# What Would Your New Tow Vehicle Be??



## campntn (Feb 20, 2005)

I was wondering the other day:
What tow vehicle gets the best MPG, gas or diesel, now? hmmmm
Of course, there are a lot of variables, trailer wt, etc. But let's talk in general, everyday terms:
If you had to go out and buy a new tow vehicle, with gas at $2.25 and rising, what would it be??

My Durango get's 7.5-8 towing







and 13-15 without.


----------



## dmbcfd (Sep 8, 2004)

Probably a 2005 Chevy Silverado LS 2500 HD 4x4 crew cab shortbed with the Duramax Diesel, Allison 1000 tranny, tow package, power extending camper mirrors, fog lights, tube steps, aluminum alloy wheels, linex bed liner, XM radio, tinted windows, in victory red with charcoal interior, for $1 over invoice on a 0% APR 6 year loan, with $4500 cash back and $10,000 for my trade-in.

But I really haven't given it much thought.

Am I asking too much?

Steve


----------



## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Wake up Steve your dreaming















But I will second that TV

John


----------



## campntn (Feb 20, 2005)

Ok,







Ok, before this gets too off subject, I may have not made my question plain, let me try again:
Considering the current gas prices (and they're not going to go down again),if you had to get a new TV that GOT BETTER GAS MILEAGE, what would it be? 
Mark

I didn't want the question to be confusing, but I guess it could also be restated as:
Is there such a thing as a good travel trailer tow vehicle that get's "good" gas mileage, lets say "good" as being, er...uh...14-15 MPG towing?


----------



## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Campntn,

Who told you that gas prices are not going to go down???







Could it be the same person who told my father in law that oil was going to be $100.00 per barrell next year??







No insult intended here!!!!!! I work on price indexes for the government and I enjoy topics like this.









IMHO.......Diesel will give you better mileage.

However, I just bought a new TV and it is a Gasser!!!! The opportunity cost is just still too high to offset the cost of a diesel. That is of course when you take into consideration the rebates that are available. I bought a 2005 2500HD Extended Cab for $23,000 on the road. Even at $3.00 per gallon of gas, I would have to burn 6000 gallons of gasoline to break even with the cost of diesel. That would give me roughly 72,000 miles of travel to break even.

Believe me, I REALLY wanted a Diesel. My training in Economics told me to consider the "Opportunity Cost".

BTW: Check out Vallero. Rumor has it that they have the capacity to refine skunk crude? No official information, but I did hear it somewhere.

Good Luck,

Tim


----------



## Parker Outbacker (Dec 17, 2004)

campntn- I still think you got your answer. I bet you could probably get that kind of mileage with the Diesel. I would have to recommend the Ford F250 Power-stroke with the integrated brake controller.

Diesel will by far get you the best gas mileage...but at a cost. I think they are about 5 - 6,000 more just to get the diesel. Don't think they have come out with the hybrid that will pull your trailer


----------



## campntn (Feb 20, 2005)

Hey, now THIS is what I'm talkin bout. I'm not gonna go out and buy a new tv ANYTIME soon. We love our Dango.
Actually, nobody TOLD me that our gas wasn't goin down. That's my thoughts and it's based on history. Well, American spending habits history, if there is such a thing. We will buy it, that's the bottom line. Like the post office, they go with gradual increases. It's gone up lil by lil and each time we fuss awhile, cut our trips to town down a lil, recouperate, then fall back into the same ole routine. At present, we HAVE to have gas. 
As for us, we're gonna keep our tow vehicle. We consolidate our trips into town and ask ourselves, "can it wait".
We will still camp as we did..life is short.








Mark
sidenote: I mentioned postal rates. I've become good at paying my all my bills online.


----------



## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

The diesel will give you better mpg -- maybe 50% better. However, with a diesel costing about $5k more than the equivalent gas rig, it takes a long time to pay off the added cost based on the mpg alone. So, you also need to consider that, typically, a diesel engine will last a lot longer than a gas engine. If you are not prone to sell a rig just because it is a couple years old and you plan to run it into the ground before trading, then I would lean to the diesel.

I just went thru this decision and I bought a diesel. I got a one-ton, but not because I need it now (I don't), but because I plan to run it into the ground and I wanted it to accomodate any future plans. If buying a new pickup today, I would get a one-ton over a 3/4 simply because the small additional cost is not that much more and it leaves you open for a lot of other options.

I got a Dodge. Not because it's better than a Chevy or Ford (I'm not sure it is), but because the Dodge salesman got to me faster than the other two with a better price. I have never owned a Chevy so can't really say much about them. I did love my Ford -- it was a great rig. And, I also love my new Dodge -- so far it is, also, a great rig.


----------



## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

My Silverado gets 12 mpg towing and 20 mpg not towing. I bought Chevy becuase they gave me 11000 in rebatesssss....

and yes -- i beleieve that gas prices will not go any higher then they were last week..... we paid 209 last week and they are down already to 203....


