Considering moving from Diesel to Gas...talk me out of it?

[bikepsych]

Greetings,
After a recent 9000+ mile trip from California to Halifax, Nova Scotia and back, I've gotten pretty fed up with the excessive price of diesel. On average it was 10-15 cents more per gallon across the country. Add to that the added expense of DEF at $13 per 5k miles, and the extra cost for oil changes and maintenance and the $$ start adding up. Add on to that the restrictive performance mods for a diesel here in California and you really cannot do any upgrades to the engine.

So my questions to this august body of knowledge is...

What will I lose (apart from MPG) going from diesel to gas? Will I miss the torque when my Lance 825 is on the back? HP numbers are not tremendously different, but at 800ft lbs of torque for my 2013 6.7L diesel and only 430ft lbs for the Gas, I'm wondering if there would be a noticeable loss.

Can a 6.2L be reasonably upgraded to improve the torque?

I know that I'm going from about 14mpg with the camper in the diesel down to around 9mpg with the camper for the gas engine. Unloaded there is about a 2mpg difference.

So, the challenge is posted...please let me know what your thoughts are.

Thanks.

BG

[bwlyon]

Here’s my 1 cent worth! I love them, owned them, own one. With that said the one I own is a ZR2 Colorado. The camper sits on my 15 Ram 3500 Mega Cab, SRW, 6.4 liter gasser. I couldn’t ink out the cost difference! The truck reliably gets 14 mpg avg. hand calculated empty. With the 5100 lb wet camper in the back it gets between 8-11 mpg hand calculated with an average of 9.4 mpg over 5700 miles on a trip from Missouri to California. On the interstate I ran 70mph on the two lanes whatever the roads dictated with the camper on. Would a Cummins with an exhaust brake be nice, sure, but I can thumb the gear select switch to get braking and power in the hills. The 6.4 hauls my camper just fine. Now if I was loaded with money, would I get diesel to haul the camper maybe, but I would have money to burn!

[mountainkowboy]

jaycocreek wrote:

OH I thought it meant the gasser does not have an exhaust brake and does not descend as well as a diesel equipped with an exhaust brake

Don't forget were talking about truck campers here,not huge fifth wheels or travel trailers...I have not met a hill yet that hauling my TC that the engine compression alone doesn't keep me where I want to be..

Even at 17K gross, my old 460 didn't have any issues going up and down the grades. I have a manual and compression braking is very effective.

[Optimistic_Para]

jaycocreek wrote:
Don't forget were talking about truck campers here,not huge fifth wheels or travel trailers...I have not met a hill yet that hauling my TC that the engine compression alone doesn't keep me where I want to be..

Yup. If your fifth wheel is so huge that you NEED a diesel engine to drag it up and down the Rocky Mountains, you don't need a pickup with a diesel, you need a Volvo or Freightliner. They have sub-forums devoted to these rigs over on Escapees.

[jaycocreek]

OH I thought it meant the gasser does not have an exhaust brake and does not descend as well as a diesel equipped with an exhaust brake

Don't forget were talking about truck campers here,not huge fifth wheels or travel trailers...I have not met a hill yet that hauling my TC that the engine compression alone doesn't keep me where I want to be..

[Lantley]

Bedlam wrote:
It just means that you are descending the hill at too fast a speed for your weight at that grade. Adjust your speed and the gasser will hold the grade. Will a diesel with exhaust brake hold it better at higher speeds? Possibly, if you are willing to pay the higher acquisition price.

OH I thought it meant the gasser does not have an exhaust brake and does not descend as well as a diesel equipped with an exhaust brake

[Bedlam]

It just means that you are descending the hill at too fast a speed for your weight at that grade. Adjust your speed and the gasser will hold the grade. Will a diesel with exhaust brake hold it better at higher speeds? Possibly, if you are willing to pay the higher acquisition price.

[deserteagle56]

valhalla360 wrote:

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:
OK, I have to ask. What about Hill Descent Control? Does that not use engine compression and the transmission on gasoline engines to minimize the use of brakes?

