Anyone went from Diesel back to a Gas Pickup?

[jbh]

Just curious if any diesel pickup drivers have went back to a gas powered one.  They just hauled my 2007 $55,000 King Ranch dually to the shop for the umpteenth time in 45,000 miles, and my patience are just about plum exhausted!  I'm not braggin' on the $55,000 part......just admiting how STUPID I was! and that the LEMON LAW is a JOKE!

I'm not pulling a loaded trailer as much as I once was, and I just want to avoid NOT liking a gas once I got it.  Anyone have any input from actual experience before I jump off the cliff! Thanks.

 

[Dero]

I did not go directly from Diesel to gas, I traded my old 7.3 for a Ranger while in college but i will never go back to a diesel either.  I really like my Chevy with the 6.0 and 5 speed, my brother has a Dodge with a Cummins and my ole gasser will haul the same load.

 

[CAB]

  I wouldn't have a problem going back to a gas if they could make a big enough motor to get the power you want without having to sacrifice mpg. Seems like if you get a good diesel they are hard to beat, but if you get a lemon, you can't get the taste out of your mouth, it goes on for ever & ever!!! Brad what motor does your PU have in it? I purposely bought an older PU this summer B/C I didn't want Ford's 6 L. engine.Brent

 

[knabe]

excluding the service issue, expect more of the same for any energy related industry.

conversion to electric vehicles is the worst where coal will be used.

with insects being confused by skyscrapers and laying eggs where their not supposed to, i can only imagine the number of solar panels necessary to fuel all the electric vehicles.  

compounded with amnesty, the high cost of housing, in my county, it's $50,000 in fees alone, thinks are going to get interesting where the money is going to come from with jobs leaving the country.  it's taken 30 years for prop 13 to have an effect in CA, and the progressives still won't cut programs and keep selling it as a "we can't cut funding to schools,so lets raise taxes".

i wonder where california is going to get the money for services and schooling from chain migration from amnesty and where are they going to live?

at what point will liberals discuss immigration in terms of global warming?  can't have it both ways.  i guess the taxation into prosperity is still their model.

maybe they want conservatives to commit suicide and reduce the population that way.  with the elimination of the church, they will get rid of the restrictions on birth control from the pope.  i'm not sure what their strategy is other than using people to keep any opposition from getting any traction.

 

[jbh]

  I wouldn't have a problem going back to a gas if they could make a big enough motor to get the power you want without having to sacrifice mpg. Seems like if you get a good diesel they are hard to beat, but if you get a lemon, you can't get the taste out of your mouth, it goes on for ever & ever!!! Brad what motor does your PU have in it? I purposely bought an older PU this summer B/C I didn't want Ford's 6 L. engine.Brent

6.0 of course!  You did the right thing Brent......the only thing I hear that you ever had to replace on the old 7.3 is the camshaft sensor, and a buddy of mine keeps a spare with him at all times.  Why would they not go back to it?  That would make way too much sense!

 

[knabe]

6.0 of course!  You did the right thing Brent......the only thing I hear that you ever had to replace on the old 7.3 is the camshaft sensor, and a buddy of mine keeps a spare with him at all times.  Why would they not go back to it?  That would make way too much sense!

govt regulations.  in-lines have more torque than v-design.

to me, the best use of hybrid technology is for reduced emissions during acceleration, reducing the need to modify engine design at cruising speeds.

but, the government won't allow that.  democracy in action.  paine and jefferson warned against democracy.  the reason i use these two names, is because progressives continually use them to fight FOR democracy, rather than a republic, and rights of the majority, rather than minority rights which they abhor.

 

[jason]

Sold my 7.3 powerstoke and went to a Hemi.  At the time, both gas and diesel were high.  However I bought used and was able to get a hemi 4x4 for about $8000 less than I could find a comparable cummins.

 

[knabe]

any news on when you can you get the 6.1 hemi?

jason, did you get an auto or man?

how much weight do you pull?

 

[klintdog]

There was a very short period between my PowerStroke and Duramax where I went back to the V-10 gas engine. The first time you tow with it you're going to pull your hair out. I was so used to having that low end torque and being able to tromp on it when I wanted to that it drove me nuts towing with the gas engine. I also love to know that if I'm in a tight spot I can stand on the pedal and I'll get out of there. With a gas it seems it takes quite a bit more time to build the acceleration and get moving. I made it a whopping 3 months and got into a Duramax instead. Right now I'm driving an 08 3500 Chevy and have had fairly good luck, with the exception of typical GM nonsense.

The only advantages I can see to a gas:
cheaper fuel (typically made up for by lower mpg)
Start it in the winter and it'll get warmer faster
Sometimes better in snow due to a lighter front end
Cheaper parts

That's about it.

My $.02

 

[Dusty]

If I did a lot of pulling of a full trailer I would have a diesel.  If not it doesn't pay to have a diesel.  I have an 03 Chevy 2500 with a 6.0 and I can pull a few head(6-8) fine and still get decent mileage empty (14-15).  That and my truck doesn't gel up when it gets to 0 out.  The fuel that is being sold now ain't what it used to be...

 

[sawboss]

I have an '01 F250 with the 7.3 diesel that has 225,000 miles and still a workhorse.  I just purchased an '08 F350 with the 6.4 twin turbo diesel.  I pulled my trailer today for the first time in the new truck and love the response of the engine while hauling.  The workhorse part on the new one will be determined after more miles.  I love the suspension on the new truck versus the straight axle on the old model, much smoother ride.

