diesel or gas - Lateral-g Forums

orangevert · #1 07-10-2011, 09:59 AM

The maintenance is expensive, gas motor's get all most as good of gas milage, The gas is cheaper!!!! So the milage difference is a wash,When diesels break down the get very $$$$. The LS motors last if taken care of. If you'r not pulling all the time, Go with gas.. You don't have the smell, gelling issue.. Good luck with your purchase..

**WSSix** · #2 07-10-2011, 10:42 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. I keep forgetting that I have towed both C4 and C5 corvettes with an all steel trailer behind both my Trailblazer and a 1500 Silverado with a 4.8. While I wouldn't want to do it with either vehicle regularly or where it's not flat, they did just fine honestly. The 4.8 really is a great little motor. I do think I'll be fine with the 6.0 even though I swear come hell or high water that I'm moving back to Colorado damn it! LOL. Let's just say the pan handle of Texas is not my type of place to live. Anyway, if it weren't for my wanting an open bed to haul my motorcycle(s), I'd look at an Avalanche or Escalade EXT. I really like those trucks but I need a full size bed.

Did they put the 6.2 in any of the trucks or just the SUVs?

Thanks again guys. Anyone else care to add something? I'm all ears and it'll be weeks or months before I purchase anything.

Oh and if I ever need more power, I could always go heads/cam, Magnacharger, or even a turbo that spools low. At least that's part of my thinking

wmhjr · #3 07-11-2011, 05:00 AM

Having owned 5.3s and 6.0s, and now a Dodge Cummins (with over 230k on it) I can honestly say I will never again own a gasser. I just finally replaced a water pump on mine. It is twice the utility truck, gets far better mileage and expect it to last another 200k miles before any serious engine work.

**clill** · #4 07-11-2011, 06:58 AM

You can go with gas but that is just a delay till you get a diesel. The diesels make so much torque and get better mileage. Inside my 09 GMC 2500 I can't even tell it is a diesel. Trucks before it were a 2005 Ford F150 with a Roush Supercharger and a ford Lightning. Yes they could both pull a trailer but the mileage sucked and the 2500 was 10 times better pulling a trailer. Yes you can fix a LS engine cheap but these days most newer trucks are pretty cheap to maintain. It was very hard for me to take the diesel plunge but man it is so much better..

**WSSix** · #5 07-11-2011, 03:43 PM

For me taking the diesel plunge just comes from not knowing how to work on the engine and fearing that it's too difficult given my current living situation and lack of a work space. You guys have definitely given me some food for though and I have time to decide which is great. I'll just have to keep my eyes open and see what I can find.

I drive a CC Super Duty Ford for work. It's a long bed 4x4 and I routinely have a fifth wheel behind it. Yeah, it will chug along nicely. I just question if I'll be doing that much towing. Air doesn't weigh much

rwhite692 · #6 07-11-2011, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clill

You can go with gas but that is just a delay till you get a diesel. The diesels make so much torque and get better mileage. Inside my 09 GMC 2500 I can't even tell it is a diesel. Trucks before it were a 2005 Ford F150 with a Roush Supercharger and a ford Lightning. Yes they could both pull a trailer but the mileage sucked and the 2500 was 10 times better pulling a trailer. Yes you can fix a LS engine cheap but these days most newer trucks are pretty cheap to maintain. It was very hard for me to take the diesel plunge but man it is so much better..

^^^Yup.

vinz68 · #7 07-11-2011, 05:41 PM

I bought my 08 2500 duramax new and 70,000 miles later I still love it. Best truck I have ever owned!!

djorgensen3 · #8 07-11-2011, 08:02 PM

I have had 1/2 ton trucks and SUV's for years and they will pull a small car trailer with a car on it ok, but not great. I also hunt and go out of town quite often throughout the year. Now I recently(within the last two years) took my 1/2 ton with car trailer and my father-in-law took his 3/4 ton diesel to go 500 miles to get two 75 corvettes that were given to me as project cars. My "little" truck did okay but the 3/4 ton diesel did it a WHOLE lot better. He could pull away from me going uphill like it was no problem....cuz it wasn't! He also could stop much better than I could. The back of my truck dragged its butt the whole way while the big truck sat level. What does this mean? It is much safer to drive while pulling a trailer. I also used my 1/2 ton to pull a 28' toyhauler last September and it was probably at least 1000lbs over the towing limit of the little truck. It was empty too. But it was my only option at the time. I was afraid of blowing up the tranny the whole time. I will give it to the 5.3 though, it did the job. My in laws pull that same trailer with 6.0HD and it has heaps of trouble doing it. I really liked my little truck however I traded her in on a 2011 2500HD Diesel CC 4x4. I LOVE THIS TRUCK!!! I pulled a car on a trailer and had to keep looking in the mirror to see if I was still hooked up. And with the four wheel disks and BUILT IN brake controller, it stopped on a dime. All in all, it steers better, rides better, has more room and when I am using it as a truck it is much safer to do those pulling jobs even though I don't do it often. Good luck in your decision but I hope you pick up 3/4 ton at least.

**Stuart Adams** · #9 07-11-2011, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinz68

I bought my 08 2500 duramax new and 70,000 miles later I still love it. Best truck I have ever owned!!

Ditto.