Chevy 2500HD- 6.6D v. 6.0G
 

Hey guys, I have been doing a lot of research on everything to do with a new tow vehicle. I honestly have nothing better to do right now anyhow, so its keeping me busy. I have been also watching the Diesel cost/gallon trends and, well, yuck.

Ok, more info. I am towing a 28' Nordic Heat, factory weight is 4900lbs dry, trailer 1500lbs. So, loaded down, lets say 8000lbs. (86 Gal of fuel, some fresh water, coolers, etc). Tow capacity on a diesel, 12 million pounds or so, got it. More than enough to pull the Heat with no problems. The 6.0L version will pull roughly 10000lbs ( rating it low for sake of arguement, everything I have found is 10,600). Unfortunately for me, at this point in life, I am not made of money like some people on here, and this will be my daily driver. I am in the Army, and only live a mile off post, but its another 3 or 4 miles when you get on post, nevermind any sort of errands to run. (Perspective- I have an 09 Titan that I bought with 43miles on it, it now has 49500, and I was deployed most of 09, and have been deployed most of this year.) I drive...a lot.

So, anyone car to chime in on this debate? Is the diesel bad ass enough to justify the cost to drive it? Will the gas suffice? I am a mechanic, I do all my own work (up to including engine internals and such, trannys and diffs are out, but willing to learn if need be). i am looking at used, my wife is cheap and talking her into the Nordic was hard enough. The price is pretty darn similar for a low mileage gas and the same in diesel down in Texas. Any information, pointers, etc, will be awesome!

Cost of owning the diesel is higher hands down even with the better MPG. I am surprised you can get a diesel close to the price of a gas. Here in KY, you can't give a gasser away. My accountant would tell you to get the gasser, I would get the diesel.

I may have to go with a gasser. My wife is an accountant, so I am sure she will agree. Texas is a treasure trove of diesel trucks it seems. The two trucks I have found that I like, on either end of the spectrum, are the same price. Both LTZs, both 4WD, both the same color and options. I may need to look farther away :) I am assuming you tow your DCB with a diesel, ever have it behind a gasser?

you will have to ring the gasser's neck when pulling the boat and get ready for sub-10 mpg.

Thats kind of what I am looking for, numbers. I wish I were home to go test drive a diesel and a gas for a weekend or something. But is the low mpg while towing with a gasser enough to make up for the cost of the diesel... no winning in today's world lol.

Why do you need a diesel or big gas engine to begin with. You are towing 8k lbs, any half ton for that matter will easily without issue tow that boat. Diesel is getting to the point in IVHO that if you dont need dont buy it. If your going new its a 7k invesmet right off the bat. Sure you get more power and better MPG, but its not like your getting 50% better mpg or something. On top of that diesel here is 80 cents more a gallon right now, so what you are getting an MPG is negated by the cost of diesel. Diesel's are hundred dollar oil changes, $75 air filters, you have to change the fuel filters once or twice a year at 65 a pop. Dont get me wrong I love diesels just got rid of mine, the cost of operating it was just not worth it.

Dodge has a hemi out there that can tow 10,600 I believe. And what I just bought was the Ford F150 Ecoboost, with 3.73 gears and max trailer package my truck can tow 11,300. I have towed my 29 fountain that weighs about 10 with a trailer and no problem. Truck gets about 17 city and 20-21 highway. I only get 10 towing 10k lbs but I tow my boat 45mins 10-12 times year during the summer, thats why I couldnt justify the diesel anymore. If I was going across country or multiple hour trips I would have thought differently. Either way with 8k, you can tow that boat to russia and back with any half ton and be alright.

As far as numbers my 6.4 diesel on the ford was getting 12 and some change it might peak at 13 if I was lucky. towing was bout 11. So yeah I lose 2mpg on the ecoboost, but diesel cost 80 cents more. Plus i dont tow all the time. What I figured was this on 10k miles. my diesel with fuel, oil changes and fuel filter was running me 3500 a year. Ecoboost will run me 2100 a year. Oh and my insurance is cheaper on the brand new truck as well registration.

With that said I wouldnt buy that big gasser no how. Never heard anything good about them. I must say with the ecoboost I now fill up at 80-85 bucks a tank vs 150-160.

