Who actually tows with their FI truck?
May 29, 2013 | 08:54 AM
#11
^ bingo
For what I do and use my truck for there is no way I would buy a diesel.
I tow once a month and its an open dual axle car trailer with a 3000-4000 lb vechicle on it. It tows great. mileage is the same before and after the turbo while towing.
If you plan on towing heavier loads and for hundreds of miles, a diesel is a no brainer.
really depends on what u are doing.
For what I do and use my truck for there is no way I would buy a diesel.
I tow once a month and its an open dual axle car trailer with a 3000-4000 lb vechicle on it. It tows great. mileage is the same before and after the turbo while towing.
If you plan on towing heavier loads and for hundreds of miles, a diesel is a no brainer.
really depends on what u are doing.
May 29, 2013 | 08:58 AM
#12
I finally decided to leave the deisel trucks alone after spending thousands in repairs. Finding fuel is more difficult, they make more noise, they run rough first thing in the morning, you have to pay a huge premium to own one over gas motors, the fuel is more expensive as well. They are crazy complicated to work on at home for most people.
My gas motor fires right up when cold, and runs smooth immediately. I can get fuel anywhere, and almost always less than deisel. I can build a forged engine to take a beating for the cost of one set of injectors. The half tons are more quiet, ride way better unloaded and the transmissions shift smoother. I get worse fuel mileage when towing with gas rather than diesel, but the same or better unloaded, and the fuel is cheaper.
I could only justify a diesel again if I were towing heavy (10,000lbs or more) quite a lot. I do miss the cab size of my F250, but in reality have only had adults in the back seat like twice in the past two years. You have to be honest with yourself about how you mainly use the truck, and when I did that it was a pretty easy decision to go back to gas.
P.S. I thought my deisel was fast. Ha. My truck would blow the doors off a deisel unless it was tuned to the verge of reliability, but with emissions being what they are now for diesels they are already less than perfectly reliable.
My gas motor fires right up when cold, and runs smooth immediately. I can get fuel anywhere, and almost always less than deisel. I can build a forged engine to take a beating for the cost of one set of injectors. The half tons are more quiet, ride way better unloaded and the transmissions shift smoother. I get worse fuel mileage when towing with gas rather than diesel, but the same or better unloaded, and the fuel is cheaper.
I could only justify a diesel again if I were towing heavy (10,000lbs or more) quite a lot. I do miss the cab size of my F250, but in reality have only had adults in the back seat like twice in the past two years. You have to be honest with yourself about how you mainly use the truck, and when I did that it was a pretty easy decision to go back to gas.
P.S. I thought my deisel was fast. Ha. My truck would blow the doors off a deisel unless it was tuned to the verge of reliability, but with emissions being what they are now for diesels they are already less than perfectly reliable.
To make big power on either takes money, so that's a wash in my book.
May 29, 2013 | 09:00 AM
#13
I agree.. Diesels are nice for towing heavy, but my truck is a heck of alot cheaper than any diesel.
Im doin something similar to the killer chiller and wanna try it out with my intercooler moved away from the heat of the Radiator/AC condensor.
My old setup with the Intercooler water goin to the heater core i could tow with IATs below ambient with the AC kicking.
Im doin something similar to the killer chiller and wanna try it out with my intercooler moved away from the heat of the Radiator/AC condensor.
My old setup with the Intercooler water goin to the heater core i could tow with IATs below ambient with the AC kicking.
May 29, 2013 | 09:06 AM
#14
I disagree with you on almost all of your points after having owned a stroked turbo gas truck and two completely stock Duramax trucks. I was sinking money into my stroker truck left and right, and hesitated to drive it anywhere besides in town for fear of not making it to my destination. Both of the diesels have been dead on reliable. First was an 06 LBZ with 85k miles (155k when I sold it), second is the current LML that I bought brand new and now has 45k on it. The diesels will lug around a ton of weight like it's not even there, where the gas trucks are strained quite a bit. Not that it's not doable, but diesels light years ahead in that department. I daily drove both Duramax trucks, use them to commute, and the fuel mileage is probably 50% better empty, and double when loaded, than I ever got out of my gasser.
To make big power on either takes money, so that's a wash in my book.
To make big power on either takes money, so that's a wash in my book.
Your engine build was keeping you back tho.. id put any of your trucks on a trailer and tow them across country with my silverado. Mine has never overheated engine or trans. i even held it to the floor with a load of wet sand (~12,000#) goin thru town and my Coolant never budged from 190*, trans never got over 150*.
Towed my Tahoe home (6000+1650=7650#) 60miles or so and never had an issue.
a 4wd Ditchwitch that my buddy didnt want to pull with is F150, tag on it showed it grossed 16,000 dry, plus a trailer to tow it. Mine did great again. Coolant hit 205 before i got on the interstate but come right back down to 190 when i got up to speed. Pretty sure thats the load that bent my frame
May 29, 2013 | 09:10 AM
#15
9 Second Club
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 222
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From: Southaven, MS
I disagree with you on almost all of your points after having owned a stroked turbo gas truck and two completely stock Duramax trucks. I was sinking money into my stroker truck left and right, and hesitated to drive it anywhere besides in town for fear of not making it to my destination. Both of the diesels have been dead on reliable. First was an 06 LBZ with 85k miles (155k when I sold it), second is the current LML that I bought brand new and now has 45k on it. The diesels will lug around a ton of weight like it's not even there, where the gas trucks are strained quite a bit. Not that it's not doable, but diesels light years ahead in that department. I daily drove both Duramax trucks, use them to commute, and the fuel mileage is probably 50% better empty, and double when loaded, than I ever got out of my gasser.
