issue in any of those systems can easily be over 10$k to fix. I guess if you have the money for a 100$k truck you probably have the money to fix it. I had to get out of my 01 2500 dodge before it bled me dry but I still love any solid axle 2500/3500 platform regardless of fuel. You guys do awesome work at CJC
If your wife drives it for a daily, get gas. Lol. Just normal fill-ups and oil changes. No worries about idle time, warm ups, cool downs, fuel filtration or DEF. Also, take into consideration the monthly payments, which was not mentioned, if you are just a regular person making decent wages. Just simpler. Towing a lot and heavy, diesel all day.
I went with the Ram 2500 gasser for payload. Putting a camper in the bed. That was the thought at least. Haven't gotten the camper yet, but hopefully that was the right choice. Too late to change now.
Yep...That's what is always overlooked. Most of the 3/4 ton trucks with diesel engines have payloads in the half ton arena. In general, I've always said diesel engines are for ONE TON trucks. There is an exception, general motors for 2024 has a max tow package which basically uses a one ton frame and suspension. PAYLOAD is the BIGGEST reason to get GAS for 3/4 ton trucks if you are planning on towing.
@@Guroonicus exactly my thoughts. If you need payload and diesel, you need to get a 3500. If you want the suspension style to a Ram 2500, payload, and more capable than a half ton, it's the gasser.
@@jusman5231 correct, this is something that makes the Ram 2500 different than the rest, you get a more versatile ride with an HD. For me, because I'm putting camper in the back of a truck that I'm taking on trails, it fits. Just need to put a 15 gal storage tank for extra fuel in it lol
I'm gonna preface this statement by saying, I am aware that this is a one of case and many others have a fine experience buying a used diesel but having said that... I purchased a slightly older cummins ram and while I absolutely loved it and loved driving it, especially towing our camper... the repair costs effing sucked. I had the turbo go out, both wheel seals, both hub assemblies, heater core, and the list goes on. this is all on a stock truck btw not lifted not deleted, hell I wanted to delete and tune it and never was able to do so because of trying to keep the thing on the road. I have zero issues with diesel trucks in fact, I wish I could justify having one. But all we tow is our camper less than 150 miles to camp sites and a boat occasionally. I can't justify the cost to own one for that amount of towing. I do work on my own trucks but cannot spend days working on them myself replacing a turbo or heater core. Love diesels and would prefer one but... gas is easier plain and simple if you aren't towing long distances consistently.
I just need a work truck that can tow and haul moderate weight (8k) 6 days a week 50k miles a year and last for +300k miles with the least maintenance cost. Any recommendations? So far, the toyota 5.7 has been the only engine that filled this criteria for me.
I drove one, had no idea it was a diesel. Great truck and I am not a GM guy at all. My wish would be for at4x 1/2 ton with lockers front and rear to have 37’s with slight mods (AEV fender kit) and ‘legal’ payload to 2k, that might make for a good lite overlander.
Well based on the fact that I am getting rid of my 2020 silverado 2500hd ltz diesel and going to a 2024 7.3L ford f350 - I'd say gas is better. That 2500hd is a lemon.
I'm at a place in life where I want the best technology and comfort available and plan to keep my next truck for many years. I'm sold on diesel and will be tuning it, etc. My next truck will leave every possible excuse to "need more truck" in the rearview mirror. Interested in seeing what the Ram HD looks like for 2025 with the supposed new 8 spd trans.
Had a 6.7 Cummins with the Aisén trans when towing 10 to 20 Thousand ponds it averaged around 9 to 10 MPG. Unloaded not towing depending on speed I got up to 20mpg, 410 gears and running at 70+ 14MPG. Now in a 7.3L Godzilla Tremor and getting 13MPG doing 80 to 85 mph and loaded with about the same weight as my old Cummins I get around 7 to 9 mpg, negligible difference in my opinion. Major difference is power and comfort on a long haul trip the diesel will just make things more comfortable.
Working heavy construction (our family works in the industry) all the vehicles are diesel including the pickups most of the time, although for personal use I’ve never needed a diesel truck I don’t plan to ever tow anything over 6,500 Lbs!
I own diesel trucks but from what you've said it seems that the deal for someone looking to buy a truck who is concerned about cost should look for a used Power Wagon for "under $20K".
