Gas vs Diesel 3/4 ton truck

[Ingynow]

Ford 6.0. Definitely. The shittest engine ever produced.

1981 Cadillac V8 (with computer to shut down 4 cylinders when cruising) - HOLD MY BEER....

We had a 6.0 PowerStroke in our Excursion, and got 18 MPG not towing (never towed anything). We could get 20+ MPG with a good tailwind, but strong headwind knocked it down to 16 MPG. I did have a mileage tune in it though. And, I soon as I bought it (used), I put in a BulletProof EGR cooler. I had it for 60,000 miles.

For the OP, I'm not much into campers so I don't know how big yours is, but I drive interstate alot, and I see alot of 3/4-ton pickups struggling with 5-th wheel campers, particularly in windy conditions. It is the tail-agging-the-dog syndrome. I'd consider a 1-ton if you are going to be extensivley pulling this camper.

This is why we went to a dually in 2016. WAY more stable pulling the camper. Upgraded to the F450 this year with the wider front axle for a tighter turning radius. It is a fantastic truck. Our 5'er is 16K lbs dry and has a 3300lb dry pin weight though.

 

[BoomerClone]

Why no electric?

You’d be stopping for 3 hours every 100 miles

 

[NWICY]

Why no electric?

Cybertruck to the rescue!

 

[BCClone]

We had a 6.0 PowerStroke in our Excursion, and got 18 MPG not towing (never towed anything). We could get 20+ MPG with a good tailwind, but strong headwind knocked it down to 16 MPG. I did have a mileage tune in it though. And, I soon as I bought it (used), I put in a BulletProof EGR cooler. I had it for 60,000 miles.

For the OP, I'm not much into campers so I don't know how big yours is, but I drive interstate alot, and I see alot of 3/4-ton pickups struggling with 5-th wheel campers, particularly in windy conditions. It is the tail-wagging-the-dog syndrome. I'd consider a 1-ton if you are going to be extensivley pulling this camper.

I had one in a 3/4T pickup. Bought with 45k miles on it. Work pickup. It seemed to burn fuel I checked it a few times. Just under 14 mpg average. The injectors go out frequently when it hits 100k miles. I had the EGR removed and it did nothing for it. It was stolen during Covid, my feelings weren't hurt about the pickup but was ticked about the tools in the back. It was the end of harvest and they had piled up, I was maxxed out at 5k for them and I took a beating on replacing them. One backpack had a cordless drill and impact that would have been 1500+ to replace. I went cheap and picked up dewalt to save some money.

 

[BCClone]

You’d be stopping for 3 hours every 100 miles

Hey, the electric vehicle thread told me that that is what everyone will have in a couple years. So he might as well get in front of the curve.

 

[cowboycurtis]

Had both and currently have both. Pros and cons to everything right. Both 3/4 ton. Diesel is a few years older and deleted. 2013 F250. Awesome truck. 600hp. No issues ever with the delete. No DEF, no egr. Perfect truck really. Had to keep it for work.

Went to order a new truck and couldn’t stomach the new diesel price. 12k more than the big 7.3 gas Ford. Has a 10 speed transmission which helps a ton. It will pull anything the diesel pulls with slightly less mileage. Maybe 1mpg. I like both trucks but the new gas might have an edge because no emissions issues and the price tag. Being 10 years newer also has a couple more bells and whistles. A new diesel and could delete it would be a really good truck if $ is not an issue.

 

[DarkStar]

A lot of things to consider when buying a tow vehicle for a 5th wheel camper.

You are already investing a lot of money in your camping experience. You will spend a lot of windshield time hauling around all the comforts of home wherever your adventures take you. Speaking from experience, make that part as enjoyable as possible.

Here are some things to consider:

1. Don't skimp out on the tow vehicle. Consider going up to a one ton truck. Nothing is more exhausting than driving a truck maxed out on it's towing capacity. You may be fine towing your dry weight but water and all your stuff adds up pretty quickly. Plus if you really do enjoy the camping lifestyle, you can upgrade your camper without potentially having to upgrade your tow vehicle.

