6.7L ..... Worth It?

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metro ATL
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2022
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6.4
I have a 2013 3500 Bighorn diesel and it tows great! My issue is that it is my everyday truck. Trading down in size to a 2020 2500 Hemi Longhorn...I figured I would not have an issue towing my boat (26ft center console, approx 6500lbs at capacity)......this thread has me second guessing myself.

Welcome. You will have zero issues towing 6500 lbs with a 2500 Hemi.
 

06 Dodge

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I sure hope you Diesel Brothers have extra filters, oil, and fuel on standby. My friends are having problems finding filters and oil. Moreover, I keep hearing - 'here or there' - there's shortages of parts, oil, & filters. If these parts become unavailable, do people think those items won't go to transport over citizens? What happens when there's barely enough diesel to deliver food?

Diesel is 5.15 and gas is 3.55, so it doesn't take a mathematician to see they equal out with mileage. However, after you add DEF and the extra maintenance - diesel is currently more expensive to run. Since we're bringing up resale, we should bring up the added insurance premium to run diesel engines. My insurance would have been $17 more a month to have a Cummings.

JIC, gas is 68.9% of the price for 1 gallon of diesel, in GA. If a diesel only gets 30% more milage, than its a wash, until you add up the other diesel costs. I only see 20-25% better rate, but that's math without feelings. Using examples here, I see 7.5-9 gas vs 10-12 diesel towing, using worst-to-worst or best-to-best those are under 30%. Without towing the differences are still the same with consumption (14-17 gas 19-22 diesel).

I wanted a diesel badly, I've never owned one, and will still get one if parts, fuel, and service come back to pre-"pandemic." My prediction is, 3/4 & 1-TON GASSERS will be more coveted and demand higher $ soon, because of these issues.
Have 1 oil filters on hand 3 more in transit (I always have one full set of oil & fuel filters in the truck at all times) and one full set of fuel with more on the way ( most diesel owners think ahead) the shortage is on the OEM fuel filters due to warranty because their is only one manufacture that makes the 3 micron Nanonet fuel filter, the Mopar fuel filter is a rebranded Cummins filter, if your engine is not under warranty there are other cheaper fuel filters available that come close to the 3 micron Nanonet. Don't forget to factor in every 30K the Hemi needs 8 plugs replaced, then who knows how long coils & spark plug wires last, a diesel has none of that, don't forget the average diesel engine will last longer then the body of the truck its in. I'm not trying to get you to buy one over the other just adding in things that should also be factored in. My self I do not see a gas truck being worth more then a diesel truck any time in the future...
 
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@06 Dodge I'm glad you're somewhat prepared, but what about all the other diesel owners? It isn't about one person. Specifically, my acquaintances/friends are having problems ordering diesel oil or finding enough of it to stock. I don't see where we're at ending well for any of us with oil-based products. At the very least, it will take time to recover from what is happening.

I never said a GASSER would be worth more than an OILER. I stated GASSERS would be more coveted because of parts, fuel, cost, and dependability. I do not see anyone having a good time with EPA's new regulations on diesels. Across the brands, they're all having problems with emissions.

I would have gotten a diesel if we weren't where we're at currently. There's no denying what's happening around the world with fossil fuels and products. A current diesel is not currently cheaper to run or easier to run than a GASSER. Key words are current and currently.
 

jejb

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6.7 Cummins
@06 Dodge I'm glad you're somewhat prepared, but what about all the other diesel owners? It isn't about one person. Specifically, my acquaintances/friends are having problems ordering diesel oil or finding enough of it to stock. I don't see where we're at ending well for any of us with oil-based products. At the very least, it will take time to recover from what is happening.

I never said a GASSER would be worth more than an OILER. I stated GASSERS would be more coveted because of parts, fuel, cost, and dependability. I do not see anyone having a good time with EPA's new regulations on diesels. Across the brands, they're all having problems with emissions.

