Seems like you are right on the line gas vs diesel....
In the past I have hauled, not towed, quite a bit of mulch,
soil, gravel, and rock in my old Chevy 2500. I moved up to a
Ford SWD 350 in last December. I have hauled a couple of
loads of rip rap but that is all that would "justify" a diesel.
At the time I was buying I wanted to make sure that I could
tow my tractor if need be as well as a loaded dump trailer.
I also had to have an 8 foot bed and a crew cab. 4x4 was
a tough decision but we need one vehicle that can handle
the yearly snow in....
The credit union had a chart with the price of fuel vs mpg.
Now maybe I looked at the chart wrong but it paid for me
to get a diesel. Maybe that is what I wanted to see! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Diesel fuel in my area is about the same price as regular. My
first two vehicles really ran better on higher octane gas so
I almost always filled up with the high price stuff. I think that
helped move the numbers in the buy diesel decision. If you
are running regular now then diesel engine might not be a
good buy.
I'm also planning to run this truck into the ground and it better
last 10 years. My Chevy was run into the ground after 6
years. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]
My Ford 350 which has a 6 speed will get me about 18.0 mpg
in my city loop. 18.5-18.9 in my city/highway loop. The only
long trip I made was before the enigine was broken in and
at 70-75 mph I got about 17.5-17.9 mpg. The MPG ratings
are based on the amount of fuel put into the truck and the
miles driven not what the computer says. BTW thats a good
2 mpg better than my old Chevy diesel which was a smaller
engine with less power...
MPG is highly dependent on the driver, terrain, and road
conditions. They laugh at me at work because I drive to
slow. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Actually I drive fast it just takes me a long time to get going! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] With the traffic around here there
is really no point in spending the fuel so I can slam on the
brakes at the next stop light. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Remember that if you are mostly hauling the weight of the diesel engine will lower your net load perhaps making a 1500 series look better.
Oil changes, fuel filters and antifreeze will cost more and the truck will probably come with a load range E tire which is more expensive. Also check out the cost of some of the repairs such as injectors.
If you are going to tow the commercials seem to only allow vessels of some type or other to be hooked on behind so that is rather restrictive for that use.
Its an AWESOME truck! The wifey does not drive it around
town but when we go on a trip she loves the truck. Its really
is a nice highway cruiser. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
In my first year with the Chevy I had at least one or two
repairs. The only problem I have had with the F350 is using
a new washer for the oil drain pan to stop it from leaking and
keeping the oil filter on tight. And that is idiot operator stuff
not a badness on the truck. We had some heavy snow last
Jan/Feb, close to 24 inches, and I drove it without 4x4
without a problem except in two places at the property. Just
bulling through two feet of snow realy required the 4x4 and
at a top sign I hit some ice on an incline that needed all four
wheels. Ice on the roads out to the place was not a problem
as long as I was careful and took my time.
The two loads I had put in the truck where just shy of 2000
pounds and I could barely tell the wieght was back there.
The truck with my normal load wieghs in at 7,700 pounds so
I can throw 2,200 pounds in the back without a problem.
The truck sure don't care.
Since I joined the EAA I got a danged good discount on the
truck. I just happened to check the papers this weekend and
the closest truck I could find had an asking price that was a
couple of thousand dollars more than what I paid for mine
new. Can't complain about that! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] And the EAA is
going to have discounts with JD the first of 2003. If the rates
are low enough and the price is good enough I might have to
get a new tractor! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
It will be interesting to see how the next couple of years play out. Ford is supposedly coming out with a new six, kind of like the Cummins; smaller displacement, more boost for power and mileage.
The Duramax is nice, but the biggest advantage it has is finally putting a good tranny behind a light pickup diesel. That, and it's quiet.
The Cummins most easily makes more horsepower when hopping it up. It is also the stoutest built of the big three. I saw pictures on one of the websites(I lost the url though!) that showed a disassembled Cummins next to a Power stroke. The rods alone looked three times as beefy as the Powerstroke. It should be easy for Dodge to boost it up a few notches. The challenge will be putting an automatic with it that can readily handle the extra power.
I have only heard the hubbub about the Alison behind the Duramax; do they offer a manual?
Dodge/Cummins really raised the bar when they brought the first turbo Cumins to the market. It will be intersting to see how these guys lep frog each other.
For now though, I'll stick with the Cummins I have. It has plenty of power to pull anything I need, even stock.
The new Ford is still a V-8. The 6 is for six liter. They also have the transmission to back it up now too. The new motor is because the 7.3 wouldn't comply with emissions standards by turning it up. That's the problem cummins is having. They have come out with an HO model but it doesn't meet Cal. emissions. The Ford 7.3 and Cummins can be made to make incredible hp, over 600. The Chevy is pretty much maxed out because of their head design at 300-350 hp. I don't know about beefier. The rods are bigger because the Dodge is only a six cyliner. Kind of like comparing apples to oranges. They are both pretty dang tough engine that will go 300-500k without much problem. I wouldn't mind owning either one. All three offer a manual six speed.
I thought Ford was going to put a V6 diesel in the 150's?
The Dodge doesn't have an EGR Valve or a Cat right now. Those are coming in 04. VW's TDI EGR soots up the intake and requires occasional cleaning. My choice would be a six speed in any truck and I like the cummins. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] . Better go get one!!
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