Yes it helps but not as well as a good exhaust brake on a diesel.

Exactly! I've watched with alarm as on a steep downhill slope my V-10 in Tow/Haul runs the engine right on up to redline, at which point I get scared and start using the brakes. The engine brake on my Cummins has never found a grade it could not hold a load back on.

[valhalla360]

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:
OK, I have to ask. What about Hill Descent Control? Does that not use engine compression and the transmission on gasoline engines to minimize the use of brakes?

Yes it helps but not as well as a good exhaust brake on a diesel.

[valhalla360]

Bedlam wrote:
My point was that unless you are towing a heavy trailer and carrying a camper at the same time, there is no need for a diesel. Even the the largest grades hauling the largest truck camper can be handled by a gasser.

Thanks for the clarification. Your first post sounded like you were telling him to get a diesel. Sounds like we are in agreement. :C

[Bedlam]

2013 was the first year of DEF in the Cummins used in the 2500 and 3500.

[3_tons]

Having owned an 07 6.7 Ram (first year of 6.7) I loved the engine and 6 spd auto transmission, but grew very frustrated by first year beta emission problems (DEF, 3 turbos, EGR cooler, nagging CEL’s), so I very reluctantly traded it off at 133k for a new 16 with DEF...Though it seems that Ram now has the emissions equip problems fairly well sorted out (thanks mostly to DEF chemical treatment), and the truck has amazing power (silly power), I’m beginning to think now (at 33k mi) about pre-emptively trading it off just before the100k warranty expires...Non-warranty emissions work can literally put one into the poor house...With a 5,000 lb camper (wet) and regularly climbing the Sierra’s, I seriously doubt the power or longevity of a gasser... Only time will tell...JMHO

[Kayteg1]

The tone of discussion change quite a bit over the years.
Bear in mind that 10+ years ago diesel fuel was way cheaper than gasoline and diesel engines for trucks cost like $2000 more than gasoline counterparts.
Actually for the 1998 Mercedes I used to drive - diesel engine was cheaper than any gasoline option in USA.
Meaning driving diesel was saving tons of money, but finding good mechanic was hard part.
Now fuel pricing changed, so main argument for diesel is exhaust brake.
But then diesel engines went from 250 hp to 440 HP.
Quite a difference in perspective.
Bottom line is, that diesel fuel is the cheapest to manufacture and is sold in the biggest numbers in USA.
So once the price gouging coming with hurricane season is over, chances are diesel will become dollar cheaper than regural.
Let's get pen and paper then?

[Walaby]

All this discussion is interesting banter, but I think the OP gave up long ago. He had what he believes is valid reasons for switching, so just switch.

I find these "talk me out of this, or into that" threads quite humorous. Always come to the same conclusions.. if you want justification for a change, you will get it. If you want justification to keep what you have, you will get that too.

Reminds me of those stupid diet coke commercials.. "just do you". If you wanna drive a diesel (which I do), then drive a diesel. If you wanna drive a gasser, then do that. Why some people seem to need to get validation from the internet is beyond me.

Having said that, maybe the commercials aren't stupid after all, considering I remembered it, which is the whole intent of commercials.

Mike

[rickjo]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Lot of misunderstanding here.
When you fill up diesel downtown, it is always going to be the most expensive fuel as downtown stations are not truck stop.
Lot of b***ng about diesel cost in California.
Here is Shell where I fill up diesel when driving the route
Regular 3.95
diesel ..3.99
Those who drive gassers "don't want to see" stations with cheap diesel.
It is a mental condition.

Maybe that is because your gas is way out of line. In my town, which has some of the highest prices in NM, here is the scoop:

Exxon: $2.99 Regular $3.23 Mid-Grade $3.33 Premium $3.36Diesel. Others are within 5 cents of these prices

The 30 to 40 cents differential of diesel over regular is very common in the mountain states.

In the high Colorado mountains, the differential was over $1 in two places.

Rick