Gasser or Diesel

[zaneroni]

Hi we recently bought a Coleman 240RK TT. GVWR is 7400 lbs. We have been towing it using our 2003 expedition with 5.4 and 3.73 gear ratio. It tows okay but I feel like I'm pushing it.

We have been thinking about getting an older model 2003 - 2005 larger truck 3/4 or 1 ton and want to get some opinions on whether to go diesel or gas.

We live in Minnesota and my commute to work is about 44 miles both ways and we'll be towing the TT once or twice a month. Average trip for now will be about 250 - 300 miles each way. Does it make sense to buy a diesel?

Thanks

[franktafl]

Originally Posted by zaneroni

Hi we recently bought a Coleman 240RK TT. GVWR is 7400 lbs. We have been towing it using our 2003 expedition with 5.4 and 3.73 gear ratio. It tows okay but I feel like I'm pushing it.

We have been thinking about getting an older model 2003 - 2005 larger truck 3/4 or 1 ton and want to get some opinions on whether to go diesel or gas.

We live in Minnesota and my commute to work is about 44 miles both ways and we'll be towing the TT once or twice a month. Average trip for now will be about 250 - 300 miles each way. Does it make sense to buy a diesel?

Thanks

I have a NISSAN XD with the CUMMINS Diesel. It's a great truck! Purrs like a kitten. When I get my RV set with the load type hitch, I will like towing even better.

[Tanman]

Towing with a powerhouse diesel does make life easier but there are drawbacks. Maintenance is a little more. Fuel costs a little more than gasoline in most cases I have seen. The best thing is diesel motors seem to last forever.

[RVNevada]

I am with Tanman, I have had all types of RV's from Truck Campers, Trailers 5thwheels and Toy Haulers, Towing with anytype of weight, you are better having a Diesel, if you ever plan to go bigger or going up hill.....Yes Diesel cost more, but get better gas mileage

[dsol]

I would guess loaded you are closer to 9,000 than 8,000 lbs. You should be well within the limits of a gasser and it will be much cheaper. I learned a ton about diesels that "last forever" on my 2006 used Silverado 2500. While the block and heads will last forever there are plenty of other parts that are costly and wear out over time. And of course all those parts won't show any issues until you hook up a trailer and go 65 on the highway. On mine I leaned my injectors were bad ($500 a piece and there are 8 and a lot o labor to install) then there is the injection pump that is around a grand installed. So while the engine will go half a million miles be prepared for big maintenance at 150-200k. You could likely replace your entire gas engine with a new long block for less than those items. Sure towing will be quieter and more fuel efficient with the diesel but you need to decide how important the money versus benefits ranks. Also, remember that trailer manufacturers will tend to rate the ratings lower than practical. (No propane, batteries sometimes, generator if available without one but I can promise you that if you are even right at the truck's rated max capacity you will be safe because they can't over rate those numbers due to liability. But keep in mind all weights, such as tongue, combined, axle, etc. Too many people just look at max tow capacity.

Good luck.


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[masterblaster]

Do not waste your money on a diesel truck. I have a 2016 Chevy 1500. It can tow 9,500 pounds. I have towed in the Rocky Mountains up to over 14,000 feet up!! and all over the East. I tow a 6,000 25 foot TT and don't even use a weight distribution hitch!! Do not overload your payload!! I have a cheap $25.00 Harbor Freight anti sway bar that I use. I have never had a problem with power or sway. Do what I do and you should be OK. I am not a rich guy and can't afford all the fancy stuff some people can. I am a "make do" kind of guy.

[snakebitten]

I have 3 gassers and 1 diesel. (and access to a second diesel)

They're like tools. Every tool fits certain jobs, often better than the other tools.
Diesels are the absolute best tool for certain jobs.
But they can be overkill for certain jobs too.

But there is that one saying about how nobody towing a load down the road complains about having too much tow vehicle.
(This saying, in my opinion, is far less about gas\diesel than it is about chassis-suspension-brakes. It's nice to be sitting behind the wheel of a tow vehicle that you can FEEEEL that it is more than up to the task-burden you are asking of it)

[masterblaster]

[QUOTE=snakebitten;55355]I have 3 gassers and 1 diesel. (and access to a second diesel)

Like I said most people do not own 3 trucks and have access to another. I can not afford to have 3 trucks. That being said: I agree that it is about having the right truck for what is being towed. The new gas trucks today are as powerful if not better than diesel trucks. Just do not overload your payload and tow about 15% less than what it is rated to tow. Nobody towing a 5K-8k TT needs a big A@# diesel truck to tow it. A 1/2 ton is made to and can safely tow this weight.

[snakebitten]

Don't get the wrong idea. My driveway isn't a truck dealership.
I've been blessed and am able to provide a truck or two for folks that I enjoy sharing with. (My dad is 85. He loved the BIG WHITE numbers on the speedometer of my F150. I handed him the keys. Went and got me another. That sort of thing)

I agree that todays gas driven drivetrains are a MARVEL compared to yesteryear. But we are all "haulers" here. So as I stated earlier, the old debate between gas\diesel used to be clearly a debate between light-duty and heavy-duty trucks. But these days that distinction is blurred since we have light trucks with diesel and heavy trucks with gas!
I personally think the new entrant to RV-towing has a more complicated learning curve because of this possible confusion.

Towing capacity figures are so misunderstood by the rookie. I know. I was a rookie. But now I get it. For me it is a lot less about what's under the hood, and more about what is under the chassis. (Suspension, axles, brakes, hitch)

Almost everyone tows heavier than I will. I tow LIGHT for whatever truck I'm in.
It's so comfortable. I don't camp 200 miles away. I camp in 10 different states when I run away from home.

[wahoonc]

The answer is yes... they both will tow.

It comes down to what you want/need. I sold my last big diesel dually because it was sitting too much of the time and that isn't good for them. Current motor home has a big V-10 gasser in it. We only drove it 6,000 miles last year. Cousins have a diesel pusher motor home, they only drove theirs about 5,000 miles. His oil changes run in the $300 range, mine are $50 at the local Ford dealer.

Today's gas engines can rival the longevity of a diesel, maintenance costs on a diesel are always going to be more expensive.

Aaron