Towing with Gas vs. Diesel

**jim1521** · 01-30-2019, 07:01 PM

Once we decided on upgrading to a heavier fifth wheel, I saw the writing on the wall and traded in my Titan XD diesel (5/8-ton) and went directly to a 1-ton dually. I knew I was eventually going to end there anyways, so didn't want to buy an interim truck to get me to my FINAL truck. I'm done buying trucks.

**John303** · 01-30-2019, 07:16 PM

See my reply on the process I went through when arriving at my current truck.
https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/showthread.php/14075-Towing-the-303rls/page2

**Dropyerjaws** · 01-30-2019, 07:40 PM

My 1 ton diesel is my daily driver. I enjoy it, except today and tomorrow when the temperatures are -25 without windchill. Otherwise no regrets and I enjoy my rig. Good mileage, fun to drive and always like knowing I can hook up to just about anything with ok worries.

**warsw1** · 01-30-2019, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by asanch68

I never really considered a one ton since I wouldn't prefer to have that as my everyday vehicle but should I make that leap?

If you do some research you will find that there is virtually no difference between a 3/4 ton and a 1 ton other than the yellow sticker on the door. The 1 ton will have a stiffer overload spring than the 3/4 ton, which you never really get into unless you are hauling a lot of weight. Driving them both empty you will not notice much, if any, difference at all.

**jim1521** · 01-30-2019, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by Dropyerjaws

My 1 ton diesel is my daily driver. I enjoy it, except today and tomorrow when the temperatures are -25 without windchill. Otherwise no regrets and I enjoy my rig. Good mileage, fun to drive and always like knowing I can hook up to just about anything with ok worries.

Yeah, same here. Mine is my daily driver. We do have another vehicle though - wife just traded in her 2016 Jeep Cherokee for a 2018 Nissan Armada SL. That's a gas guzzler too, but it's such a comfortable ride that I don't mind paying at the pump.

**asanch68** · 01-31-2019, 06:25 AM

So it sounds like the real advantage to a diesel is the longevity of the engine and reduced overall maintenance. Does your towing experience show that a diesel will perform better at higher altitudes?

**howson** · 01-31-2019, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by asanch68

So it sounds like the real advantage to a diesel is the longevity of the engine and reduced overall maintenance.

The advantage of a diesel engine is the amount of torque provided at a lower RPM. From Ford's 2017 F-250 brochure: 6.2L (gas) has 430 lb.-ft @ 3,800 rpm. The 6.7L (diesel) has 925 @ 1,800-2,000 rpm. That is a real difference you can feel and experience when pulling a heavy load.

Originally Posted by asanch68

Does your towing experience show that a diesel will perform better at higher altitudes?

"Better", in this context, is difficult to quantify. Due to being purpose-built a diesel usually is "better" for frequent and/or heavy towing. A gasoline engine will also tow, but at a higher RPM. (See Ford's brochure. In every category* a diesel can tow more than its gas equivalent. The GCWR is also less in nearly every case for a gasoline vs diesel setup.)

Whether a person goes for a gas or diesel depends on frequency of use, amount being towed, where the load is being towed (lots of tall mountains with tough grades?), etc. Neither a gas or diesel is always the right answer--that's why there are options.

*Gearing can get the weight-distribution numbers nearly identical, if the diesel has 3.31 and the gas has 4.3.

**Cate&Rob** · 01-31-2019, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by asanch68

So it sounds like the real advantage to a diesel is the longevity of the engine and reduced overall maintenance. Does your towing experience show that a diesel will perform better at higher altitudes?

There was a time when a diesel would last forever with little maintenance. With modern DPF and DEF exhaust emission systems, turbochargers and computer controlled fuel systems . . . I'm not sure that "longevity and reduced overall maintenance" is still a fair description of a diesel powertrain.

Any turbocharged engine (gasoline or diesel) will do better than a normally aspirated engine at higher elevations.

With reference to "in every category a diesel can tow more than its gas equivalent" . . . this is true for 3/4 and one ton trucks. In the half ton world, the gasoline Ecoboost can out-haul its diesel equivalent, if the F150 is equipped with the Heavy Payload Package . . . which is not available with the much heavier diesel powertrain.

Rob

**Keebler** · 01-31-2019, 11:50 AM

I find the F350 to be very nice as a daily driver. It's the daily parking that is the challenge. I love the dually and long bed for towing, but there are many parking spots that don't accommodate the truck. When the option is there, I will park on the outskirts of large lots. While on an RV trip with no other options, I have even opted to Uber into the downtown areas of older cities with limited parking.

If you are going to use the truck as a daily driver, I'd recommend considering about the parking options you will be facing. In my case, I do find that I have enough options to make the dually and the long bed work. No doubt that there are times that we are going somewhere (not pulling) and I choose to take the wife's car purely do to parking issues.

I used to tow a TT with a totally capable F150; it towed fine. That said, I would feel some movement when getting passed by an 18 wheeler. Nothing horrible, but it was there. With this setup, it's totally relaxed.

**DaveMatthewsBand** · 01-31-2019, 12:44 PM

Since someone mentioned reliability of diesels...

All I know is from my own personal experience.

I owned a gas F150 for 4 years. I bought it used with 120k miles on it. It was 7 years old. I put 12,000 miles on it because I only worked a few miles away and I was there a lot. That truck was in the shop a dozen times and cost me several thousand dollars in repairs and I never towed with it.
Prior to that I owned various other gas vehicles, Chevy and Dodge and Ford.
They were all in the shop routinely.

I bought my F250 diesel used, 6 years old with 111k miles on it. I had to replace the batteries after 3 months. They were the originals to the vehicle as the manufacturer labels indicated. I have towed with this truck approximately 6,000 miles and have put a total of 24,000 miles on it over the past 2 years. It has never been in the shop and I’ve never done any maintenance to it other than have the oil changed and fuel filters changed.

So far this diesel has proven to be much more reliable than all the other vehicles I’ve ever owned.

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