My 2 best overland rigs is my fully built compound turbo 98 Cummins that makes 750 wheel and my compound turbo 12v Cummins swapped HMMWV that makes 625 wheel because I downsized the compounds to make then light faster and keep the EGT’s cool for more aggressive off-road stuff best way to go diesel is mechanically injected no emissions at all.
When it comes to it lowest cost maintenance and highest reliability should be the only thing that matters. After having two diesels, they’re nightmares. First one had a high pressure fuel pump grenade. Totaling out my fuel system. Thankfully it was under warranty at 25k miles. Current diesel gives reduced power/ acceleration and service emissions notifications if i don’t drive it enough.
And they totally miss this in the video. The cost to REPAIR a diesel when it needs(not if... WHEN) it is triple to almost quadruple the cost. I got rid of my ram2500 with the 6.7. Loved the power, but had a lifter failure and that's an EASY 5000 dollar repair. The MPG was pretty good too, but again. That doesn't make up for the extra cost of diesel itself, the cost of repairs, or the cost of maintenance. Went from a diesel to a 6.0 2500 chevy..
@@JaredCopeland-j6d 6k for injectors on my 3.0l Duramax. Thats a hard pass on keeping it around. Unless you get a truck from a dealer with a lifetime warranty.
In my country, some diesel fuels are dirt cheap, half the price of gasoline fuels because of government subsidy. but they're 30% ethanol, and generally dirtier. but most people don't really care about pollution, so diesel cars here is in high demand, the price is artificially inflated.
If towing regularly, diesel, gas otherwise. I work on diesels daily and run a large fleet , love them. But price it all out and what you really are using it for. But obviously your money, do what you will.
The problem I have is how much the government chokes the diesel engines. Is this a valid issue? IDK I have been looking at the Jeep Gladiators and I love the 4x4 capability of the truck, but if I'm going to pay $65k+ I want a truck that can carry weight because when I go out for 1-2 weeks I want to carry what I'll need in comfort, put some sort of a sleep platform on it and or tow a small to normal size trailer (either cargo or camper style). There is no way the Gladiator v6 can do this without bad gas milage. I think a big 2400 diesel is a much better platform to handle that overland type of role? Am I way off base? I know the big diesel 4x4 is not a rock crawler and I'm not wanting that. Ok, now I'm rambling.
Wait a minute - did you just say theres now a Turbo kit for the 7.3? I've seen the Supercharger kits but no Turbo ones yet. Can you link any you saw or heard?
Depends what you use it for, i tow cars mostly and haul home construcuon supplies my 2011 non cylinder deactivation 5.7 2500 ram does plenty just couldnt justify the price increase, in the future that mighr change.
I feel like you didn't mention a couple of things. First off, in most areas of the country diesel is about a dollar more than regular gas. TFL truck did a head to head price comparison when running empty of diesel vs gas. Of course the diesel got better mileage but it was cheaper to run the gas simply due to the price difference in diesel. This of course is when just running empty, when towing comes into play everything changes. The other thing is that for guys that use their trucks as daily drivers, driving a diesel and shutting down before fully warmed up can be hard on the DPF/DEF system. You also have to take into account the 10,000$+ price difference between a gas and a diesel. Don't get me wrong, I would love to own a diesel. But I think that for a lot of guys, owning a diesel doesn't make much sense.
I'll say it again, for every guy out there buying a gas truck when they should be buying diesel, there's 10 people buying diesel when gas would be more than enough for them.
How many miles is too many when buying a used diesel? Gas engines are increasing their longevity with newer models so is diesel longevity still a factor when purchasing? I wanted a diesel but couldn’t afford the big sticker price even for used trucks. I had to look at 150k+ miles on a used diesel before I could consider it affordable
This ultimately comes down to how long you want to own the truck and how comfortable you are with repairing things yourself. The more miles, the more small things need to be replaced like window actuators or belt tensioners etc. Normal wear items add up, but if you're doing the maintenance yourself and the price of entry into the truck is lower the math can work out.
Problem with the deletes $20 000 fine and vehicle impounded till fixed properly atleast that’s the fine in Ontario Canada and I know many who’ve been caught either fix it right or buy a big gasser
If you don’t tow 10 times a year, get the gas. You can also get gas Anywhere!!!! HOWEVER!!!!!! If you have a trailer over 20ft, you can’t get into MOST GAS PUMPS. I didn’t think about this when I got my 6.6 gas truck….. however you can buy a lot of 87 octane for 12,000$….keep that in mind.
