Diecel pickups

[Shooter.250]

I’m looking at buying a diesel pickup and my biggest worry at this point is availability once you get off the main highways and freeways. 
My wife and are looking into traveling and getting off the beating path so to speak.
 I am between staying with a gas engine but will be pulling a 31 foot bumper pull trailer
If anyone has some info it would be greatly appreciated.

[SHOOTALL]

I have owned one ford , one chevy and two dodge pick ups with diesels. Most get well over 500 miles per tank full . I towed up to 24 foot trls . I also had a V-10 that out pulled all of them . The oldest die was the ford a 97 with 7.3 engine it got 22 mpg . next was a 2000 dodge with 5,8 which got about 19 mpg. the chevy was next and it got about 18-19 the last one a dodge with the 6.8 got 16 mpg. all were quad cabs but the first dodge which was an extended cab. All were loaded and anll had tools on them . all were 4wd. All were 3/4 ton. I now have a standard 8 ft bed Dodge 3/4 ton with the himi which gets 18 and tows almost as well but not as well . If trips were short then the gas would be more cost effective. The new diesels have alot of STUFF to make them run clean not better mind you. I will wait until the bugs are worked out before buying another . I have been told and agree you need to drive over 40000 miles a year to make a diesel pay off , I tend to agree ( i drive over 50000 a year). As for brand , I like the dodge better ( mo power) but admit the ford has a stronger front end . Front ends are carrying all the extra weight of the diesel engine . My chevy had alot of front end trouble with bent axles and sterring linkage problems.
good luck

[Norm1057]

Cummins 5.9 first half of 2007 or older! Only way to go! Stay away from the new ones.

[SHOOTALL]

Cummins 5.9 first half of 2007 or older! Only way to go! Stay away from the new ones.

might be the best advice!

[no guns here]

31 foot bumper pull is a big trailer.  Diesel is the way to go for that much weight.  Pick any of the top three and drive it.  Some are better than others but all have more than enough power to get the job done.

I was on I35 South the other day in coming into San Antonio.  There was an on-ramp in front of me and I saw a Chevy with a really good sized fifth wheel travel trailer on it coming onto the highway from the access road.  I hit my blinker to slide into the middle lane to give him more room.  By the time I made the lane switch I realized I needn't have worried.  I was running 65 and he was accelerating away from me from the on-ramp into the right, then middle and then left lane.  I moved up to 75 and he was still running away from me...  finally caught up with him in traffic a few miles down the road.  He was running a 2500 duramax.

As long as you aren't abusing it it to pull huge loads daily, and you take care of it, you shouldn't have problems.


NGH

[Shooter.250]

Thanks for the info.

I am looking at a new Dodge or Ford 2500 Diesel. Ford is having a great rebate on the Fords right now but a friend of mine says stay away from the new ford as they have had quite a bit of trouble with that motor and are redesigning it, anyone know anything about that?

I would be looking at a Chevy but they never seem to want to deal?

[Drilling Man]

  The Ford NEW diesel is out here already...  If you are buying a Ford with the old diesel DON'T, unless you want a proven POS!  Check to see if the truck you want has the NEW Ford designed/built engine, then hope and pray it's going to be good, as no one will know for sure untill several years from now!

  I have 3 diesel pu's right now...  I had the Ford, Chevy and Dodge all that the same time...  There's no question in my mind that the Cummins is the best motor, they just don't have the best truck.  "If" i was buying NEW today, it would be the Chevy... as it's a better truck, and the Duramax is a good diesel...

  DM

[SHOOTALL]

Did Chevy beef up the front end mine (2004) was a dog in that area ,

[Lloyd Smale]

Off topic but my buddy just sent me a vidio of a lifted diesel crew cab f350 ford 4x4 doing the quarter mile in 11.42 and beating a new z06 in the process. Now that was impressive!

[Old Fart]

I haven't had any problem finding fuel even in the smallest little towns.
May not be available at all stations, but there's almost always at least one place.
And like already stated most trucks will get over 500 miles on a tank full.

[blind ear]

Diesel tractors are everywhere as are work and transport trucks.

If the temp starts to dip into the 20s you will want to add fuel treaters in the recomended ammounts or more or get "kerocene" in the winter if in the 20s.

Used is good and reliable with most diesel truck purchaces because the motor will out last the body and frame if taken care of. The cummins is a great recomendation.

Research any particular engine before you purchace it. Many or most engines have thier own particular quirks.

eddiegjr

[Drilling Man]

Diesel tractors are everywhere as are work and transport trucks.

If the temp starts to dip into the 20s you will want to add fuel treaters in the recomended ammounts or more or get "kerocene" in the winter if in the 20s.

Used is good and reliable with most diesel truck purchaces because the motor will out last the body and frame if taken care of. The cummins is a great recomendation.

Research any particular engine before you purchace it. Many or most engines have thier own particular quirks.

eddiegjr

  I've been running diesels here for MANY years, and i don't use additives, and i FOR SURE don't run kersoene!  Kero is a sure way to trash your injection pump, as it has very little lube to it.  Number 1 diesel is a better choise, or do like all of us farmerrs do, and just buy your fuel in the winter, as it's already "blended" for winter use, and needs nothing else.

  Buying used can be good, EXCEPT if you get stuck with some of the real duds out there, like fords/IH diesels that really are junk.  SO, be a smart buyer, and do your leg work first BEFORE you go truck shopping.

