Eco Diesel VS. Cummins. Why Eco Diesel?

[Wertles]

I traded away the 5th wheel this weekend on a pretty much brand new 2011Class C Jayco RV. It's time to downsize. I now have no need for my 2013 Crew Cab, Long bed Laramie Dually that neither fits in my garage (so it hangs out in the shop) nor the parking garage at work, hence, the 2014 Jetta TDI as a commuter car. I'm trying to get rid of both vehicles and get one truck that fits in my garage and easily at work. All I have left to pull is a 7000 pound loaded utility trailer.

I test drove a crew cab 5'7" Laramie Eco Diesel. I drank the cool aid and love it. It fits in the garage and gives me the same interior room I have now. It has more than enough power to handle my needs. My issue is this, based off MSRP, I can get a 2500 Cummins Crew Cab short bed with 3.42's, still get better than Hemi mileage, and have a more capable truck with ??greater resale??? in 8 years for five grand more.

I see many of you have previously owned 2500+ trucks or have one of each. Besides the obvious 5mpg advantage, why did you pick the Eco Diesel over a 2500 Cummins?

Also, the one I am looking at does not have the air ride. I felt it very comfortable and smooth but that's me comparing it to a one ton dually. Is it worth looking for one with the air ride? I do use my trailer quite often. At least once a week in the summer and if I end up with a short bed truck, probably more often as I don't have the same amount of bed room. I had air bags on my 06 3500 and had no issues using them when needed.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

My utility trailer weighs up to 8000 lb but I wanted enough truck no matter what the clown in the other lane does wrong, or how steep the mountain is.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Why Ecodiesel? For Occasional towing, in my opinion.

 

[NGuzik]

I still have my hopes up for the colorado with a MiniMax in it.

 

[jgillott]

Why Ecodiesel? For Occasional towing, in my opinion.

I don't think it comes down to towing. As I believe JR mentioned in another thread, the Gas powered 1/2 ton can already pull the rated limits of the 1/2 ton chassis with ease. In my opinion, it comes down to nothing more than fuel mileage.

My current 1/2 ton Crew Cab 4x4 with 3.92 gears can get ~19 mpg on a strait unloaded highway trip. That same truck with any mixed driving at all nets me 14-15 mpg at best. I don't tow much with it, I almost always use one of the other trucks, but when I do pull anything at all, I am lucky to get 10 mpg. From what I understand, the EcoDiesel probably adds 5-6 mpg or more to each of those driving conditions.

With all that said, I am 100% pleased with the current Dodge 1/2. It has been one of the most reliable new vehicles I've purchased. Nothing but tires, spark plugs, and oil changes in the ~80K I've had it.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

For a Ca resident that only tows light loads, it would be feasible for a Eco Diesel 1/2 ton because of the weight registration costs.

For me, I need the heavy truck. For the last few months since I sold my heavi, I've had to rely on buddy's and pay delivery costs for crap that I typically get myself.

 

[Bob V]

You do get a proven engine platform from Cummins, the VM Motori, who knows. I have the VM in my liberty and really was not impressed, ALL of the dain plugs stripped, glow plugs lasted about 5,000 miles and you had to worry about braking one and having to tear down the motor to replace. The head would become clogged with gunk from the EGR/crankcase breather. All this has been documented on LOST KJ web site.

 

[Wertles]

After running some quick, rough numbers, I don't think it makes any sense to get a new truck. I have 24 months of payments left on this truck. I would have 36 months on the new Eco Diesel at the same payment. With only 15000 miles on my current truck, it seems very silly to take $43000 for it. One dealer even offered my $35,000. I told them I would park it in my lawn and buy a bag of salt every day to dump on it for that price.

With other truck combinations coming up in the near future, I feel I can sit on my current truck for a while and see what comes down in the future.

 

[wiley75]

You do get a proven engine platform from Cummins, the VM Motori, who knows. I have the VM in my liberty and really was not impressed, ALL of the dain plugs stripped, glow plugs lasted about 5,000 miles and you had to worry about braking one and having to tear down the motor to replace. The head would become clogged with gunk from the EGR/crankcase breather. All this has been documented on LOST KJ web site.

Haven't had any of those problems with my Ecodiesel in my 2014 Grand Cherokee. Engine has ran flawless. The VM is definitely a proven design. It's been around for years in boats and all kinds of stuff. At higher HP ratings than what Chrysler uses here in the states. The Cummins 5 liter V8 is not a proven design. It is brand spanking new. Not to say that it's not a good engine (we will find out I reckon).

