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OKay I already know what I want and of course I want a diesel. That being said, don't know if its in the cards. So my question to you'allllllllll is; if you are driving a gas burner what kind of mileage are you getting? There aren't to many used diesels for sale right now and I am a Dodge fan at heart and will maybe look at a Chevy but NO to Fords. Have had bad luck with a couple of them.
I have pulled with serveral big block gas engines. Depending on the size of the trailer (height is as much of a factor as total weight BTW) expect something like 7.5-8.5 and that’s on somewhat flat ground.I’ve seen 6ish over extended periods of time
To make the torque to move weight or horse power to keep it moving at a given speed, gas engines just have to turn a lot of RPM’s and that, for the most part, equals lower gas mileage.Much of this has to do with the need for that higher rear end ratio for the gas vs. a diesel if all the other factors are equal – such as the exact same transmission gearing and tire size.So you get poor milage.
If you can possibly find your way to a diesel, used or not, it is a better choice; but you know that.
Please keep another thing in mind – I don’t know about the size of your trailer, but you will be more hard pressed to find used gas 3500’s DRW– and for good reason – they don’t build as many of them and you don’t want an overloaded 2500.
If you want a potential source for used diesels, give me a PM.I don’t sell ‘em or make a dime. I just know where they sometimes are available.
I'm not a big Ford fan either BUT if I were to buy a gasser tow vehicle or Motor home I would choose the Ford v-10.
Actually, if I may, I agree.The V-10 is a quite the gas hog.We had them in fleets.They ran well and pretty reliably. But boy did those two extra cylinders suck the fuel – and I don’t think they gave back all that much for all that fuel based on comparison to the V-8’s we had in like kind vehicles.
Towing our 15000lb 5th wheel down the highway at 61MPH the duramax diesel with allison automatic turns at 1800 RPM. Low RPM equals better fuel mileage.
On a 3-6% percent grade down hill, the exhaust brake will hold the speed at 55-60 MPH so no need to touch the brakes. Don't have to replace the truck brakes as often.
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"Small House, Big Yard "
"May the FOREST be with you" Alfa See-Ya 5'er and 2007 Kodiak C4500 Monroe
If you're buying new, get a diesel. If you're buying 5 or more years older, look into an 8.1L Chevy/GMC. I've an '02 with Gibson exhaust & cold air intake that gets 8 to 9 mpg towing our 10k loaded trailer and a load in the bed at 60 - 70 mph. It only gets 10 -11 without the trailer, but it's sure fun to drive (nothing like almost 500 cubic inches out a loud pipe to wake up Harly drivers!).
If you're buying new, get a diesel. If you're buying 5 or more years older, look into an 8.1L Chevy/GMC. I've an '02 with Gibson exhaust & cold air intake that gets 8 to 9 mpg towing our 10k loaded trailer and a load in the bed at 60 - 70 mph. It only gets 10 -11 without the trailer, but it's sure fun to drive (nothing like almost 500 cubic inches out a loud pipe to wake up Harly drivers!).
The very good thing about the 8.1 is that many have an Allison transmission.That is a very good thing and the 8.1 was a good engine. It is no longer available. (Too bad.) The 8.1 was the only engine (as I recall) which was big enough to warrant an Allison.It is a horse and has 8 cylinders, not 10.I consider that to be a plus in the MPG and maintenance department.It was a proven product not only in trucks but in motor homes as well.
dude in my point of view diesel is the best for all the vehicular because its do not release to much smoke rather then gas and its also not so dangerous..i have Ferrare it is at diesel and it covers 5 km in 1 liter...
I have a 2007 Chevy 2500HD duramax, crew cab, short bed 4x4, it has the manual shift option and airbags. I also use a diesel domination tuner and tune it to there econ 40 setting. It adds a little hp and torque but contrary to their claims it does not improve my mileage at all. I tow a Challenger 32tkb 5th wheel that weighs around 13k when we travel. I get between 10 and 11 mpg on average. This is my second duramax and absolutely swear by them. I have never had any serious drive train isssues and they pull like a champ and my brakes last forever. I am very careful when I am towing to keep it slow and safe when going downhill but I have been over Donner summit, the grape vine and Siskiyou summit in southern ore with absolutely no problem. For me the combination of the Duramax engine and the Allison transmission is awesome.
-- Edited by mesa48 on Saturday 17th of November 2012 04:12:20 PM
We looked for about 2 yrs before we found the truck. It is a 2006 Dodge 3500 1 ton diesel. We had to go to WI to get it, a dealer bought it from someone who never used it. So it was like brand new inside/out and only had 22,000 mi on it. Don't give up!
