New Truck, Talk to me about the newer diesels vs gas 3/4 to 1 ton long bed pickups

[Ghost]

Im starting to put together a plan to buy a new truck, I currently have a 2014 chevy K1500 crew standard bed, I have almost 90,000 on the truck, 2 things I dont like about it are the size of the fuel tank and the room. Seems the older I get the more crap I bring on a hunting/fishing trip. So Im doing the whole diesel vs gas dance, wondering if the diesel is worth the added expense and aggravation. 90 percent of the time Im using my truck on hunting/fishing trips, trips to montana, canada sometimes towing a 21 foot boat or 31 foot camper. If Im not towing, I have the truck packed with equipment. I want the option to put a truck camper in it. I saw that you can get an optional 48 gallon gas tank on the fords which is a huge plus especially with gas for running mountain roads and not having to come into town over the course of a week.

Ive been a chevy man for ages, but if the trucks a better fit, Im open to anything.

 

[go4thegusto]

Lurking and following this closely. I am in a similar mode. Lease is up in Dec. My take is diesel is more warranted if you pull often. Sounds like you do. I had GM for 30 years. Just finishing my 2nd F150 now....amazing vehicle. Put 80K on 2 in a row and never had them in the shop except oil. That said, I think all the flavors are very high quality now. I know folks with most all the majors and not a lot of complaints.

Some of the new smaller Eco-Diesels are intriguing. Better resale also.

 

[Muleys32]

My humble opinion after working in the industry for the last few years is that the Diesel is SPENDY. Initial cost and maintenance and repairs are very expensive. So I always think that if you are going to do a lot of towing then by all means get the diesel, you will love it. The gas you definitely won't get the same fuel mileage but the amount you save in initial cost and maintenance easily makes up for that. But on that note, everyone who has bought the new Duramax off of us is absolutely pumped on the power and torque it comes with.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

I had this debate last year. We bought a 30 ft fifth wheel and needed something to pull it (Basically was given it). Anyways I debated the same thing for a couple months. I ended up with a 3/4 GMC. Here is how I arrived at my decision: diesels have a higher maintenance cost, if something breaks, double it for a diesel. I don't always tow and I would say 8 months of the year my truck sits in the garage starting only occasionally to keep everything from drying out. We only pull the camper during the summer, and I hunt without it. Diesels can be loud. My thought was at the time I was buying comparing apples to apples except for the type of fuel, I was looking at a $20k difference in price. I calculated how much I guess I would spend in fuel, mpg for the diesel and gas. I didn't save much. Than I calculate maintenance and it was a no brained to not go to a diesel.

Now to my complaints about my decision. Yes I did calculate the savings but what I didn't calculate is not being able to go 55-65 mph up a hill (on the interstate), running at over 4000 rpms and getting between 2.5-8 mpg when towing. I carry 20-30 gallons extra fuel when pulling the camper.

Overall I complain when I pull the camper but when I am out hunting I don't complain at all. Honestly if I pulled the camper more or hauled more it would have calculated differently and I would have ended up with the diesel. Also I should add I typically trade vehicles every 3-5 years.

 

[2peterhunter]

I have had
08 6.0 gas
Two 04 6.0 gas
13 6.0 gas
15 6.6 diesel

I drive over a 100,000 miles a year and just got my 15 this may. I absolutely love my diesel, never again will I drive a gas. It is a bit more expensive but in my book if you can afford it I would go with a diesel.

 

[NJDiverDan]

I am on my second diesel. My first was an '03 dodge. I put 280k miles on it before I totaled it in 2011. I still got $19k from the insurance company for it. My current truck is a 2011 dodge. Only 110k on this one so far. For the 8 years I had the '03, I think my total repair costs(non-consumables like oil, brakes) was around $3k and that's only because I needed to have the transmission rebuilt. Nothing beyond consumables for the '11. Now, oil changes cost double, but that's about the only "extra" expense vs. gas. I do not trade my truck every 3 years, so the longevity of a diesel is why I have it. Oh and towing my boat (6,000 pounds) and my camper (10,000 pounds).

