Are diesel engines overrated?

[hicountry1]

Get Over 24mpg with my 2019, 2500 ram cummins on the hiway.

20 running back and forth to work.

18 - 20 pulling my sxs.

What's there not to like ?

 

[Macintosh]

Most people dont need a 3/4 ton truck of ANY kind. But lots of people have a need for a mid to smallish sized suv or “truckish” vehichle that can tow a boat or small camper. Consequently I think the small trucks (colorado, ranger, tacoma sized) with diesels make a lot of sense, as do some of the half-ton trucks. These are all over europe and the rest of the world, I have been told the emissions laws in the US are different which makes the diesels more difficult to sell…not that they are more or less strict, but measuring different things.
I had a 2017 diesel colorado for a couple years. It was quiet, efficient, drove great as a daily driver, and towed (and stopped) a full sized bass boat up hills every bit as well as my v8 1/2 ton. I got an average of about 24 or 25 mpg including commuting and towing the boat on weekends, etc, and on a hiway trip would often get 32 or 33mpg. At the time, based on the relative cost of gas vs diesel plus DEf, oil changes, etc, I calculated the total cost of buying, running and owning it for 100k miles would be about the same cost-wise as a same-size/same trim level gas rig like a tacoma—that has changed as the relative price of diesel has gone up significantly. I traded it in for other reasons, but simply based on how it performed Id own a half-ton diesel truck in a heartbeat if cost was competitive.

 

[Choupique]

Get Over 24mpg with my 2019, 2500 ram cummins on the hiway.

20 running back and forth to work.

18 - 20 pulling my sxs.

What's there not to like ?

It's nice to see the fuel economy numbers back to where they were in "the good ol days"

The DEF systems really are a great thing for diesels. It really works great for controlling NOx without the engine having to eat tons of EGR with screwed up timing and terrible fuel mileage like pre-DEF engines. It sucks that it's one more liability that could strand you, and it's a significant cost adder, but the reliability has come a long way and you cannot deny that it is a fantastic way to control NOx emissions.

We wouldn't have a diesel option at all had that not gotten figured out.

 

[fngTony]

On one side you have the gas camp. They'll say things like diesel emissions systems are very problematic. You have to drive tons of miles to hit break even due to the very expensive diesel engine option. Oil changes and fuel filters definitely add up for diesels.

On the other side is the diesel camp. They'll say things like diesel engines last much longer than gas engines. Diesels pull better in the mountains. You can just delete it(illegal) and get rid of all of it's emissions equipment problems. Some of them will recommend a diesel for someone looking at pulling under 5k pounds. Seems like overkill.

Personally I think gas does fine up to 12k or 13k, using a 3/4 ton or 1 ton of course. Above that, diesel seems to be the correct choice.

What do you guys think? Debate.

When you say 12-13k lbs are you talking combined weight or just the trailer? If just the trailer then I wouldn’t go past 8k but I’m in high altitude.

 

[Matt602]

Diesel for hauling, otherwise gas is fine.

 

[sjvcon]

I don't know. I've had a Cummins 5.9 Common Rail, and currently have a 8.1 mated to an Allison. To be honest, they both could pull a tree out ... but the Cummins definitely had more punch at the low end and could get up and move to pass a lot better ... and that was with a crappy Dodge Trans. If it had a Allison ... I think it would have been hands down better for towing. But for wheeling ... it is way too heavy. That Dodge was absolutely lousy off road if you had to go anything over a crawl. Part of that might have been the live axle, but still ... REALLY heavy.

 

[golfbum]

I have been debating this for several years myself. I own a 16 Cummins with 87k on the clock. It hasn’t given me a problem but it’s always on my mind and for some reason I don’t trust the truck (again, not a single mechanical problem).

I tow a 8k loaded travel trailer and would love to move to a gas 1/2ton but just don’t think I can get away with it due to payload.

Thought long and hard about a Titan xd for a nice middle ground but haven’t pulled the trigger.

I enjoy my truck and it’s a perfect match for towing my trailer in the Utah mountains without a worry or white knuckle experience but I miss my tundra and not having any worries about being left stranded.

 

[BLJ]

I bought my 2005 Duramax 12 years and 130,000 miles ago. At 250K miles, it still books just $3,000 less than what I purchased it for. I've put very little into it other than routine stuff that would've happened no matter if it were gas or diesel. I bought it because I was a roughneck and had access to rig fuel; I basically never use it for diesel things. If I had bought a used 1/2 ton at the same time at a comparable price, it would virtually be worth nothing today and I likely would've had to buy something to replace it in that time. Just did the front end last week and we should be good to go for another 50K miles without anything major. I would drive that thing to Miami tomorrow and not worry one bit. So even with fuel being a bit more and higher expenses for oil changes and fuel filters, I'd say I'm way ahead on $$$$ compared to if I choose to buy a gas 1/2 ton that day.

What’s “rig fuel”?

 

[nobody]

What’s “rig fuel”?

He means Oil Rig

Pretty sure "rig fuel" is code for "Copenhagen and Busch Light and Red Bull"

JK, I'll let him answer. My guess is he meant he bought it because he could get fuel for cheaper since he was working on the oil rigs.

