Are diesel engines overrated?

[Reprobate]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I had a 2012 F-450 diesel for 6.5 years. So do tell me about diesel trucks.

No need, you evidently know about diesel trucks and have decided you don't like them as you can't seem to avoid getting diesel fuel on your person.
Definitely not a huge concern for most of us when deciding between a diesel and gas tow vehicle.

[Crosley]

We are at 24k weight going down the road. Loaded 5th wheel, truck , me & the wife with 1/2 tank of diesel (24 gal)..


Is the 12 - 14 k weight running down the road include the truck weight and pulling a 6 to 7k trailer? Maybe I missed that comment?


My Wife drove a diesel 2006 VW Jetta for 125k miles. She loved that car.

[jimcumminsw]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

jimcumminsw - not the emissions but the diesel on your hands etc. I owned both. My hands always had a diesel smell. Now with gas I have no oder. At trucks stops I was standing in diesel and tracking it into the truck. You are lying if you say you do not smell diesel.

I wear leather gloves when fueling and these are kept in a bag, no order. My wife use to keep disposal able gloves when she filled her Jetta TDI vehicle with diesel and throw them away.

[Rhagfo]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I do not need gloves to pump gasoline. But I need gloves to pump diesel. Enough said.

Originally Posted by jimcumminsw

I wear leather gloves when fueling and these are kept in a bag, no order. My wife use to keep disposal able gloves when she filled her Jetta TDI vehicle with diesel and throw them away.

Well I have turned wrenches on both gas and diesel and would much rather have diesel get on my hands than gas!! Diesel can be washed off with soap and water, or a moist hand wipe, as it doesn't soak into the skin like gas. It a hand cleaner like Go-Joe to get the smell of gas out of one's hands.

[radar]

For what it’s worth the towing experience with diesel is really nice compared to gas. There are pros and cons to both and outside of towing they are comparable, but towing with a.suitable diesel is just just a nice way to spend a towing day.

For smaller motorhomes gas is fine as well but again for bigger coaches a diesel makes for a nicer, quieter relaxing drive, especially in the mountains.

Just my personal experience over a lifetime of towing RV’s and driving motorhomes.

Safe travels all.

[laj]

Originally Posted by Lantley

Diesel Engine are not over rated. Diesel engines are capable of doing jobs gas engine simply can't. If you are using the truck to tow heavy a diesel s the way to go.
The only real advantage a gas engine has over a diesel is price. THere are savings to be had with a gas engine.
However savings or money in your account will not get you up and more importantly down the mountain. But a diesel engine will get the job done both ways!

So will my gas. No problem up, or down.

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by Lantley

However savings or money in your account will not get you up and more importantly down the mountain. But a diesel engine will get the job done both ways!

I've towed trailers with gas TVs and driven gas class A motorhomes on just about every mountain pass in the east and the west. I never failed to get up one side and down the other just fine.

Sent from my SM-S127DL using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

[radar]

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

I've towed trailers with gas TVs and driven gas class A motorhomes on just about every mountain pass in the east and the west. I never failed to get up one side and down the other just fine.

Sent from my SM-S127DL using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

Yah us as well. Really in many cases its about the towing experience, not so much wether the gas drive train can do it. For heavier applications diesel will provide a nicer driving experience. But pros and cons on all sides of course.

[jimcumminsw]

Will the biggest problem I have found with a gas engine vehicle which no one has mention is putting gas in that truck with a 5th wheel trailer attached.

This is one reason I transition to a diesel vehicle. Now everyone situation is different than mine might be. But as an example, my truck and trailer when hook-up is 55 feet long with a height of 12'-4" tall. For the most part I cannot get into a standard gasoline service island, since most face towards the store instead of being parallel to the store. And none of the idiot car drivers will give you a break when trying to get in to fill up. Been there done it.

Now the diesel islands are set up for semi-trucks which make this much easier to fill-up when you are on the road. Easy in Easy out.

[radar]

Originally Posted by jimcumminsw

Will the biggest problem I have found with a gas engine vehicle which no one has mention is putting gas in that truck with a 5th wheel trailer attached.

This is one reason I transition to a diesel vehicle. Now everyone situation is different than mine might be. But as an example, my truck and trailer when hook-up is 55 feet long with a height of 12'-4" tall. For the most part I cannot get into a standard gasoline service island, since most face towards the store instead of being parallel to the store. And none of the idiot car drivers will give you a break when trying to get in to fill up. Been there done it.

Now the diesel islands are set up for semi-trucks which make this much easier to fill-up when you are on the road. Easy in Easy out.

That was the advantage of the 150 gallon tank on our pusher over the much smaller tank on our F350 dually. We just didn’t need to fill up as much.

For what it’s worth it’s a problem for electric vehicles towing as well. I think this kind of thing will always be an issue regardless of the fuel. Multiple gas pumps (or diesel or chargers) are going to be blocked occasionally. The big travel centres were nice with the pusher.

[rarebear.nm]

For us RVers I fail to understand any argument of breaking even. Very few RVers have RVs to save money. Most of us buy RVs, perhaps multiple over the years, for a life style that costs money to buy, equip, maintain and operate. Sure there are things you can do to save some money. Most cost effective are small simple trailers without many options. I'm not knocking these in any manner and I've had a couple myself because it fit my needs and budget at the time.



When we are on a trip and need fuel my primary station selection criteria is easy in and out. Price is secondary. In terms of a long trip the small difference of gas prices up and down the block is not usually significant to total costs.


Gas or diesel? I've towed a variety of things with both and find both to be good in different cases. To me it is not better or worse but just different tools. Not unlike having different hammers or pliers for different tasks.

[laj]

Originally Posted by jimcumminsw

Will the biggest problem I have found with a gas engine vehicle which no one has mention is putting gas in that truck with a 5th wheel trailer attached.

This is one reason I transition to a diesel vehicle. Now everyone situation is different than mine might be. But as an example, my truck and trailer when hook-up is 55 feet long with a height of 12'-4" tall. For the most part I cannot get into a standard gasoline service island, since most face towards the store instead of being parallel to the store. And none of the idiot car drivers will give you a break when trying to get in to fill up. Been there done it.

Now the diesel islands are set up for semi-trucks which make this much easier to fill-up when you are on the road. Easy in Easy out.

No problem. Never had a problem yet. I use petro, or othercard locks.

[MakTruk]

Towing: Diesel, especially with the newer gen trucks. Someone said "comfortable tow"

Im with ya on that.

Motorhome: Gasser. Personal preference. Easier/cheaper to maintain/repair. Current gas prices trump diesel. Im not pulling a toad. If I was putting down 10's of thousands of miles a year thru mountains coast to coast my preference would probably change. But that would mean I've reached a point where I can afford that. I haven't

[tuffr2]

Diesel is a better towing vehicle. If someone wanted me to tow across the country and they said pick a truck and no cost to me, I would pick a diesel everytime.

But when you throw in cost that kinda levels it out a bit. Add the bigger more refined gas engines that are not buzzy then I can see both sides.

Diesel fuel in my area is $1 more than gasoline BTW.