Dono

H2owarrior,
I just checked out the isuzu web site they make a truck that handles loads up to 23,758 lbs is this considered light duty? Just curious as i'm not in the trucking biz. Should be good enough for any boat i could afford to buy.

h2owarrior

Dono, I did not even know they had a wab site. I think the build class 6 medium duty trucks that don't sell as well as they would like in the US. This would be like an F750, an Internaltional 4700 or GM's 6500 and 7500. Their larger engines are nice but not competitive with Cat, Cummins or Detroit (horsepower or torque).

Sorry if I took the thread in the wrong direction. My point was that Isuzu is not a major producer of Large diesel engines or large trucks and attributing some expertise to the GM engine offering based on that fact was incorrect.

baja bailey, good luck in your search for a truck, I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.

Racemore

They built the first diesel truck.As far as reliabilty one wore out 2 bodys over 700,000 miles.They make good marine powerplants also. Powerstrokes are great motors and had little trouble beating up on the conversion GM. The dmax is sweet. My buddy recently bought a 2500hd ,4dr,short bed,4x4,leather =bad ass. Several of my other friends have Pstrokes 4dr.duallys.One bought the programer that can dail up to 80 more HP.Now he is ordering the baddest kit on the planet from Banks and they told him their new kit for the dmax will make the most HP and torque of all.
Myself I Like the Bowtie,although I like anything that looks and runs good.Still waiting for Chevy and Cat to hook up.

wannabe

Baja,

Any of the new diesel engines in the pick up trucks will work fine for you. The power ratings are way up, and you will not go wrong (all over 500 ft/lbs). It really depends on the truck itself. If you get a great deal on the Ford then get a Super Duty with the powerstroke. The new Dodge Cummins is just hitting the market and Packinair may be able to help you but delivery is tight. GM has a financing deal. You pick.

Wannabe in Motor City

Dock Holiday

I like them both, but we bought a new F-350 DRW Crew Cab PSD for five reasons.

1) The wife liked it best.
2) It is quieter inside the cab at highway speeds.
3) It rides much smoother without a load.
4) It was $3000.00 cheaper.
5) It is a proven package.

I really like the allison transmission. That is one great advantage GM has over the competition. My neighbor has a new Duramax and loves it, however he was just *****ing last week about the price of a fuel filter that is a dealer only item at about $70.00.

The high pressure fuel system is what I hear the biggest problem will be. Even my local GMC dealer told me is is not a matter of if it will leak, but when.

I am not concerned about having a dated package. At some time we all have one regardless of brand. Buy what best serves you and enjoy it. We have 5000 trouble free miles on our F350 with 80% of them pulling 11,500 lbs.

The Ford does a GREAT job.

Mark

formula1

I know this post has no mention of Dodge, but I've owned a Powerstroke of the 1996 vintage, have driven the D-max/Allision combo for approx 1000 miles (sweet combo but I prefer the 8100!) and the Dodge Cummins is pretty impressive. One of the reasons I switched is the limited warranty (7yr or 70000 miles) on the powertrain. I'm also getting approx 18 MPG with 4.10 gears and 4wd in all around driving! Worst of all, it's gotta be the loudest thing on the road (short of open headers!!).

26scarab

Check out the new Dodges. They have switched to the high pressure fuel rail system and are just as quiet as the Dmax. I also believe that the new Cummins has the highest hp and torque of the others.
Aren't real diesels straight 6's?

All kidding aside ..my friend has a new Dmax and the truck is just
awesome. Unlike the other two manufactures the GM is like a Caddilac inside. Yes I would be concerned about the aluminum heads and stuff but time (and a few hundred thousand miles) will tell.

T2x

1999......Ford F-350 PSD........121,000 miles and climbing daily

17.4 lifetime MPG

Burns no crankcase oil.....zero

Has had 1 sensor issue that caused power to retard fixed in 1 hour...no charge.

Accelerates like a BMW 5 series (and shocks their drivers as I'm "still there" a quarter mile down the road).

No chips , no exhaust mods.....just the stock 500 lbs of torque.

Leaves rubber if I'm feeling frisky.


I've owned Ferrari's, Porsche's, Vette's, Lincoln's, Caddy's, Mercedes, Pontiacs, Buicks, 4-4-2's, Broncos, Suburbans, GMC Vans, Ford Vans, Ford pickups, A Capri, an MG, a 57 Chevy and about 100 Freight Liners.............. oh, and my Dad drove an Isetta.

Did I mention................. I LOVE THIS TRUCK!

GM still needs someone other than the guy who designed Darth Vader's helmet in their "alleged" Styling Department.

T2x

Jassman

We have a 2001 PSD in our fleet w/68k on it, has been reliable other than a tranny problems, this is our second time in for failure. It pulls like a frieght train and I love it for that. I also own a 2002 DM 2500HD crew cab, this diesel is much quieter in and out the cab, much stronger, I feel a better tranny and I know when I put the same 12000lb trailer on it, it pulls it like 2 freight trains. We got 19.1 mpg going to Destin avereaging 80+ mph, the motor had less than 1000 miles on it at the time, needless to say for not being a diesel lover, I'm warmed over. I also just added 285's and a FIPKA from K & N and the biggest performance gain was the EDGE Products Programmer, 90hp and 250ft lbs of torque, unbelievable. Rick Conti has this on his DM Dually, runs it at the track in 4wd and turns 14.9 in the quarter, pretty good for a dually, and no propane. Good luck in what you buy, I pd 500 over invioce from my friend at the dealership. Retail was 44783 cost was 39301, I pd 500 over that.

mcollinstn

I'm partner in a preowned car lot.

I've pulled my "around 10,000#" boat and trailer with Dodge/Cummins, Ford/Powerstroke, and GM/Duramax. I've never pulled it with a gasoline motor, nor do I have any desire to do so.

Since you are asking only about the Powerstroke and Duramax, I won't give you a sales pitch on the Cummins (a man's motor if there ever was one - loud, proud, and smoky).

Stock-for-stock, the Duramax pulls with more authority than the Powerstroke. Even so, my recent trip in an '02 Crewcab 3/4-ton Powerstroke was great. Cruise set on 70, up and down hilly 2-lane highways. Did find some long grades that dropped me to 60, but they were loooonng and steeeeeeep. Trans temp NEVER climbed. Overdrive the whole time. Engine temp NEVER climbed (100+ degree heat in humid Tennessee). Ride was great, the Ford cab has tons of room and is very very usable. Wife went nuts over this truck.

The motor noise does not get into the cab.

The Duramax/Allison is a sweet package. The Allison is very well suited to towing heavy loads and shifts VERY smoothly while pulling all the way through the shift. Provides good engine braking also.

Modified, the Powerstroke is a beast. Probably can get more usable torque from this motor than the Cummins for towing (towing modifications must keep EGT's in line, else you fry stuff on long hills).

I have driven a modified Duramax, but not towed with it. It is a mean SOB also, but I did notice the pyrometer climb on a hard acceleration run.

Bottom line:

Ford and GM both have winners in their lineups. Transmissions will always be the weak link in these grunters if you tow. Just figure that on the front end.

If you have a "program" discount on one or the other, then I would probably let the bottom line make the decision for me.