FWIW... I have been driving diesel pickups since 1981, at least 15 different trucks.... I now have a 2010 6.0 gas and couldn't be happier, and i'm in the diesel engine business.... mine pulls AWESOME, you won't be unhappy, but mileage ain't sporty.... the Dodge HEMI and Ecoboost deserve a SERIOUS look as well, no sense buying a diesel unless you drive it 250,000 miles, the payback isn't there right now and won't be until diesel fuel pricing is 20% under 87 octane and that won't happen in your lifetime

I also just bought a 2012 Grand Cherokee with a HEMI for a daily driver and my avg. in town mileage so far has been over 16 mpg and just a tick over 20 on the hwy, if I didn't own it and see it for myself every day, I would never have believed it, and I run only E90 non ethanol fuel whenever I can, thats worth +2 mpg right there in either vehicle.

My boat/trailer/gear weighs in at 8,200 lbs. I towed it with both a 2004 2500HD LLY DMax and a 2006 Denali XL 6.0L. Both had 3.73 gears. DMax hands down.

2007+ 6.0 Gas comes with a 6-speed Transmission, not the Allison but a 6-speed nonetheless. It's also more powerful than the previous generation 6.0's that everybody hates. Couple that with a 4.10 axle ratio and you'll have plenty of truck to pull your boat.

Unless you are towing all the time, you don't really need a Duramax.

Another option is the new chevy 6.2l which has nice power, but MPG will be about the same as 6.0. My Ecoboost has a 6 speed tranny as well, and it also has the tap shift, Manual option on it as well.

i owned a 2004 2500HD with the 6.0liter. It towed ok and did the job, but it was a DOG. It was even a little sluggish without the boat. If i did it again and the price was the same, id go with the deisel.

I had a 2500 6.0 for 10 years,,,,, pulled my 272 with no issues,,,,,seemed happiest at 90 MPH to be honest.

Also pulled the 36 OUTLAW with it and probably still would be if some druck AZZhole didnt total it for me.

You will be just fine towing the Nordic with a 6.0,,,,, the only downside is hilly terrain it likes to shift alot,,,,, the 6.0 likes to rev,,,,,,let it,,,, it doesnt care !!!!

I had a custom tune done to th ecu,,,,, right before I lost the truck unfortunaltly,,,,, and it made a big difference in power to.

MAKE SURE if you get a 6.0,,,,,it has the 4:10 rear end,,,,,more power and actually gets better real world MPG

If you don't plan to get a bigger boat anytime soon, go wth the gasser.

But since you have the opportunity to start from scratch, definitely go with a 3/4 truck. The capacities on 1/2 ton trucks are 80% marketing race and 20% capabilities.

I have owned a 6.6 durmax 2002, 2005 F350 6.0l diesel, and a Denali with a 6.0 gas. The awd drive denali averaged about 6 mpg this past summer towing, and compared to a diesel it didn't seem like it liked it. There are grades and hills on our highway that I had never noticed before towing with the 6.0l gasser.

You mentioned test driving both to make a decision.....DONT!

Do you need a diesel.....no, if you tow with one you will WANT a diesel. If you buy a programmer and instantly add 150HP and 200 lbs of tork by plugggin it in you will never want a gasser again. You don't need a performance boat that jumps on plane and goes 70 mph either, but you would miss it if drove a cruiser for a day.

My 02 duramax crew with 4wd was creeping up on 20 mpg by the time I sold it, you won't get that today because of all the new emmisions standards. I was buying diesel in 2003 at about $1 per gallon. Back then it made sense to pay the $6-7k to upgrade to a diesel.

My 05 F350 made 700hp and 1000 ft lbs with everything I had done to it. Driving that truck around town was just a riot. I could embarass some of today's "sports cars" with an 8000 lb truck with 38" tires. Towing a 36 ft boat down the highway at 85 mph with the cruise on was just as fun, and effortless.

With the cost of diesel the numbers do not make sense today, so it's all about what you want.

If you want to get out of it as least expensive as possible go with the gasser.