To make big power on either takes money, so that's a wash in my book.
To make big power on either takes money, so that's a wash in my book.
May 29, 2013 | 09:16 AM
#16
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: southern Oklahoma
im in the opposite boat, im lookin to get rid of my dmax and turbo a gas 3/4 ton.
what are the thoughts on twins like the ecoboost? would twins be better or worse for towing?
ps ill sell my dmax way less than 30, and its a 06 lbz.
what are the thoughts on twins like the ecoboost? would twins be better or worse for towing?
ps ill sell my dmax way less than 30, and its a 06 lbz.
May 29, 2013 | 09:25 AM
#17
I used my powerstroke to commute too. It was my daily driver, and it would tow better than gas, but that is where the benefit ends. Anybody saying that diesels are getting good fuel mileage is lying to themselves to justify the purchase. They get better fuel mileage towing and that's it. To clarify my stance 1-2 miles per gallon do not make up for the added cost of fuel. I hand calculated mine all the time to try and make myself feel better, but finally had to be honest it was only getting 15 hwy at 75-80. That is not the nut swinging 20 or better everyone try's to say.
my last job for a transformer company we had all diesels.. thats when i learn to hate dodges and fords. They left us on side of the roads more than i can remember. Especially when the 6.0 powerchoke come out.
all our trucks were Crew cab 4x4s with stock size bridgestone Duelar AT Revos. we towed tandem axle 16' enclosed trailers with our tools and test equpment. they weighted in at 7850-7875#. Company said we couldnt weigh any more than 15000 gross. and we had 100gal aux tanks in the bed. So when they are full we were a touch over 15
but the dodomax got the best mileage loaded and unloaded out of all our trucks.
The 2002 excursion we drove had a hypertech, intake and full exhaust. It sounded good and at times it got over 20mpg. but it went thru a couple turbos in its 400,000 miles.
Dodomax would get right at 20 unloaded and 13 loaded. Put many a miles on it. towed test equpment to Phoenix,az and it got 10mpg on the dot that trip. We were towing a parachute pretty much. test equipment was right at 9' tall and flat. that trip sucked a whole tank of fuel down each way.
If i had a trailer behind my truck everyday, dodomax would be my first pick.. but i tow maybe every other weekend.
May 29, 2013 | 09:27 AM
#18
get on a ford forum and check out all the guys complaing at their MPG. single digits towing and not so great even unloaded.
May 29, 2013 | 09:51 AM
#19
Your engine build was keeping you back tho.. id put any of your trucks on a trailer and tow them across country with my silverado. Mine has never overheated engine or trans. i even held it to the floor with a load of wet sand (~12,000#) goin thru town and my Coolant never budged from 190*, trans never got over 150*.
Towed my Tahoe home (6000+1650=7650#) 60miles or so and never had an issue.
a 4wd Ditchwitch that my buddy didnt want to pull with is F150, tag on it showed it grossed 16,000 dry, plus a trailer to tow it. Mine did great again. Coolant hit 205 before i got on the interstate but come right back down to 190 when i got up to speed. Pretty sure thats the load that bent my frame
Towed my Tahoe home (6000+1650=7650#) 60miles or so and never had an issue.
a 4wd Ditchwitch that my buddy didnt want to pull with is F150, tag on it showed it grossed 16,000 dry, plus a trailer to tow it. Mine did great again. Coolant hit 205 before i got on the interstate but come right back down to 190 when i got up to speed. Pretty sure thats the load that bent my frame
I used my powerstroke to commute too. It was my daily driver, and it would tow better than gas, but that is where the benefit ends. Anybody saying that diesels are getting good fuel mileage is lying to themselves to justify the purchase. They get better fuel mileage towing and that's it. To clarify my stance 1-2 miles per gallon do not make up for the added cost of fuel. I hand calculated mine all the time to try and make myself feel better, but finally had to be honest it was only getting 15 hwy at 75-80. That is not the nut swinging 20 or better everyone try's to say.
The gasser would get about 8mpg towing, both on the stock 5.3 and stroker/turbo. The D-max, towing the same load was about 15, hence the double. I'm not trying to make myself feel better, the numbers are what they are.
May 29, 2013 | 10:19 AM
#20
9 Second Club
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
From: Southaven, MS
Good points there.
My gasser unloaded never got better than 13 highway. Both Duramax trucks are around 18 highway unloaded, hence the 50% better.
The gasser would get about 8mpg towing, both on the stock 5.3 and stroker/turbo. The D-max, towing the same load was about 15, hence the double. I'm not trying to make myself feel better, the numbers are what they are.
My gasser unloaded never got better than 13 highway. Both Duramax trucks are around 18 highway unloaded, hence the 50% better.
The gasser would get about 8mpg towing, both on the stock 5.3 and stroker/turbo. The D-max, towing the same load was about 15, hence the double. I'm not trying to make myself feel better, the numbers are what they are.
Seriously though, if your truck gets that kind of fuel mileage then that's awesome. I wish I would have owned one.
Last edited by REDCYCLE13; May 29, 2013 at 10:35 AM.