I would have gotten a diesel if we weren't where we're at currently. There's no denying what's happening around the world with fossil fuels and products. A current diesel is not currently cheaper to run or easier to run than a GASSER. Key words are current and currently.
Kind of funny that you say gassers will be "more coveted" and yet in both of your posts you are coveting a diesel. And are you saying dependability goes to the gasser?

Fuel prices are closer where I drive. Just made a tow from Northern Wisc to NW Arkansas and prices were 75 cents to a buck difference along my route, and here locally. Makes driving the diesel more cost effective, at least in my case compared to the last gasser 3/4ton I owned. But even if the mileage was a draw or slightly in the gassers favor, I'd take the diesel. So much better towing experience.

I've seen no shortages of filters or oil. Just checked and all the filters are available from my normal online source at the normal prices.

You said "What happens when there's barely enough diesel to deliver food?". Is there some threat of this? I've not heard of it. Why would diesel be harder to get than gas?

EDIT: Forgot to mention, no insult intended, but there is no G in Cummins.
 

06 Dodge

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@06 Dodge I'm glad you're somewhat prepared, but what about all the other diesel owners? It isn't about one person. Specifically, my acquaintances/friends are having problems ordering diesel oil or finding enough of it to stock. I don't see where we're at ending well for any of us with oil-based products. At the very least, it will take time to recover from what is happening.

I never said a GASSER would be worth more than an OILER. I stated GASSERS would be more coveted because of parts, fuel, cost, and dependability. I do not see anyone having a good time with EPA's new regulations on diesels. Across the brands, they're all having problems with emissions.

I would have gotten a diesel if we weren't where we're at currently. There's no denying what's happening around the world with fossil fuels and products. A current diesel is not currently cheaper to run or easier to run than a GASSER. Key words are current and currently.

Before I bought the my current 22 I was looked into buying a truck with a gas engine, based on all of the problems I've read about is why I bought another diesel even with the extra EPA bull its still better then the current generation of gas engines and all of there problems...
 
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@jejb I find it kina funny you don't understand context well. I don't covet any truck - they're for work or hauling. I wanted a diesel because I've never owned a diesel engine or a "big truck." Maybe you have all the parts you want in your area, but that isn't true in metro ATL or other places. Moreover, the shortages I'm anticipating are why I ultimately didn't get a diesel. According to AAA your current avg. for regular is 3.514 and diesel is 4.712. Which is a 24% difference and equal or less to MPG cost gained by diesels. Source: https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=AR

I do appreciate your edit so much. I spelt a neighboring county to me instead of Cummins. Thanks.

@06 Dodge I too saw those problems. My neighbor has always driven RAM HEMI 5.7. It sounds like it's going to throw rods everyday leaving the driveway towing his trailer for work (window guy, it isn't heavy). No warmup or nothing - start and pull away. Horrific sound. However, his old one had over 200k and his new one is well past 100K. They run every day into ATL traffic and come home. Currently, I felt the negatives didn't outweigh the positives with the HEMI. I did not find that with current diesel engines across brands. I didn't know what DEF was until April/22 and I recently learned what the regen talk was about. IME, with any vehicle I own, the biggest problems are always emissions. I do hope I get a trouble-free HEMI.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I only got a RAM because I could build my own. No way I was going to pay well over 50K for truck with - IMO - poorly chosen options. I would have gotten a Godzilla as my first choice. If I want to keep my RAM truck and I'm disappointed with power, I will add a supercharger. I understand it will get worse gas milage and cost close to the upgrade of a diesel engine; however, it's a hypothetical I've considered. My favorite trucks are old HD gassers, and my ultimate hope for my truck is it will invoke the same feelings.

I do wish y'all a great weekend and enjoy the day.
 

HEMIMANN

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Hemi's haven't needed 30k mile spark plug changes for many years. They're at least 100k miles now (dual iridium).

Trying to tow a 7k pound trailer load squatted my 1500 Ram to the jounce bumpers, hence I went to 2500. I wouldn't try to tow any trailer load over 3k pounds with a 1500 Ram.