If you don't want to feel your load while towing, or want to "boost" up your engine to have the acceration of a muscle car for about $400 go with the diesel. If you have plans to go with a bigger boat anytime soon......diesel for sure

Thanks for all the replies gents. Right now my tow vehicle is a Nissan Titan 2WD. I had the truck before the boat, and well, the truck is setup more for hotrodding around town than towing. As it is, I only see about 10mpg around town and MAYBE 14 on the highway (Full exhaust, Longtube headers, Intake Chip all that jazz). So, to see 10 or so towing would be refreshing. I am definitely going to broaden my horizons. Just poking around, I am still finding Diesels with similar appointments as the gassers for roughly the same cost. Maybe the cost of diesel is starting to take its toll on the Texas truck stockage.

I do enjoy running on the track, but I dont want to do that with the next truck (Titan has about 70 or so passes on her). I guess only time will tell. I have test driven the diesel, lucky for me its slower than the Titan, so it wasnt awe inspiring in its stock form. Oh, two reasons for getting rid of Titan, 2.94 final drive and its only an extended cab. I want a 4 door, and I need better gearing. If it werent for those two items, I would keep it.

I have a 2500HD crew cab with the 6.6 Duramax and Allison. I tow a boat and trailer that weigh 6000lbs. Towed boat from Jersey to Virginia this summer and got over 16mpg. Also when I got on the highway while not towing I reset the average fuel economy computer and the truck got 24mpg running at 72mph on the 30mi. highway run. It has great acceleration I gues because of the high torque. If I have any towing to do I will always stay with a diesel.

i sold my dodge diesel in the fall and with my dads 2004 6.0 2500 towing my 29' fountain (about the same load as you) gets 7-8 mpg hand calculated doing 65-75 mph. Revs high on hills if you want to keep your speed. 12-14 mpg unloaded.

Saying this, i'm buying another diesel before tow season starts back!

Towing my 29ft with an ecoboost. Get about 10 towing and 16-17 in the city and 21-22 hwy when not towing. Tows the boat fine

My baja is around 7000 with trailer.

I had a 2004 1500 4wd, GMC for 4 years.(5.3) towed fine, reved on hills.

towed with a 2004 2500 HD Deisel.... bought one 4 months later....

Currently towing 7-10K with a 04 titan 4x4. There is a difference between being able to tow something and consuming the truck as you do so.

pulling 80% + of the rated weight in half ton will prematurely wear out suspension shocks, exhaust, ball joints, transmissions, rear end etc and the mileage will blow I get around 8-9 with my stuff.

The diesel will not only get 15 MPG pulling that load you wont have to rebuild everything in 50K miles (like I did my titan) and there will still be resale value when its time for you to move on. the gasser depreciate like used hand grenades.

Some things are difficult to put a value on- like what is the value of having twice the range when towing and only having to stop once vs 2-3 times on a trip? difficult to compute but very valuable at times.

The most viable 1/2 tonner is the ecoboost with the max tow and new 34 gallon tank. It wont get the mileage but at least youve got a bigger tank.

Uncle Dave

my GMC does not get 15mpg towing, but its 6 inches of lift, 35 inch tires, and towing i get 12-13 and thats on a 80hp tune for towing,..

driving it around town on kill mode its alost 20mpg, and will roast the 35 inch tires, and stomp some mustangs haha.

duramax
 

duramax with EFI live 100%

I didnt even get 15 with my 6.4l diesel I had. Buddy has the same and gets about 11 towing 6-7k. We both only got 13 maybe 14k best MPG all the time. I know older diesels can do alright, but after 07 that DPF kills them

On the last trip to Glamis an 08 Dmax got 14 towing a 12500LB toy hauler.

I got 9 towing a 9K hauler

The EB f150 I posted about earlier got 11 towing an open trailer with 2 quads and a dirt bike. (EB got 1MPG better than the titan on the same run- but pulls much better)

We all stopped at the same stations and watched him gloat.

I'd be willing to bet that with an 8K Nordic heat and much less frontal area the Dmax guy would have got 15.

UD

as much as Ford likes to claim MPG on diesels seems duramax does better real world. If I ever have to go back diesel I think it will be a duramax.

My issue is I love the DMax mill - but hate the truck itself- it has less sophistication inside than my 04 titan.

UD

chevy is behind the curve in design. In 2007 they blew everybody else out of the water, but now are pretty much 4-5 years behind, their interior is fairly bland, exterior is pretty descent could use a few mods. Supposively the silverado/sierra is supposed to be totally redone in 2013. I would be curios to see, because ford right now pretty much is owning the truck market from 1/2 ton to dually as far as looks, and performance.