 

[WeiserBucks]

What’s “rig fuel”?

Fuel at the job site, likely provided or discounted by the employer.

 

[Dejhavu]

NO,

I have had both as towing vehicles and I have stated I will never go back to gas.

The new diesel does not smell anymore with the emission system that have been mandated by the EPA. The only thing to remember is the new diesel trucks do not like to just be a grocery getter. They need to be worked such as pulling your trailer not day in and day out but just exercise such as long drives whenever possible.


BTW, I love the smell of diesel fuel in the morning almost as good as a cup of coffee.

 

[Swampcruiser]

I fueled up for $3.88/ gal today. Gas was $3.29. It’s starting to make sense again! Should be even better when winter blend is gone

 

[longhorncadillac]

I’ve had 3 Cummins over the years and one of the terrible ecodiesels. Dawned on me after messing with big trucks and constantly messing with the emissions, DEF, dpf filters, etc., that the cost of diesel, def, maintenance ($200 oil changes etc) and the additional 10K cost of the diesel motor just didn’t make any sense. I bought a 6.4 Hemi and couldn’t be happier, it’ll pull anything I’ve hooked up as fast as I want to pull it.

 

[william schmaltz]

What’s “rig fuel”?

Oil rigs operate off diesel fuel. So each rig has an 8-10K gallon tank that gets a delivery a few times a week. Usually the company man and tool pusher give the green light for the roughnecks to fill off the tank each hitch (within reason) as it doesn't make much of an overall dent with such a high volume. So most guys would fill up their main tank and then have a 100 gallon service tank directly plumbed from the pickup box. It would add up to a couple hundred gallons of free fuel a month.

 

[BLJ]

Oil rigs operate off diesel fuel. So each rig has an 8-10K gallon tank that gets a delivery a few times a week. Usually the company man and tool pusher give the green light for the roughnecks to fill off the tank each hitch (within reason) as it doesn't make much of an overall dent with such a high volume. So most guys would fill up their main tank and then have a 100 gallon service tank directly plumbed from the pickup box. It would add up to a couple hundred gallons of free fuel a month.

Gotcha. Kinda thought that’s what you meant. Thanks.

 

[nvkevin]

I prefer diesel for doing work, gas for commuting. I don’t use my diesel as a daily driver.

I think overall diesel costs more, higher maintenance costs, more expensive fuel, higher purchase price, wear tires faster, ect..

A person would need to choose based on planned use, preference, ect…

This right here is the exact reasoning I use. My 2010 Ram 3500 with a Cummins us mainly used for pulling our camper. When we aren't in camping season, the diesel gets driven once a month just to charge the batteries and keep things lubricated. 2010 Ram also means I don't have to deal with the DEF crap and my EGR is deleted. I can pull my 32' bumper pull camper at 75 mph and get 13 mpg average.

I daily drive my gasser, 2001 Ram 1500, back and forth to work, for beating around the hills, and everything in between..

 

[Tbonespop]

On one side you have the gas camp. They'll say things like diesel emissions systems are very problematic. You have to drive tons of miles to hit break even due to the very expensive diesel engine option. Oil changes and fuel filters definitely add up for diesels.

On the other side is the diesel camp. They'll say things like diesel engines last much longer than gas engines. Diesels pull better in the mountains. You can just delete it(illegal) and get rid of all of it's emissions equipment problems. Some of them will recommend a diesel for someone looking at pulling under 5k pounds. Seems like overkill.

Personally I think gas does fine up to 12k or 13k, using a 3/4 ton or 1 ton of course. Above that, diesel seems to be the correct choice.

What do you guys think? Debate.

Yes, they are overrated. Owned both gas and diesel, much prefer gas. Hard for me to justify a diesel unless towing really heavy loads on a weekly basis.

 

[Beanx033]

This right here is the exact reasoning I use. My 2010 Ram 3500 with a Cummins us mainly used for pulling our camper. When we aren't in camping season, the diesel gets driven once a month just to charge the batteries and keep things lubricated. 2010 Ram also means I don't have to deal with the DEF crap and my EGR is deleted. I can pull my 32' bumper pull camper at 75 mph and get 13 mpg average.

I daily drive my gasser, 2001 Ram 1500, back and forth to work, for beating around the hills, and everything in between..

Same, cummins for the 5th wheel and hauling building materials and beater car for daily driver.

 

[Cheesy]

My dad grew up hauling dairy show cows all over the country with old school big block gas engines. First time he jumped in my diesel Super Duty pulling a loaded stock trailer up a hill his eyes lit up "man, what I would have done for one of these 30 years ago".

I don't need 4wd 95% of the time, but when I need it, it sure is nice to have. Same with my diesel truck. I don't use it as a daily driver anymore, have a gas Tundra for running around in. But when I need to pull a trailer, it sure is nice to have available torque. I totally might be missing the boat by not having a new-ish gas burning HD truck though. When it comes time to replace mine, not sure which way I'll go.

 

[Choupique]

Also the same. My diesel truck gets used to pull or haul stuff and I have a car for running around. The truck costs too damn much to be wearing it out.