Currently drive a 2003 2500 diesel at 178,000 miles.Due to a divorce I lost my travel trailer.As a carpenter I carry a lot of tools the truck is great for that, almost no mileage difference empty or full.Late next year the truck will be payed off.Already have $3200 into a rebuilt trans.and $3400 in DDP injectors these might already be toast, again!
Thinking of trading truck for a silverado 5.3 before anything else goes bad.I don't tow anything now.With the amount of tools I have a 1/2 ton should be fine.Diesel fuel now is way up,and insurance is higher 0n the 3/4 ton and got that kweezy feeling about the injectors.Overall the 5.3 seems to be cheaper to maintain.
Need some opinions please....

 

wouldn't trade either of my diesel trucks for ANYTHING else, ever.

 

but if I did trade for a half ton, it WOULD be a Chev 5.3!! I loved mine; best ever of 20.2 mpg, worst of 13 when pulling a camry on a ryder tandem trailer. I did break the frame in half right in front of the reciever hitch- they have a large hole on the frame rail about 2" in front of the hitch that can bend then break the frame if you haul WAY TOO MUCH...

 

A coworker of mine has a 99 4x4 with the 5.3, has 140k on it with no major problems yet, and runs/drives very nice.

My father had an 06, and the interior was comfy and spacious with the 4 doors, but the short bed sucked. He only averaged around 16mpg, hauling tools around and a mix of in town and highway. Overall a good truck though.

FWIW, I did miss the torque when driving my dad's, but it wound out pretty good!

 

The only real reason for a diesel like ours is to haul trailers and drive at high altitudes. If you don't do those two things, then you're wasting a lot of money on fuel.

Gas engines will get the same or better mileage, and do it with much cheaper fuel.

 

The year and configuration of your truck, returned to stock, might be the best option. I find that unless diesel is 50-cents higher than gas that an almost exact copy of my truck but with a gasser motor that the fuel cost is a wash, solo, loaded or towing.

Only you know how hard the truck has been used. I want mine to last a long time so I'm easy on it, always. So I'd look carefully at what others are experiencing for cost-per-mile on any other truck as a replacement. For mine, there isn't one, gas or diesel, except another one just like it.