Do I need a diesel or gas?

[ChristopherNJ]

Im very torn on what to buy...


My application will be a 1 ton truck, with an enclosed service body on it.

The body weights 1700LBS the tools will probally be about 2000-2500lbs.



Im sure both will pull the weight but what will I see the best fuel economy with?


08 Diesel
Gas
Pre emmision diesel (just that the 6.0 scares me with all the problems its had)


Im considering all brands. Duramax, Powerstroke even the ugly dodge.



Im concered with mpgs. Its a work truck, but will also be only personal truck for the time being.

[chuckster57]

It can be overwhelming when you have to decide these kinds of things. Best thing to do is take a deep breath and sit down and cruch numbers. Go to the dealers and ask them to work out the best deal. get your financing in order and then see how much it will cost you each month to operate. One truck might be a little less money "out the door" but it's fuel economy isn't the best so It will cost you more in the long run. Be realistic with yourself..how long are you going to keep the truck....how many miles each month...how much insurance..It is easy to let your heart over rule your head when it becomes the personal truck. Best of luck deciding. Let us know what you got and include a picture if you can.

[ChristopherNJ]

Oh yea forgot the add Im looking at alot of used trucks with less then 15,000 miles. So im looking at trucks in the 35K range. And 35K can get me a diesel or a gas.

So I want:
Extended Cab
Needs to be an 8 foot bed
Less then 15k Miles
4x4
Black, blue or silver


So there is a huge pool of trucks that qualify for what I want.


So my main concern is right now I drive 30k miles a year, and probally since this is a new business im doing on the side i might even do another 15K miles. So 45K miles a year.

They say the 6.0 gets good fuel mileage but is problem prone
The LMM and 6.4 are powerful but the polution controls hamper mpg
Gas will proablly get me 8-10mpg with 3-5k lbs in payload.


Its so hard to find out which will be cheaper to run.


Thank for your reply thou!!!!

[Westro]

Very tough decision at that. Since this is your work truck and your ONLY work truck you want it to stay out of the shop to.

I tend to look at what the fleet guys are running, right now I see a lot of utility guys running gas Fords for what its worth.

Just a thought, but would you consider a Sprinter? From a business aspect a Sprinter can be appealing.

[short_stuff]

I've seen quite a few 08 new F250-F350 Super Duty's locally for under $35k. If you don't have to have the navigator system, seat vibrator, and $2000 sound system, you can probably find you a new Super Duty with the the 6.4 or V-10 that will do the trick. If you're not towing big time, you might even find one with the 3.55 rear end, which will give you 1 or 2 mpg better than the 3.73.
If you plan on keeping it for over 150k miles, then I would probably lean towards the diesel. On the other hand, gas engines have greatly improved the past few years, and gas is cheaper.
When I bought my y2k F250 in Oct, 1999, diesel was running almost $1.00 cheaper than gas. If you're not towing big time, you might Who woulda thought that 9 years later, diesel would run almost $1.00 more than gas?
just my .02 cents worth

on edit: I am curious that you're looking for a 1 ton truck, yet you plan on putting up to 4200 pounds in the bed.
'The body weights 1700LBS the tools will probally be about 2000-2500lbs.'
You might be entering F350 dually or F450 territory to carry that load in the bed.


short_stuff