Tell me again why I should buy another Cummins?

[Deezal Man]

You heard it here folks. I admit. . I said I would NEVER buy a truck unless it was a diesel. That was. . until recent and now I have this really big problem on my hands. . Emotions and pride vs. truth and data.



Discounting the people who drive their trucks 100K a year. . or haul +20,000lbs It has become clear to me. . living in a northern region where the local DOT's are forced to lay down a zillion tons of salt mixed with liquid calcium cloride every time a snow flake falls. . These trucks cannot last as long as the Cummins power plant installed in them. . so what's the point? Thousands more to purchase, higher service & maintenance bills followed by the latest averages of 50 cents more per gallon of fuel (vs. regular unleaded)! Interesting how Diesel was cheaper than regular unleaded only a few years ago. Not to mention the routine we all follow in planning our "fuel purchases" from select fuel stations with Diesel. Don't get me started on the rocket scientist who decided it would be a great idea to install the diesel pump in between two gas pumps. Requiring the entire bay to be vacant of others... so you can block three fuel pumps to get into the middle one.



I tow less than 20% of the time and everything I do can be done with Hemi. Maybe not as fun or fast. . but this might be made up by extra digits in my checking account with a gas motor.



That said, based on a friend who has a Ford V10. . his fuel economy towing is only 2-3 MPG less than mine!! I didn't believe it, but one time I calculated the numbers when we filled up. Oh, and yes. . he paid 50 cents a gallon less than me.



Tell me again why I would buy another Diesel?

 

[mazdarotary]

I am glad you brought this up. I also vowed that if I was to ever get another full sized truck again it would only be a Cummins diesel. Well guess what about 7-8 months ago I bought a used 1500 quad cab Hemi 2wd SLT to replace my still fine,and looking good 92 D250 club cab diesel.



the reason I did this was because we were having our second child(3 months old now),and even with the bench seat in the rear of my club cab it wasn't going to fit us comfortably when we had to go out as a family in the truck. I really wanted a 3rd gen diesel,but I had a problem with paying $20+ for a used one with the package I wanted(2wd SLT 6 speed diesel w/lowish miles).



So I did some thinking,and with my company van,and the lack of driving my 92(10K miles in 2+ years) I thought it best to settle on a gas powered truck, One- for the lower cost of a half ton hemi the way I wanted(although I got the automatic),and 2 for the simple fact that I thought it was harmful to let my diesel truck sit so long between uses.



So far I am pretty happy with my choice,but I do miss the shifting,and power of the diesel,and the mileage is a lot worse,but I don't drive much anymore.



In the future I would like to get another diesel,but my problem is I want a 4 door truck like my 1st gen with a 12 valve under the hood( I know I can do a crew cab conversion,but I don't have the time). It would be great if Dodge made a 1/2 ton with a 4 cylinder Cummins,and a manual transmission. I would be all over that.



Do I regret not buying the diesel,and would I buy the gas truck again?The answer to those questions is complicated,but I would say No,and Yes. The price of the used Hemi 2wd at $16K was very helpful,and with only 38K miles on it I think I got a bargain.



Oh yeah by the way my Hemi is way faster than my diesel was/is(12 valve 5 speed),and it is fun to drive.



Chris

 

[wicked6]

excellent and valid points. ... but... aren't you in the WRONG place to ask the diesel vs. gas question. . ?? :-{}



That being said, you are in a completely different space than I. . my daily driver is an '03 VW Jetta TDi, and I am wrapping up my 12v repower project. . (I love diesels) 2 vehicles that, when it is all said and done, I will be able to *brew* my own fuel for, get decent MPG out of, and be WELL ahead of the gassers when it comes down to the savings account. . (wait, it gets worse. . I am SUCH a spoiled hypocrite. . )



Diesel is also a "fix". . The sound of the rattling and rumbling diesel coupled with the turbo's whistle are in a league all their own... then there's the exhaust smell. . offensive to most, but diesel in the morning smells like. . . . victory... My perfect truck is a crew cab truck with a Cummins in it. . . . which. . I had to build since the $50k+ mega cab is... . . ridiculously expensive...



I have a turbocharged V6 powered Buick that gives me a completely different rush, and at $6 / gal for race fuel, it is an expensive rush... . It, too, smells awesome. . (If only I could get my wife to wear race gas or diesel as a perfume... )



I have a small block powered 5 window coupe that is a handful no matter where I drive it, feels 40 mph faster than it really is, and. . well. . runs on pump gas... damn. . I am losing this discussion (to myself, I guess) on TANGENTS...



Here's the one I think parallels your point - My wife drives a 2002 Tahoe Z71 - a vehicle that convinced me to sell my 2000 crew cab F250 Powerstroke 2 years ago when we drove it (the Tahoe) to Las Vegas and back, fully loaded (the whole family), & towing the Buick on a trailer... We netted the same fuel economy (14 mpg) and in better comfort than the F250. . ! The PSD had it outgunned on the hills, for sure, but if we fast-forwarded to today where diesel is $0. 30+ more than pump unleaded, it was cheaper to dump the diesel and drive the gasser. .



It would be cheaper for me to sell everything & drive the TDi. . . . so, obviously I have another issue altogether. . I may not be the most credible person to respond to your query...



Oh - you also forgot to mention that gassers are easier to maintain, and when supercharged, offer spectacular performance on the street. .



Good luck, but it sounds like you need a gasser. . From your data and frustration driven argument (you gave no positive, compelling, subjective reasons to own a diesel), that would be my "push". .



