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I kinda feel like the diesel owners are thumbing their nose down at us gas owners. It’s almost like a fraternity or class warfare. I wasn’t expecting the snobbery I’m seeing now having bought a 2500. It isn’t everyone but it is a sizable chunk of what I see online.
These my Dad can Beat up your Dad discussions make me laugh really hard.
The right answer completely depends on what you are using the truck for. Gas mileage, resale value, maintenance costs, tire life, and all the other stuff that gets harped on endlessly, have never been what I based my decision on. It was always; what was the best tool for the job.
I have had diesels in the past and they were absolutely the right solution at that time. I have two gas 2500s now because for my current use parameters that is the right answer. I will say I much prefer the gas as a daily driver, especially in -40 weather, but if I was doing enough towing, as in +60% of the time, of stuff 8000+ I would go back to a diesel in a heart beat. My 6.4 will tow stuff fine when needed, but not my pick for full time towing use.
From the issues I've been seeing thats a tough question. All I know is my current truck is the 7.3 Godzilla gas, it towed great and for a 3/4 ton I don't call the fuel mileage bad. Guess thats not much of an answer....NEVER diesel for me.
Don't know if my dad could of beat your dad or not but...My truck the diesel is $10,000 + more than the gasser I have. Forget oil changes being twice on the diesel along with a few other things. Towing my 5th wheel 70 or better I gat about 7 MPG. Kinda stinks right? With the diesel lets say I get 12 MPG towing same trailer. Bear in mind on the interstate I use the speed control to keep me under 80, so not tows just great. Would the diesel tow better, yeah I guess your dad might beat mine!!! Now considering the mileage from FL to Maine round trip lets say 3000 miles. I pay 3.75 for gas, you 4.75 for diesel, although the difference is well more than $1, more like $1.50. You would have to make 24 round trips Fl to Maine to break even, at $1 difference in fuel, where as actually it would be more like 30 round trips. I dare say MOST people will not tow a 5th wheel more than 3000 miles a yr, or 30 times in a life time. Just my 2 cents worth.
But you are acting like the initial cost of the diesel option is lost. In my experience with a few diesel 3/4 tons and a few gas 3/4 tons, I have always gotten at least 90% of that initial cost back when I sold or traded. The diesel option generally holds its value far better than the rest of the truck. So the payoff point is only around $1000 in your example.
Those are not mutually exclusive. You can have the diesel and all the bells and whistles.
The drivetrain in my 2020-7.3 Godzilla gasser is identical to my son-in-laws 2020- 6.4 diesel with the exception of the engine itself. The jury is still out but local thinking is the added torque (almost double) hast how much affect on the transmission recalls and breakdowns he has had opposed to mine. The difference in fuel cast alone is closer to $1.50 or more as in my “analysis”. Cost difference of 4 oil changes annually and fuel alone actually making it more like 36 round trips Florida to Maine to break even. Sure you get maybe HALF the difference of cost back on trade in but do you? Seeing you spend the full $10,000 + over again when you trade! It’s funny you mention the price at Sam’s club you pd yesterday was .70 difference, it was way over $1 ar Sam’s club in Daytona beach Fl just yesterday but I refused to sit in line half an hr anyhow to save a couple bucks over the other local stations. I know something about the big difference in his costs compared to mine. P.S. fuel prices Daytona Beach yesterday, 1/11/23
Please show your math. You do realize the diesel has 15K oil change intervals, correct? I do my own oil changes, so that difference would be pretty small for me. As far as the $1.50 difference you used, even your own post showed it as only $1.10. Still a big swing in some areas, I agree, but it would certainly impact your numbers by quite a bit when you're overstating the cost of diesel in your area by more than 35%.
Yes, you do. Don't take my word for it, go to a car value site like KBB or Edmunds and check for yourself. Do the price compare on, say, an 18 2500 with all the same options and same miles, except the motor. And compare the difference to the price of the Cummins on an 18 2500, not a 22/23. I just did this recently since I just traded my 18 Ram 2500 CTD on a 22 Ram 2500 CTD. The CTD held more than 90% of it's value. The rest of the truck did not come close to that, even in the crazy trade in world we're just coming out of. The SO Cummins option on my 18 was an MSRP of $8700. I actually did that comparison earlier in this thread, post #82:
www.ramforum.com
I didn't mean to imply that everyone was at .70 cent difference. I meant it to show that the math as far as any MPG savings can change dramatically depending on local pricing.
At current stock market returns and given the current inflation rate, you'd be better off having spent the money on the diesel!
I was mostly kidding about the investment, speaking about just over the last couple of years, hence the inflation reference. I guess I should have put a smiley icon at the end of that.