I cannot speak to the most recent trucks. My '11 was the last year before needing DEF fluid in the trucks. I am also not a Dodge guy, but in the '11 trucks I could not sit comfortably in either the ford or the GM due to my long legs and the size of their center consoles.



-dan

 

[missjordan]

We own a 31ft camper and went from a 2014 5.7 hemi to a 2013 duramax diesel because the hemi lacked power, then back to a 2017 6.4L hemi gas motor due to the diesel being too quirky, and it's honestly the hemi is a great truck. If your not towing heavy equipment or heavy horse trailers, I don't see the need for a diesel. I also don't see the fuel savings from a diesel being any better than our 6.4L. In fact the gas motor does a lot better in town than the diesel ever did. I ended up hating our diesel because of the emissions, but deleting the emissions was never in the cards for us because of voiding the powertrain warranty. So it made sense for our family to go back to a gas motor for better peace of mind. We traded the truck in before the warranty was up as I didn't want to take the chance of paying for costly repairs when it expired.

Getting back to the hemi, it pulls passes and hills towing our camper very similar to the diesel, if you need extra power it's there and usually gets around 6-8 mpg up passes and 10-11 towing on flat ground. My only complaint when hunting is sometimes shifting between gears in 2WD it's finicky. The truck performs best in 4 Low with moderate to steep grades on backcountry roads but I think an after market performance chip would probably fix that issue


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[bates]

I just bought my first diesel in Feb. I went with a 2017 Duramax shortly thereafter we also bought a 35ft ToyHauler so we really needed the truck for the toyhauler after driving alot of half tons over the years i really really love my truck.

The newer diesels drive alot better than the older ones i had tried. plus there is alot more power in the new models. I am a chevy guy have ties to a dealership so i didn't even look at ford but they are nice trucks, the cab is a bit bigger and they can run bigger tires if you are thinking about that. and to me they are quieter than previous models. plus with chevy right now i think only the diesels get the 100k powertrain warranty.

i have a 4inch lift and 35's on mine and that is where i really love the diesel i can still get an honest 18-20mpg on the highway, i am on the road alot and this helps, i have always typically ran 33's or similar on my half tons, i was driving an avalanche before with super high gears and 31's and i get alot better mpg with the 2500.

no way to get around the added cost of the diesel , yeah they do probably hold their value a little better, i am almost up for my 2nd oil change at 14k and got 4 of them free with the purchase, the whole DEF is a pain and it does go through some especially when towing the camper. ford has a better fill system here as well. but if you can afford the added cost and have a 30ft camper i would take a hard look at the new ones.

i am 100% satisfied with my purchase and in a few years i will be buying another one, after driving it i will have a hard time going back to a half ton truck, i like the longer bed, power and highway ride of my truck, i feel the only think i would gain is the tighter turning radius of a half ton.

 

[bigdesert10]

Unless you're pulling / hauling heavy on a weekly basis, or putting on 100,000 miles a year, it's pretty hard to justify a diesel. Your needs sound closer to mine. I don't pull a camper, but I pull a heavy steel 3-horse trailer with some regularity, and I spend a lot of time on nasty switchback logging roads and in less than ideal conditions (sans trailer). Go for the 3/4 ton with a gas engine. You'll have the payload capacity to pull your trailer no problem, far less cost of ownership, and you'll be more nimble off-road. Most 3/4 tons also boast better ground clearance than a 1/2 ton but still don't have the kind of weight a 1 ton does. I love diesels as full time pulling rigs, or work trucks with heavy utility beds full of tools. Aside from that, they serve little benefit over a gas engine for most guys at a significantly higher price tag.

