Diesel vs Gas pickup trucks

[ridgerunner]

Soon to be in the market for a new (new to me) pickup truck and am considering diesel. I've narrowed it down to a 4X4, 4 door, 8ft bed truck either in 3/4 ton or 1 ton. I haul 300 gallon water tank during the summer months, and at some point a 34-36' camper (when budget will allow me to purchase one). At 8.3 lbs/ gallon = 2,500lbs of water I need a larger truck. It will be my daily driver too. I work a lot with excavating contractors and some have bought similar trucks in gas (v-8's and v-10's) and really don't like the gas engines. I've read some about injector problems with diesels (big $$$ to fix) and other problems too. Just can't decide which way to go. I currently have a 1990 f150 I-6 with factory overload springs on the rear and airbags on the front for my plow. She's my baby but she isn't heavy enough of a truck for what I need. She is getting long in the tooth and needs to be retired. I can also deduct this heavier truck off my taxes (greater than 6,000lbs) for my business. Any real life experience with either gas vs diesel? Thanks!

Pic of current truck stuck plowing

 

[apwillard1986]

F you can find a 7.3L Ford Diesel you can avoid a lot of the headaches. Its the newer 6L that seem to have the injector issues. You might get away with a gas and they are less to purchase but you'll appreciate the Diesel.

 

[440Magnum]

Diesels are great for longer engine life (most of the time- unless its a 6.0 Ford ), towing, hauling, generally working hard every day. The downside is that diesel is no longer cheaper than gasoline most of the time, and newer trucks loaded down with particulate filters, EGR, etc. don't get the mileage that mid 90s diesels used to get.

Gasoline engines are a cheaper investment up front, generally are up to most hauling tasks (especially with the way modern transmissions in tow/haul mode can better utilize the full RPM range), but REALLY drink the fuel when loaded.

Buying used, I'd look at either a Cummins Ram (an older 12-valve if you can find one in good shape) or a 7.3L Ford. That puts you back circa 2003 or older, though, and the downside to diesel engines in pickups is that the rest of the truck tends to fall apart around the engine, especially when worked hard. I hear mixed comments on GM Duramaxes. I know a couple of guys that were very annoyed to be spending thousands on Duramax injectors with only 150k or so miles on them.

 

[A_Harman]

The 12-valve Cummins has the reputation as getting the best fuel economy of them all, and is not saddled with EGR and DPF systems. My 24-valve 2wd gives a steady 19-20mpg in daily driver use, and 14-16mpg when towing ~6000 pounds.

The diesel option on heavy-duty pickups used to be cost-effective when they cost ~$4500, and could be counted on to give 30% better fuel economy than a gas engine. But now aftertreatment systems have increased the cost of the diesel option to ~$8000, and lowered fuel economy by 10%. Coupled with the fact that diesel fuel is as much as premium gas, I don't think that new diesel pickups are cost-effective.

 

[Norm Olt]

My 1987 F250SC (8500 GVW) has a carbed 460 and a C6, 3.55 LSD and still gets pretty close to 10 mpg on regular unleaded with a 3K lb. camper in the bed. It'll pull just about anything with the camper off. Almost any F250 or F350 in decent shape will really handle the work you describe better than a 1/2 ton ever could. Your 4.9 I-6 is probably the main reason your current truck can. You'll notice a big difference.

If you can write the depreciated cost of the vehicle & your operating costs off as a business expense you can have a really nice older Ford truck: just about anything you want and they'll be all over the place (at least these are "all over the place" out here on the West Coast)! I'm talking really nice trucks with built motors, $1000's in aftermarket parts, paint jobs, etc.

Newer versions ('88 & up) will already have fuel injection and overdrive automatics. Airbags, leather interiors, etc.

My truck can be worked on by almost any decent mechanic (and a few indecent ones, as well) and parts are available anywhere. And parts for these trucks are really, really cheap. K.I.S.S. applies, in spades.

