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To diesel, or not to diesel

10K views 48 replies 27 participants last post by  Redfish5496 
#1 ·
Hello, I’m looking into buying a new truck. It offers both diesel and gas engine models. The thing is the $10k price difference. Do I need to go diesel to pull my rv, or is gas fine? Which is better and why? We’re not big rv’ers, maybe used twice a year. The boat on the other hand, gets used quite often. The rv is 32’ @9klbs ball n’ hitch travel trailer. Thanks.
 
#18 ·
Once you go with a diesel you won’t go back to gas especially if you plan to keep the truck a long time. Gas just does not have the pulling power a diesel offers.

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I agree.. No, I obviously don't NEED a diesel.. But when there's a trailer hooked behind it, even just a 22ft bay boat, you're happy that it is diesel. My dad is looking at getting a newer Duramax for himself after driving mine if that says anything.... lol
 
#4 · (Edited)
Lol....i went opposite....i got an efficient little 3.0 diesel for my main tow vehicle. Main motivation was the efficient fuel mileage and was way cheaper than the equally equiped trucks on the used market. The power was never an issue. Im a full time guide with about 90% of my miles towing a 6500 pound boat that is like pulling a parachute.

Wife has same vehicle for her daily commute. Horse trailer full of giant hunter/jumper horses is over 7000 pounds.

Dont need a big diesel or a big gas. And going to do everything in my power to never go back....got rid of the big gas hawg. The truck now are full of 40k mile sensors and throw away parts. No thank you. Got rid of the 3/4 ton chevy cuz that BMW x5 pulls em, stops em, handles em way better than that truck ever thought about.....

Full time guide.....got rid of the truck cuz a BMW SUV does what i need better. And way more efficient. 14mpg pulling that parachute at 70mph. Get 17mpg pulling the horse trailer (more aerodynamic even though its heavier.)

I have seen one pulling a 12k pound 35ft RV. They travel the country. He says he has not un hooked in 100k miles....

If you need a big diesel you know it.....i wont have another.

Maybe a truck with a small diesel or (Dodge) or ecoboost etc would do what you need. $10k for more power you dont sound like you need.
 

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#5 ·
Depending on power plant, gas will do it...but diesel will do it better. With that kind of weight on a bumper pull you better have a weight distribution hitch if going with a lighter tow vehicle of the tail will wag the dog. A 3/4 ton diesel should have enough weight to it so that won't happen as easily. What you want to be careful of is having something that will handle things if you get into a bad situation. I had a 1/2 ton Chebby short bed regular cab gasser that towed my 25' Boston Whaler with twins fine. One day I was taking it back to the shop after a little rain and it pushed me into an intersection. I shortly there after bought a 3/4 ton diesel and no more problems. If you don't need a newer truck I would look at the older diesels without all the crapola on them and only utilize it when you tow.
 
#8 ·
Never thought I would do it, but went gas on the truck I just bought. Dodge 2500 6.4l Hemi. Could not be happier! Good mileage, lots of power. If I towed for a living I would go diesel. But I do not...
 
#16 ·
I had a similar experience to bw but I only put 3k-4k miles on a p/u a year so was looking for newish used ... had hoped to find a 3/4t 6.4 hemi but not too many when I was looking, so ended up with a 6.2 gasser ford and am happy ... handles my few tows per year much better than a 1/2 T ...
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#10 ·
Kodiak
If you are thinking about doing what SGREM did, just keep in mind that trailer maintenance becomes a MUST. I could care less if the brakes on my boat trailer works or not, but I'm hualing it with an 8000 # 4x4 Excursion. And I drive pretty slow. I used to haul mobile homes many years ago and they NEVER had brakes, so it something always in the back of my mind.


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#12 · (Edited)
No air ride. No helpers. No nothing. Factory. My big bay boat had over 1000 pounds of tongue weight at the sacles when i first got it and it still didnt squat it. (About 600 pounds tongue weight now measured at the scales.)

And trailer brakes or not.... high performance race inspired brakes with the low center of gravity will bring to a stop much better than heavy mass designed brakes. Brakes designed to bring down from 180mph will perform better than any truck brakes designed to bring heavy loads down from 80mph....etc. no matter how much weight.

That Ranger does not have functioning trailer brakes. My big bay boat didnt either when i first got it (does now.) Braking hard would still throw you into the windsheild and not push that SUV at all. It all works better than you think it should. It is not uncomfy at all to haul even when those big sleds dont have trailer brakes.

Like i said.....it hauls, stops, handles everything better than that big 3/4 Chevy ever thought about. I sold the Chevy to go to the BMW as a better choice.

Wifes had 18" wheels....mine has 19" wheels. Optical illusion with her wheels turned as well making it look squatty but it doesnt at all. And such a comfy cushy ride when towing compared to a truck.
 
