diesel vs hemi

[vanettend]

Looking for opinions and sugestions here. will be looking for a new truck soon and am worndering will the cummins really be worth it. would i just be spending more for a truck to get 18mpg on the hwy but pay more for fuel. i currenty put on 30,000 miles a yr and only keep trucks for about 3 yrs. we are looking at getting a around a 30ft travel trailer (prob to only pull around 5-10 times a yrs). i am just trying to figure if a can justify the cost in only having the truck for three yrs. on a side note were is that 1/2 ton diesel, i would be all over that in a heart beat. thanks for any comments guys

 

[Noved]

How heavy is the Travel Trailer?

 

[vanettend]

we have not narrowed down on trailers but i would guess all loaded up around 9k, just a rough guess not a determing factor in this, i just want to keep my costs close to the same and not be spending money just to do it

 

[Musclemckeester]

You'd be best off pulling a 9k trailer with a diesel; that's more than the 1500 is rated for.

EDIT, towing rating actually ranges on drivetrain and gears. So you COULD get a 1500 that would tow 9k but you're going to be pushing it by the time you add in food, clothes, bikes, etc.

 

[Noved]

I would probably get a 2500 and since your only pulling 5-10 times a year you can get away with a Hemi but get the 4.10 gears. If you live in extremely hilly terrains like the climb to the Eisenhower Tunnel I would probably recommend the diesel more. A 1500 Hemi with 3.92 gears has a 10000 or a little more tow rating depending on cab choice but I do not know if even I would like my own 1500 towing 9k 5-10 times a year normally. My 3.92 geared 1500 quad 4x4 is rated at 10050 pounds max tow and I treat 9-10050 as a once in a while only load.

 

[Chewy]

The diesel will make the job A LOT easier, but if you setup a gasser the right way, it'll suffice.

 

[streetdoctor]

definitely gasser. 9k LOADED like you stated will be fine, especially if it's only a handful of times a year. I just went through the same debate. Do the numbers and figure out the price difference. For me I would be spending about $1000 more a year in fuel alone (not including the initial upgraded cost of the diesel).

My Hemi is also getting 17mpg (6 speed) average hwy/street

 

[streetdoctor]

given current prices and a hemi getting 17mpg and a diesel 15/mpg you're looking at an annual fuel difference of $1100, or 3300 over 3 years. Is an extra 3300 plus 10k or so to get the diesel worth it to pull a trailer 5 times a year?

 

[Davy120]

17??? Towing a 9k trailer? Yea right. I never see above 15 NOT towing. A diesel will give you better mpg and better towing capability, but will cost more in the long run for fuel. A Hemi will give you crappy mpg and less towing capacity with lower fuel costs. So really if it was me I would go diesel, your mpg won't be bad while just daily driving either if you plan on that.

A modder is never truly done, he is merely delayed!

 

[streetdoctor]

17??? Towing a 9k trailer? Yea right. I never see above 15 NOT towing. A diesel will give you better mpg and better towing capability, but will cost more in the long run for fuel. A Hemi will give you crappy mpg and less towing capacity with lower fuel costs. So really if it was me I would go diesel, your mpg won't be bad while just daily driving either if you plan on that.

A modder is never truly done, he is merely delayed!

EVERYDAY driving buddy... you really want to base your mileage off towing a trailer 5 times a year? LOL Like I said my brand new '13 Hemi 6 speed gets 17mpg mixed hwy / street

I did the math for you above, you're wrong. I hear a lot of people brag about there diesel's everyday mpg but no one I know with one gets better than 15

 

[Davy120]

Oh I missed the '13 part Haha. And idk my father in laws auto cummins averages 21. And one of my buddys running a 02 cummins with a manual swap averages 25.....

A modder is never truly done, he is merely delayed!

 

[dogcar3]

The diesel will be more responsive to after market parts for increased MPG and power. So getting to a 20+ MPG diesel would not be very hard IMO.

