Desiel Fuel ?

Unknown

Why is Desiel Fuel so much more then Gas ? Its over 3 bucks a gallon here in Southern Calif. while gas is under 3 bucks. I ask because I want to buy a new truck and was thinking disiel but now I am not sure. Thanks, Ron

Unknown

Less demand than gas? Maybe a more complicated refining process to make it legal in for use in CA?

Huddy42

Diesel here in Australia has been running up to $1.45 per litre.

I have been driving diesel trucks for 20 years would not consider anything else. Lots less running cost i.e. tune ups etc.

[Deleted User]

Diesel costs less to refine, yet cost more due to taxes on Diesel, as they are generally higher than gas taxes. Plus, home heating oil and jet fuel (JP8) is damn near the same thing as Diesel fuel. Lots of big trucks pay more fuel taxes. Lots of homes, especially on the East Coast and in the northern Midwest heat with oil. Lots of civilian and military jet aircraft, and they're all using JP8. There's the answer to your cost question...



Don't let the cost of fuel alone dictate your choice of truck. If you do any kind of serious hauling at all, pulling an RV, a car hauler, gooseneck or fifth wheel trailer, and you want longevity to boot, go with the Diesel pickup, hands down. I've owned two over the past ten years and will NEVER go back to a gas pickup for serious work, even if the price is a dollar or more different per gallon! You'll get 250-400K miles out of a Diesel pickup without having ANY major drivetrain problems, with normal maintenance. A gas pickup MIGHT give you half that, on a good day.



I get 22 mpg routinely on the highway with my Cummins Dodge, and about `17 commuting. I get anywhere from 13 to 18 hauling an 18' open car hauler with a 4K-5K car or truck on it. A gas-powered truck would get half that, if you're lucky. So, in the long run, you're money ahead with the Diesel pickup in terms of maintenance intervals, longevity, fuel mileage, resale (FAR above a comparable gas truck!), and versatility.



Hope that helps.

Unknown

Costs less to refine, even to meet California's strict pollution laws?

Unknown

Man Ron! You sure struck a nerve to me with that question. There are several reasons. The main one is "TAXES". The order of the refining process goes.......jet fuel,gas,kerosene,diesel,tar. Diesel used to be pretty much a waste product, then in the 60's, since it was so cheap, trucks started using it. It has superior lubrication benefits, but is terrible with emmissions. Over the years, diesel fuel has been treated like cigarettes. Need more highway money, tax diesel. The average person may buy 20-25 gallons per week, but the average truck will use @600 gallons. (3500mi/wk @6mpg)Now you see where the "Cash Cow" is. You might be able to cut back on your personal driving, but that truck has to roll to make money. Each state is different, but Arkansas is 21.5 gal tax, Tn is 17.5gal. This is just the "Road Use" tax, add on the State,Local, and "Pork Barrel" taxes, and you can see why it's more than gas. In 2003, the EPA mandated "Low Sulfur Diesel", which made it more expensive. Now in 2007, the EPA is mandating "Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel". Sulfur to diesel, is like lead to gas. Without it, you start getting vlave damage. You think the EPA cares if I have to spend $11,000 for a re-build, or go buy a new $98,000 truck. OK, I'll stop this before my bloodpressure goes through the roof! "Mama's, don't let you babies grow up to be truckdrivers"

Wes

Unknown

So, the combination of taxes and EPA regulations are killing the truckers, the guys and gals who, for the most part, bring us everything we need. Sad, so very sad.

[Deleted User]

You got it! My brother has been doing long-haul trucking as an independent for 26 years. What Wes said about the Diesel fuel and our "friends" at the EPA is 100% dead-on.



With that said, my advice on a Diesel pickup still stands true.

Nevada Hudson

In Northern Nevada, diesel fuel costs 50 cents a gallon more than unleaded regular ! I parked my 2005 diesel PU, and haven't ran it in months !

Unknown

It really depends on what your going to do with your truck. I know of a few people who bought/want a diesel truck just to say that it's diesel and drive it back and forth to school and never actually haul anything with. If you just need a truck to haul stuff in the bed and don't need to to pull boats, trailers, etc then a gas V8 or even V6 maybe all you really need. I know a few people with V6s. The Chevy 4.3L V6 with a manual really feels like it puts a decent amount of power to the wheels while getting 20MPG. Just something to think about.

Unknown

The 4.3 doesn't exist anymore, and I wouldn't bother with a new GM if I were you, especially not a Duramax, and this comes from someone who has worked on many of them. I agree with the taxes on diesel, and consider it the same as harassing us old car owners. If you want to clean up the environment, first go to your utility companies and major industrial polluters, and figure out how to get third world countries with NO pollution or environmental regulations to step up before you harass the American individual taxpayer. That rant aside, we recently purchased an 06 Ford F250 Super Duty, 4WD, King Ranch edition with 6 litre Turbo diesel. It will tow just about anything you can put behind it, and gets about 16 mpg in average driving, better on the road. Bear in mind it's 4WD. For comparison, my daily driver 1997 F-150, 4.6L gas V8, 4WD, gets no better than 13.5 mpg in town and on a really great day 18 on the highway. It will tow 6,600 pounds by the book which is less than half of the 250. Also, the 150 has 144,000 miles on it now, and we've had it since new so I've kept on top of the maintenane, but I just wonder how long before a transmission or engine rebuild. We were attracted to the diesel truck because of all of our diesel farm equipment, and like the man said earlier, even if $1 a gallon more, I'd still buy it, and drive it. Plus, I sort of feel like Tim Allen "Har Har Har Harr" climbing up into the thing and listening to the turbo whine. But I digress!

Unknown

A 4.3L V6 is base for Silverado 1500s.



Ford, Chevy, Dodge, it's all who the person wants. My dad really likes his Ford F-150s and tows with them. Never had any major problems with one. My family farms and they own only Chevy, but one who owns a Ford. Pulling fifth wheels, combines, etc. A few of them BEAT their trucks I know, but they keep going. A few people i know with Dodges, some good times, some not so good. A few swear by their Duramax engines and love them when they're pulling a big horse trailer. So really, you can't go wrong with any one you pick. They all make pretty decent trucks.

Unknown

I am going to have to look at what's going on with the 4.3, I know that it was scheduled for extinction because of the new GM inline. It is no longer in the Colorado and TrailBlazer, which replaced the S trucks which had it. As far as new trucks go I have always been a Dodge guy, but we chose the F250 because looking at the Dodge and Chevrolet 2500 trucks, they are just 1500s with beefier suspension, etc. The F250 is not a beefed up F150 by any means, it's an entirely different platform! I make my comments on Duramax diesels because of a horrendous comeback rate I have observed with many of my friends being, or working for, GM dealers. I do however commend the Allison transmission.



That being said about the Duramax, the new Ford 6.0 PowerStroke is having it's share of problems as well, although not nearly as severe as what I hear is going on with the Duramax. Ours has had to go in for a recall, computer reprogram. It seems there might be some trouble with the 6.0 head gaskets. I have heard diesel pilots of many years yarn about the previous PowerStroke, the 7.3, which I know was a good engine, but the 6.0 is substantially more efficient.

[Deleted User]

wes has hit the nail on the head with the taxes trying to milk the haulers dry. we have customers that just parked their trucks because the price of diesel was hurting them so badly. the governments will never work it out though- higher taxes means higher freight rates, this flows on to the price of everyday consumer goods, all forms of industry and primary production. when everything gets more expensive spending slows down, so then the government jacks up taxes to get back what they would be losing. this is the situation that australia is staring down the barrel of. then the drought just makes things that bit harder for everyone

Unknown

I have a 2000 Dodge Cummins 2500 4X4 autiomatic with 140,000 miles on it. So far, only routine maintenance. 21MPG on the road and 18 about town. With a loaded trailer I get 15MPG. I am happy with it.



Something to watch out for is the new 2007 model year requirement for ultra low sulfer diesel. The new models are out but the new fuel isn't available around here. Of course the lower the sulfer, the lower your MPG will be. I imagine that the new fuel will be priced considerably higher than the number 2 stuff we are getting now. It may be wise to look at the 2006 models especially if you can find a year end bargain.



When I worked at CABGOC, we paid cost for diesel, which was 6 cents a gallon. Of course that was at the oil camp with no EPA, transportation, or tax costs. Seeing that the actual cost to produce the crude hasn't changed much in the past 4 years, I'm guessing we are getting th shaft on diesel fuel costs.



Have a nice day

Steve