2. Consider getting an auto leveling system on your truck. They are spendy but well worth it when it comes time to hookup or unhook the camper. You want to make that part as easy and stress free as possible. It also makes it easy to adjust the stiffness of your suspension on the fly to accommodate changing road and towing conditions.

3. Consider putting a quality gooseneck adapter on your fifth wheel. I think they tow better than a standard 5th wheel hitch. Plus the gooseneck ball hitch can easily be flipped around and out of the way when not towing. This frees up all of your cargo space in the bed of your truck when not towing instead of always having the 5th wheel brackets taking up space.

4. Diesel vs. Gas. With the ratio of towing vs. regular driving you are planning, I would recommend Diesel. The drop in fuel economy when towing can be pretty dramatic with gas engines. That alone has stopped a lot of people from enjoying their campers and taking them on long trips. Typically gas engines wear out a lot faster than diesel engines. You will appreciate the extra low end torque when maneuvering your camper around campsites or in the mountains. They tend to have better resale value. (You can verify by looking at book values for trucks five years older than the one you are looking at.) If you take care of the vehicle and do all the maintenance, you will still have a solid tow vehicle after five years and can spend that extra money on your adventures instead of replacing your tow vehicle. Last but not least, I like the sound a diesel engine makes. More like the low purring of a cat vs. the whining a stressed out gas engine makes.

Just my opinion.

A little extra money spent now can make a world of difference in enjoyment down the road.

Happy Trails.

 

[Frak]

LOL- I spent 2 years having that discussion with my wife and lost. I've already accepted the financial consequences of owning a camper. Just trying to minimize the damages.

We had a bumper hitch jay flight that we bought fairly cheap. Mice got into it and we sold it. Told the wife if we sell it we can start looking for a newer one. That was a lie and she fell for it. Happily without a camper for 2 years now. I don’t think anyone misses it at this point.

 

[motorcy90]

You’d be stopping for 3 hours every 100 miles

I'm hoping Ram ends up making a 3/4 ton RamCharger. would probably dominate if they could figure it out right, the 1/2 ton is rated for 14,000lbs towing. but plowing and maybe towing a small utility tractor would be the main uses potentially at that point.

 

[fnclone]

Diesel's going to get better mileage towing and worse mileage when not towing.

If you're going to primarily tow, diesel makes sense. If you're going to be driving without the camper 75% of the time, get a gas.

Shouldn't have much issue with the cold if you get a diesel. Gas stations switch to a winter blend.

Don't trust blended fuel, especially from Casey's. Diesel fuel is much more efficient than gasoline, ethanol makes gasoline even more inefficient. Keep your right foot under control, and fuel efficiency won't be an issue with Diesel.

Diesel repairs can be very expensive, primarily with fuel system issues. Service it regularly, change fuel filters every service, and it will have more longevity than a gasoline engine.

 

[motorcy90]

Had both and currently have both. Pros and cons to everything right. Both 3/4 ton. Diesel is a few years older and deleted. 2013 F250. Awesome truck. 600hp. No issues ever with the delete. No DEF, no egr. Perfect truck really. Had to keep it for work.

Went to order a new truck and couldn’t stomach the new diesel price. 12k more than the big 7.3 gas Ford. Has a 10 speed transmission which helps a ton. It will pull anything the diesel pulls with slightly less mileage. Maybe 1mpg. I like both trucks but the new gas might have an edge because no emissions issues and the price tag. Being 10 years newer also has a couple more bells and whistles. A new diesel and could delete it would be a really good truck if $ is not an issue.

yeah the 7.3 gas v8 has my attention, I honestly hate Fords even, my current work truck is a F150 and I'm not a huge fan of the 10 speed in it, shifts are hard and abrupt a lot.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Has anyone else had this experience that diesel mileage is worse when not towing?