 

[arod412]

too many if's here to say hemi.... 9k (that's close to pushing it with the right rear setup) and you do it 5-10 times a year..plus you put 30k miles a year on your truck so thats alot. I'm guessing diesel just because it's stronger and longer lasting.

 

[streetdoctor]

too many if's here to say hemi.... 9k (that's close to pushing it with the right rear setup) and you do it 5-10 times a year..plus you put 30k miles a year on your truck so thats alot. I'm guessing diesel just because it's stronger and longer lasting.

but he only holds a truck for 3 years... at 90k miles the diesel isn't even broken in yet and he's selling it

I'm really not biased. I guess it comes down to if you want a diesel or not. I think they're definitely more cool.

 

[jlb]

You need a 1/2 ton hemi with the right gears.

However, it seems you want a 3/4 ton diesel. I suspect you will be buying the diesel lol.

 

[storeboy]

It all comes down to what you prefer. For pulling 9k pounds on a somewhat regular basis, you deffinately want to step up to the 2500. You can get a 2500 with gas or diesel, I would just try to do a rough guess which is going to be cheaper for you in the long run (mileage on a daily basis and towing, cost of fuel, and upcharge for the diesel initially).

If you go gas, just make sure to get the 3.92 or 4.10 gears. There are tuning options for both gas and diesel, but you will get better results on the diesel.

 

[smiley]

If you can afford the higher up front cost the diesel will be better. You can tow 9k with 1500 done it but will certainly want weight distribution hitch if you go that roughy especially on 1500.

My theory is this always go bigger than you need and you will be trouble free. Anytime you are pushing max capacities and using the vehicle towards top end of limits it is going to be way harder on it. If the 4th gen 2500 would have been out when I bought my truck I would have bought a 2500 or even 3500 because I never know what I will end up towing on my parents farm.

That new 3500 Cummins with Aisin and insane output has me drooling and if I can ever swing it that is what I want.


$miley

 

[spankis]

Alrighty, another diesel thread. I always feel the need to set the record straight, since there are a lot of claims/misconceptions out there about diesels. Here goes my novel....

The diesel will be more responsive to after market parts for increased MPG and power. So getting to a 20+ MPG diesel would not be very hard IMO.

Firstly, the overhead mileage display calculator is known as the lie-o-meter by cummins owners. It is widely accepted as generally pretty inaccurate on the diesels. If a diesel guy claims *** mileage, ask him whether or not he's reading the display, or hand calculating his figures.

On a 2007.5+ 6.7 liter Cummins truck, 20+ is not easy to attain. It is unlikely that you will ever do better than 16-17 empty with the factory turbo and factory emissions components in place (and that's driving very conservatively, flat terrain, etc.). More commonly, factory 6.7 Cummins trucks average 13-15mpg empty when driven normally. The higher mileage figures you hear about on Dodge diesels are much more commonplace on the older 5.9s, with very limited emissions equipment and smaller displacement.

As for deleting the emissions equipment, and adding aftermarket parts and/or a tuner - do some research on the recent changes to tuners regarding emissions laws. It has become VERY difficult, nearly impossible, to buy tuners that disable emissions and add much power to Diesel Particulate Filter/ Diesel Exhaust fluid -equipped diesel trucks. The Federal Gov't and the EPA have made it illegal to sell these tuners in the United States.

All that aside, if you manage find an old (pre-ban) tuner with a VIN-license active, you can delete your emissions equipment and see 18-19mpg driving conservatively. But be aware that this is becoming tougher and tougher, so don't expect to buy a truck and be able to buy a tuner off the shelf.

It all comes down to what you prefer. For pulling 9k pounds on a somewhat regular basis, you deffinately want to step up to the 2500. You can get a 2500 with gas or diesel, I would just try to do a rough guess which is going to be cheaper for you in the long run (mileage on a daily basis and towing, cost of fuel, and upcharge for the diesel initially).