#13 ·
Towing capacity of a 2019 BMW X5 is:
How Much Can The BMW X5 Tow?
BMW X5 Towing Capacity: 5,952 pounds
BMW X5 Payload: 1,110 pounds
The 2018 BMW X5 towing capacity maxes out at 5,952 pounds, and 1,110 pounds of payload.

Towing above or even at maximum capacity is never recommended.

A 3/4 ton Chev trucks towing capacity is up to 23,000 lbs. Not sure that any SUV can tow the same as a vehicle specifically designed for carrying heavy loads. But I guess vehicle design engineers can be wrong though.

The diesel vs gasoline discussion is really one more of personal preference. IME, the gas engines will tow well enough to not be a difference in infrequent/intermittent towing. The diesel is better equipped for long term frequent heavy towing. Just my experience.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Just an FYI...BMW the manufactrer rates the x5 at 7700 and 600 pounds of tongue weight.

BMW USA (they are the doing the importing) derates that to 6000 pounds towing and 600 tongue weight for the US market. Not sure why.

But the manufacturer rates to 7700.

My boat weighs 6500 empty. Much more fully fueled and loaded out. Towed many days a week all over Texas for well over a year and 40k miles about 90% towing as i am a full time guide in that boat living in Clear Lake/Webster area and guiding from Sabine to Baffin and numerous freshwater lakes inland as well.

Up to about 7500 pounds it is an animal and tows better than the trucks i have experienced towing the same load. Over 7500 get a truck for the heavy weights.

Fact is that a Corvette will tow any bay boat made better than any truck....if you disagree with it is because you have never done it. Yes over 7500 pounds the big trucks are much more stable with enough material strength to not bend under the mass.

But a the high performance SUVs have lower center of gravity, better stability, higher performance steering, higher performance brakes, higher performance suspension, much shorter distance from rear axle to hitch point. All of these go for a fantastic tow rig option with better performance and handling under all conditions. I have experienced it cuz i had and towed both side by side.

Had a Tundra owner swear i couldnt tow that boat with that car. I bet him titles on a hand shake that that BMW towed better....we did it. He conceded that it did in fact tow and handle and brake better....have yet to see that title though....

I am not trying to compare max towing or payload capacities at all. That is a stretch. But for towing any bay boat it simply is impressive and surprising how well it performs that relatively light towing task.
 
#19 ·
Wow, a lot of great answers. Thanks. I'm currently in a 2015 5.3L Chevy Crew 1500 with the max tow package. I thought about a SUV with a 6.2L, but it won't safely tow the Rv. A few friends have recommended the Nissan Titan XD. The warranties sound great, but it's seems too good to be true (which I'm sure it is). As for new or used, I'm looking into new because I'll get a better interest rate, even though I'll be paying for depreciation. I read in another article here, that 15% below retail is considered normal, is that right? As for gas or diesel, I'm still weighing it.
 
#21 ·
Depends on where you plan on towing that travel trailer. If just around south Texas, or about anywhere in Texas, a gasser will do. If you plan big trips to the Rockies I would go diesel.
I pulled a 10,000# fifth wheel with a GMC 2500 6.0 gas. It was OK around here but it screamed at high RPM in the Smokies. Diesel on cruise control is almost effortless, plus the added engine brake when going downhill.
 
#22 ·
gas vs diesel

I tow a 25 ft Ranger offshore center console with twin 225 merc optmax engines. When fully loaded for a long offshore trip with 270 gallons of fuel boat weight is over 7000 lbs. Add a 1500 lb. trailer and that is a lot of weight. I tow with a 2015 Chevy 2500 hd z 71 6 liter gas with 4.10 gears. This truck tows great, could not justify the 10,000 more for a diesel. Does not get as good of fuel millage as the diesel but when You ad tax and interest on the extra 10,000 plus extra for oil changes one can buy a lot of gas for that. I use to tow same boat with a Chevy 1500 z71 with 3.73 gears. It did not do a good job of towing. With that being said I doubt that the BMW can tow as good or even come close to towing what my truck can and doing it safely.I have towed a 12000 lb track hoe with no problem. Ranger 250
 
#23 ·
Um....you mean like the twin engine 25ft offshore Ranger in the pics above? Lol

I also had the Chevy 6.0 gas 3/4 ton. BMW tows, stops, and handles up to 7500 better than that truck ever thought about.

Agree for heavy weight....over 7500 a bigger tow vehicle is justified. i was just discussing the percieved need for todays big expensive diesels these days is just a want. Plenty of power in todays engines.

As mentioned above if you tow for a living or tug mountainous areas the diesel will excel.
 
