Poll: Diesel or Gasoline?

[CountryGent]

Thanks all for the feedback, etc. It sounds like sticking with gasoline is the way to go for now.

 

[Noodle]

Just buy a Toyota Tundra. Plenty of torque and HP. Very comfy and quiet.
I've had 5. Then new version is my favorite. They are reliable and hold their value. It's a winner!!!

 

[Boboclown]

DIesel if your really gonna use it, and Gas for every thing else! The millage gains of diesel outweigh the cost of fuel and it becomes a wash! That said, I prefer diesel for the reliability, pullin power, and economy. the other plus is my Diesel will last far longer then any gas rig, so the trick is getting that ONE perfect rig and running it for ever!
I got extremely lucky with my 93 First Gen Dodge Cummins, it was cheaper to rebuild every thing else and I now have a brand new Dodge truck for less then 1/4 what a new truck would cost! FUel millage varies between 19 and 22 Miles per gallon, but i'm geared for pulling and HEAVY, so I accept it as it is!

My buddy is doing hotshot with an old F-550, its still trucking. Can't say his sleeping situation is comfortable though.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

99% don't need a diesel.
If you get one, delete it.

 

[Camelfilter]

Another upside with diesel is easier fuel storage. Far less volatile & supposedly stays stable longer than gasoline as well.

My father used to store diesel in our attached garage using repurposed 20liter laboratory saline cubes. They're just a collapsible semi hard plastic container with a spigot, inside of a tough cardboard box. The cardboard box allowed for stacking them when full. Stored fine.

Would never try that with gasoline, as it'd probably eat the plastic. Let alone volume storage in an attached garage.

I store extra gas in surplus scepter military plastic Jerry cans, in an out shed. The Jerry cans themselves were pricey, as are any fuel specific container.

One could run a diesel on less/non taxed farm diesel, if circumstances came to it.

If your prospective new property will be big enough to have equipment, you'll likely have/get a storage tank just out of convenience for them, then could contract for filling farm fuel. Just don't use that fuel on road, unless extenuating circumstances were to warrant suchly.

If not a tank, then could improvise, as my father did. Fill up at stations with regular approved containers, then use them to top up your improvised ones.

 

[CountryGent]

Another upside with diesel is easier fuel storage. Far less volatile & supposedly stays stable longer than gasoline as well.

That crossed my mind too. I'm normally pretty good at cycling through our stored gasoline, but the ability to store longer would be an upshot.

 

[The Heretic]

I store gasoline and have stored gasoline for a long time (a year or more). I use PRI treatment.

I have never had problems with treated or untreated gasoline - some people have. I have had problems with water in gasoline - frozen fuel lines in the winter was one example.

Diesel, stored properly, will theoretically last longer. But we are talking years not months. Also, you need to be careful about water in the diesel - if the fuel gets contaminated with water then it bacteria and fungus can grow in the interface between the water and fuel. At that point you have a mess on your hands. Diesels use very close tolerance (millionths of an inch) and the high pressure fuel pumps in the injection system require lubrication. Water in the fuel can destroy the fuel system, and the contaminated fuel can plug up the filtration system.

Treating the fuel to prevent the contamination is a necessary precaution.

I still prefer diesel, but if we are starting to talk about SHTF scenarios here and not just daily drivers, then a person should be aware of all of the issues.

FWIW - more and more gasoline cars are using direct injection and higher compression ratios, so they too can have similar problems.

 

[CountryGent]

Good points. (I too have found adding a fuel treatment helps with gasoline storage. I've used Sta-bil for years.)

 

[Ura-Ki]

I keep 2500 gallons diesel/Jet-A mixed on the Ranch as a year round blend, and add about 4 gallons of alcohol which settles to the bottom and keep water to a minimum. I also have a pre filter on the tank outlet so any gunk gets trapped. Most all of my rigs are Diesel, so its nessessory to store diesel im quantity.
Gas gets stored much the same way. I use Sea-Foam as a stabilizer with no issues, and it seems to keep the fuel systems cleaner on the gas rigs we have! I keep about 400 gallons of gas on sight and run through it about yearly!

 

[CountryGent]

When I used live out in eastern Oregon, we used SeaFoam quite a bit. The stuff just works.

 

[DeanMk]

So, it has not been front and center, due to the craziness and busyness, but recent events and a thread here has got me to thinking about the truck replacement project. I'm pretty sure I'm sticking with something V8 F150, albeit with seats in the back as we have potato-heads. In reading this and that, I came across point and counterpoint on going with a diesel or gasoline engine. I've always run the latter, but am open to the former. And the eldest brother in our tribe drives a diesel and likes said.