:lolhit: man you sure do change your mind alot, seems to me you where bashing duramax in my other thread and you said ford power jokes had better MPG what mad you change your mind?

i thought he mentioned he was getting awesome mileage and addition to that saving $80.00 a fill up ... smells like Doo in here :lolhit:



ROCK ON !!!!!!!!!!:coolcowboy:
ITS A SKATER NATION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:drink:

I am getting that, i said "IF" i ever go back, which isnt going to be anytime soon. And it doesnt take a rocket scientist to know that 38 gallons x 4.19 a gallon equals 159 bucks in a F250 and 25 gallons at 3.40 equals 85 bucks. It cost 54 cent a mile in that diesel vs 21 cents, so yeah new truck is about half the price on gas, whats your point I didnt change my mind on that.

ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:coolcowboy:
ITS A FOUNTAIN NATION:drink:

Never slammed Dmax just said fords ratings were higher, but from what I have seen it seems that might not be true, but then again everybody seems to get outlandish MPG's on the internet. It shouldnt matter to you cause your getting 24mpg soon.

+1 bro.:bsflag:

O your right it don't matter to me i just like calling your:bsflag::eek:

Soldier4402 this is your QUOTE word for word about fords ''their 2011 Diesel has the highest in the industry. I had a 2008 but even in 08 ford was leaps and bounds below anybody else''. end QUOTE :eek:more like she leaps and bounds on my ass :kiss:

I have an 04, 6.0L, 3/4, 4wd, 4L80e, 3.73, Crew cab. . . I love it. The biggest thing that you can do for power on it is a custom tune.
It pulls my 27ft Fountian just fine. I love the truck, and the wife hates it . . . so it works for now.

I've modded the double wide several times since I've had it. It goes everwhere and does whatever.
I've added some money into it . . . Here's a list
L92 heads/intake
LS3 Throttle body
42lb injectors
Stainless Works long tube headers 1-7/8 to a 3" collector
Texas Speed Torquer V2 cam, 232/234 .595 .598 -112
Rebuilt the trans, added clutches, and a TransGo HD2 shift kit
40K GRW tranny cooler
3,000 Circle D tripple disk lockup converter (yep, still pulls the boat!)
Electric fans

bla bla blaa hhballa bla . . . The list goes on. There's some vids on youtube . . . search for txtootall

Hahaha, after all this fun, I am more than likely going to get a Duramax. Doing a little math, and putting in the Titan as a factor, really shows the diesels worth. My Titan (due to my gearing more than anything) SUCKS on fuel when towing. 1/4 tank for a 60mile trip easy. Thats babying it. So, even with the fuel being more expensive, it seems the diesel will end up cheaper than the truck I own now. WITHOUT towing anything, I only see MAYBE 13mpg on the Titan. So, at the end of the day, I do believe its worth it. If I am going to be doing a long drive to work, I will take the wife;'s car. Plus the diesels are way easier to find in Texas.

UD- the 8000lb number is a high estimate, probably more like 7500 on a heavy day, but I like to bump up the numbers for estimates.

Thanks all for the replies in this thread. Hope everyone has a kick ass Christmas and New Years!

Oh, here is my Titan before I gutted the cats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpUrPwuNWAg

When I had my Ford diesel it was a quarter tank going 50-60 miles round trip as well, so dont think your going to hop into a diesel and get great MPG's. Granted I was towing more like 9500-10k. But that diesel got 11 babying it towing.

I hear ya, just saying, even if its only 3 or 4 mpg better, its better that what I have now. Not to mention the retarded interest rate I have on it now (I was single, no money down and no trade in). I guess only time will tell. Oh, and nothing I own stays stock for long, and it seems that modded diesels tend to free up some mpgs lol.

whatever works for you. Remember even if you pick up 3mpgs your paying 50-80 cents more a gallon for diesel. Only I have seen to get good not great mpg on diesel is modding a pre 2007, or if you go post 2007 doing a dpf delete which i debated but for one is illegal and there could be issues come inspection time at least in NY. two a descent system was going to run 2 grand, and it would have wiped my warranty.