  DM

[SHOOTALL]

Off topic but my buddy just sent me a vidio of a lifted diesel crew cab f350 ford 4x4 doing the quarter mile in 11.42 and beating a new z06 in the process. Now that was impressive!

I have friends doing this also but at the cost of transmissins and other parts , but no doubt they can be tunned to put out the HP.

[blind ear]

DrillingMan, The keroseen was actually a lighter grade diesel fue, the suppliers here just refered to it that wayl. I would buy it with winter addatives delivered to my farm at that time. When it got too cold for my diesel to be trusted I would ride my gas burner. Only saw it get thet cold once in Miss. eddiegjr

[Drilling Man]

DrillingMan, The keroseen was actually a lighter grade diesel fue, the suppliers here just refered to it that wayl. I would buy it with winter addatives delivered to my farm at that time. When it got too cold for my diesel to be trusted I would ride my gas burner. Only saw it get thet cold once in Miss. eddiegjr

  Fuel is sold as diesel #2, diesel #1 and then Kerosene

  I live in the north, it gets a lot colder than 20* here EVERY winter...  I also ran diesels in Alaska, still no problem...  Kero is a hotter fuel than #1, and #1 is what folks run in the coldest parts of Alaska...  Every fall, where it gets cold, places that sell diesel, switch to "blended" winter fuel, all you have to do is buy it!

  DM

[SHOOTALL]

DrillingMan, The keroseen was actually a lighter grade diesel fue, the suppliers here just refered to it that wayl. I would buy it with winter addatives delivered to my farm at that time. When it got too cold for my diesel to be trusted I would ride my gas burner. Only saw it get thet cold once in Miss. eddiegjr

Really road diesel is #2 oil with on road additives , Kerosene is #1 oil . Jet fuel is Kerosene with additives to keep it from jelling and wax removed . Off road diesel is #2 fuel oil with color added . If you use kerosine in a vehicle on the road and it is not for on road use you can get fined . In Va. we go thru. fuel checks where any diesel vehicle is pulled over and checked . Most of the time they look for color but they could check for kerosene that had no road tax applied.
Running stright kerosene ( home heating oil ) is not good as it has no additives to lube the pumps etc. Kerosene also does not give as much power or MPG's.
 In Canada you can get speical blends for cold weather on road use.

All that said if i run on road diesel in my farm tractor it does not have the power it does when i run off road diesel. The same is true with the track hoes and back hoes at work.

[Drilling Man]

  Unless something has changed in the last couple years, #1 and Kerosene are not the same fuel, at least not in the two parts of the world i've lived in.

  As for jet fuel, there's more than one jet fuel...  Jet A50, jet B ect...  Did that change too?

  I had friends in the refinery business, and they made the different fuels there...

  DM

[SHOOTALL]

Well when i worked on oil fired equipment kerosene was #1 fuel oil . It went #1,#2 ,#3 ,#4, #5 #6 fuel oil . for heating . I worked on equipment that used #1 , #2 , #4 once and #6 . Never saw #3 or #5 don't know if it is still produced or ever was . . Kerosene is #1 that has been filtered and can be used in space heaters and lamps etc. I also piped jet fuel tanks . Only time i ran alum pipe . After filtering it has to be piped in alum . Commerical fuel was different than military and the water seperators/filters used on military set ups could not be used on commerical fuel. Don't know why , but when i was piping some at a commerical site there were 2 military set ups in crates we could not use due to faa regs. They were supose to be a better set up than what we piped .
The more refined fuel oil is the less btu's it yeilds .
names are given to the oils often to note what additives or use they are for. #6 is sometimes called bunker ot tar oil around here , #2 -fuel oil or diesel etc.

You will also hear tales about gas blowing up diesel engines . I don't believe that to be true . I did this once - was on the way home from a class i am required to take to keep my lic. I was very tired and stopped to get gas . Mixed up the fill nossels and put 19 gals of reg. gas in my diesel truck ( truck held 34 gal). I drove it out . I made the mistake of turnning off the engine once but got it started and let it run until it was gone . I did fill it up a couple times to dilute the mix with more diesel. Gas needs a spark to ignite had I had pure gas in the truck it would have not fired .

[Drilling Man]

  As to diesel, obviously things are different in different area's...  At one time hauled fuel, and fueled aircraft, and the Kero was NOT #1...  They were not even in the same storage tank...  I have no idea what is done today though.

  As to gas in a diesel, if you think that you have to use a spark to make gas ignite, this just isn't true.  Compressing it makes heat, (same as with diesel) and heat will make gas ignite, as it does in a diesel motor...  I'd say you were just lucky that your diesel wasn't trashed running gas in it, and as gas has no lube in it, i'm sure you shortened your injection pump life greatly.

  DM

[SHOOTALL]

  As to diesel, obviously things are different in different area's...  At one time hauled fuel, and fueled aircraft, and the Kero was NOT #1...  They were not even in the same storage tank...  I have no idea what is done today though.

  As to gas in a diesel, if you think that you have to use a spark to make gas ignite, this just isn't true.  Compressing it makes heat, (same as with diesel) and heat will make gas ignite, as it does in a diesel motor...  I'd say you were just lucky that your diesel wasn't trashed running gas in it, and as gas has no lube in it, i'm sure you shortened your injection pump life greatly.

  DM

True, I hunt in Canada some and i believe there are 5 diesel pumps for different blends for hot weather , cold weather etc.