As to the question of what I use the truck for, the answer is pretty much "everything".

• Daily commute.
• Working on our land, which is hilly.
• Once relocated, a ton of work to get us setup at the new land. (I can already feel the sore muscles, but it will be for the betterment.)
• Hauling lots of things (e.g., firewood, building materials, weekly garbage dump, et al.)
• Towing. While not often, summers we hitch some tools to the back to haul it around.
• Traveling all over the hinterland.

What say you?

In my mind, I'd vote for diesel, too.
...but then, I used to work on them for a living.
If you're going to buy used, do a 7.3 NA.
They're tough as nails, strong as an ox and sips fuel with the best of them.
...AND, you can fix anything on that truck. Simple like they were in "the good ol' days".

 

[DeanMk]

Found a good deal on a 1970 dodge d200, slant six 8 foot bed. Built before trucks got all gayified, when a guy who worked with his hands could still afford one. A basic vehicle, simple to fix cheap to run. What the heck do I need a diesel engine for?

That's another way to go.
Worked for my dad and every time I have to work on my '98 Ranger, all I can say is MY KINGDOM FOR A '69 CHEVY WITH STRAIGHT SIX AND 3 ON THE TREE!!!
...but your Dodge will work, too. =)

 

[The Heretic]

That's another way to go.
Worked for my dad and every time I have to work on my '98 Ranger, all I can say is MY KINGDOM FOR A '69 CHEVY WITH STRAIGHT SIX AND 3 ON THE TREE!!!
...but your Dodge will work, too. =)

Or a Ford straight six 300

Or a Cummins 6BT

 

[DeanMk]

No turbo on the Cummins, please.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Been rockin a Sprinter 3500 Duely for a little over a year now, I am VERY happy with the rig, but it took some work to fix all the factory bullsh!t and get it running like they always should have! First issue they all have is the Throttle Governor which basically keeps people from stomping on it like to merge in traffic and causing extra wear and tear on the rig, makes it SLOW to accelerate. You have to buy and install a programmer that allows you to basically bypass this feature and now she barks the tires when you stomp on the loud peddle! Second is the engine fuel economizer, another programmer you need to buy, does kinda the same as the throttle system, and really holds the engine back, makes it feel like a real slug, you plug it in and it piggy backs the factory ECU and allows for full fuel and full boost right now, no more limit AND, it allows FULL designed power, takes it from the stock 135 HP up to 205 HP! Night and day, and if you kee your foot out of it, not only does it run a hell of a lot better, but gets better fuel millage too! Then I got serious with it and took the exhaust fuel burn system and got my cat "Stolen" and replaced with a full turbo back stainless system with high flow mufflers, that opened up some more power, took it up to 239 HP, and millage again improved! Next was the factory turbo which was sucking oil anyway, so off it came and got replaced with a new Texas Turbo systems GTE 48, basically a T-3/T-4 hybrid for you boy racer types, but with a different hot wheel for the diesel, that along with a cold air/ram air set up I designed and built, she cranks out almost 300 HP, smokes all 4 rear tires HARD un dry pavement, barks them in second and third if I stomp on the loud peddle, and gets an amazing 26 miles per gallon if I keep my foot out of the fire. Last upgrade was a new ring and pinion @ 3.73/1 and Detroit True-Trak, basically a Zitel-Thorson torque sensing differential like the Subaru WRX STI's and serious Mazda RX-7 used!

 

[The Heretic]

No turbo on the Cummins, please.

Why not?

Works for me.

 

[DeanMk]

Why not?

Works for me.

Then you can own it.

 

[The Heretic]

Then you can own it.

I do

 

[Ura-Ki]

Why no turbo, that's the best part!

Ever driven a non turbo/supercharged diesel, it ain't fun! Takes forever to grunt a load up to speed, and the millage ain't good, 6.9 Ford or 6.2 GMC anyone!
As far as blown turbos go, GM was the worst, followed by Ford, though with Ford, it wasn't usually the turbo, it was their stupid exhaust reserc. valve that caused the turbo to fail after Ford tried to fix it several times and couldn't! Dodge really didn't have problems with Blown Turbos, just bad owners who didn't take care of their rigs!

 

[Boboclown]

No turbo on the Cummins, please.

Trust me when I say you want a turbo on a diesel.