RDMueller

Here's something I've been wondering about. Everyone seems to agree that the best thing you can do for a diesel is to run it. If you're looking for a truck who's main mission will be a bunch of short hops to Home Depot where the engine will never even get up to operating temp, a diesel would be a bad choice. If you're doing a bunch of heavy hauling and towing over long distances, a diesel would be a really good choice. But what about this 3rd scenario? A truck who's main mission will be towing a heavy travel trailer. Obviously a diesel is perfect for that kind of towing, but what about the sitting around in between trips. With the price of fuel these days, I'd have a hard time using the truck for primary daily transportation. So the reality is that the truck would get used hard several times a year for big trips, but between those trips it would do a lot of sitting around. Because of that sitting around, would it be more prudent to buy an inferior truck (a gasser)? BTW, even though big trips would only be several times a year, I would still drive the truck at least 3-4 times a month, just not every day. Would that be adequate? Any advice from others who use a diesel mainly to pull a travel trailer? Thanks!

pronstar

You need to look at the fuel efficiency (miles per gallon) of both the gas and diesel while towing...then you can do the math to see if it works for you.

My previous tow vehicle - a blown Expedition - got 5 MPG while towing.
I get 11.5 now.
Unless diesel costs over twice the price of gasoline, I made the right decision for me.

12valve@heart

I'm sure that there are those who will have different opinions but my CTD just sits in the driveway unless it's towing a trailer or hauling a load. While sitting may not be good for them, mine sat for nearly a year while the transmission was out and after 10-12 months of never even being cranked, I changed the battery, cranked it for about 20 seconds, it caught and ran rough for about 30 seconds and then smoothed out and ran like new. I changed the fuel filter the next day to clean out any algae and haven't had any problems. I'll tow with mine at least every other month and usually monthly or more frequently so I don't worry about it sitting for those lengths of time. Just my

RDMueller

Yep, I agree. Today I saw regular for $3.19 and diesel for $3.85. If I did my math right, that makes diesel 20.7% higher than regular. In your case your mileage went up by 130% by switching to diesel and I think for most it would not be unusual to see at least a 75-100% increase in mileage. So, unless the spread between gas and diesel grows much larger, diesel is a no brainer.

What I'm still wondering though has to do with the health of the engine. Does anyone believe that a diesel engine is harmed more than a gas engine when used irregularly? As I pointed out, I wouldn't just let it sit around unused for months at a time (I'll make sure to drive it at least 3-4 times a month) but it definitely will not be a daily use vehicle. Is that going to be bad for the engine?

pronstar

I know lots of folks with diesel pusher RVs that sit for extended periods of time between uses, without issue.

My truck is used mostly to pull our Toy Hauler once or twice per month. And it gets moved once per week for street sweeping. I don't worry about it...I don't think you should, either.

JPR Ram

We have some older trucks that we use just as back up. They will sit for very long periods of time and not be fired up intill the day before it's needed. That can be as long as 9 months, sometimes longer. Never had any problems with them, and they are hauling 80,000 lbs up and down I-5. The only thing we do do is to add a fuel stabilizer before parking.

rbrettctd

My dad went from the 05 dmax in my sig that gets 13-14, to an 08 Chevy gasser that gets 11. STill tows his travel trailer no probs at all, and gets 8-9mpg towing, vs dmax 12 towing. With the cost of diesel, its definitely worth it, especially when you figure in the extra 7k for the diesel engine option these days.

pronstar

Let's say gas is $3.50/gallon
Diesel is $4.00/gallon

Your dad would have paid $388.92 for gasoline to travel 1,000 miles towing.
He would have paid $333.36 for diesel to travel 1,000 miles towing.

The diesel option pays you back when/if you sell it.
But just looking at fuel costs, diesel wins in this situation, at current prices.

RDMueller

That's what I was hoping. The diesel pusher motorhome example is a good one. You know those do a lot of sitting between trips. Anyway, that was my main remaining concern. Now I'm sold! I drove an 02 Ram 2500 CTD today and loved it. Can't believe I even considered a gasser.