Linc

 

[Deezal Man]

Linc,



Your comments are all valid. . and believe me. I also love the smell of diesel in the morning, and the effect my truck has on people next to me. . on the cell phone with the windows open :-laf Or the impressive dyno numbers my truck has posted. . (which are nothing by today's standards) or the braggin rights of having when showing up in a "real" truck. Heck, those are all the things I'm worried about missing.



But when all the emotions are set aside, only so much I justify financially. . That is my dilema.

 

[JHerr]

Deezal Man,



We both live in the same area and drive virtually the same truck. You make good points about driving a gasser, but I won't give mine up. It is just superior to a Hemi. Every time I entertain thoughts about driving something else, a situation comes up where I realize that something other than a Cummins just wouldn't give me that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from driving a 'real' truck.



I understand your family concerns. Relief should be coming in a couple of years in a 1/2-ton diesel. That is what I am eyeing when my Ram gets over the 200K+ mark. I don't even tow, so the 3/4-ton truck is just pure diesel lust.



I patronize a couple of fuel spots where I don't have hassles... one near home and one near work. Besides, I have over 500 miles to decide where I will fill up next. I routinely get 21+ mpg with my 5-spd. That is 50%-90% better than my friends with gasser SUVs and pickups. I also drive an old Rabbit diesel and a Triumph motorcycle when I want to pilot something different and get better mileage.



Seriously, if you are planning on parting with your beast, I would be interested in your Alcoas!

 

[Grizzly]

One good reason to buy a Cummins diesel is it's resale value. When I sold my 95 CTD, DRW, 4WD, the NADA pricing was $5,500 more then a gas engine, DRW, 2WD. I got back everything I paid extra for the Cummins and the 4WD when I purchased it new. That idea may not work with a 6 LT powerjoke.



P. S. Anyone out there looking for a Lance sliding in camper? It's for sale

 

[DMemos]

Keep it so you can run on "free" used veggy oil.

 

[GHarman]

The salt on the roads in your area will affect any vehicle. You already have a diesel, run it until you cant get parts for it, or until everything is worn out. The alternative fuel option is what keeps me interested. I have a 91. 5 and am in-process of catching up on maintainence. I plan on keeping this rig until it is completely worn out. You do what YOU think is best for your situation. We dont live in a perfect world. By the time OPEC runs out of oil, we will have extended our fuel usage with soy, corn oils? In the meantime prices of fuel will will fluctuate, that includes gasoline! Who knows what the future will bring. GregH

 

[MTownsend]

Bodys are easy to change, rust got my 1972 w350 wrecker, so I put a 91 cab on it! afar as the milage, I don't know what the new ones get, but my crew cab convertion gets 21mpg empty 16 pulling my 38' trailer empty and 12 with a G. C. W of 19000! when it had the 360 gas and auto it got 11, 7, 3-4 plus I smoked one 360 pulling that trailer loaded.



as far as running the truck empty, why bother, i have a little beater car to just run around in, I use my trucks as trucks why else have one?

 

[DMemos]

Oil the underneath of the vehicle, it makes them last a lot longer.

 

[Deezal Man]

I thought about the oil on the frame idea. . but was wondering what would happen to the oil from rain and snow melt in my nice garage. In other words, am I going to have an oil slick under my truck as the snow melt takes some of the oil with it. Lets take that a step further. . has anyone painted or coated their frame with some "magic" product on their semi rusted frame?

 

[MMcCallie]

I coated the entire underside of my truck with POR-15 and was very disappointed. Flaking off after the first Boston winter. After 3 years only 1/4 is still there. I'm just using spray cans now to fill in.



Compression engines should actually be less maintenance and less expensive to operate than a spark ignition engine. Far fewer parts, much less complicated. Diesels are built stronger, last longer, and make torque that has no competition. Diesels don't require oil changes as often. The most important thing to watch is fuel, mostly depending on climates, and making sure the engine is sucking plenty of air.



I wasn't a fan of my PSD, though i've met many who've had great performance from theirs. The Cummins is the right engine for me. Diesels do get better fuel economy than gassers in virtually any situation. The cost of fuel needs to be blamed on taxes. When i left Boston, we were paying about $. 50 in taxes per gallon. We diesel owners are the only ones with the opportunity of running and recycling free waste oil, and making major headway toward cleaning up the atmosphere.



Biggest problem is that manufacturer's rarely build the vehicles we really want and need, so we have to do conversions. Jeep is supposedly putting a diesel in a Cherokee model very soon for the US. The rest of the world gets so many diesel options. That, and the US not converting to metric just don't make sense. Diesels and diesel hybrids offer the best improvements for improving America's transportation needs.

 

[y-knot]

your right, go sell your stupid diesel truck and get a gasser and leave us alone!

 

[DMemos]

Oil is a little messy at first. If you do it this time of year as its getting colder, when it gets hot out again the stuff will flow. The trick is light coats, then drive it on dirt roads so it solidifys. After a while all you'll need is touch ups in the wheel wells and areas like this where it washes off.

 

[RollOver_Pete]

I thought about the oil on the frame idea. . but was wondering what would happen to the oil from rain and snow melt in my nice garage. In other words, am I going to have an oil slick under my truck as the snow melt takes some of the oil with it.

Just another example where an old 2 stroke Detroit would shine . I thought everyone knew that some of the finer, high end Detroits emit a rust inhibiting secreation which ..... keeps rust from happening .