2023 HD trucks -- gas or diesel? - UPDATE! Truck ordered -- see post 32

[lintesia]

My beloved 2007 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax Diesel truck was totaled back in October. I loved the truck and expected it be the only truck I ever owned.

I replaced it with what I thought was a comparable 2007 Chevy Silverado, but I have had nothing but problems. My mechanic explained that Chevy changed the emissions stuff midway through 2007 and that my original truck was before the emissions changes and my “new” truck after all the changes. What I know for sure is that I have spent close to $16,000 on repairs for less than 2000 miles of driving. The bottom line is that I do not trust this truck to be a reliable partner when I’m hauling.

So, DH and I have decided to shell out the big $$ and buy new, either a Ford F250 or a Chevy 2500. The huge decision is do I switch to gas and avoid all the problems associated with the current diesel engines (I live in California and deleting is not an option) or will I regret this when I am hauling my horse. My trailer is a Logan 3-horse GN, steel frame with aluminum skin, and I usually have just one horse but occasionally two. All of my hauling is within California, mostly NorCal with a rare trip down south (over the Grapevine – maybe once a year?).

I am not mechanically inclined. Reliability and safety are of utmost importance. The truck will be used only for hauling, not as an everyday vehicle.

Thoughts? Recommendations? Advice?

[LCDR]

Since it is to be your dedicated trailer hauler, spend the extra $10K+ and go with diesel.

You already know diesels, know where the diesel fuel stations are, how to handle DEF, are comfortable towing with a diesel, and you have a relationship with a diesel mechanic for second opinions if the Ford or Chevy dealership service isn’t up to your standards.

One thing I’d consider is looking at GMC as long as you will be considering Chevrolet. You might get a different deal, and the service departments may be run differently. Personally I just found my local GMC dealership way better to do business with than my local Chevrolet dealership, and I bought 2 Chevy trucks locally before I discovered this.

[NaturallyHappy]

Holy smoke! 16k in 2 years??!!! How awful. I’ve always had Ford F250’s. They’ve never put a foot wrong. My current truck is a 2015. It handles better w a better turning radius than my Honda CRV. I’m very sorry about your old truck.

[Bonnie2]

Gas is easier but you will notice it towing. We used to tow a lot, loaded, through the mountains - wouldn’t trade the diesel! Now mostly short local trips, my next truck will be gas.

[lintesia]

16k in 8 months. I’ve only had the truck since late December.

[NaturallyHappy]

That is really just terrible. I missed the October in the original post.

[Horsehusband]

I’ve had nothing but GMC/Chevy trucks and my last one was terrible. Just switch to a RAM 2500 Cummins and couldn’t be happier.

I’ve lost all confidence in GM products.

[clanter]

we towed for years using diesels but current truck of the last six years is gas as the cost of the diesel trucks was not justifiable since we keep trucks until their end of life. The thought of a new truck with all its electronics then add the diesel fuel systems craziness of limp mode to me is just not worth it

Very little to none of our towing involves hills or mountains, everything around here is pretty much flat ground

[Obsidian_Fire]

@lintesia

do I switch to gas and avoid all the problems associated with the current diesel engines (I live in California

Before you make a decision, I strongly encourage you to read everything you can find on California’s plans to do away with diesel powered vehicles. If you choose to go diesel, make sure you know what you may be facing.

[RooTheDay]

@lintesia

So, DH and I have decided to shell out the big $$ and buy new, either a Ford F250 or a Chevy 2500.

After looking at a lot of used trucks, I bought a diesel 2019 F-250 new. Love that thing like other people theoretically love their children. Zero problems and has never put a wheel wrong, including the time that the brake controller went out on my old POS 2H BP going down a very steep hill and it didn’t even care.

I had wanted the 250 vs a smaller vehicle as insurance against that exact circumstance, even though I’m likely never going to haul anything bigger than a 2H GN (my current trailer) with it, but actually experiencing it? Can’t even begin to describe how much I love that thing.

So, I know that there were some crummy model years, but I have been insanely happy with this 6.7 L diesel PowerStroke, even with the DEF, even with the emissions stuff, and while the plural of anecdote isn’t data, it seems that a lot of other folks are too. (To be fair, the 6.4 L years were apparently a totally different story.)

