Gas vs Diesel 3/4 ton truck

[intrepid27]

So the wife and I just purchased a good sized 5th wheel camper and are looking at 2020-2024 3/4 ton trucks. BTW camper weighs 10,500# dry and has hitch weight of 2050#. We started out our search focused on gas trucks but now realize there are a lot of 3/4 ton diesel trucks out there.

I'm struggling to find good advice on gas vs diesel. And I know this is the BESTEST place to get advice. How much difference is milage both towing and not towing. Also how much more maintenance do diesels require, fuel filters, additives, etc. Lastly, are the cold weather starting problems a thing of the past?

Add on info based on early comments. I'd say probably looking at driving 20K miles per year with 50% of that being towing. Also probably looking at 5 years use lifespan.

 

[Al_4_State]

Diesel's going to get better mileage towing and worse mileage when not towing.

If you're going to primarily tow, diesel makes sense. If you're going to be driving without the camper 75% of the time, get a gas.

Shouldn't have much issue with the cold if you get a diesel. Gas stations switch to a winter blend.

 

[Ingynow]

New Diesels have come a long way. with a newer truck you wont have any cold weather starting issues with a properly maintained diesel.

I have had every Ford Powerstroke motor and ZERO problems with any of them. I am a fanatic about preventative maintenance though. I just got my 2024 F450 to pull our 42ft 5'er. I came from a 2016 F350 dually.

@Al_4_State is right though. What are you mainly going to use the truck for? Also.....can you change your own oil, air and fuel filters? If you can, that saves you about $300-500 a pop each time your truck needs service.

Lot of variables go into diesel vs gas. I LOVE the diesel pulling our camper and use the truck for long, non towing, trips also. The wife loves to ride in the "big comfy cowboy Cadillac".

Another BIG thing you want to watch is payload. If your pin weight really is 2050lbs, the payload on your new truck will need to handle that PLUS you, family, gear in the bed and cab, etc.

 

[BoomerClone]

Diesel. Better mileage. Price per gallon is higher but I think it still comes out similar or even slightly advantaged towards diesel. Just need to do the math. I feel like I am spending WAY more on gas than I did on diesel. Switched about a year ago. Of course mine is just a daily driver. No pulling. Diesel engines are longer lasting in general. Maintenance is easy. Materials cost more but DIY is still comparable to dealer for a gasser.

 

[HOTDON]

Research the DEF pumps on the diesels you're considering. Those things can be ticking timebombs. Also, what is the price escalation for the diesel powertrain? $8k to 10k? That's a lot of gas.

Not sure if you have a lot of experience with previous HD truck ownership but I personally couldn't live with my friend's Ram 3500 dually day to day. Bouncing all over, wide turns, a nightmare to park. Fantastic tow vehicle, however. 3/4 ton might be noticably better.

I'm also a proponent of leaving yourself plenty of additional capacity when matching a truck and trailer so a 3/4 ton seems like the right place for you to shop.

 

[Beernuts]

Sell the camper and don't buy the large pick up. Spend the money on staying at nicer cabins, resorts etc. You will be considerably financially ahead and you won't have to worry about camper insurance, larger pickup insurance (it is higher as the rate is partially based on the weight of the vehicle), yearly vehicle licensing fees, storage locations and fee's, rodent damage, and the highest yearly expense people do not account for...maintenance. Plus the overnight fee's at camp grounds have increased significantly - many are over $60 / night.

Plus without the camper, you will have considerably more options for travel and leisure without the thought of hooking up and dragging the camper to a crowded camp ground full of loud partying neighbors.

Actually we had a pu camper growing up and we have great memories of traveling together as a family...but that was many years ago.

 

[intrepid27]

Sell the camper and don't buy the large pick up. Spend the money on staying at nicer cabins, resorts etc. You will be considerably financially ahead and you won't have to worry about camper insurance, larger pickup insurance (it is higher as the rate is partially based on the weight of the vehicle), yearly vehicle licensing fees, storage locations and fee's, rodent damage, and the highest yearly expense people do not account for...maintenance. Plus the overnight fee's at camp grounds have increased significantly - many are over $60 / night.

Plus without the camper, you will have considerably more options for travel and leisure without the thought of hooking up and dragging the camper to a crowded camp ground full of loud partying neighbors.

Actually we had a pu camper growing up and we have great memories of traveling together as a family...but that was many years ago.

LOL- I spent 2 years having that discussion with my wife and lost. I've already accepted the financial consequences of owning a camper. Just trying to minimize the damages.

