Diesel Trucks

I recently got a 21 Dodge 2500 Laramie. It's got 80,000 miles on it. Just wish they allowed you to delete the EGR and DEF bullshite. Other than that, no issues at all. I tow varying weight loads a couple of times a month. I get about 18 mpg without towing and around 14/15 mpg towing.

If looking for 1/2 ton I am a big fan of the 3.0 Duramax/Silverado combination.
25 mpg city/30 hwy and 19/20 towing a full size bsssboat

If towing more than 7K I’d probably go with the big Duramax/2500 Series

I drive mostly highway unloaded, occasionally pulling a 17-foot enclosed trailer. I'm mostly looking for improved MPG and want something that will last me 15 years.

Loved that damn thing, hauled everything I needed to, and was great for bringing customers to and from the fields with minimal traffic in the fields. But it got to a point where it was falling apart and when the engine went I just had to let her rest lol.

Thats why I posted earlier - "gun to my head"

Left to my own devices, I wouldn't get a diesel for a personal use vehicle in 2024 unless I was either quite wealthy or perpetually dragging around very big heavy shite.

quote:

---

You need to run the numbers on increased fuel mileage vs higher diesel price.

Diesel is $1 or more per gallon for most trucks (GM truck with the 6.2 take premium so not that big of a difference)

---

I try to be a bit objective about this. I get around 18 mpg average between all the driving I do. That's mileage divided by the gallons I put in and not the display reading. I bought my diesel Dec 30, 2023, and diesel hasn't quite hit $1 more than gas, and for a good bit of the year it was only a few cents higher per gallon than gas. Seems to hover between $.30-$.50 more than gas and right now it's around $.80 more than gas. I haven't figured out the correlation between diesel and gas prices honestly, but that's how it's been this year.

My buddy has a Ram 2500 gasser same year model (2021) and he gets 13 mpg. It is the Power Wagon, so the gearing in it is more of an offroad gearing than highway gearing. I'd guess the higher gear ratio option would get 15 mpg. Regardless, my truck gets 38% better fuel economy than his truck, and 20% better than a truck with a more favorable gear ratio. Diesel hasn't been running 38% more than gas for most of the year, although right now I believe it is more than 38%.

DEF is an added cost, but I go through 2 jugs every 2 months or so. A little more frequently if I tow more often. It's $8-9 a jug if you look for it. It's an added cost, but not astronomical.

Oil and fuel filters are a bit more expensive on the diesel. My buddy spends $160 for every 2 oil changes, whereas I spend $280 or so and that is 10,000 miles per change. Fuel filters get changed every other oil change which is the reason for using 2 oil changes as the metric here.

My truck was within $2k of my buddy's gasser. His had more options and mine had the diesel but both are Laramie interiors. I'd say $5k of my price was the diesel option. So $5k more on the truck price.

It's really nice towing with a diesel vs. a gas truck. There is no comparison.

And the last part I haven't had to experience yet is any sort of maintenance cost, and I'm not even going to argue there. I expect it to be quite a bit higher on the diesel.

I'm not advocating that a diesel is the most logical or fiscally responsible vehicle for most people. It is overall more expensive but my experience so far is that it isn't absurdly more expensive.

If you're not towing anything heavy, look into the 3.0 Duramax in the 1/2 ton.


Towing heavy, the F-250 is by far superior to the competition. The late model 6.7 Powerstroke will outrun and outpull the cummins and duramax.

I average 20mpg unloaded with mine. 11.5-12 pulling my loaded 24' enclosed trailer.

Before you buy that truck do your home work! the oil pump is belt driven . and installed behind the motor between the motor and the transmission and takes 12 hr. to change. ( inside the oil sump, an have to split the motor an trans to change) they said the belt can go between 100k mile before changing but I know they have been changing them at the 60 to 70 k range. Have a family member that's owns a shop. Other than that good motor but the oil pump think is fk up.

We don't talk enough about how NVH standards have driven up costs and driven down reliability of pickup trucks.

Oil pump inside the oil pan isn't inherently a bad idea. Its done on many large industrial engines. Belt driving stuff inside the engine is a bad idea. The only reason it's done is noise. The only reason dodge got rid of the mechanical lifter cummins is noise. The only reason Ford still uses the CP4 fuel pump is noise. The only reason RAM wanted to use the CP4 pump is noise.

You could have a cheaper and more reliable engine if the manufacturers would tolerate a little gear and valve rattle. BUT, the market has proven its not what they want. Platinum edition 4x4's are both what sells and what has the big time margins on it, and the original owner isn't keeping it out of warranty anyway, so why would they shrink their own margins?