Towing: Diesel vs. Gas

[veedubtek]

I've played that game too. Show me a gasser tow vehicle that can do this-

 

[trace]

I'm running a 2015 F-150 SuperCrew 3.5 Ecoboost with the 3.55 rearend. I get 20-21 mpg commuting to work. My commute is 1/2 surface streets 1/2 highway. When towing I am getting 11-12 mpg towing a heavy inboard boat. I've seen 23-24 avg on flat highway at 60-65. If I want to run 80 it drops to 18-19mpg avg.

I had a 2014 diesel loaner for a week including towing, it was setup just like @brockhals and I was getting the same numbers he did. I was actually disappointed in that truck.

 

[justason]

I couldn't get 18mpg on the test drive on a flat hwy with F150 2.7 ecoboost. you getting 24mpg on a 3.5 ecoboost with heavier car... i don't believe it

@waterboy puts helium in his tires

 

[waterboy]

and I also drink Shandy's.... oh wait, no, that's Walt @veedubtek

 

[waterboy]

@trace I used to live in Wildwood. Lake Chesterfield, before the lake drained 3 times!!! I got out in time. MIL lives down the road in Ballwin too.

 

[trace]

@trace I used to live in Wildwood. Lake Chesterfield, before the lake drained 3 times!!! I got out in time. MIL lives down the road in Ballwin too.

LOL, that's too funny. I live in the Nantuckets behind the Lake Chesterfield neighborhood, it's full of water again.....for now....

 

[billyb]

I just went through this whole thing for my wife's truck.

She loves her horse, has got my daughter into riding, so they ride quite a bit. She has a three horse horse trailer, so she needed something a bit above average for towing.

She loved the diesel, but after looking at trucks for two days straight at multiple dealersships, we could not justify the extra cost of a diesel vs gas. I think I calculated a five year return before the upfront diesel premium was wiped out.

While the Diesel engine will likely last 500,000 miles, the wife's wishes will not, and ultimately will want something new.

She wound up with an F250 XLT crew cab and could not be happier. After driving it a few times, I can't stand it. I hate feeling every little bump in the road.

 

[Rob9550]

I am thinking of getting a diesel. The Suburban can tow the 240 it just seems to struggle on any incline. I watched the trans temp gauge get up to 235 yesterday and I would hate to tear up my wife's DD. I have a Silverado but it only has the 4.8 and it can't tow much more than a utility trailer with a light load. Even though I have two Chevys I am not what you would call brand loyal. I am looking to go used as I will never buy a new car or truck again. What are the pros and cons of the different brands? Thanks for the help.

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

I am thinking of getting a diesel. The Suburban can tow the 240 it just seems to struggle on any incline. I watched the trans temp gauge get up to 235 yesterday and I would hate to tear up my wife's DD. I have a Silverado but it only has the 4.8 and it can't tow much more than a utility trailer with a light load. Even though I have two Chevys I am not what you would call brand loyal. I am looking to go used as I will never buy a new car or truck again. What are the pros and cons of the different brands? Thanks for the help.

The earlier Ford's with the 7.3L Diesels and the newer Ford's with the 6.7L Diesels are damn good, I hear great things about the Duramax's with the Allison Transmissions, and Dodge has the Cummins which is a great engine as well, I know earlier Dodge's puked transmissions, not sure how the new one's are. I am impressed with my 2012 F-250 with the 6.7L, it's a beast with 400 Hp & 800 Ft Lb's of Torque stock. I am sure others will chime in with their brand experience.

 

[waterboy]

@Rob9550 I had to look up the specs on your Silverado because I was curious. Not knowing the details on your truck, I see one version that tows just over 4K lbs and the other just over 6000 lbs, depending on which rear end it has. Wow, light duty, but the 6000+ lbs version should do just fine. I would think your 'burb would do fine also.

Not meaning to come across wrong, but I have seen some people tow trailers like they are drag racing too. Pushing them real hard on inclines, the flats, etc. You are right, that will tear up a trans real quick. If you drive within the capacity of the truck, it will do just fine. I towed our old boat (at about 3500 lbs) with a minivan and was near the limit. I towed by 21o with a 6 cyl Honda Pilot for a few years too. Never had any problem towing but drove it within the capacity of the rig.

I would think your 'burb would have at least a 9000 lbs capacity and should do the 240 no problem, unless it is getting worn out ... a 5500 lb plus load is going to strain any rig if pushed hard enough.

Again, not trying to throw stones but trying to set a realistic expectation for you. Good luck!!

