Brother wants a new GAS truck.. wrong?

Must be nice! Admittedly, my 30% is probably average the last few years. So far in 2024, regular gas has been about $3, and diesel about $3.60. We never get anywhere near a $0.10 spread around here in Louisiana.

 

With him living in Seattle,and as mentioned before Diesel will eat him alive.

 

GM has had the DEF hole next to the gas tank since 2018/19, maybe. Duramax gets the same MPG and DEF range as mentioned about the Ford.

That being said, if your trailer weighs under 8k and you tow only short distances 10-15 times per year, get either a Gasser 1/2 ton or the Duramax 1/2 ton. Owning a 2500 (250)/3500(350) diesel isn't cheap.

 

I am reminded how with us all have motorcycle racing as our main connection, 'rational decisions' are not something we consistently choose in our lives..

 

I'd never have a 3500 diesel as a daily driver if I wasn't charging it to my customers jobsites 3x a week

Honestly I wouldn't own a vehicle at all. Pain in the ass.

 

Very happy with my RAM 6.4 Gasser 2500. Yes it drinks more gas when pulling with trailer loaded but I only do that once a Month… Doubt I could utilize a diesel on a annual basis…

 

I bought a diesel F350 last year. I wish I had the Godzilla gas engine. I had 2 gas Excursions and a gas Ram 2500 and I loved all 3. The gas engines are so much easier to own.

 

First....if looking to buy a new F250 just buy the F350 instead. It's the same truck but with heavier springs so more capacity and the actual weight difference is small. I have a '13 F350 6.7 diesel dually long bed....I've replaced the turbo (4 grand) and currently trouble shooting and exhaust code. I think I've fixed it with a hundred dollar pressure sensor.....failing that and the exhaust is a 6 grand deal!!!! Only 80,000 miles but all that is towing a 42' toy hauler. I don't go faster than 75 mph and basically drive it like an 18 wheeler. I would seriously consider the godzilla motor.

 

Ill say it again... I would not own a diesel as a personal vehicle... if I needed 1 ton capabilities you can rent them by the week for about $700 per. Typically the msrp is what you would spend on fuel over the life of the truck so fretting over mpgs is laughable.

 

I was pleasantly surprised with the towing heavy mileage with my 2016 F350 Diesel Dually. The truck is a 4x4, Crewcab, King Ranch, 8' bed with the 3:73 rear end ratio. GVWR on the truck 14,000 lbs and when we went out west in 2021, the truck's weight with the Momentum triple axle Toy Hauler hooked up to it, and an aux. fuel tank in the bed of the truck (approx. 95 gallon of diesel fuel onboard) was 13,400 lbs when fueled up and ready to roll. Before we left the house, I set the tripometer #1 to zero and used it for daily mileage/fuel fillups. Trip #2 was used for total miles travelled on the trip out and back. When we returned home, 30 days later, trip #2 showed that we had travelled 5143 miles. MPG for the entire trip averaged 8.2 mpg. That number reflects every mile driven from start to finish....including towing the trailer, driving around out there without the trailer (sight-seeing, etc), going through basically flatlands between home (Knoxville, TN area) and all the mountainous areas we visited .....Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Moab, etc. 8.2 mpg and the truck/trailer combo was a combined weight of around 29,500 lbs. My interstate speeds, even out west where the Interstates are sometimes 80mph (Utah), I still never drove over 70/71 mph for the most part. Totals were....5143 miles travelled, 625 gallons of diesel fuel used, and DEF worked out to about a gallon every 500 miles average....but remember, that is all miles, both towing heavy and not towing at all.

 

HOW TRUE!
Despite years of practice and even a fair amount of professional training, my personal decision making can't always best be described as rational. I have however, made decisions whose consequences I felt I could live with while minimizing the "coulda, woulda, shoulda, but didn't". I daily drive a diesel dually, but that's certainly not everyone's cup of tea. I made my choice for diesel powered work trucks when moving all my crap from CO to CA and being late for my first duty assignment because my gas powered rental truck topped out at 15mph on some of the inclines on I-80 while getting very poor mileage. Gas or diesel, 1500, 2500, or 3500... I recommend he gets the make, model and "flavor" that tickles that string that we all seem to have - rationality be damned! Best of luck to your brother with his decision!

 

a good buddy is having this debate right now. gas vs diesel. he had a new dodge diesel that blew itself up - and dodge (canada) isnt honoring the warranty - because he changed the oil himself and doesnt have proof in receipts. so now he is taking them to court and looking at gas fords.
I'll forward him this thread. he is on deployment in maryland currently and moving back to canada soon and needs the truck for the move (and his dodge is in canada in parts).

 

I'd like to know how the heck he blew up a new 6.7 cummins.

They've made that block and head for like 15 years now

It's in busses, tugboat, rock crushers, generators, water blasters,....all kinds of shit

 

3.0 diesel .

 

Did he pay ash for the oil??? if he used a debit or CC get the store to look it up.

 

2 of my buddies had/have 2019+ F150's....One with the 3.5 Ecoboost and the other with the 5.0. Both blew transmissions at 50k and 75k miles.

They would pull 6-9k lbs every other wknd, 500 mile roundtrippers.

One of them got a new F250 with the 7.3 gasser and the other is getting the trans fixed/replaced now.

 

That makes sense now.

That was going to be a first for me

 

After having several 6.7 Cummins, I just simply got tired of being stranded on the side of the road.
Service manager: "Sorry you and your family were left stranded in the July heat for the 3rd time because of a dpfegrlgbtq temp sensor. We'll just keep your truck for 2 weeks until the part comes in."

Love my 7.3 gas. 12mpg, 83k miles, tows whatever I hook it to, and haven't been stranded once.

 

Also, cp4 failed and other emissions issues on my buddys 6.7 out of warranty. almost 7k after all was said and done.
I can get a new crate motor in my Tremor for that.

 

Fwiw, I have a ‘15 F150 3.5EB with 170k miles. I’ve replaced a $100 throttle body a few times, a fuel pump, and a vacuum pump. Mechanically, that’s it.