It's not, diesel is always better.

The only time really that you'd pick gas is if you plan on doing a lot of driving in town. New diesel after treatment systems do not like stop and start traffic.

 

[Kinch]

Get a tent.

 

[besserheimerphat]

Diesels are much pickier about fuel quality so the fuel filters are pricier and need to be changed more often. Also the oil and filters are more expensive. Most of the rest of the stuff - brakes, suspension, etc should be pretty similar. Front suspension may be a but different to combat the extra weight of the engine.

Exhaust is the other big difference, with diesels needing special exhaust fluid (to reduce NOx, which produces acid rain) and an exhaust filter (to capture soot). The exhaust filter is not a maintenance item - it "cleans" itself by injecting a little diesel to burn out the soot deposits. That obviously reduces mileage. The exhaust fluid should burn around 1-2% relative to the diesel you use (100gal diesel will also need 1-2gal of DEF).

Throttle response is typically worse with diesels because you have to wait for the turbo to spool. Compound turbo setups can get around that, but that's added complexity. It's like catching a wave - you see the wave / hit the pedal and there's a little delay and then suddenly you're off like you're weightless. It's not bad, just different if you're used to a snappy gas or electric powertrain.

A big part of towing is weight distribution. Too much weight behind the trailer axle unloads the hitch and causes instability issues. You'll want to spend some time figuring out how to load everything so it tracks well. A dually helps, but the extra tires are more for extra payload than stability.

 

[RagingCloner]

You’ll pay a premium for a diesel engine, but they will get better mileage towing or not. Typically diesels tend to last longer as well, however if diesel is the route you go, the maintenance is substantially more expensive than a gas. Diesel is great, but beware of DEF

 

[Kinch]

Chevy Colorado is among the worst trucks for dependability.

 

[RagingCloner]

Chevy Colorado is among the worst trucks for dependability.

Colorado won’t pull 10k pounds like OP needs

 

[besserheimerphat]

Chevy Colorado is among the worst trucks for dependability.

Well he'd have to buy 6 of them to be a 3/4 ton truck so he should be fine...

 

[BCClone]

Diesels are much pickier about fuel quality so the fuel filters are pricier and need to be changed more often. Also the oil and filters are more expensive. Most of the rest of the stuff - brakes, suspension, etc should be pretty similar. Front suspension may be a but different to combat the extra weight of the engine.

Exhaust is the other big difference, with diesels needing special exhaust fluid (to reduce NOx, which produces acid rain) and an exhaust filter (to capture soot). The exhaust filter is not a maintenance item - it "cleans" itself by injecting a little diesel to burn out the soot deposits. That obviously reduces mileage. The exhaust fluid should burn around 1-2% relative to the diesel you use (100gal diesel will also need 1-2gal of DEF).

Throttle response is typically worse with diesels because you have to wait for the turbo to spool. Compound turbo setups can get around that, but that's added complexity. It's like catching a wave - you see the wave / hit the pedal and there's a little delay and then suddenly you're off like you're weightless. It's not bad, just different if you're used to a snappy gas or electric powertrain.

A big part of towing is weight distribution. Too much weight behind the trailer axle unloads the hitch and causes instability issues. You'll want to spend some time figuring out how to load everything so it tracks well. A dually helps, but the extra tires are more for extra payload than stability.

And ironically, the reduction in acid rain is now requiring agriculture to add sulfur to their fertilizer to replace what was lost.

 

[josh4cy]

I used to say no one needs that big of a truck until I drove one pulling a camper. Bought a 2020 Silverado 2500 diesel and a year later bought a big 5th wheel.
The year we had the new truck pulling our old travel trailer was eye opening to how much of a better experience it was pulling.
It's a little big driving around town but for long drives it's awesome and pulling is even better.
A vehicle is not an investment but the resale value on a diesel truck will be better.