 

[intrepid27]

Diesel's going to get better mileage towing and worse mileage when not towing.

If you're going to primarily tow, diesel makes sense. If you're going to be driving without the camper 75% of the time, get a gas.

Shouldn't have much issue with the cold if you get a diesel. Gas stations switch to a winter blend.

Has anyone else had this experience that diesel mileage is worse when not towing?

 

[Ingynow]

I think he means worse compared to gas when not towing.....but that is not my experience at all.

With my F450 I get 10-15 not towing and 7-9 towing. All depends on how heavy my foot is.

I have friends in 3/4 Fords and Chevy diesels pushing 18-20 not towing and being nice to the go pedal.

And owning an RV is ABSOLUTELY a money suck. The memories we have made though have been fantastic. PLUS THE ISU RV VILLAGE IS FANTASTIC!!!

 

[Colorado]

My own personal experience has been that my diesel is getting better non-towing mileage than my gas did by about 1.5mpg. And that's comparing a 5.3l gas on a half ton to a 6.6l diesel on a 2500. Towing mileage is no contest with the diesel winning. For me, the biggest difference is the torque while towing. We take our camper to high altitudes with steep inclines. The turbo diesel doesn't bat an eyelash. Another consideration is that diesel will have higher max towing capacity. At 10k lbs, you're not pushing those limits

My diesel came with a block heater but it has a thermostat that will only turn it on if the temp drops below 0°. Cold weather performance is much better than it used to be

 

[VTXCyRyD]

In the long run when you include maintenance, gas will be cheaper and it will pull your camper just fine.

 

[Al_4_State]

Sell the camper and don't buy the large pick up. Spend the money on staying at nicer cabins, resorts etc. You will be considerably financially ahead and you won't have to worry about camper insurance, larger pickup insurance (it is higher as the rate is partially based on the weight of the vehicle), yearly vehicle licensing fees, storage locations and fee's, rodent damage, and the highest yearly expense people do not account for...maintenance. Plus the overnight fee's at camp grounds have increased significantly - many are over $60 / night.

Plus without the camper, you will have considerably more options for travel and leisure without the thought of hooking up and dragging the camper to a crowded camp ground full of loud partying neighbors.

Actually we had a pu camper growing up and we have great memories of traveling together as a family...but that was many years ago.

This is my approach, but some people really like camping. I have a lot of friends who love it. They complain about the tear down and set up, and all that, but I think they actually like it.

 

[Al_4_State]

Has anyone else had this experience that diesel mileage is worse when not towing?

I only meant that it's mileage is worse than gas when not pulling. Not diesel loaded vs diesel empty. I worded that funny.

 

[cyfan92]

If you are towing a lot, go diesel

If you are primarily driving around town with once or twice a month towing, go gas

 

[kingcy]

I was never a fan of diesel pickup until I got one. The new ones are so much better that they used to be. They pull so much better than any gas. As for fuel milage it is a little better than a gas. Driving local you wont see it but when you drive for highway and interstate driving it does so much better.

 

[Tri]

Have had both. I would recommend at least considering the GM 6.2 gas if you’re on the fence. I have one and it gets 18-19 mpg. not towing, but does take a major hit towing a fifth wheel, around 7-8 mpg.
Buying RV’s is a terrible financial decision but who cares.

 

[BCClone]

Has anyone else had this experience that diesel mileage is worse when not towing?

Ford 6.0. Definitely. The shittest engine ever produced.

 

[BCClone]

Why no electric?

 

[CyPhallus]

Get a gas 1/2 ton, say screw the camper, and drive and stay at whatever hotel, AirBNB or VRBO you want for the next 20 years with the savings. Or get the camper and park in a glorified parking lot with a bunch of rando's, while everyone around you cosplays like they are roughing it in the great outdoors.

 

[jbhtexas]

Ford 6.0. Definitely. The shittest engine ever produced.

We had a 6.0 PowerStroke in our Excursion, and got 18 MPG not towing (never towed anything). We could get 20+ MPG with a good tailwind, but strong headwind knocked it down to 16 MPG. I did have a mileage tune in it though. And, I soon as I bought it (used), I put in a BulletProof EGR cooler. I had it for 60,000 miles.

For the OP, I'm not much into campers so I don't know how big yours is, but I drive interstate alot, and I see alot of 3/4-ton pickups struggling with 5-th wheel campers, particularly in windy conditions. It is the tail-wagging-the-dog syndrome. I'd consider a 1-ton if you are going to be extensivley pulling this camper.