My daily 2018-2023 Ford F550 Superduty Grech 6.7L Turbo V8 Power stroke 6spd A/T or 10spd A/T Built Garrett twins 88mm Low boost 5-10 psi 1k hp 1300#ft Stock A/T EGR & DEF DELETE Big Boy intercoolers engine, transmission, power steering Avg 11 mpgs 450 mp tank 120-130k annually 900-1200 idle hrs annually Shell 10w50 Rotella DIY blend @ 7500miles Never going back to gas..
I'll just throw out some data, not opinions. My own 2022 Power wagon on 37s gets typically 15-16 mpg on the highway, using high octane 93 gas, or anything without ethanol when I can find it. 13-14 around town. I typically set cruise for 3-5 mph above speed limit for long drives. This is from the onboard comp which is what it is. I do know my power wagon on 37's will blow the doors off my dads RAM diesel on 35's... when both trucks are empty. I rarely tow anything heavy. EDIT: great video!
We offer suspension systems specific to each truck so since they're valved and sprung for the wight difference there's really no appreciable suspension performance gap. Sadly no trade ins.
What are your thoughts on gearing and it's affect on fuel economy? I have a 2020 f250 7.3 gas with 4:30 gears. I am wondering if the bigger, 37, tire will help highway fuel economy. I know it will hurt in town driving.
It depends on the use case, tires and vehicle, but generally these diesels will do better on the highway with a larger tire as it lowers highway RPM. Instead of spinning at 2,200 RPM, the truck will drop down to about 1,700 or so which is the sweet spot.
@cjc, that was good insight, do you think the larger tire without regearing at the axle puts too much stress on the Ram 68rfe transmissions in 4th gear and beyond wearing them out sooner? I watched a transmission shop video on it. Thanks.
There's no way to argue that it doesn't increase stress, but in our experience these trucks handle it fine with good driving. For example, if you feel the truck lugging, let off, and manually downshift the truck so that it's in the proper RPM range. You just have to go into it understanding that you may need to drive differently given the changes made.
For a daily driver, commuting to and from work a gas truck is far better. Your average driver not pulling a load just needing a pickup only needs a half ton truck if that. Now if your truck isn’t making money it’s costing money. Diesel for working is far better. With that said most trucks are not towing trailers. Not hauling heavy loads and if they are it’s not most of the time. So when you say I took a road trip across the country I got worse gas mileage. Of course you did. But everyday the difference is in favor of the gas. In an ideal world where money is no object my daily driver is a Honda. My light duty truck is a half ton and my heavy duty is a diesel. Mind you that’s not cost its drivability. Parking at the grocery store the Honda wins hands down, getting around in traffic the Honda, you get where I am going with this. The argument only comes in when you try to justify your purchase.
Problem I have with getting a diesel over gas, aside from the maintenance and fuel costs, is the emissions equipment and repairs. Repairing is ALOT more expensive and the emissions parts lower the life and performance of the truck. So right out of the gate I need to invest in a delete and run the risk of the wrath of the government and the possibility of not being able to sell the truck if I need to... If they didnt put the emission shit on Id be more inclined to look into a diesel because Id prefer that over gas...
What would you say is the average age of ownership of the vehicles you work on? (Ie: mileage and age) most guys I know that have either version of these only keep them 4-6 years then trade them off with under 100k miles.
We actually deal with quite the variety. There's a LOT of customers still driving trucks with 200k+ miles, and then plenty buying new trucks every few years. What you see on our RU-vid is just a small sliver of the "coolest" trucks we deal with, since a 300k mile third gen getting ball joints doesn't typically do well as online content!
Cold start issues are from like 30 years ago. Had 1995 - 7.3 Powerstoke; would be next to impossible to start at zero. Going on 3.0 or 6.7 Powerstroke, ice fishing to Lake of the Wood, remote start without problems from the icehouse -30 to -40. Just put diesel additive in the tank from gelling up and you are good.
I bought an 2023 XL stock gas for cash=boring hamburger for sure With the money I saved I installed you best suspension, GFC and more= truck bacon cheese and guacamole
I put a R2.8 Cummins into my Tacoma and used half the fuel off road than my dad did in his V6 4Runner. So, I've got better range than him. On road I get about 24 mpg and my dad gets, I think he told me, about 18 mpg.