#24 ·
towing

So You are telling us that a small suv will out tow a 2500 hd z71. It can pull that boat up a wet steep ramp, stop a 7500 lb plus load in a shorter distance , tow at 60 mph plus highway speeds, go up overpasses and bridges with out any trouble. I have towed heavy loads for many years and if You think that bmw can out tow a heavy duty truck You are fooling Yourself. The transmission and rearend will not take that kind of abuse for 50,000 plus miles. Heavy duty trucks have lower gears, larger rear ends, larger axles, larger brakes and external transmission oil coolers.There is a reason for all that heavy duty stuff. When that bmw is on the side of the road with the transmission burnt up my 2500 hd will still be going. Thats why they do not tow 18 wheeler semi trailers loaded with 40,000 lbs. with a one ton dually. It would pull it but not safely and not very long. I would not want to in front of You if I had to make a quick stop in heavy traffic. Ranger250
 
#25 · (Edited)
I owned both side by side. And yes that is exactly what i am saying....or a Chevy Corvette for that matter will absolutely tow a bay boat better than that truck. If you disagree with this it is because you have never done it. If you havent done it ..... and still discuss the point to the contrary.... then that uneducated discussion point is the only one of us fooling ourselves. I do it daily.

I sold that truck as fast as i could and replaced it with the BMW. I own two now. Wifes for her horse trailer (she had a truck too....) That was 40,000 miles ago with all towing on mine. I am a full time guide. Occassional towing on hers. I have had a giant truck and big duallys my whole life. Used to tow over 100k miles a year with giant goosenecks. I have plenty of experience towing.

I have done it side by side and would bet you titles that that BMW will easily stop it in a shorter distance. (Not a smart bet for you since you havent done it side by side....I have.)

It has all the same coolers you describe already from the factory.

As i illustrated above ..... and to educate you.... that BMW has higher performance brakes than any truck on the road. Any truck. And will bring any oad up to about 7500 pounds to a stop faster. Higher performance steering handles the load balance on the highway better. Higher performance suspension reacts better to uneven surfaces etc. It has the same identical same part number transmission that dodge puts in their trucks designed for towing....so not sure where you can claim transmission issues either.

Fact is....that any truck will be out of control long before that BMW will. Its physics of a lower center of gravity and shorter breakover leverage from rear axle to hitch point. And especially tows better than lifted, big tire, mud tire equipped trucks for same reason of handling and traction control. Easily as you can deduce....

Everything else claimed is simply uneducated assumptions. I am saying from direct side by side experience that you dont need a 3/4 ton for under 7500 pounds....or any bay boat.....or any smaller offshore boat.

I am making no comparisons to heavy weight assignments.
 
#28 ·
towing diesel??

It sort of depends on how much you drive and how long. I prefer the gas over the diesel mainly because of the huge price differential. Having said that the Texas laws regarding drivers licenses changed 4 years ago and if you tow over 10,000 lbs, or drive something over 33,000, you need a non commercial Class A license and if you drive an over 33K and tow anything you need a Class B. Not a lot of RV and 5th wheel types know that until they get in an accident and the insurance doesn't want to cover because you didn't have the correct license.
I know, I know, I drove the 33,000 lbs diesel RV and towed a Tahoe for 10 years before they changed the license and still dont have the correct one.
 
#35 ·
It sort of depends on how much you drive and how long. I prefer the gas over the diesel mainly because of the huge price differential. Having said that the Texas laws regarding drivers licenses changed 4 years ago and if you tow over 10,000 lbs, or drive something over 33,000, you need a non commercial Class A license and if you drive an over 33K and tow anything you need a Class B. Not a lot of RV and 5th wheel types know that until they get in an accident and the insurance doesn't want to cover because you didn't have the correct license.
I know, I know, I drove the 33,000 lbs diesel RV and towed a Tahoe for 10 years before they changed the license and still dont have the correct one.
I read about that, it's crazy! And I agree, not many Rv'ers know about that.
 
#29 ·
Just to throw in something that I did not see mentioned yet, is the price to maintain a diesel also. I just traded in my 2012 f250 for a 19 tundra. The f250 was a great truck I traded it cause the problems I was have ( weird electrical stuff, EGR cooler, EGT sensors, boost hose blew at 80K miles). Not only that but 4 gallons of oil every 5k or so miles them $50 fuel filter every other oil change, add on diesel is $.50- .75 a gallon more than gas here in the Houston area and gets even more expensive as to get out to more rural places. Again I loved the truck pulled and drove great but the cost to keep it going and maintained did not make sense for me since I did not pull much weight very often. The Tundra on the other hand is not rated to pull as much and gets less miles per gallon but saving at least $.50 a gallon I haven’t seen a difference yet. Also it only holds 6 or so quarts of oil and change every 10k miles. It makes 380 HP and is paired up with 4:30 rear end. Much less to have issues with IE I do t have to spend 2k to delete it to be reliable. Having to pay for a diesel truck year round to pull something a few times a year that a gas truck can handle just as well was not working for me.
 
#30 ·
I've been driving nothing but f-250's for the past 12 years. Provided that my boat is in a slip I don't have to pull it out of the water much but I don't think a BMW is going to pull 10k pounds+ out of the ramp.

My ex-wife had a BMW and all she did was:

B**ch
Moan &
Whine
 
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