Diesel vs Gas Superduty's

[Backroad Joe]

Getting back to the original gas vs diesel topic. I would say one needs to consider the intended use. I traded my '98 F250 in on a '06 Ram 2500 4x4 5.7L Hemi. I was originally looking for diesel for all it's wonderful attributes. But the reality is only once a month (or less) does the camper get mounted and the jeep get hitched. So most of the time it's my DD on a 2-1/2 mile commute. Heck, the gasser barely has time to warm up. And so few miles I really don't care about the crappy mileage. A Cummins mechanic once told me they need to be run hard or you'll have injector and turbo problems. When I'm loaded up on a trip the Hemi has no problem on California's legendary mountain grades. A few years down the road when I retire I may trade the Dodge in and would likely go with a diesel at that time, simply because the needs would be different

 

[klahanie]

^ I'd hate to drive my 6.4 as a DD. Warm up, cool down, crappy(er) mileage, the DPF clogging quicker (mentioned in another thread) and less opportunity for it to complete cleaning. I would rather buy a really cheap second vehicle or public transit - serious. Reread the OP, it mentions DD so that would be a deal breaker for me right there. He also mentioned used which is fine but for Fords without DPF that would be 2007 or older.

 

[Hausa]

Anyone have any specifics on the added payload you'd get from a 3/4 ton gas vs the diesel? I've been looking around the internet and haven't found any data to support the increase in payload due to the lighter gas engine. I don't doubt it,
I'm just wondering what the difference is. Thanks

 

[Happyjax]

I believe it's about 500 lbs. The diesel needs to be a lot beefier to deal with the compression

 

[Riverrunner]

I lifted these off a thread on FTE in the 2017 Super Duty section. Granted the trucks have some slightly different options as far as trim level but not "that" much different... They are pretty close to the same truck.

F250 CCSB 4x4 Ultimate Lariat 6.7L

F250 CCSB 4x4 King Ranch 6.2L

Step up to a f350 and you can add another 1000lbs of payload, even with a diesel, but the gasser will always be more. Here is a link to the thread if anyone wants to look at all of the payload stickers. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1480612-payload-sticker-in-door.html

One more thing to note is and f250 has a GVWR of 10K. or optional 9900lbs. as noted above, it's in the area of 500lbs depending on options... The Ford towing and hauling guide shows this to be fairly accurate.

 

[Happyjax]

Wow looks more like 800 lbs..... Good find

 

[Riverrunner]

I think the gap closes when you start to look an a Platinum that has every bell and whistle. Full moon roofs and such add up.

 

[Hausa]

Super helpful info, thanks.

 

[enelson]

The payload diesel vs gas gap is greater with the Ford trucks than Ram or GM. The other two companies up the GVWR when optioned with a diesel.

 

[Bigfoot]

HD trucks are made to carry a load as are diesels. They love to work so if you carry the camper most of the time then the diesel is a good choice. The massive on-demand torque and better fuel mileage are big pluses. Conversely, if you normally unload the camper between trips and put on considerable unloaded mileage then gas may be a better choice. Also, the lower weight of a gas engine is better suited to adding heavy front accessories like a big bumper and winch. In either case the truck will ride like crap without a load but the diesel will be very nose heavy.

Modern diesels are much quieter and cleaner than older ones. Personally I would not own a diesel built before about 2012. However, they do require expensive maintenance. Adding DEF is a small but regular annoyance, and diesel itself is messy. Then there is the lingering fear that the diesel will go into limp mode in the backcountry because of some failure in the complex emissions system. This hasn't happened to me but I have heard stories.

As for cost I don't believe that a diesel saves money. It will have better resale value but maintenance is higher and fuel cost is typically a wash because of higher diesel tax. Buy a diesel because you want to and because it suits the way you use the truck.