One other advantage, if gas prices keep going up, I might explore the bio diesel option. With a gasser, there are no options except to pay the asking price for gas or stop driving. You never know, if bio diesel works out, it could very well be cheaper for me to drive the truck than the car!

cbtumedic

My dad and i sat down and did the math several years ago when fuel cost was near the same, and the diesel option was in the 5k range, and it would take somewhere in the range of 150k miles in order for you to break even for the purchase price of the diesel, and that did not figure in higher maint. costs, more expensive to repair if/when it's needed. If you want a diesel buy one, but unless you drive 100k a year and tow all of that time the fuel economy issue is moot, and as for the longetivity, i've got a '93 GMC 3/4 ton with a 350 in it and 265k+ on it that uses less than a quart in 3k miles, leaks no oil and runs great with no signs of stopping anytime soon, so a gasser can live a long productive life, they just don't have the same power as a ctd. Don't get me wrong I am a cummins fan, but the economics of it are that it is cheaper for the normal vehicle owner to drive a gasoline powered vehicle. But buy what you like, not what someone tells you is best, you are the one that's going to drive it, not us, so buy what makes sense to you and will make you happy.

blackdiesel

^^^^^ what he said

Pulling a trailer with a gasser you most generally get 3-5 mpg less (yes, there are exceptions, but the new chevy 6 liters get pretty decent fuel milage under load) The diesel option is usually 5k. you can buy over 1200 gallons of gas at 4 dollars a gallon for five thousand dollars.

Couple that with lower maintence costs and a gas rig starts to look mighty appealing....

Jeff in TD

My truck's main reason for being is to pull a 5th wheel, and not being retired, I don't get to do that too many times a year.

In the summer I often bicycle, or motorcycle to work, and I don't think sitting is that big of a deal or that hard on the truck.

In the winter, though, I commute with the truck, which is probably under 2 miles. Those short runs that never get up to operating temp is what I think is bad for the motor, getting it warm enough so the temp fluctuation will promote condensation, but not hot enough to drive that moisture off.

Actually water from condensation will build up in the heads and breather of my motorcycle under those circumstances (very short trips in cold, damp weather).

Driving it like that I think it's a good idea to get it up to operating temp and keep it there for about 30 minutes once a week at least, so that it can bake off any moisture from the oil and crankcase, and keep the battery up.

Just my humble opinion.

Fast Tommy V

You can't really factor in the extra initial cost of the diesel. Yea its a ~5k option but they are valued ~5k higher at resale. Here is the proof

On auto trader, I searched the whole country for a some trucks

2004 Ram 2500, 4X4, Automatic, quadcab, CTD; 315 results, average price = $25,000.
2004 Ram 2500, 4X4, Automatic, quadcab, hemi; 230 results, average price = $19,000.

Difference = $6000

1997 ram 2500 4x4, auto, CTD; 39 results, average price = $11,500
1997 ram 2500, 4x4, auto, gasser; 34 results, average price = $7000.

Difference = $4500

1st gen ram 2500 4x4, auto, CTD; 14 results average price = $8000
1st gen ram 2500 4x4, auto, gas; not enough results to get good average

So when you sell the truck, you will get the initial cost of the diesel back, so you cant really use it in your calcs for diesel vs gas

Equalizer 2

As for damage from sitting consider all the standby generators for businesses, etc. I am surprised someone else hasn't posted that info as I have seen it elsewhere. Just add a biocide to keep the algea under control with a full tank of fuel and so be it.

Personnally I only have the truck in my signature, the only other vehicle I have is my 5er. This of course makes my truck my daily driver. Of all the vehicles I have ever owned I was only without a truck of some kind for just a few years. I WANT and feel I need a truck. I have pulled with an older gasser and with my current truck and there is no comparison.

The cost of fuel is something I have ALWAYS paid for as I don't believe any standard car ever got as poor fuel/gas mileage as the trucks I have always driven. This truck is an exception in that it gets mileage while empty that compares with some cars.

If you want the diesel get it. Drive it long and hard once or twice a month and enjoy it.

blackdiesel

True, to a point. I know most people buy a truck and trade it off in a few years. Yet the others buy them and run them into the ground. So you'd never get the inital cost back out of the diesel. JMO