 

[Nwelkhunter81]

I am in the market for a new truck as well. I have been driving an 07 Ram 1500 since new. Ill add my 2 cents without trying to repeat what others have said. Its not always about towing, Having a heavy load in the bed of the truck and going over passes really puts a ton of strain on the gas motor. I really noticed this when we recently went to the NW mountain challenge which is at the top of Stevens Pass and were camped at the base of pass. Up and Down twice a day made it real rough on that truck. Diesels for the most part are going to get better fuel mileage then a gas and keep in mind to that a diesel truck is going to hold its value far better then a gas pick up. My vote is for the diesel and for me its going to be either deal with dodges front end problems or go Ford F250/350 where you pretty much have to pull the cab to work on them

 

[N2TRKYS]

I have a '03 Chevy 2500HD diesel that I bought new that has been my daily driver this whole time. If it quit today, I couldn't complain.

 

[rayporter]

on my third diesel. lovem. but i got to say that i really agree with most folks above. if you tow less than 8000 lbs get a gasser.
especially if you dont tow a lot of miles. now if you pull 10,000 lbs you will know you need one.

i pull a big horse trailer and the truck stays hooked to it. i keep a junker to run around in so i dont have to start the big ol dually up unless it is pulling something.

l have not had much high maintenance costs to gripe about. pretty much change filters and hit the key.

 

[Daniel_M]

I love my '14 Duramax. I opted used partially because I knew the owner and the truck was turn key setup exactly how I wanted which saved me $30K in the long run and I skipped the depreciation costs. If you opt for doing engine deletes, you'll add a ton of longevity. Typically maintenance free into the ~150K range and may then see injectors.

Love the power, love the fuel economy, love towing in the mountains. Do I need one for what I typically tow? No. My last gasser was a 3/4 ton Hemi and no way I would go back to towing and screaming through the hills at over 5500rpm just to stay on step.

 

[dotman]

I had a '03 dodge Cummins that I loved, traded it off at 233k had zero major issues, picked up a '11 GMC 6.0 and this truck while also having zero major issues was a dog until you got the RPM up and sucked fuel like it was its last drink ever. Currently have a '17 Nissan Titan XD with the Cummins and it is so far my favorite pickup I've had and I only have 1800 miles on it.

The Nissan diesel is much more affordable then the big 3 diesels, just don't be in a rush and you'll get big rebates. My pickup listed for $54k and I got it for $42k or the list price of the mid sized GM 2.8 diesel pickup.

 

[Blinginpse]

Ford 6.2 gets about 7-8mpg and Chevy 6.0 gets about same pulling. Beef and dairy farmer here. I have used both and They both suck. I'm due for a truck but cringes me paying 50k forna truck to let cattle bump against. Yet if your just driving around that's all a person needs but when you get to pulling heavy weight up steep grades the extra power matters.

Studies show you Half to keep a diesel 120k before it actually pays for itself over having a gas.

Only you can make the decision it's weather you wanna pay lil extra for service and have power at the pedal gaining speed up the grade or save ya pennies and rev ya motor out barely pulling 55mph to just get to the top.

Gas will will go better in harsher terrain diesel will get u stuck faster if you don't know how to handle it

Also what nobody seems to think about or fails to mention is. Any of these trucks can pull that camper but you better think about getting stopped after you get going.

Will the gas hold up like diesel Will, nope. Take both trucks and put 150k on them then sell them side by side identical trucks just diesel vs gas. You'll get ya extra money back out of the diesel you put in it where your gas won't do that.

