Sold my 95 diesel a month ago and replaced it with a 2011 F250 6.2 V8 [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]gasser[/COLOR][/COLOR]. I absolutely LOVE the truck other than the auto trans. Tq Converter don't lock till 5th gear!! I am averaging 13.5 to 14.5 with mixed city/highway driving. Pulling my 7,000# tractor i get around 9. I had diesels since 1989, 6 of them total and i am done. They are NOT worth the extra $8-9,000 unless your towing heavy every day. Out of warranty repairs on these new emissions diesel motors could just about bankrupt you. For $9,000 you can buy a LOT of [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]gas[/COLOR][/COLOR]. Diesel here is $3.75 a gallon, Gas is $2.95. I would need to CONSISTENTLY get 4 MPG better with the diesel to break even and that is NOT taking into account the $8-9,000 engine option, $75 dollar oil changes, $120 [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]fuel filters[/COLOR][/COLOR] or the piss water they need now Ect. Some will say you will get a lot of your initial investment back when you sell it but not so much anymore as out of warranty [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]diesels[/COLOR][/COLOR] are NOT holding value due to high cost of emissions repairs. I have done the math over and over and over again but can't make it pencil out. Your results may vary...................
1 month of ownership ..............
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
Joined
·
14 Posts
I am likely going to get a '16 or '17 F350 with a gasser for the same reasons. I just can't justify the 8k upgrade for the diesel engine, .70/gal increase in fuel, DEF cost, as well as the increase in maintenance costs.
I tow at most 8k and regularly haul 3k in the bed, hence the F350. The modern diesels are just too much for me. I currently use an '05 F150 and a '93 W250 Cummins for these same duties, so I am well aware of the advantages of a diesel. It's just the modern diesels that manage to erase them unless you are towing heavy all the time. I've had the Cummins for nearly 20 years and love it, it's just the increase in all the related costs that negate any advantages. When I got my Cummins the cost advantage for diesel was over $1/gal, now it's reversed.
I tow at most 8k and regularly haul 3k in the bed, hence the F350. The modern diesels are just too much for me. I currently use an '05 F150 and a '93 W250 Cummins for these same duties, so I am well aware of the advantages of a diesel. It's just the modern diesels that manage to erase them unless you are towing heavy all the time. I've had the Cummins for nearly 20 years and love it, it's just the increase in all the related costs that negate any advantages. When I got my Cummins the cost advantage for diesel was over $1/gal, now it's reversed.
Joined
·
132 Posts
I have had mine since Dec 2012 haven't looked back yet, when need to tow the equipment trailer I hook up pull without a problem, may only get 9 MPG towing or there abouts but still cannot justifiy the cost diff.
Buddy mine just bought new 2014 Dodge Mega Cab Cummins and on trip to Canada he got 23 MPG most all way even towing enclosed 14 foot trailer on bear hunt. He paid about 9K premium over what I got my KR F350 for.
Buddy mine just bought new 2014 Dodge Mega Cab Cummins and on trip to Canada he got 23 MPG most all way even towing enclosed 14 foot trailer on bear hunt. He paid about 9K premium over what I got my KR F350 for.
Joined
·
321 Posts
Had mine since March of 2011. My 2008 was a 6.4 power stroke. Love the gas engine would not go back and I also can not see spending the extra 8 or 9 thousand.
Joined
·
16 Posts
Concur. I plan on staying with gas as well.
Joined
·
932 Posts
After driving 2 Ford diesels for the last 10 years I went with a '14 Ram 6.4 (yeah yeah, I know). My last truck was totaled otherwise I'd still be driving it. I really don't miss the diesel at all. If I towed 10k or more consistently I would've bought another one but I don't. I use my truck mostly for its payload and the gasser is perfect. I average about 14 mpg mixed. My 05 F350 averaged about 16.5.
Joined
·
1,084 Posts
Sorry, but 23mpg towing an enclosed trailer? I'm not thinking that's hand calculated. There's frontal area wind drag alone that would affect his mileage, and he's certainly not getting 24-25mpg empty with no trailer. After logging over 1million miles with diesel trucks, I'm calling exaggeration on that.
Those Ram drivers only run 40-50 MPH on trips.... I always pass them with my OBS PSD running 70 getting 19 MPG.
I have some friends that get good MPG with their Cummins/Duramax/PSD/etc etc.
When I ride with them I tire of being passed by snails, old 36HP VW vans, and people on mobility scooters.
I have had some that get 20+ borrow my 36 foot trailer to haul hay and then report to me that they only got 8.5-9 MPG just like I do with my 6.0 F450 with 4.30 gears. A friend with a 2011 3500 Ram recently towed it and got 7 without a super heavy load. He reports 18 unloaded and is one of the ones that moves off from a stop really slow and drives 5 under the speed limit.
I agree on gas burners. I run a small shop and repairs on any of the makes with diesels is likely to get you a $4000 or more repair bill by 150K miles. I regularly work on gas burner 3/4 ton pickups with over 200K miles with nothing but a couple of spark plug changes and a water pump, $800 in that time. The gas burners may have had two $75 fuel filter changes but the diesels have had 10 or more up to $150 changes. If your loads don't justify it then a diesel is a huge unnecessary expense.
If you use a gas engine and tow 25K loads you will kill the gas motor in 150K or less.
When I ride with them I tire of being passed by snails, old 36HP VW vans, and people on mobility scooters.
I have had some that get 20+ borrow my 36 foot trailer to haul hay and then report to me that they only got 8.5-9 MPG just like I do with my 6.0 F450 with 4.30 gears. A friend with a 2011 3500 Ram recently towed it and got 7 without a super heavy load. He reports 18 unloaded and is one of the ones that moves off from a stop really slow and drives 5 under the speed limit.
I agree on gas burners. I run a small shop and repairs on any of the makes with diesels is likely to get you a $4000 or more repair bill by 150K miles. I regularly work on gas burner 3/4 ton pickups with over 200K miles with nothing but a couple of spark plug changes and a water pump, $800 in that time. The gas burners may have had two $75 fuel filter changes but the diesels have had 10 or more up to $150 changes. If your loads don't justify it then a diesel is a huge unnecessary expense.
If you use a gas engine and tow 25K loads you will kill the gas motor in 150K or less.
Well I'm nearing 4 years and 145,000 miles. Just cracked an exhaust manifold but everything else has been great. 11.8 average since i bought it with 60% being hooked to some sort of trailer from an equipment trailer to a dump trailer to an enclosed to a snowmobile trailer......
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!