And forget the air bags up here in the northlands.
 

06 Dodge

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Hemi's haven't needed 30k mile spark plug changes for many years. They're at least 100k miles now (dual iridium).

Trying to tow a 7k pound trailer load squatted my 1500 Ram to the jounce bumpers, hence I went to 2500. I wouldn't try to tow any trailer load over 3k pounds with a 1500 Ram.

And forget the air bags up here in the northlands.
Did not know they made changed to spark plugs, just recall before I left IA fall of 2018 they had a sale on Hemi plug change and had a ton of work because of the price. Airbags why they have to work well being the Cities are in the banana belt of MN or so I was told many times by MSP natives LOL...

As for towing I have been out on the freeway in the Columbia river gorge the past few weekends, seeing the number of 1/2 ton Ram trucks with 5.7L towing 25-35 foot trailers with a sagging rear end is scary, for some reason they seem to think they need to drive 5+ over the speed limit all the while ignoring the fact the truck & trailer are moving around, guess they think they are okay being they are using a WDH o_O I can say I was surprised to see one family with a Grand Cherokee towing a 18-20 foot trailer no sag in the rear used a WDH doing just under the speed limit, they looked like they were enjoying the scenery compared to the others who seem to have a very tight grip on the steering wheel seem to forget that its easy to go fast its another to stop & keep all that weight under control if a tire blows out...
 

HEMIMANN

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Did not know they made changed to spark plugs, just recall before I left IA fall of 2018 they had a sale on Hemi plug change and had a ton of work because of the price. Airbags why they have to work well being the Cities are in the banana belt of MN or so I was told many times by MSP natives LOL...

As for towing I have been out on the freeway in the Columbia river gorge the past few weekends, seeing the number of 1/2 ton Ram trucks with 5.7L towing 25-35 foot trailers with a sagging rear end is scary, for some reason they seem to think they need to drive 5+ over the speed limit all the while ignoring the fact the truck & trailer are moving around, guess they think they are okay being they are using a WDH o_O I can say I was surprised to see one family with a Grand Cherokee towing a 18-20 foot trailer no sag in the rear used a WDH doing just under the speed limit, they looked like they were enjoying the scenery compared to the others who seem to have a very tight grip on the steering wheel seem to forget that its easy to go fast its another to stop & keep all that weight under control if a tire blows out...

It was a change to the coils instead of using legacy low density coils at the start.
That allowed them to use modern spark plugs again.
It was a very strange development - they'd planned a single spark plug, but it didn't meet EPA emissions, so late in development they added a 2nd plug to fix it. The original coil didn't have sufficient density to fire dual coated plugs, so they backed down to plain copper plugs (nickel coated) and waste gate fired the 2nd one.
What a rushed kluge of a design! Those were Daimler-Benz days, I believe.
 

jejb

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I find it kina funny you don't understand context well.
I think I have a handle on it.
Maybe you have all the parts you want in your area, but that isn't true in metro ATL or other places.
You don't have Amazon in ATL? That's where I get my Mopar filters.
Moreover, the shortages I'm anticipating are why I ultimately didn't get a diesel.
Gotcha'. So you're speculating that there will be a diesel shortage and that kept you away from getting a diesel motor. I'd speculate that any fuel shortage will be shared with regular gas users as well. And that could well happen. Refineries are running pretty much full out, so a hurricane in the Texas gulf area could put a crimp in gas/diesel production and run prices up pretty fast.
According to AAA your current avg. for regular is 3.514 and diesel is 4.712. Which is a 24% difference and equal or less to MPG cost gained by diesels. Source: https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=AR
I did notice when we went to town yesterday that the gap had widened to just over a dollar. But I easily make up a 24% difference compared to my gas 3/4tons, towing or not.
I do wish y'all a great weekend and enjoy the day.
Thanks. Same to you.
 
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