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Old 05-10-2012, 12:50 AM   #1
chris199
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Dumb Questionn: Duramax/Allison vs.. Gas

Looked at Sierra 2500HD's last night.. Duramax increases 5th wheel towing to 16,000 lb...trailer towing is identical..payload is identical. Benefits of the $8,000 upgrade to diesel? Diesel fuel more expensive.......better mpg though. Use for commute 10 miles each way and TT towing.
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Old 05-10-2012, 03:21 AM   #2
therink
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Hi
I'm sure you will get a lot of opinions, so here is mine: My truck and fiver specs are in sig below. My fiver scaled is 11,800 loaded. My 6.0 gasser does just fine towing and I live in a relatively hilly area. I tow about 4k miles a year and daily drive the truck for work. I personally could not justify the 8k cost for diesel in my situation and I thought it through. Would I like the power and torque the DM offers? Sure, but not worth the cost. If I was fulltiming I would definitely go with DM.
If you decide on gas, make sure you get 4:10 axle as it adds 3,800 lbs towing capacity on the HD Silverado. It would likely mean factory ordering as 4:10 axle are few and far between on the dealer lots. Good luck.
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Old 05-10-2012, 03:35 AM   #3
JRTJH
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I had Ford diesels for a number of years. During that time, I found that a diesel doesn't really get "warm and efficient" until it reaches operating temperature. That said, if you're travelling 10 miles to work at a fair pace (not much stop and go traffic) chances are a diesel will just be getting warm about the time you got to work. So, efficiency on the commute will probably not happen. As for towing, diesel wins "hands down" for long distance towing, but for towing a few thousand miles a year, "therink" is spot on with his advice. Cost of a diesel initially (plus added maintenance costs) will take a long time to break even.

Just my nickle.....
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Old 05-10-2012, 05:33 AM   #4
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We are fulltimers and do it in a 383 Fuzion Touring Edition 11 toyhauler around 17,000 loaded and 40 foot long. I tow with a 3500 GMC CC Dually 8.1 gas and allison transmittion. I towed from Texas to Alaska and back to Texas last year. No problems, would a diesel have given me better millage, yes would it have given me more power, yes. I had this truck for years and it was paid for a long time before we retired. I put a pencile and paper to it and figuring cost to trade up to diesel, higher fuel cost, oil and filter changes, it would take me 80,000 miles to reach the payback point. I will not be driving as many miles now as last year going to Alaska was a one time thing. I just could not justify trading. If I was starting out and had to buy a new truck I would defantly go diesel or when the time comes and I have to replace this truck I will go diesel, but untill then I love my old 8.1 gas truck I have had it so long now it feels like part of the family. Just my own opionion and experience every one has their own needs and wants. George
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Old 05-10-2012, 06:23 AM   #5
smiller
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I agree with therink and JRTJH... the diesel is hands-down superior for heavy towing but may not be cost effective (on a pure dollar basis at least) for occasional use. A lot depends on will the truck be towing 90% or the time, or 10% of the time?

One thing that is often overlooked when considering a diesel's cost though is resale value. Much of the extra expense of the diesel option will come back at resale time while (around here anyway) you can't give away a used gas 3/4 or 1-ton pickup. When you include resale (a big factor in the the total cost of ownership) the cost of a diesel could actually end up being less than gas.
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Old 05-10-2012, 07:12 AM   #6
ktmracer
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I have the duramax/allison combo on my 04.5 silverado. IMHO if you try to justify the purchase on an economic payback basis, unless you tow a lot (like over 20K miles/yr or so) I think you'll find it hard to justify. 8K buys lots of gas, even considering the higher trade in value.

for me, there are things I need to cost justify to purchase. The duramax wasn't one of them. We could easily afford it, and the towing ease, power etc. is why we went diesel over gas. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Now that we are retired, it's used about 80% of the time for towing, about 10K miles/year

BTW for 4 years until I retired, I did drive it about 4 miles each way to work, still decent mileage, better than gas. And we still use it unloaded on long trips when we need the room in the big "trunk". very comfortable on the highway and gets about 18mpg unloaded.
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Old 05-10-2012, 07:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ktmracer View Post
I have the duramax/allison combo on my 04.5 silverado. IMHO if you try to justify the purchase on an economic payback basis, unless you tow a lot (like over 20K miles/yr or so) I think you'll find it hard to justify. 8K buys lots of gas, even considering the higher trade in value.

for me, there are things I need to cost justify to purchase. The duramax wasn't one of them. We could easily afford it, and the towing ease, power etc. is why we went diesel over gas. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Now that we are retired, it's used about 80% of the time for towing, about 10K miles/year

BTW for 4 years until I retired, I did drive it about 4 miles each way to work, still decent mileage, better than gas. And we still use it unloaded on long trips when we need the room in the big "trunk". very comfortable on the highway and gets about 18mpg unloaded.
^^^ I Agree ^^^
Love towing with my Cummins, would not go back to a gas TV. It also seems to love towing!

I get great fuel mileage, and don't think maintenance is any greater than a gas TV.

It is a personal choice, I see driving a diesel as a life style choice! You either love them or hate them. You need to understand how your diesel runs and how to treat it. Mine still pulls very strong, at 250,000 miles.
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Old 05-10-2012, 08:06 AM   #8
smiller
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Originally Posted by rhagfo View Post
Mine still pulls very strong, at 250,000 miles.
Try that with a gas engine Sometimes diesel can be cheaper in the long run (although as above not everyone will pile up that kind of mileage.)

Also agree how the diesel 'likes' towing. My 5.9 Cummins seems to be much happier under a moderate to heavy load than empty. Contrast with a gas engine where you often get the feeling that you're running it very hard. Some of the cost of the diesel option goes to just feeling better while you're going down the road.
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Old 05-10-2012, 08:17 AM   #9
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I have always pretty much had gas tow vehicals but had always considered going to a diesel. After having family tow with diesel's (cummins) for many years and saying they would never tow without a diesel and then us having an issue towing a larger trailer with a gas truck we bit the bullet and stepped up to a diesel. We was able to buy used at a really good deal and has been well worth the money. The truck sits in the drive most of the time but love the diesel when it comes to pulling the trailer or hauling heavy loads. I love my diesel and glad I spent the money on it even though it doesn't get driven much. And my wife loves it because she says it makes her feel powerful and it helps that it has heated leather seats!

Oh yea and ours still pulls strong with 200,000 on it!
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Old 05-10-2012, 09:00 AM   #10
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Hi gas vs diesel is like the arument for a high wing (cessna low wing beechcraft) if you fly a high wing and get atruck by a bird on the wing then a low wing is better. i love my diesel. but i drive it farther than you do to work and the advice is right. about warm up! in 10 miles it will not be fully warmed up. but the power of a diesel and the longevity are hard to arguw with. esp if you are going to keep it for a long time. my comute is 16 miles and i don't think mine gets fully warmed up so a bought a better car to comute to work. if that works for you like it does for me go for it if not a gasser my be best! how was that for confussion eh? by the way thats how i got my saab convertable past the dw!!!!!!
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Old 05-10-2012, 02:40 PM   #11
jje1960
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Gas vs diesel .... Again....

Always an interesting topic... Everyone is right. I'm still super happy with our choice, now and later, was a very long term purchase.
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