I'd go older gas, preferably one that someone had already spent $10K on and you should be able to find these for $5-7K.

Cheers! & good luck

 

[JHZR2]

My FIL loads 4 x 55 gal oil drums around in an F150 with helper springs around the severe climate and hills of the VI on the original AT. 4.2L V6 engine too.

 

[ridgerunner]

I forgot to say that I have to have an automatic tranny due to the wife and that currently I drive about 15,000 miles per yr. I thought about an older (newer than mine) diesel truck but I want something decent with 4 full doors. The doors eliminate many older trucks. I intend to keep this thing for at least 10yrs or more, probly more like 15-20 yrs. I'd consider an pre DPF truck like a 2006.

 

[subiedriver]

Well if you're buying an auto, I'd have to go with a 7.3 Ford. Dodge's auto's are trash, the 5 speed is a must in the Dodge.

However, in my opinion, even the 7.3 Powerstroke doesn't hold a candle to the Cummins, its in a whole different league. We recently bought a '99 24 valve 5 speed Cummins, its an "acceptable" truck with a stellar, proven engine. The Ford is a great truck, with an average at best, engine. Its a tough choice, lol. But like I said, Dodge auto's are junk.

 

[ridgerunner]

I've kinda narrowed it down to Ford or Chevy. Anyone else?

 

[-Clayton-]

Ford.

 

[SkyGod]

Chevy...If you can af____ford it

 

[SkyGod]

Seriously..I don't like the gaudy front end on the fords.
Everyone knows everything is plastic..so why make it look like chrome.
Looks ghetto to me.

 

[OVERKILL]

Yeah, just look at all that fake chrome and "ghetto" look:

The chrome look, and others are OPTIONS.

 

[Spazdog]

I have a client that has an F-250 King Ranch with the 6.0 diesel.

He had to have the engine replaced. I don't remember the exact mileage but it was well less than 100,000 miles.

He brought me a receipt. It was for $16,000 dollars. Sixteen thousand.

Some of that has gotta' be his fault. But the condition of the truck (no hitch, no fifth wheel, minimal bed damage) leads me to believe that his truck was mostly a passenger car. Maybe he got so upside down on King Ranch payments that he couldn't afford 15 qts of Rotella. Except he could afford a $16K engine so that can't be it.

I didn't read what all was wrong with it. It was like an underhood disaster novella - it had so many pages.

If I ever pay $16K for an engine, I would hope that I would have a Prancing Horse or maybe a Bull on the badge...at least the initials AMG and 12 cylinders.

I do know that I would not get a Powerstroke 6.0. Not because one doofus and his $16K were parted. I've seen too many of them with too many problems. Far more than any Cummins or Isuzu Duramax problems.

 

[subiedriver]

I agree 100%, 6.0 powerstroke is junk, avoid at all cost's. If you're gonna get a Ford, get the 7.3, it was the only powerstroke worth having.

 

[SkyGod]

 

[SkyGod]

 

[OVERKILL]

Yes, the Ford is definitely the better looking truck, if that's what you are trying to demonstrate.

 

[RH+G]

Are u a chevy guy or a ford guy? If that dont matter then get the truck u get the best deal on. Cause for every advantage of one they is probably a disadvantge

Diesels are nice but u have to make sure u put alot of mileage on them to get the intial higher cost out of them. Also some guys buy a diesel and try to treat it like a gas cause they use to owning gas trucks

Most ford guys hate the 6.0. The ones that keep them check them out and know the problems that they have and do the work to prevent them.

The duramax is nicer than the 6.0 but they have their own issues too.

If u go with a gasser i like the chevy 6.0 (especially from 07 and up) over the ford 5.4. The chevy 5.3 and ford 4.6 getter better mileage but when u tow heavy weight the mileage dips to the range of the bigger motors with less power.

 

[Spazdog]

If we are going by style, the Ram deserves at least a mention:

It's definitely prettier than the newest Tundra