Gas To Diesel

[mjf4UGA]

Will someone please help me out. I have a 03 Ram 1500 pulling a 16 foot trailer with a zero turn a walk behind and other equiment. I get between 8-9 miles per gallon. I really want to get a used diesel, but I am stuck not knowing what to get. If I can I would like to stay dodge. My buddy told me not to get ford 04 or newer. What is getting the best fuel mileage.

Thanks for all your help
Matt

[mybowtie]

Buddy was rite on the 04 or newer ford. Im getting 15-16 mpg towing a 16' with 2 60" ztr's. A early 04 or older ford with the 7.3 are great trucks. My 01 f250 7.3 only got 12-13 empty. Never owned a dodge diesel, so cant comment on there mpg's. But did own a dodge gaser, and didnt like it much.:usflag:

[Idealtim]

Cummins are bulletproof engines, just find one in a solid truck preferably stick if you need dodge. The 6.5 chevys are a bad design but I think were supposed to be better after 1998. The ford 7.3 is a workhorse, something like 215hp/475trq, getting harder to find with under 130k miles.

[TXNSLighting]

Buddy was rite on the 04 or newer ford. Im getting 15-16 mpg towing a 16' with 2 60" ztr's. A early 04 or older ford with the 7.3 are great trucks. My 01 f250 7.3 only got 12-13 empty. Never owned a dodge diesel, so cant comment on there mpg's. But did own a dodge gaser, and didnt like it much.:usflag:

its 03 1/2 and later. early 03's get better fuel mileage bcause of them being 7.3's. altho my 04 6.0 got 20 mpg highway. 14 towin. mine seems to be the only one tho...

[TXNSLighting]

Cummins are bulletproof engines, just find one in a solid truck preferably stick if you need dodge. The 6.5 chevys are a bad design but I think were supposed to be better after 1998. The ford 7.3 is a workhorse, something like 215hp/475trq, getting harder to find with under 130k miles.

99+ powerstrokes had 250 hp, and 500+ lb ft torque depending on year. 03's ran fantastic! 525 lb ft tq!

[J&R Landscaping]

I have an 06 F250 diesel. Its been a great truck so far. 65k on here and climbing... Pulling my 16' trailer loaded, I normally see 12mpg. Empty city 15, highway 17 or so.

[fool32696]

Unless you have a good source for Biodiesel, diesels just aren't worth it anymore. They cost A LOT to buy up front, A LOT to own, and A LOT to fuel. With diesel the same price as gas I'm sure it pencils out, but with diesel almost $1 more per gallon, I'm thinking NO.

[TXNSLighting]

Unless you have a good source for Biodiesel, diesels just aren't worth it anymore. They cost A LOT to buy up front, A LOT to own, and A LOT to fuel. With diesel the same price as gas I'm sure it pencils out, but with diesel almost $1 more per gallon, I'm thinking NO.

not quite bud, diesels are still very worth it. they DONT cost alot to buy, they DONT cost alot to own, and no they DONT use a lot of fuel. you can get a diesel right now for very close to the price of a gas engine. get better fuel mileage, and tow alot easier. and diesels now adays, dont cost as much to maintain.

[tallrick]

I have been looking for a Diesel to replace my old gas Dodge truck. Hopefully the rising price of oil will allow me to get a great deal on a used truck. Otherwise I am going to convert my truck to run on wood gas. I have been doing a lot of experimenting and have even been able to make "Diesel" from algae, waste oil, or old tires. As for trucks I will go for either a 6 cylinder Cummins turbo Diesel or Ford international 7.3 engine. Have not seen any good deals lately, but I expect some soon.

[fool32696]

TLL350, you're absolutely right. Now, who wants to buy my 2002 GMC Duramax 4x4! Because I replaced it with a Ford F150 4.6 V8 that cost me $3k. It gets better mileage on the highway 20 vs 17mpg and better pulling a small trailer 15 vs 13mpg. The fuel that it uses less of costs $4 per gallon vs $4.80 per gallon. The 4.6 doesn't need a $30 fuel filter, $20 oil filter or 10 quarts of oil per change (just a few examples). So who wants my Dmax?

