Diesel or gas?

R

Russklan

New Member
Sep 22, 2012
16
Gulf Coast
Boat Info
1988 Sea Ray 250 Fisherman, 1978 Sea Star, 1981 Sea Arrow 190, 1980 Sea Arrow 180, 1975 Continental
Engines
260 Mercruiser
I currently am running a '99 Dodge dually with a cummins. I am towing a 25' Sea Ray. I have no complaint about the ability to tow my boat. It tows it great. I am looking at down sizing to a 3/4 ton Chevy 2500hd with either the duramax or the 6.0 gas motor. Has anyone used the gas motor for towing? If so, how was the mileage? How did it handle the load? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
 
I tow my 280DA with a 2500HD 6.0. The mileage sucks. I never figured it exactly but think it's in the 7-9mpg range. The truck handles the boat well from a suspension standpoint but is borderline on power. I'm mostly in flat country but there are a couple longer grades where the lack of umph is very apparent. My boat and trailer is 13-13.5k. I'm guessing your rig is at least a couple thousand pounds lighter than mine and the gasser would do pretty good overall. Myself, I think I should have bought diesel. If I had anymore hills I'd get one. I hit the bottom of the long grades doing 65-70 and at the top I'm doing 35 and she's really working hard.
 
It's all in the gearing.

My little (non-turbo) 7.3 oil burner with a ZF 5 speed and 4.56 gears forgets the fat girl is even behind it. And gets 14 mpg with the a/c off. I vote oil burner and lots of gearing every time.
 
Russkian,

Shoot ChuckW a private message. He tows his 260DA up and down the east coast with a late model, 6 liter, 3/4 ton Suburban. He should be able to give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.
 
Towed my 29 Formula for 6 years with a 2500 HD with the 6.0L. I never had a single complaint about power whatsoever. It's a great truck, and I still have it. A diesel would have been nice, but I never once felt like I needed it, and I was about 11k trailer and all. Mileage was about 8 or 9 pulling, but I knew it would be like that going into it, and I didn't care.
 
Russklan said:
I currently am running a '99 Dodge dually with a cummins. I am towing a 25' Sea Ray. I have no complaint about the ability to tow my boat. It tows it great. I am looking at down sizing to a 3/4 ton Chevy 2500hd with either the duramax or the 6.0 gas motor. Has anyone used the gas motor for towing? If so, how was the mileage? How did it handle the load? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
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I have towed many boats, many thousands of miles behind Chevy 6.0 gas and Duramax 6.6L. For 25' of boat, the gasser would do fine. If you forsee a larger boat in your future, the Duramax would be my preference. Resale value of the diesel is better over time as well, but initial cost is higher. All depends on how much you'll use it, I see no reason to own or drive a diesel unless you tow regularly.
 
I have a 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 with the 6.0 gasser. Tows great. You live in the gulf coast so you don't have the hills I have to deal with. Gas mileage isnt that good either way. My mileage isn't really that much different between regular (14-15) and towing (11-12). I'm a bit of a lead foot.
 
Nothing against the Chevy's but I use a F250 with 6.o diesel and get 12 mpg at 70 mph running between Nashville and Knoxville and there are some killer mountains to cross. On the flatlands in Ohio and Indiana the mileage is 15 mpg pulling my 260 DA. Just a thought.
 
I been getting 24 hi way 18 around town my average over 52000 miles so far is 19 mpg that includes plowing with 1200 lbs in the back while plowing. When I've tracked plowing I average 17
 
When I bought my boat, I had planned on using a V8 Dodge Dakota. I was correct in that the engine would tow the boat, but as the Sea Ray mechanic said at Marinemax "It just won't stop it."

Enough said, I bought a used 2007 RAM 2500 diesel with only 17K in miles and have no regrets! Paid half the price of a new one and this thing will last longer than I will live. It is a large 4 Door "Mega" cab and tows the boat anywhere I want with no complaints.

My wife likes to point out to me that the truck still cost MORE than the boat!