[barnesthenoble]

I’ll go against the grain and say switch to gas. I am also in NorCal. We’ve been through a couple different Ford Diesels (2010 - 2018 model years) and never again. Three different trucks (two from model years that were supposedly quite reliable!) had issues that ran into the five figures to fix. After our very trusted diesel mechanic told us the bill for the last one, we cut our losses. Now in a 2021 RAM 2500 Hemi and could not be happier. We have not noticed a difference in hauling, although we are only hauling a 2H, but up and down substantial hills in far Northern CA and the foothills with fat TBs and WBs. We’ve put more miles on this truck in the last two years than two of the Fords survived combined.

After speaking with two diesel mechanics, one of whom is a good family friend, we will not own a diesel again if we can help it. They are getting more expensive and less reliable. If I were consistently towing 4+ horses up and down the state maybe my answer would be different, but for what you’re describing…get the gas truck.

[OnAMission]

Our towing rig is a 2019 F250 gas (the modern day equivalent of a 460) and it handles our 20 foot steel trailer with up to 4 horses just fine, plus a 20 foot flatbed of hay, a camper I think was made out of cast iron, vehicles on the flatbed… all fine. It hasn’t given us a minute of problems and we haul over all the mountains in Montana. We always had diesel before but the numbers just did not make sense. It’s a basic truck, extended cab, nothing fancy. My husband works for our county road department that has the same truck and it also has no issues. Diesel is crazy money these days (as is hay); we opted out and just keep going to all the same places with no issues.

[SLW]

You could go either way and it would make sense, but the point about California’s goals with diesel vehicles is well worth investigating.

I had a gas V-10 F-250 and switched to a diesel F-250 and I prefer the diesel. Everything is more expensive with the diesel but I love mine.

[endlessclimb]

I hate to say it, but as a diesel owner, I’d switch to gas if I can.

The new ones are questionable on reliability drive-train wise unless you’re working the ever loving crap out of them like the hot shotters do. Plus, the more they add electronically the more crap there is to break.

[FitToBeTied]

I bought a new gas F250 HD last year. The price of a diesel was 7-10K more than gas. The cost of diesel plus DEF more than offsets the better gas mileage. Also, my F250 HD can tow 14K, the equivalent diesel was rated at 24K. My horse trailer with two horses up comes in around 7K. So more than enough power to pull that or the fully loaded flatbed.

[LCDR]

With the diesel you get “the sound.” You are instantly recognizable as a force to be reckoned with while you leave it idling among the mere gas trucks while filling up at the local Exxon.

Be honest, folks. The diesel sound is why a lot of people buy them, even though the gas version might have a higher tow rating and be less expensive to maintain. The diesel sound marks you as a serious cowboy or cowgirl.

[Jarpur]

My husband and I have discussed our plans whenever it finally is necessary to replace his Cummins (which has been a fabulous truck).

We don’t want to mess with the new ones (DEF, etc.), diesel is so expensive (compared to when we bought the truck) that wipes out a lot of the mileage advantage, he tows quite a bit but not super heavy loads, there’s constant maintenance with diesels, and so forth.

We’ll buy gas (used to own a V10 F250).

[FromTheGalaxy]

I recently switched from a Ram 2500 turbo diesel to an F350 7.3L gas. So far I really like the gas Ford. The gas mileage while towing is abysmal, and I do feel like the gas engine has slightly less power (doesn’t have as much get up and go, especially up steep hills). However, I appreciate the ease of the gas engine, not having to deal with the emissions systems and DEF, and not worrying about letting the truck sit for long periods of time. I haul locally approx once a week and my long hauls have significantly dropped off in the past year. It is not uncommon for my truck to sit for months at a time, especially in the winter, and this is really hard on diesel engines.

I have a Sundowner 2+1 which is a pretty big trailer, and I don’t have any issues with the gas truck hauling it with multiple horses. Maybe if I did more regular long hauls I would have considered getting a diesel again, but after dealing with multiple expensive repairs on the diesel and then having my engine catch on fire while driving (probably not related to it being a diesel, but still terrifying) I wanted to go with something different and much newer. The 7.3L gas checked all my boxes and was about $20k cheaper than a similar diesel truck.

[endlessclimb]

While this is true, a gas engine will really need to be souped up to put out the torque a Cummins can right off the lot. There’s a reason semis are all diesel and none of them are gas. they DO pull harder.

[LCDR]

How many HP and pound-feet of torque is really necessary to safely tow a 2 horse gooseneck trailer? I have yet to see a Kenworth or a Freightliner pulling one. Why bring the “butwhatabout semis” defense up at all?