MPG Cummin's Diesel

Does anyone know what the MPG is on a Dodge 2500 4x4 , 4door longbed pickup with the diesel. The price for diesel here is $3.60 . Does it really pay to get the diesel? I realize the added torque and pulling power of the diesel and if you maintain the engine with the scheduled maintenance it will last for a very long time. But do you ever realize a saving with the extra cost of getting the diesel. I take two to three long trips a year with the boat usually about 800 to 900 miles round trip. For the average person does the math add up to making the deisel a worth while investment? Any thoughts would be appreciated

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

It will take a LONG time to ever realize the fuel cost savings on a diesel powered truck. The people who claim that are just rationalizing a very expensive option.
But who cares, if you want diesel, buy it. You'll probably love a Cummins.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

TilliamWe said:

It will take a LONG time to ever realize the fuel cost savings on a diesel powered truck. The people who claim that are just rationalizing a very expensive option.

Click to expand...

I think I'm going to have to disagree with that one.....
While I do not have a cummins, I do have a powerstroke and love it. It's a 2003 extended cab 4WD dually with the 7.3 with a 6 speed stick in it.

About on a daily basis, I am grossing about 18,000- 20,000 pounds and am averaging 13.8 MPG.I haul bobcat equipment here in the mountains of western North Carolina. When running empty on a trip, I have gotten 20 MPG with it.

The truck this replaced was a regular cab dually with a gas engine ( 454 ) and my loaded MPG was around 7 MPG and empty, was close to 10 MPG.

While the gas engine pulled good, it is no comparison to the torque of the diesel.

For the people that want a diesel for getting grocery's,and suffer from the "look at me" syndrome, it will never pay for itself. If you need a truck to use as a truck, A diesel WILL pay for itself in short order.

just my $.02

wncrjb

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

2007 Ram 2500 4X4 Quad Cab with the new 6.7L Cummins.
Does a solid 15 to 17 depending on what I am doing with it.
Pulled a 31 foot travel trailer, 6500#, and got 15.8.
This from the onboard computer.
That is with the 6 speed automatic in it.
The 6 speed manual would do even better.
My last fill up, 535 miles, 30 gallon. Due the figures.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

I agree that the casual trucker will never recover the cost of the diesel option unless one puts on a ton of miles or the vehicle sees severe towing or work duty well over half the time. However, one might be able to make a little better case if there is a source of "bio diesel" in your area.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

Yea Silvertip, just about everything around here now is that ultra low sulfur stuff that all diesel have to confirm to some year in the near future.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

wncrjb said:

I think I'm going to have to disagree with that one.....

For the people that want a diesel for getting grocery's,and suffer from the "look at me" syndrome, it will never pay for itself. If you need a truck to use as a truck, A diesel WILL pay for itself in short order.

just my $.02

wncrjb

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Read the original post again, he'll not use it as a tow vehicle enough to offset the extra cost of the engine, or the way increased maintanence cost. You may be reaping the benifits, but as you point out the average person won't. Which is what I was saying.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

Run the numbers... Gas vs. Diesel.

100,000 miles at an average of 12 mpg = 8,333 gal of fuel used
100,000 miles at an average of 18 mpg = 5,555 gal of fuel used

Fuel Savings: 2,788 gallons
Projected cost/Gal: $3.50 (?)
Fuel Cost Savings: $9,723 Higher fuel prices = more savings.

Now factor in higher inital purchase cost, but higher resale value...

IMHO: Half ton? Gasser.
3/4 ton or better [implies need for a big truck] Diesel.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

You flunked the math test. You are using the same $3.50 per gallon fuel cost for both vehicles which is not the case. The gasser (using your numbers) would cost $23,332 to fuel over 100,000 miles at a current regular fuel rate of $2.80 per gallon. The diesel would cost $19,442 to fuel over 100,000 miles at $3.50 per gallon. The difference in fuel cost is therefore $3852.00 which is a long way from the $9000+ fuel savings you suggest.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

The Diesel will only "pay" if you really need it. How heavy is your boat? How heavy will your next boat be? Any other trailers to tow? How long do you keep a rig? Do you plan to buy new or used? I got 18mpg my last fill-up with my old 94 CTD, and it payed for itself in fuel savings over a gasser all these years. I intend to buy a new one because I want one but I can't factor in fuel savings today like I did in 1994. I really get a kick out of how much Diesel hotrodders are paying for old 4X4 12 valves like mine. Good luck.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

The Cummins engine is a great motor and will usually outperform the 7.3 litre Powerstroke in terms of fuel use. It's also a great motor from a torque standpoint because it is only six cylinders. "Big trucks" use inline sixes and, in some cases, even inline four cylinder engines for a reason - for a given displacement, the fewer the cylinders the more torque. That is why motocross motorcycles tend to be "one lungers."