----------



## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Ghosty,

I am getting close to the same numbers. Maybe a little lower with the 4.10 rear. Word on the street is that petrol prices are past the peak (for now). We still have to hit $2.83 per gallon of regular to equal the amount of inflation that equals 1973.

Anyone running BioDiesel out there? action

The other thing you have to watch wit Diesel prices is the new 2007 EPA emissions standards that reduce the amount of sulfur







in the fuel. Could increase diesel by a few more cents per gallon. It depends on how much the refineries have to invest.









Looks like oil from the fast food fryers could be the way to go!!!!!!
















Have a great evening!

Tim


----------



## Fire44 (Mar 6, 2005)

I have a gas Suburban 1500 4x4 and my brother-in-law has a diesel Silverado 2500 crew cab 4x4. On out trip to FL I was getting around 11 mpg pulling approx 6800 pound. My brother-in-law when to NC pulling about 8000 pounds and got 14 mpg. We were paying apporx 2.10 per gallon--he was paying about 2.25 per gallon. On a 1,000 mile trip he would save about $30.00. He paid about $5,000 for the diesel/allison upgrade.

$5,000 divided by $30.00=166 trips
166 trips @ 1,000 miles=166,000 miles

The important factors are:
1. How many miles do you drive per year
2. How long do you keep you vehicles

Most people buy diesels because they WANT a diesel.....not because they need one.

Other items to consider:
1. Maintance cost....oil changes on a diesel 3 to 4 times price of gas.
2. Trade in value...diesel will be worth more at trade in that the gas.

So if you want a diesel...then buy a diesel. The only way you will save money would be to drive it about 40,000 miles per year....or drive it for 10 years.
Just my opinion.

Gary

PS. If I was going to buy a new TV now....it would be a Silverado diesel. No I don't drive 40,000 miles or keep my trucks 10 years....I just like the Duramax!!!


----------



## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Gas in NJ 2.05 gallon
Diesel in NJ 2.50 gallon

My 454 suburban gets 10 mpg no matter what i do with it. I just installed electric fans to help with trailer pulling in traffic and maybe a little better fuel mileage.
I just Love driving this truck. Its my price I choose to pay for.


----------



## Drifter (Aug 22, 2004)

If I were to do it again today I would still get my Titan sans the 4X4 (got it off the lot and thats the way it was equipped). The 4X4 does cost extra gas and I don't need it.

I still get 10+mpg. Maybe I could get better with a diesel. I just can't get past my prejudices against them. If I wanted a vehicle that sounded like a tractor I would buy a tractor. I'd rather hear the hum of an electric( I wish they would hurry up with an electric TV). Plus, (I am told) they take more TLC if you want the to last. I don't know. I am kinda rough on my vehicles.

I do trade my vehicles off every 10 to 12 years (alternating so as not to break the bank). They have lasted quite well. I usually trade them just to get something new(it takes 10-12 years to get my moneys wort out of them).

Also, I might have to rethink if I was towing something heavier than my 23RS.

drifter


----------



## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I like the idea of a hybrid truck! My neighbors hybrid car is pulling down over 55 MPG. I can carry a lot of extra batteries in a pickup!

I'd still take the TITAN, gas mileage and all. 
It pulls what I need it to pull, hauls what I need to haul, racks what I need to rack, carries who I need to carry...and will still whip most trucks on the road to the next stoplight. (hence...the rotten gas mileage)

I believe the 3/4 tons and diesels will be out soon. I don't generally hold on to vehicles too long.


----------



## Not Yet (Dec 13, 2004)

NDJollyMon said:


> I like the idea of a hybrid truck! My neighbors hybrid car is pulling down over 55 MPG. I can carry a lot of extra batteries in a pickup!
> 
> I'd still take the TITAN, gas mileage and all.
> It pulls what I need it to pull, hauls what I need to haul, racks what I need to rack, carries who I need to carry...and will still whip most trucks on the road to the next stoplight. (hence...the rotten gas mileage)
> ...


Pete,

Latest issue of Truck Trends reports a 3/4 or 1 Ton Diesel Titan on model year 07. Not sure how reliable but I think it will be there. Nissan has heard too many complaints about low GVWR.

J


----------



## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

A comment in my owners manual for the '05 cummins says that I should not use more than a 5% bio-diesel mix. Apparently, the new quiet diesels have several injection points during the power stroke and for some reason bio-diesel fouls the injectors or something to that effect. I suspect, however, that good grade of bio-diesel would not hurt anything except my warranty. That's not to say I'm going to run bio-diesel, however.


----------



## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

It's already been said, but I will say it again, economically, unless your making your own diesel for pennies a gallon, the big block gas engines are the winners. The average diesel pickup has a 10-14 qt oil capacity in the crankcase, vs. 5-6 qts. in the gas engine. In addition, you need to change the fuel filters on a more frequent basis on diesels, and a diesel engine is a big breather, and there fore will require more air filter changes, or cleanings if using a re-usable filter. Add the increased maintenance costs to the higher initial price, and it takes a lot of miles to break even. That being said, I love diesels, and have longed to own one for 20+ years.

Tim


----------



## campntn (Feb 20, 2005)

Regarding diesels, I'd always kinda thought I'd like to have one: boss, manly soundin ride, get's good mpg. But on a recent trip to Sonic drive Inn, I changed my mind.
We had sat there for a LONG time just waiting to order. I sat next to a HUGE diesel dually. I had commented to my wife "now,that's what daddy wants", she commented back " whatever, daddy needs to oder the food".
The Peanuts sounding lady finally came over the intercom wanting my order. As if on cue, just as I opened my mouth to give the order to feed the family, the cute hottie driving the dually cranked her Nasa diesel engine. I immediatly thought she would leave and I just sat there with my hungry head hangin out the window. Then I looked up and noticed she had put her seat back, plugged her dead cellphone in and was having a nice long chat! I couldn't hear the Peanuts lady on the intercom, nobody could hear, the wife was hollering. It was like a desperate scene on an island when a plane passes over and nobody could flag them down for help, or a number 2 cheeseburger.... the previously hot lady, now turned to be the fat hateful lady on her cellphone.
I had to move 4 spaces down to get away from the roar of her engine to order. Once again, waiting for the rescue intercom to fly over us again. 
It was then and there I decided that I would only get a diesel if it were kept outta the geneal public. And seeing I am not a recluse, I guess I'll have to stick with gas guzzler tv's or pray for hybrid tv.


----------



## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Chevy 2500 series suburban with the 8.1. It's got it all, space, looks and power!

The only drawback is mpg, but who cares, it looks good









It's comin'................................sooner of later


----------



## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

My Dodge 2500 deisel gets about 17-18mpg when not towing and 12-14 while towing, depending on terrain. I decided to go with the deisel because I planned to keep this truck for at least ten years. Now that I don't use it as my daily driver, I expect it to last even longer. I've had it for over five years and only have 79,000 miles on it so it's still a pup in dog years.

As far as maintenance, especially oil changes costin 3 or 4 times more, well I suppose if you take it to a Quick lube it might. I change my own, 11 quarts of Shell Rotella oil and $8-10 for a good filter. Total about $30 and 15 minutes of labor.

Regards, Glenn


----------



## dougdogs (Jul 31, 2004)

dmbcfd said:


> Probably a 2005 Chevy Silverado LS 2500 HD 4x4 crew cab shortbed with the Duramax Diesel, Allison 1000 tranny, tow package, power extending camper mirrors, fog lights, tube steps, aluminum alloy wheels, linex bed liner, XM radio, tinted windows, in victory red with charcoal interior, for $1 over invoice on a 0% APR 6 year loan, with $4500 cash back and $10,000 for my trade-in.
> 
> But I really haven't given it much thought.
> 
> ...


 action only mine is white, I have the rear DVD player, and I didn't bother with a bed liner. Now that 5th wheel hitch is installed, I'm looking into Rhino liner, or something like that.


----------



## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Let me add to my earlier post, I never answered the question. If money was no object, it would be a GM 2500HD C/C with a Duramax/Allison combo. Since money is always an issue, it will probably be a GM 2500HD C/C with a Vortec 8.1L/Allison combo.

Campntn, the newer Ford and GM diesel are much quieter then the older ones, and even later versions of the Duramax are quieter then the original's. That Cummins is still loud, but it is a nice motor....


----------



## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Here are a couple of excellent articles on the subject. Bottom line answer as to which is better -- well, it depends.....

Gas vs. Diesel - part 1

Gas vs. Diesel - part 2


----------



## Drifter (Aug 22, 2004)

Vdub,
It just shows how quickly things are changing in the truck world. Those articles are only just a little over 2 years old but a lot has happened to trucks in those two years. I'd say only about 90 to 95% of what Chuck still holds true today.

Not to put the articles down. Lot of good in those articles. Just that the world is moving at a horrid pace.

drifter


----------



## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

That is true, but 90% isn't bad. I wish I had 90% knowledge for all the decisions I have to make. But the articles give you a pretty decent starting point. Things are changing fast and will continue that way. A year ago, I would never have thought that fuel would be a bargain at $2. I guess the bottom line would be to "generally" assess the way you will use your TV on a daily basis and then get what ever makes you happy. After that, don't look back.


----------



## Suburbanrancher (Mar 23, 2005)

It's certainly not the biggest boy, but I'm enjoying my '05 Tundra Doublecab as my 25RSS TV...


----------



## Joe_650 (Jul 21, 2004)

I guess after looking at everything my vehicle would have to be a Ford F250 with the Powerstroke. I plan on having my next truck for a long time so economically the diesel would probably make sense for me. When we camp here in Alaska there are lots of hills and some mountains so the pulling power of a diesel makes more sense to me. In the winter diesel is more expensive but we don't use our truck that much so we save money that way.


----------