To the OP: the Ecodiesel likely will get better fuel economy and cost less to maintain then a Cummins 5.0 V8. Probably will cost less to purchase as well. But it'll have less power of course. More ponies = more money to purchase and maintain.

 

[Wertles]

Well rough numbers are that my current truck will be paid off in 24 months(I owe ~$23,000). Trading in for the Eco diesel will give me the same payments for 3 years (final finance amount ~$33000). I usually write a check for $1000/month. Unless they significantly up my trade in and find a whole bunch of money off of the new one, I just don't see trading this

For this and another $10,000.

Right now I would rather be in the Eco diesel but can't see how the $$ works for me in this scenario. It feels as though I'm giving my truck away. Please educate me if I'm wrong.

 

[wiley75]

Your math seems pretty straight forward. That's a sweet dually for sure!

 

[RUSSELL5000]

Wertles, I am a real newby - two year into my diesel pickup - but you are in the situation I would find ideal. You have the car to commute with and a truck that will do most anything. In two years the truck you have will be paid off and then you'll have a fantastic truck for at least another fifteen years or more with no payment.

That is an awesome truck - I would keep it and happily drive the Jetta back and forth to work.

Maybe you will want to pull something again in a year or two.

 

[Tuesdak]

With electric fans in the Eco Diesel to me it becomes heavy duty vs. light duty. I already have a "toy" GM designed diesel with typical GM cooling problems (solved with mods) under hard work so I don't need another "toy".

I'll take parking problems and sticking out of the garage vs. not having enough truck when needed. I also daily driver it. Unlike a car or a 1/2 ton the 1 ton can become an asset by generating Hotshot income if I desire.

In your case it may be better to throw the Jetta in the trade for an Eco Diesel and get rid if it and it's monthly insurance cost. Maybe even get a *gasp* gas engine 1/2 ton for the low amount of towing. You can buy a lot of 6 MPG towing gas for the $1.00 more per gal difference and cost of the diesel option. Then you only have 1 vehicle to insure.

IMO small cars are EPA-CAFE coffins on wheels, but, I have a first class seat to watching recovery from a near fatal accident in a mid/full size car. So I really don't favor the practice of: small POS for a daily driver while my truck sits at home. 6 MPG for 1 million miles just starts to scratch the top of the medical costs...

 

[Wertles]

I dealer called today and I told him the deal was off. Just couldn't give up my Cummins at this point. If my truck was in need of replacement, it would have been a no brainer. I would love to daily my truck, the fuel mileage doesn't bother me that much, but the parking garage at work physically will not accommodate the truck so I might as well economize the fuel mileage with the Jetta. I also got that as in a few years, it will be a nice, 1 owner car for my son to buy off of me. He will need the fuel economy as a poor teenager!

 

[DonFitzwater]

Sounds like a smart decision on your part to roll with what you have!

 

[Tinman]

My opinion is that the it comes down to 2 factors, mileage and the proven Cummins. Let's face it, we all are here because we own CUMMINS trucks. Not some aluminum head, high revving v-8 or some "made as cheap as possible" Navistar engine. The VM does not have the long history of being one of the best diesels in world as Cummins does. So you give that up with the VM engine. VM is decidedly a light duty diesel, with a dubious track record here in the US.

Mileage speaks for itself. Depends on your needs. I will say that if I got a 1500 it would have to have certain mod to decrease mileage (real tire/wheels, better (taller) suspension, camper top, etc). So real world mileage might not be that big a difference. I have 2 Cummins that I will never get rid of and I really don't need a big heavy duty truck, so a 1500 would be a good choice, but as of now, there is no way I'd change. The new Rebel is a deceit looking 1/2 ton but no diesel (and it wouldn't get near the mileage) and air suspension - really!? My dream truck - Ford Raptor with a twin turbo'd 400hp Cummins 4bt

 

[RVTRKN]

Wertles, the Titan is on its way with the Cummins 5.0 V8, you might want to look into the price. BUT it's aluminum head and glow plugs will have me sitting on the sidelines for awhile as a wait and see attitude.

 

[crispyboy]

Wertles, the Titan is on its way with the Cummins 5.0 V8, you might want to look into the price. BUT it's aluminum head and glow plugs will have me sitting on the sidelines for awhile as a wait and see attitude.

I can't really see the problem with a light duty diesel using aluminum heads and glow plugs. I base this on a VW Jetta that I once owned. It had an aluminum head, glow plugs and a timing belt! The only problem the car had was a plugged intake and cat converter from the EGR system. It was a great car to drive.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Yep, just about everything is running aluminum heads these days. It's a non-issue for me.

 

[RVTRKN]

Sure, just ask the first DMAX owners and why did they keep beefing up the heads?