 

[veedubtek]

Rob - you should buy a Ram ecodiesel.

Pro - you can buy mine. It's used. (barely).

Con - none.

 

[blacksapphirez]

Ecodiesel is reallyreally nice.
Pros
-8spd ZF transmission is smooth as butter and overbuilt for this application (interweb says)
-soft coils all around...rides like a car
-potential 30+mpg with a GDE tune
-pulls the 240 like nothing
-my wife says Ram looks like a real truck lol
Cons
-soft coils....i needed a airlift 1000 to keep the rear fron squatting. Airbag cost $80
-specific maintenance requirements. Oil type, filter type, fuel filter needs to be meticulously maintained.
-DPF robbing fuel mileage but can be eliminated with a delete
-additional upfront cost
-slightly dated design

 

[jlcj7]

A little off topic, but not good news for new Nissan Titan

"June saw a mixed bag for truck models, with some up strongly for the months and others showing declines. For Ram and Ford, sales were up double digits, with the F-Series especially showing a robust 28.6 percent year-over-year gain and Ram up 14 percent for June. Both Silverado and Sierra were down for the month. However, both the Colorado and Canyon midsizers were up more than 30 percent year-over-year.

The Nissan Frontier had an outstanding 84 percent increase. That said, the Titan is still struggling to gain traction, with only 896 sales, down 22.4 percent over June 2015. Back on the charts again after a long absence is the Honda Ridgeline, which had a phenomenal growth rate of more than 35,000 percent. However, that needs to be put in perspective that only seven units were sold in June of last year."

It was even outsold by the Honda Ridgeline

JUNE SALES:
Ford F-series sold 70,937
Chevy Silverado 49,662
Dodge Ram sold 38,162
GMC Sierra 17,162
Toyota Tundra 9,433
Nissan Titan 896

 

[justason]

The earlier Ford's with the 7.3L Diesels and the newer Ford's with the 6.7L Diesels are damn good, I hear great things about the Duramax's with the Allison Transmissions, and Dodge has the Cummins which is a great engine as well, I know earlier Dodge's puked transmissions, not sure how the new one's are. I am impressed with my 2012 F-250 with the 6.7L, it's a beast with 400 Hp & 800 Ft Lb's of Torque stock. I am sure others will chime in with their brand experience.

When I bought my Dodge I knew I was going to be putting a tranny in it...I did.......The Duramax and Allison combo, is basically....pure perfection...

The 7.3L ...it's a SCHOOL BUS ENGINE !!! having that that in the F250 is AWESOME and will definitely get any job done !!

 

[swatski]

Do you have any suggestions for a diesel SUV with a 3rd row bench/seat?
Anyone uses a Durango to tow?
These vm motori diesels seem very capable.

EDIT: Q7/X5/MB are out of my price range, I would like to buy new.

 

[waterboy]

Find an old Ford Excursion. There are even some companies that redo them like new for sale, although probably very pricey.

 

[swatski]

Find an old Ford Excursion. There are even some companies that redo them like new for sale, although probably very pricey.

Do you mean - something like this:
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=77002&endYear=2017&modelCode1=EXCURSION&showcaseOwnerId=54376346&makeCode1=FORD&startYear=1981&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=50&showcaseListingId=415241814&mmt=[FORD[EXCURSION[]][]]&listingId=430185646&Log=0

I love the idea! Is 24k listed in the right range? That is a lot of a car.

 

[brockhals]

What rear end gearing do you have? Do you have a lead foot or drive it lightly?

I've got the 3.55 rear end. I set cruise on the interstate about 75-77 empty, more like 70-72 towing. I drive it pretty lightly from an acceleration perpective

 

[Shuck Water]

I looked at the ecodiesel, but just couldn't get over the slower acceleration curve. I only trailer a couple times per year, so for me I wanted something that the ability to pull a 24' boat and still be fun to drive the other 99% of the time. I ended up with the Dodge Durango RT and couldn't be happier. It's nice to be able to pull the boat when needed and then be able to race a Porsche Cayenne on the highway. Personally, I'm curious how the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT tows....

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

Do you mean - something like this:
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=77002&endYear=2017&modelCode1=EXCURSION&showcaseOwnerId=54376346&makeCode1=FORD&startYear=1981&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=50&showcaseListingId=415241814&mmt=[FORD[EXCURSION[]][]]&listingId=430185646&Log=0

I love the idea! Is 24k listed in the right range? That is a lot of a car.

The Diesel Excursions are awesome, that one is just broken in Lol. Look up the Blue Book at KBB.com