[fool32696]

Oh, and it cost me $530 to commercially insure the Ford for a year, while it was almost $800 per six months with the GMC. My thinking is that most maintenance crews can get by with a 1/2 ton V8. If you're doing a ton of installs and pulling 8k plus I can see where diesel has it's place.

[mybowtie]

TLL350, you're absolutely right. Now, who wants to buy my 2002 GMC Duramax 4x4! Because I replaced it with a Ford F150 4.6 V8 that cost me $3k. It gets better mileage on the highway 20 vs 17mpg and better pulling a small trailer 15 vs 13mpg. The fuel that it uses less of costs $4 per gallon vs $4.80 per gallon. The 4.6 doesn't need a $30 fuel filter, $20 oil filter or 10 quarts of oil per change (just a few examples). So who wants my Dmax?

I had a 05 1500 5.3. Pulling a 16' landscape trailer with 2 60" ztr's it would struggle on the hills. Only got 12-13 mpg's. A 1/2 ton for my needs was not working. Chevys 2500 6.0 gasser towing the same rig as mine(cousin has same trailer and hauling same weight) gets 11-12 mpg's. Im getting 15-16 towing w/dmax. Costs me less to go the same distance as the 6.0 gasser.

As far as oil changes, oil filters can be found online for the same $$ as ones for a gasser. Yes my Dmax takes 10 qts of oil, but I can go 12,000-15,000 miles on an oil change compared to 3,000-5,000. Works out to about the same $$.

Diesels are not for everyone. But there not as bad as some make them out to be......:usflag:

[TXNSLighting]

TLL350, you're absolutely right. Now, who wants to buy my 2002 GMC Duramax 4x4! Because I replaced it with a Ford F150 4.6 V8 that cost me $3k. It gets better mileage on the highway 20 vs 17mpg and better pulling a small trailer 15 vs 13mpg. The fuel that it uses less of costs $4 per gallon vs $4.80 per gallon. The 4.6 doesn't need a $30 fuel filter, $20 oil filter or 10 quarts of oil per change (just a few examples). So who wants my Dmax?

yeh but you dont change the oil filter or fuel flter as often as a gas engine, so therefore it evens out. and theres plenty of people who want your dmax. its not the best year, but it will do. and my dmax, gets almost 20 hwy, and pulling a large dump trailer gets 12-13 mpg. you musta had somethin wrong with yours.

[TXNSLighting]

Oh, and it cost me $530 to commercially insure the Ford for a year, while it was almost $800 per six months with the GMC. My thinking is that most maintenance crews can get by with a 1/2 ton V8. If you're doing a ton of installs and pulling 8k plus I can see where diesel has it's place.

man your gettin screwed on insurance! mines half that.

[TXNSLighting]

I had a 05 1500 5.3. Pulling a 16' landscape trailer with 2 60" ztr's it would struggle on the hills. Only got 12-13 mpg's. A 1/2 ton for my needs was not working. Chevys 2500 6.0 gasser towing the same rig as mine(cousin has same trailer and hauling same weight) gets 11-12 mpg's. Im getting 15-16 towing w/dmax. Costs me less to go the same distance as the 6.0 gasser.

As far as oil changes, oil filters can be found online for the same $$ as ones for a gasser. Yes my Dmax takes 10 qts of oil, but I can go 12,000-15,000 miles on an oil change compared to 3,000-5,000. Works out to about the same $$.

Diesels are not for everyone. But there not as bad as some make them out to be......:usflag:

thank you!!!

[shethinksmytractors_sexy]

i have an 03 f-250 6.0 and i get about 21-22 mpg's. i often tow a bobcat with a 16ft. trailer and get about 15 mpg's. but my truck also has a bullydog chip on it and it has helped out alot. i leave it on economy/tow and can tell a huge difference when pulling a load. if heard alot of bad things about "chippin" a truck but as long as you dont give it hell i dont think it will hurt it. my trans still shifts fine just like it did since the day i got it and my truck has a little over 100,000 thousand on it. its real fun when you put it on extreme it hauls ass but i get about 12 mpg's!!!

[mybowtie]

thank you!!!

Your welcome........:drinkup: :usflag: