F250 vs GMC 2500HD for towing RV

I think the best approach to deciding the diesel vs gas question is to 1) understand your “use case” and 2) understand the advantages/disadvantages of each.

In my case, I tow a relatively large bumper pull throughout the mountain west every summer for 2+ months. The truck gets about 10k miles every year, and about 50% of that is towing as described, about 25% is an occasional road trip w/o the trailer (we still prefer the beast over the other vehicle for these), and the rest is misc local use.

I am retired, and we have another “more practical” vehicle for around town daily use. I don’t have to drive the truck every day to work, and sometimes it sits in the garage for a week or more with no use. I have to admit I still will grab it for Home Depot trips or whatever, as I prefer it over my wife’s car.

My previous tt towing experience was with a very nice 2018 F150 3.5 EB and a modest 6,000lb trailer. Truck had the power but chewed through premium fuel at 8-9mpg, and struggled with overheating on steep mountain grades. Great truck, but not so great towing experience.

When we decided to get a much larger trailer, we knew we needed a heavier truck, and we also decided to go all the way to the diesel to ensure less drama in the more extreme mountain conditions. After 3 seasons, I am convinced it was the right decision. I love the truck. (I also loved the previous F150.)

Other “use cases” will surely be different, and choosing between gas and diesel should be done with your specific needs (and wants and budget) in mind. Both drivetrains can work just fine.
 
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I'll basically echo what others have said...if you have no bias toward any of the manufacturers and price is the motivating factor provided they are all relatively comfortable, reliable, powerful, etc., then just go for what fits your budget because you can't really go wrong.

However, if there is any consideration to whether you want to go gas vs diesel, then that's where you need to spend your time researching and understanding which is best for you. It's still a personal decision because either can do what you need it to based on your model RV. One will be adequate, the other will be borderline overkill. But overkill comes with some commitment as others have stated. More upfront cost, more maintenance cost, etc.

Personally, having never been in the overkill camp before, I'll never go back to adequate. But frankly, the cost factors were just not an issue because I keep vehicles for 20 years these days so I'm not worried about the extra $$ over that timeline.

Have fun researching, deciding, and purchasing. I'm pretty sure you'll be happy no matter which way you decide to go.
 
"diesels win hands down unless you are pulling a pop-up camper that weighs nothing"

that is a blanket statement that is not true. what is your definition of winning? if it simply pulling up a mountain, then probably. There are more aspects to a best choice truck than "the more power" argument.
Yes---totally agree and thanks for foot stomping that point. This is precisely why power was only one of the points that I made in my last post. Dismissing power...there is still the reduced cab noise, fuel economy, truck resale, safety with the exhaust braking, and longer engine life. As a mechanic for the last 40+ years...I can count on one hand how many gas engines that are pulling or working hard that make it to the 500K mile mark which is what the diesels are rated at. I know there are some.....

I'm not trying to convince everyone they need a diesel, only those that need to tow heavy loads and want less stress and more comfort doing it. I just keep hearing things like gas engines get better fuel economy or offer the same advantages as diesel trucks for cheaper. I personally don't believe that's the case but that's for each truck owner to realize and figure out.
 
Yes---totally agree and thanks for foot stomping that point. This is precisely why power was only one of the points that I made in my last post. Dismissing power...there is still the reduced cab noise, fuel economy, truck resale, safety with the exhaust braking, and longer engine life. As a mechanic for the last 40+ years...I can count on one hand how many gas engines that are pulling or working hard that make it to the 500K mile mark which is what the diesels are rated at. I know there are some.....

I'm not trying to convince everyone they need a diesel, only those that need to tow heavy loads and want less stress and more comfort doing it. I just keep hearing things like gas engines get better fuel economy or offer the same advantages as diesel trucks for cheaper. I personally don't believe that's the case but that's for each truck owner to realize and figure out.
A gas engine will never pull as well as a diesel engine - that is a fact (unless it's a really big gas engine, even then it's questionable). Nor do they get as good fuel mileage in almost all cases. My opinion is just that it's a preference for the vehicle you like that will do the job you want at the price you want to pay. All of my in-laws (4) pull with diesels in 3 flavors, 1 Ford F450, 1 Ram 3500 and 1 Ram 2500, 1 GMC 2500.
 
This is just my experience and what i do, i can go diesel or gas, so my world is different, than others, i may be the same as some others. I also like and use a regular cab.

So far, i have been towing south for the winter, then north for the summer, then use my pickup like a car. So lets just say, 2,000ish miles south, then 2,000ish miles north. I did not do enough research on the modern diesel emission systems before i got mine, as that is not the best for the diesel motor/emissions system, to live in. I average total 20,000 miles a year. Mostly short trips.

I had my last diesel for 8 year from new, 2015 ram regular cab 2500, i didnt need a diesel but got one. I did have problems with some of the emissions equipment, the last was the turbo actuator went at 103,000 miles. It gets costly on the diesel replacing emissions parts out of warranty.

My new chosen 2024 chevy 3500 gasser has 300lbs less towing than my diesel did. My ram cost $8,000 more for the diesel motor and another $600 for the automatic. The chevy would have been $10,000 more for the diesel motor i dont need.

My driving and towing past diesel new gasser, are break even fuel cost, .50 cents diesel being more than gas, the gap gets closer, when i can find non ethanol gasoline, i get a solid 1.5-2 more mpg highway non ethanol on regular 87 octane. All winter hear up north in MN, diesel was $1.35 more per gallon than gas, and that lasted till late spring, now is a solid .50 cents or more diesel being more than gas. Im not even adding def fluid and the cost of anti gel for the winter. I didnt chance gelling with the diesel 10f or lower without anti gel in every fillup. ( I took a traveling break last winter and stayed up north )

The diesel had a 28 gallon fuel tank because of the def tank, chevy and ram are the same when its diesel in a regular cab because of the def tank. My new gasser has a 36 gallon gas tank.

I have no problem admitting i love diesels, I hate the emissions system that needs to be a bit more reliable, i had problems, it gets costly when your out of warranty replacing diesel emissions parts. My new gasser doesnt even even have an egr.
 
I have a diesel pulling an 8,000 pound TT and provides a wonderful experience.

If I used the truck as a daily driver, I would only want the diesel if it can get fully up to temperature for a good distance before I get to work. Diesel needs about 30-40 minutes after the engine is warm to regenerate about every 250-500 miles and this for the most part needs to be highway (not stop and go traffic or a number of stop lights), at least with Ford. When temperatures are very low diesels are very slow to fully warmup. If just driving around town in the cold they will not fully warm up and the emission system and much of engine (like turbo) does not like this, if this is most of the use for a period of time. If distances are too short regeneration will not occur and the emission system will fail. My truck has an electric heater that works when engine is cold so cab heat is very good soon after starting engine.

So for me if using truck primarily as a daily driver, unless pulling a very heavy camper, I would buy a gas truck. I also would have been fine buying a gas truck for the type of use I do--just about all highway use pulling much of the time in the Rockies, because the camper is not heavy.
 
I agree with you for the most part. Winning is having the truck you like that is, at minimum, able to perform the job/task you need it to do. In my "baby mountains" around here, it gets the job done. Is it as powerful as a diesel? No. It does what I expect it to. As for the argument about losing power in the "big boy" mountains... With the advent of fuel injection and VVT - not an issue. Again, not as good as it's diesel counterpart, but adequate for the job. I don't need to be the first to the top. I just need to get to the top. I can control the RPM's so that it isn't "racing at high RPM's" going up the mountain. I have passed my share of slower vehicles while pulling up hill. I normally choose not to unless they are really slow. I can't see all of that extra expense for the diesel (initial cost, added fuel cost, added oil change cost, fuel filter cost, then the DEF cost). One last thing. Properly taken care of, gas engines last just as long as diesels. And I use to work for a company that still makes about 50% of the parts in the drivetrain....
The cost of DEF is negligible.
Rich
 
This is just my experience and what i do, i can go diesel or gas, so my world is different, than others, i may be the same as some others. I also like and use a regular cab.

So far, i have been towing south for the winter, then north for the summer, then use my pickup like a car. So lets just say, 2,000ish miles south, then 2,000ish miles north. I did not do enough research on the modern diesel emission systems before i got mine, as that is not the best for the diesel motor/emissions system, to live in. I average total 20,000 miles a year. Mostly short trips.

I had my last diesel for 8 year from new, 2015 ram regular cab 2500, i didnt need a diesel but got one. I did have problems with some of the emissions equipment, the last was the turbo actuator went at 103,000 miles. It gets costly on the diesel replacing emissions parts out of warranty.

My new chosen 2024 chevy 3500 gasser has 300lbs less towing than my diesel did. My ram cost $8,000 more for the diesel motor and another $600 for the automatic. The chevy would have been $10,000 more for the diesel motor i dont need.

My driving and towing past diesel new gasser, are break even fuel cost, .50 cents diesel being more than gas, the gap gets closer, when i can find non ethanol gasoline, i get a solid 1.5-2 more mpg highway non ethanol on regular 87 octane. All winter hear up north in MN, diesel was $1.35 more per gallon than gas, and that lasted till late spring, now is a solid .50 cents or more diesel being more than gas. Im not even adding def fluid and the cost of anti gel for the winter. I didnt chance gelling with the diesel 10f or lower without anti gel in every fillup. ( I took a traveling break last winter and stayed up north )

The diesel had a 28 gallon fuel tank because of the def tank, chevy and ram are the same when its diesel in a regular cab because of the def tank. My new gasser has a 36 gallon gas tank.

I have no problem admitting i love diesels, I hate the emissions system that needs to be a bit more reliable, i had problems, it gets costly when your out of warranty replacing diesel emissions parts. My new gasser doesnt even even have an egr.
DEF is a negligible cost.
Rich
 
Hello all! I am new to this forum and looking to get some advice for towing my GDI 2800BH. I am currently towing with a 2016 F150 3.5EB and looking to upgrade to either F250SD or GMC 2500HD. Currently, I’m getting around 7.8 mpg on flat highway and about 3-5 mpg through the hills of Arkansas. Looking to travel cross country to CO, FL, KY, etc. My question is this: Which vehicle (F250 vs 2500) do you guys recommend? We tow every 5-6 weeks and it will be my daily driver as well. I’m a huge Ford fan but the price tags are outrageous for new!

Things I’ve noticed is that F250 has more tow capacity, torque, HP, etc. but not too much more than GMC.

Looking to see if y’all think Ford has the superior engine, less engine issues (with proper maintenance), and if it is overall a better vehicle or are they about the same as far as quality of build. Just wanting to know if even though Ford is more expensive, is it worth it? Will the engine last longer, etc.?

Any advice is greatly appreciated and hope everyone is having safe travels in their rigs!
1. I’d research recent recall data for the truck you are considering.
2. Join a Facebook owners group for the model/brand you are considering. My wife still watches the F450 Owners Group since we had one on order.
3. Keep in mind it’s easy to find problems on forums for any brand, you just have to figure out if it’s something you can live with if it happens to you, or if it’s one of those “what was ______ thinking?”
4. Learn to spot the blindly brand loyal folks, and largely ignore them.
 
Yep, not much at all, but still a cost I do not have with gas.
Yep, negligible would mean def was free, its not free. So it is a cost. If there was a shortage of the stuff the price would sky-rocket like anything else, or cripple the scr diesel world.
That wont happen with a gasser.

I still belong to a ram cummins forum and chat off topic. Recent a guy with a 2015 needed a def pump, had to wait 2 weeks for it, and it is not cheap.
 
DEF is a negligible cost.
Rich
The liquid is negatable, but the rest of the hardware is problematic, and I cannot afford to go into limp mode because the def quality is deemed in adequate by the truck. Living in the north the def tank heaters fail and when I was in the market they were on a nationwide back order. This was a huge sticking point for me.

For me Deleting would never be an option
 
I don't live in the North so not an issue for me. Gassers have spark plugs that need replacing so the cost of DEF vs plugs and labor is probably a wash.

I'm not here to debate Gas vs Diesel. That horse has been beaten beyond death on this forum and others.

The point I was trying to get across was in the grand scheme of diesel maintenance/operational cost, DEF is negligible.

Enjoy your Gasser or Diesel, which ever you prefer.
Camp on!
Rich
 
LOL. def at the pump is $4 per gallon, or $10 for 2.5 gallon jug. As you say, if you can spend the extra $$$ on diesel enjoy it.
 
LOL. def at the pump is $4 per gallon, or $10 for 2.5 gallon jug. As you say, if you can spend the extra $$$ on diesel enjoy it.
I can say that my new Sierra D-Max drinks the DEF when I am pulling a load 75+ MPH but I wouldn't have it any other way. I just came back from CA pulling an enclosed car hauler with another car for my collection and I am amazed at how well that drivetrain combo and truck was designed to work effortlessly and quietly compared to other trucks I've had in the past. It's so quiet and smooth inside the cab, you hardly know it's pulling 8K lbs plus the weight of the truck. Paying for and adding the DEF..... quickly gets lost in the enjoyment of the whole pulling experience. :)
 
First, totally agree that diesel is NOT for everyone. The upfront cost is significant, and bang for the buck is use case dependent.

That said, if the ongoing maintenance cost of a diesel is the concern, you really need to evaluate the cost of owning an RV. In my 7 years of owning this particular RV and this diesel truck, I have spent thousands of dollars more on storing and maintaining my RV than I have on "diesel specific" maintenance for my truck.
 
First, totally agree that diesel is NOT for everyone. The upfront cost is significant, and bang for the buck is use case dependent.

That said, if the ongoing maintenance cost of a diesel is the concern, you really need to evaluate the cost of owning an RV. In my 7 years of owning this particular RV and this diesel truck, I have spent thousands of dollars more on storing and maintaining my RV than I have on "diesel specific" maintenance for my truck.


Best not to ever add it up. lol. Better not to know. I’m in the same boat.

My only diesel maintenance spending has been fuel filters. About $40 every 10-15k miles. Def tank is 6.5 gallons I believe. Empty, that’ll get me about 5-6k miles. Towing, I added 5-6 gallons over my last 3000 mile trip. For most RV’s aside from the biggest toy haulers, diesel is a luxury. Not a requirement. If one has the means and desire it’s great. If not the gasser will do the job. No need to be first to the top of hill. No one cares. In fact I don’t push my diesel climbing hills. Just maintain speed behind the big rigs unless they get under 50mph on the really big stuff.

And I agree, all the manufacturers make a great truck. Each one has it’s issues.
 
Best not to ever add it up. lol. Better not to know. I’m in the same boat.

My only diesel maintenance spending has been fuel filters. About $40 every 10-15k miles. Def tank is 6.5 gallons I believe. Empty, that’ll get me about 5-6k miles. Towing, I added 5-6 gallons over my last 3000 mile trip. For most RV’s aside from the biggest toy haulers, diesel is a luxury. Not a requirement. If one has the means and desire it’s great. If not the gasser will do the job. No need to be first to the top of hill. No one cares. In fact I don’t push my diesel climbing hills. Just maintain speed behind the big rigs unless they get under 50mph on the really big stuff.

And I agree, all the manufacturers make a great truck. Each one has it’s issues.

Exactly what part of RV’ing isn’t a “luxury”?

We know a couple who dry camped in a tent for 10 years. Probably “splurged” and got 1 or 2 “better” tents along the way. Then they spent the next 10 years in a “fold up” tt. I bet that was “luxury” compared to a tent. They just recently upgrade to a 23’ conventional tt with no slides. Now they are talking “luxury”! We see lots of huge 5th wheels being dragged by $100k+ DRW diesels. Is that “luxury”? Or maybe it’s the few in high-end Class A rigs at $500k or more. Or let’s just go for the $1M+ Prevost!

Totally agree that a diesel is not required for most trailers sans the really heavy stuff. But the whole RV gig is “luxury” at some level for anyone. I can’t afford a Prevost, and I could surely pull my tt with a HD gas truck. I happen to prefer the “luxury” of the diesel, which translates to a more comfortable towing experience for me.

You’ve gotta be happy with your choice, whatever it is.
 
I have been thinking about a new thread, if it could stay civil. People with costs and problems and lack of, diesel vs gassers. Something for people to just scan through if looking for one or the other, as people could input there experiences for there usage. No brand bashing, just simple information. Time lost in the shop, or its never been in the shop. What problems has one had, if any.
 
Gassers have spark plugs that need replacing so the cost of DEF vs plugs and labor is probably a wash.
To be fair Diesels have glow plugs that are also considered a wear item, though they should last longer then spark plugs.

I had 2 go out on our '17 Duramax at around 100k if I remember correctly. I had them all replaced at that time.
 

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