My opinion if you can bare the payment go with the diesel put the money thought in the back of your mind then when you sell it 6-8 years down the road you'll remember when truck is worth 6-10k more than the gas

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I've had gassers and diesels both in just about every flavor from 3/4's up to 1-1/2 tons. Unless you ABSOLUTELY need a diesel I wouldn't recommend them. To give you a reference point, my newest diesels are a pair of 2015 dmax's (one chev, one gmc both came about the same month). In the nearly 2 years I've had them working, each one has been down for a total of 5 days (so 10 working days total) in just recall work. Then warranty work.... I haven't tracked but if I had to add it up (between the two being down off and on) I"ve lost probably 2 mos worht of work from one truck total (or one month from each including the 5 days for each's recall work). One (i'm driving today) has 18k on it, I'm not sure what the other has it get's used significantly more. Some is def/exhaust issues.... but there's been plenty of other crap wrong to. I had both get stuck in 4x4 over winter and wouldn't come out, door panels fell apart, just stupid crap a $55K truck shouldn't have happen. That doesn't include preventative maint (oil, filters, etc...) that stuff is higher but i'm just talking about lost time due to repairs on brand new trucks that are north of $50K!!!

I have a 2011 dodge cummins that I stuck $7500 into a brand new def system last year..... that was pleasant

Fords, don't get me started....

all my heavy (anything bigger than a 1/2 ton) gassers have been phenomenal, I have a 6.2 ford, 6.0 chevs, and a 6.4 dodge..... If I was only pulling a camper or trailer part time I'd go gas everyday of the week. If you're hooking up and pulling heavy everyday then diesels are justified but that gets built into the billing process for whatever work it's being used for.

I don't know how these new 1/2 ton diesels in dodge, chev (colorado), nissan, etc... are performing. I suspect okay as they're being built for entirely different reasons but they haven't been proven enough yet for me to form an opinion.

 

[paleraider]

I have a 2017 GMC 2500 Diesel. I got it to replace my Silverado 1500. I purchased a small 5th wheel and needed more towing capacity. I talked with my friends who are farmers and haul loads all the time. They were 100% behind getting a Duramax Diesel. I have absolutely 0 complaints about it. It tows like a champ, going either up or down hills is a non event. I get over 12mpg round trip when I take it out around Idaho so we have "some" mountains and such. The compression brake on Diesels is so amazing I don't know if I could ever go back to a truck without.

I guess I do have one bone to pick...I HATE DEF...other than that it is awesome!

 

[Trial153]

I do some work for a place that is running 6 Duramax 3/4 ton chevy diesels. They avg 35k a year on each of them. All are 2013 or newer. They budget 5k each for pm and repairs, they are well over budget yearly. Unless I am writing the expense off they can keep that junk....

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Since moving to Colorado, I've owned a '72 blazer, gas; 95 k1500, gas; 2000 k1500 gas; 2006 k2500, gas, and now have a 2013 Duramax.

The duramax on flat ground driving from Georgia to here averaged 21.8 mpg. My best mpg from any of my gassers was around 15 mpg. The Duramax has a bigger tank, so instead of gassing up every 250-300 miles, WAY more than that with a trailer, I have closer to a 500 mile range per tank.

My gassers struggled with hauling a 30' toy hauler up and down the hills, and even seemed to just work too hard with an 18' ski boat. This Duramax was my first diesel, and I'm a convert. I love it.

I did have 3 down days in a year and a half of ownership due to DEF bullsh*t. The DEF tank heater and injector needed to be replaced. The truck still ran and drove, just threatened to go into limp mode (35mph max) if the emissions stuff wasn't fixed. If I could find the exact truck with none of the DEF nonsense, I would go that route in a heartbeat. There are delete kits to eliminate that stuff, but here at least, that is a big no no.

Do yourself a favor and at least test drive a diesel before you decide.

 

[awaldro7]

After you own a diesel truck you will never go back to a gas truck. Especially towing like you say that you do. The ford 6.7 powerstroke is a fantastic engine and the new ford superduty trucks are very nice. The only downside to a diesel is the increased purchase cost and the increase in maintenance cost. I had a powerstroke that I sold to buy a brand new F-150. I kept the F150 a few months and purchased another powerstroke. I dont believe that I will ever be happy in another gas truck. If you do purchase a new diesel the first thing that you need to do is delete the DEF, DPF, and EGR systems. The truck will get a lot better fuel mileage and you will avoid three separate costly problems.