That is not to say that the 7.3 litre Powerstroke is not a good engine. It is a very good motor and is tough as nails. If anything, the weak point is in the trannys, not the motors. I have used them extensively in both an F250 with an auto and an F550 with a 6 speed. If my memory serves me corrrectly, the 550 is rated up to 32,000 combined (truck & trailer) gross vehicle weight. In fact, a lot of people using them don't realize that, if they tow a trailer that is placarded at over 10,000 pounds in commercial service with one, they are driving a Class A tractor trailer.

I haven't used an F series Ford with the newer 6.0 litre Powerstroke but I hear that, aside from some problems in the first run of them, they are great and are better on fuel.

The problem that I see with diesels for personal use at the present time is twofold. First, with the advent of mandatory low sulfer fuel, diesel is no longer less expensive than gasoline. That might be arguable for those who want to run premium gasoline but, for most, its a fact of life. The other issue is overall potential ownership cost for non-commercial use. Most personal users are not going to put the miles on these trucks that those of us who have used them in a business will. They will not, therefore, reap the benefits of being able to amortize the higher aquisition cost of the vehicle over 300,000+ miles. Add to that, maintenance costs. This one is sort of "iffy" because a non-commercial user might do OK just because the trucks are tough but, if there is significant maintenance required, everything costs a great deal more.

I'll leave my last comment as one detached from the above because it isn't really an issue from an economy or mechanical suitability standpoint. For non-commercial use, I just wouldn't want to have to listen to one or smell it. Relatively speaking, they're loud and they stink. I can rationalize that when the vehicle is a work vehicle but I wouldn't want to have to deal with it in my personal life.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

FWIW, my new Dodge is neither noisy or does it stink as you say.
The Blu Tech part of it makes it that way I guess.
Sure, you can tell it's a diesel, but you don't have to shut it off in a drive thru so the person can hear you like the PS and Dura Maxs.
I know, BTDT in both.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

Thanks for pointing out the math flaw silvertip. Thus further reinforcing my original point.

But if you have the desire to do what my dad does, you have no choice:

He has an 11.5' slide in camper and a Chaparral 265 cuddy that he took from FL to IL to AZ to FL last summer. So he obviously went with a dual rear wheel, 1 ton, diesel pickup. No gas model pickup currently made that would have done the job half as well as the diesel powered truck. So he just sucks up the higher price of diesel and the really expensive oil and filter changes. It's a luxury he wants to afford.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

Thanks everybody that was some really good info. The last time I priced trucks I think the diesel was a $6,000. option. If the math holds true as Silvertip pointed out then the diesel engine would 'nt hold any savings and wouldn't exceed the initial pay out at 100,000 miles. As pointed out what am I towing and how much weight? Well the boat weighs about #4,000 fully loaded and as far as long trips 2-3 a year. My present truck has 69,000 and it is a 2000 Dodge 1500. I am not one of those people hey look at me, I don't have the cash to be that way. I am a stickler about my equipment working the way it should. On paper my truck should eat up my boat but it doesn't. It does OK not great. I am looking for great. I think the 2500 should do the job in gas or diesel. I just wasn't sure if the diesel would be worth the extra cash. Thanks to everyone I am better equipped to make that decision. Thank you and Merry Christmas..

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

i tow 5000 boat with a 1500 Surburban 5.7 no problems, w trailer brakes.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

Just remember as pointed out somewhere above you do have a higher value at trade-in with the diesel, so the $6K additional cost isn't quite correct. I know it may take you 8-10 years to get it back, I just wanted to point it out.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

I am 2 weeks into my new to me 2005 2wd reg bed 2500 laramie with the 6 cyl diesel. my first tank of gas cost $98.57 at 3.45 gallon in gainesville florida, on next fill it came out to 22.1 in mixed driving. VERY COOL to get 600+ miles on a tank of gas (34gal tank). i was going down i75 at 70mph cruise and was averaging 24.0, put it to 80mph with cruise, reset the computer and averaged 24.1 for a couple of miles. any more info, give me a pm. my very first truck.
john

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

I traded in a 2004 with the Hemi.
8900 miles on the clock.
It would come no where close to this truck on fuel mileage.
It was also a 4x4 quad cab.
And at $36K, could not pass it up.

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

The option cost on the diesels is a lot higher than $6000 in 2008. My dad's was like $7500 or $8000 (Chevy)

Re: MPG Cummin's Diesel

$6100 for the 6.7L Cummins.