Do I need a diesel truck?
 

Hey all, new to this forum, hopefully i can get some opinions on this.

I'm looking for some opinions on whether or not I should buy a diesel truck. I live in a small town in the northwest territories, canada. to give you an idea of how far away i am, it would take me 20hours to drive to the Alberta/Montana border. it gets cold here in the winter. Winter lasts about 6mths and probably averages at -20 Celcius or about -4 Farenheit, but it can get to -35 Celcius for about a month every year. During the year, i will only put about 2000kms on the truck driving around town. I do one long trip out every year, putting about 6000kms on the truck. so total every year on the truck would have no more than 8000kms on it, or 5000 miles. I tow a 26ft trailer weighing about 5000lbs wet and i might buy a bigger trailer in the future. And i would probably have my quad in the truck bed as well.

I am trying to decide between a 3/4 or larger gas or diesel. I like the towing capabilities of the cummins, but will a 5.7 hemi gas be better for me considering the cold winters, and the fact that this is a small town and a diesel would be very costly to fix if anything went wrong on it. Or would my long trip down every year be easier with the diesel and make it worth getting one because of the fuel mileage and better towing capabilities. i can probably afford to buy a 2005/2006 diesel truck with about 100,000kms on it, or a 2008 gas truck with less than 40,000kms on it.

Thanks for your opinions.

you mite want to also post this in the canada chapter section they would know more with the cold then most of us

Sounds like the gas is better suited for you.. Not much weight to tow and little mileage every year... Cold weather will be easier with the gas as well, but far from impossible with the diesel.....

I'd agree. I love driving the big diesel around. The one big issue is that the diesel is so efficient that it takes forever to warm up. And it dosen't get that cold here. The gas engine will warm up nice and toasty and defrost the windshield in <10 minutes of idling. Even with the block heater on, it's just starting to get warm after 10 minutes in the driveway. Yes, I use a remote starter.

8000# is the benchmark I use, below that 1/2ton gasser, 8000-10,000 3/4ton gas or diesel, 10K and up diesel.

My sister hauls a slide in camper and pulls a car trailer with a grand cherokee on it(around 7K) with a 2001 Dodge with a gas 5.9L magnum motor. A little slow in the mountains but not painfully slow. She did add airbags and a shift kit to the tranny, said that made a big difference.

You can buy a LOT of gas with the money you will save not buying a diesel truck.

not if you have a budget. your diesel might just be older just like in his original post. 2005 diesel or 2008 gas I would always recommend a diesel for superior reliabilty/MPG/and towing potential but im from FL so Im not sure what the cold will do. I have been to prudhoe bay AK and they drive diesels up there

What you need is a 2500 4X4 HEMI with the 6-spd Manual... This will be dependable, tow your weight easy, and be less costly to fix...... Plus you can afford a newer truck. That always helps!

GAS GAS GAS. 3500 dually 3500 dually 3500 dually. WHY GAS? Because of the low mileage you will put on you will have problems with diesel fuel as you won't have the turn over plus gas is more available on the highway. Starting and warm up will be much easier, parts more readily available and cheaper and the truck will be much lighter in weight.
Why the 1 ton dually over a 2500? You are in the sticks most of the time so parking is not that much of a problem with the duals. The truck will be more stable on the bad roads and should you get a flat on the rear you could drive a little ways slowly so you can find somewhere to change it. The diesel trucks have such a poor cargo carrying capacity because the engine is so heavy and it doesn't take much to exceed your GVWR. The gas truck would give you a lot more weight carrying capacity. I know your trailer is light but you may decide to change it or haul a cargo trailer. By going with a 3500 you get a heavy duty truck, a 2500 diesel is almost the same truck as a 3500 but not so with a 2500 gas truck. If you put your quad and a slip tank for fuel in the back hook up your current trailer I'd bet you would be over your GVWR of a 2500 diesel. I have 1600 lbs to play with, truck weighs 7200 no slip tank, GVWR is 8800lbs.

I have a big block gas Ford 1-ton and the Dodge diesel 1-ton. I use both trucks in hot weather and cold weather. What may come as a suprise is that when all the operating costs for each truck is compared at the end of the year, they actually come out about the same. I live at 7K ft altitude, gets really cold, lots of grades, etc and with both trucks my winter costs are about the same as well. With the diesel, you'd need a winter cold front, then your operating temps would be managed and your truck would come up to temps and stay there. I have not driven much up in your terriroty but I have never had problems finding diesel fuel in Canada. The range of the diesel is much better than the gasser. I get 17-18mpg's out of my diesel, that times 32 gals of the single stock fuel tank puts it's range at 544 miles. I get 9 mpg's out of my Ford pulling the same load, that times 38 (the total of both stock tanks) gives me a range of 342. My diesel has a better weight rating over my gasser. I could add an auxilliary fuel tank to both trucks, make their ranges equalize out by putting whatever size fuel tank was needed to accomplish equalizing their ranges, but fuel weight is fuel weight and the diesel will always outrange the gasser if the aux fuel tanks were the same size.

Having said all that, I am actually thinking of getting rid of the gasser and getting another diesel truck. Around my place it is all but a must to have 2 trucks and with what the diesel gives me in power alone, the gasser looses hands down.


CD

I would suggest a gas engine truck.

And, though this may get me in trouble, I would reccommend a Chevy with the 6.0L gas V8. Lots more of them out there, lots more places to have them worked on, parts more readily avalible, and maybe a little better mileage - the Hemi's like thier gas, but so do the 6.0L Chevy's as well.

If it doesn't have a Cummins in it...

I don't want it.

From what you say, I would get the gas truck, no question.

Light towing, limited milage, cold conditionions, relatively low altitudes, point to gas.

Also I would be afraid of buying a used diesel truck from a limited selection with no warranty and right at the top of my budget .

I am in a rv club. Almost all of the people who have bought new trucks in the last 3 years have bought gas, and they pull heavier rigs than yours. They tell me I am a little dense for buying the diesel.


I like my diesel and have logged 50000 on it in the last 2 years, but I would have been okay with gas too.

Drove it to Fairbanks and back from Tenn last year, so we got to buy some $6.00 or more a gallon diesel fuel. I found right away it is cheaper where it is priced in gallons than liters.

If your going to buy a diesel, then your on the right track with a cummins. To this day thier isn't a superior motor offered to the 5.9.

If your going to go gas, I'd have to tell you to stay away from the hemi, it's a guzzler, and greatly underpowered when hooked up to a load. The gm 8.1 or ford V10 would be my choice for a gasser.
You definatly need a 3/4 ton truck, and for the little driving you do and cold climate you live in, a diesel would probably be a hassle. The diesel runs cold in the winter, and if your storing it outside, you don't just go out and start it up expecting the windsheld to defrost after 5 minutes, and a warm cab. They take some driving before they warm up.

In my opinion a gas engine is best suited to your needs. If it were my choice I would buy and F-150 with the 5.4. They are the best 1/2ton tow rigs on the market, and since you only tow 5k it more than enough truck. If I were not going to tow then I would get a 1500 gm with the 5.3 or 6.0. The GM's need to rev way up in the power band to pull.

I would also say the gasser would work best in your situation. I Purchased a new 06 Mega cag to pull my 24' 5ver and it work well, It was around 7k wet.
I Purchased a 33' Cardinal 5ver 11,5K dry in the spring and pulled it once and couldnt wait to get home to sell the Hemi.
I have owned all the gassers, Chev, Ford, and Hemi and would recommend the Hemi for sure.

Scott