If you go gas, just make sure to get the 3.92 or 4.10 gears. There are tuning options for both gas and diesel, but you will get better results on the diesel.

As noted, tuning options are becoming more and more limited. Do some research.

I do agree with the step up to a 2500 statement however, though I think a 2500 gas truck is silly. Compared to a 1500 gas truck, you get a better chassis to support what you're towing, but you get no more power to drag a trailer around with, and you're encumbering that same gas engine with the significant weight penalty of the 2500 chassis even when empty. If you're happy leaving the engine mostly stock, you will be very happy with the towing performance of the diesel. The mileage, even empty, should be better with the diesel than with a gas 2500 truck, though diesel fuel is currently more expensive, so consider that also. Say the gas 2500 gets 12-13 empty, and 7 or 8 when towing, while the diesel gets at least 14-16 empty, and 10-11 when towing. The available torque of the diesel means it just doesn't mind towing as much, and as such you don't such a dramatic drop in mileage with a trailer in tow.

My dad has a 2010 2500 Cummins, and I have a 2007 2500 Cummins, so these numbers are from my own experience towing a 10k travel trailer. Do some reading and you'll see that most other owners see similar figures. My dad's truck is stock, and my truck is tuned with emissions equipment deleted. I bought my tuner in December of last year, just before the EPA imposed it's bans and new restrictions on tuner manufacturers.

If you can afford the higher up front cost the diesel will be better. You can tow 9k with 1500 done it but will certainly want weight distribution hitch if you go that roughy especially on 1500.

My theory is this always go bigger than you need and you will be trouble free. Anytime you are pushing max capacities and using the vehicle towards top end of limits it is going to be way harder on it. If the 4th gen 2500 would have been out when I bought my truck I would have bought a 2500 or even 3500 because I never know what I will end up towing on my parents farm.

That new 3500 Cummins with Aisin and insane output has me drooling and if I can ever swing it that is what I want.
$miley

I agree with a lot of the above^^.

If you're planning on towing much at 90% or more of rated towing capacity, you probably need the 2500. Forcing a 1500 to work that hard for very long is going to lead to rear end wear, wheel bearing wear, and other engine related items from revving to the moon to the make the power necessary to keep a trailer at 70mph.

I speak from experience, and I now own a 2500 diesel (that should tell you something) .

As for the new 2013 Aisin 6spd trans/ 850 ft. lb 6.7 Cummins truck, it REALLY should be a beast, though it's way overkill for towing 9 or 10k. My dad has had 65k trouble free miles out of his BONE stock 2010 2500 Cummins, but even he is looking at the 2013s with the Aisin.

 

[dogcar3]

My buddies 05 one ton crew cab cummins that gets 18 to 20 on his daily commute. Stock. Hand calc'd. My brothers 11 crew cab duramax sees 20 plus on his normal driving. Stock. He can reach 25 on highway no prob. My dads 02 powerstroke sees 18 plus normal driving.

So reaching 20+ on a diesel should not be hard IMO. Just stay off the skinny pedal.

And a tuner is going to do more for a diesel the it will for a gasser.

 

[spankis]

My buddies 05 one ton crew cab cummins that gets 18 to 20 on his daily commute. Stock. Hand calc'd. My brothers 11 crew cab duramax sees 20 plus on his normal driving. Stock. He can reach 25 on highway no prob. My dads 02 powerstroke sees 18 plus normal driving.

So reaching 20+ on a diesel should not be hard IMO. Just stay off the skinny pedal.

And a tuner is going to do more for a diesel the it will for a gasser.

I was referring only to Cummins trucks as far as mileage figures, since I thought that's what the OP was discussing.

I would absolutely believe the 18-20 out of an 05 Cummins pretty easily, as that is 5.9 non-VGT turbo truck. Duramaxes are known for better mileage, so that wouldn't surprise me either.

Let's not talk about the Powerstroke .