 

[Doc]

I sold my '95 7.3 in '07 with 300,000 on it . Found a '99 one owner with 85k on it to replace it with. I just left the Ford dealer a minute ago from having a little work done & the mechanic was telling me all the problems they were having with 6.0 & the 6.4. He said he will be glad when Ford comes out with their own motor in 2010 & get rid of these International motors.

 

[CAB]

govt regulations.  in-lines have more torque than v-design. quote Knabe.

Not when they're sitting in the shop half the time.

I thought it was the thing to do Brad.I bought private. The guy said that he would stand behind the PU for 30 days. Day 43 it puked itself on I80/235 just east of the Jordan Creek exit. Still sitting waiting to be worked on. I had just put 1400 miles on the PU. Oh well, what are you going to do? Brent

 

[yousesteers]

I like my diesel all though it sits in the machine shed most of the time I have a gas pick up for a farm truck and the diesel goes on trips and pulls the trailers often sits there hooked on to the trailer used to be we had only gas trucks and got by just fine but the more I haul the more I like the diesel I got a 05 duramax dually with the Allison never had any problem with it. The guy that hauls our contract hogs has to 04 6.0 powerstrokes and there is always something wrong with at least one of them both have had the front end completly rebuilt with tierods and ball joints and turbos one has had 2 the other 1. One of them is getting traded off at 114000 because it needs a transmission just my expierence with them but I would buy another duramax and if given the ford trade it in on a duramax

 

[jbh]

There was a very short period between my PowerStroke and Duramax where I went back to the V-10 gas engine. The first time you tow with it you're going to pull your hair out. I was so used to having that low end torque and being able to tromp on it when I wanted to that it drove me nuts towing with the gas engine. I also love to know that if I'm in a tight spot I can stand on the pedal and I'll get out of there. With a gas it seems it takes quite a bit more time to build the acceleration and get moving. I made it a whopping 3 months and got into a Duramax instead. Right now I'm driving an 08 3500 Chevy and have had fairly good luck, with the exception of typical GM nonsense.

The only advantages I can see to a gas:
cheaper fuel (typically made up for by lower mpg)
Start it in the winter and it'll get warmer faster
Sometimes better in snow due to a lighter front end
Cheaper parts


See, that's the thing that also scares me the most about a gas......those tight spots that you want out of in a hurry!  And, if you do get a gas that can get you out of the tight spots......you can't get it to go by a gas station without stopping for a fill up!

That's about it.

My $.02

 

[justintime]

I have run diesel trucks since 1985 with good luck. Three years ago, I was looking for another dually as the one I was driving was getting huge on miles. I found a one ton Chevy dually crew cab with a short box with over $5000 of extra chrome and accessories added. It was a 2000 model and it had 18,000 miles on it. The only catch was that it was a gas model. It looked like it had come out of a show room as it was kept in immaculate condition. I decided that I could not use it as it was a gas truck, that is until I found out that I could buy it for $25,000 less than a similar diesel truck without the added frills. I decided i could buy a bunch of gas for the difference in prices.

I have put a pile of miles on this truck ... and i have put a pile of gas in it as well.... but I do not think i could ever put more than $25,000 more gas in than diesel would cost. It has an amazing amount of power and i can pull a 24 ft trailer packed full of cattle and sometimes almost forget that I have a trailer on behind.  I kept my old diesel dually as well, and it doesn't owe me anything. It doesn't have the power of my gas dually... never did and never will.

 

[BCCC]

Theres only one V10 gasser I would pull anything with and that would be dodges. The truck will only get about 6mpg weather it loaded or unloaded, but it will pull what ever you put behind it. Not gonna lie the way I drive my dodge cummins only get about 8-12mpg, however if your not a teenager that loves the black smoke the cummins are great getting about 18-22 mpg. However, I am now in the proscess of buying a new truck(well a new to me) and not sure which way I want to jump. I say it wont pull often now but I am sure it will end up getting pulled with more then I expect. It also be my daily driver, so I am thinking I will go with another cummins just because they will run forever and hold their value(and blow lots of black smoke lol)

 

[F5CHASER]

99% of ALL of the over the road big rigs are in-line 6 engines....so is the Dodge Cummins.  They have the best engine for passenger trucks BAR NONE.  I consistently get 22 mpg with my 4wd on the highway and 15 pulling a loaded 24' trailer.  I have all kinds of friends with both Chevy and Ford diesels with all sorts of problems and I feel sorry for them as they paid big $$$ for them.  The only true good V-8 diesel is the Detroit and the Caterpillar.  Anyway us Dodge peeps are not in much better shape either if Dodge closes it doors.

 

[GONEWEST]

Unless you get a lemon, the diesel engine just lasts so much longer than a gas. If you are going to trade every couple of years it doesn't matter. I pull my trailer with a 1994 Ford F-350 that pulls, rides and drives like it did the day I bought it new. If there were a reason to by another I would have, but I can't see paying $55,000 for a new one when this one is as good as it was 15 years ago. Still gets 13 mpg, never, ever been in the shop for an engine related problem.

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

I have used both, and it really depends on what you are willing to pay.  If you can afford a diesel then get it, they are just better motors especially for pulling.  If not then get a gasser and trade it in at 65,000 miles or so.  Also I worked at a dealership for a while and we never sold a 6.0L ford without it coming back for something major.