Downside is that it is big when it comes to just going out and shopping at the local stores. Takes up one and a half spaces, but they just will have to get over it.

If you have a choice, get the diesel.

Ron Mason
21D70156-F97D-4915-8DF7-C86724F7B3AA_6.jpg
 
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N369RM said:
When I bought my boat, I had planned on using a V8 Dodge Dakota. I was correct in that the engine would tow the boat, but as the Sea Ray mechanic said at Marinemax "It just won't stop it."

Enough said, I bought a used 2007 RAM 2500 diesel with only 17K in miles and have no regrets! Paid half the price of a new one and this thing will last longer than I will live. It is a large 4 Door "Mega" cab and tows the boat anywhere I want with no complaints.

My wife likes to point out to me that the truck still cost MORE than the boat!

Downside is that it is big when it comes to just going out and shopping at the local stores. Takes up one and a half spaces, but they just will have to get over it.

If you have a choice, get the diesel.

Ron Mason
View attachment 28276
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:thumbsup:
 
Russklan said:
I currently am running a '99 Dodge dually with a cummins. I am towing a 25' Sea Ray. I have no complaint about the ability to tow my boat. It tows it great. I am looking at down sizing to a 3/4 ton Chevy 2500hd with either the duramax or the 6.0 gas motor. Has anyone used the gas motor for towing? If so, how was the mileage? How did it handle the load? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
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Where I live 3/4 and 1 ton trucks towing is common and Cummins is hands down most respected among those towing daily. Fuel milage for pre-2005 Cummins is also secound to none. No SRW truck will give equal stopping ability and handleing stability to your dually.
The only thing to be gained in down sizing is ease of parking and recapturing some garage space. With all that in mind,the only logical down size would be to a Dodge 3/4 ton or SRW 1 ton Cummins. Maybe not in your location,but anywhere trucks are used daily on the job,people will line up to swap a 3/4 ton for your dually.
Go on line to check used truck prices in Texas and Oklahoma to see Cummins resale value is realy good. Look at GM and Ford truck forums where the only thing bad they have to say about Cummins is that it is a great power plant shipped in a lack luster container.
NADA Clean trade values w/200,000 miles on the clock. 99 Chevy 2500 w/6.0=$2,965 99 Dodge 2500= $2,965 Add for Cummins diesel=$3,600 These figures makes it clear that a gasser soon depreciates to nothing but the diesel continues holding value. That's a good of reason to have a diesel eventhough it's seldom used. Ok,here's a stake to the heart of old gassers. It can be very costly keeping them EPA compliant(bless the EPA's hearts).
 
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If you are towing often, get the diesel. If only rarely, get the gas. Fuel costs and the extra $7,000 for the diesel engine don't offset the mileage lost if towing with the gasser. My 2500 gas pulls 10,000 lbs easily (my father in law's bulldozer), and stops just fine. Towing--7-9mph. Good thing it has a 35 gallon tank.
Mike
 
I've had both, a 2500 HD Crew Cab with the 6L gas motor and now have the same truck but with the Duramax and Allison tranny. Both were/are 4x4's. I pulled a 14k work barge for marine construction with both and the only reason I switched to the diesel was for fuel mileage. The gasser got around 6-8 mpg and just ate me up in gas costs. The diesel stops a little better too but if you are not going to be towing alot the gasser will be fine.
 
I tow my 240 with a 1500 Avalanche with a 5.3
it does ok but drops to about 6mpg in the hills of southern Indiana
 
I tow with a 2005 Dodge 2500 with the cummins. From everyone I have talked to with ford and chevy gas and diesel trucks the cummins is the most fuel efficient and reliable engine out there. I'd stick with that if it were me. Newer model trucks have much more power and mileage robbing pollution control equipment on them. Not to add the greater expense of repairing and replacing more complicated systems.
 
Yea but I can be cruising at 70mph and still talk on my cell phone. All other diesels were too loud for me.
 
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