Diesel vs. gasser truck as a daily driver/business truck

Ron said:
That said, a 10 mile daily commute is not ideal for a diesel. You will not even get up to operating temp in the range and you will never get near top mpg on that short, in fact Id wager a gas would do better on that short of a commute.
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I meant to mention that in my post. Though I would still wager that the diesel would get equal or better mileage, as my 6.0 gets 13mpg no matter what, but diesels do alot better in the summer and when warmed up, both in terms of power and fuel mileage.
 
In a modern engine miles do not phase me a bit. My suburban has 207k and it is the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. Brother has 200k on a 5.4 with 0 issues. And buddy has a work van with 270ish and never been a wrench on it. When considering a gm truck the whole mileage argument goes out the window when you consider you can replace the whole engine for 5-800 bucks.
 
I've never had a problem with higher mileage trucks other than transmission issues. They are cheap to fix though.

I had a Yukon with 265k on it when I sold it and it was my daily driven vehicle, sold it to buy my Trans Am.

My logic is that I can sell my Subaru and make about $3k off of it. The cheaper I can find a good truck for, the faster I can pay it off. Less money towards payments every month, lower insurance, and still a decent truck. It I need a transmission I drop $700, if I need an engine I drop $800. Still less than buying a new truck. If I do enough business that warrants me buying a diesel I will, but like everyone has said, I think gasser makes the most sense now that I have looked at all the options. :)
 
Hurley said:
why not buy a dedicated reg-cab long bed diesel for the work truck, and just maintain your current family hauler?

No sense in trying to have a "one truck does it all" scenario, plus you have a back-up if somethign happens.


And I'm sure a 2wd 12V dually can be had with <$3k worth of necessary maintenance. A stock trans rebuild and converter would be <$1k
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Im with this idea. Do like i did, pick up a higher mileage reg 2wd cummins. Mine was $3800, 2000 model 2500 cummins auto with 250k reg cab long bed. I threw a cheap fuel box on for a little better mileage and pull all the time. Just have to be mindful of no off road, and keep your weight in the right place on the trailer. I even get 24 to 27 mpg empty (Hand calculated every tank) so i can still justify dd it with that mileage, 15 to 20 mpg with the backhoe on a tandem heavy ass trailer, around 10k to 12k lbs behind it so 16k to 18k total weight. Aint no hot rod but beats the alternative 5 mpg with a gas truck of the same caliber.
 
I'd hate to tow anything with my Silverado (6.0) vs. my K30 with the Cummins in it. Both are 5 speed and both have plenty of power, but the K30 will get better mileage empty or towing. It's just louder and slower to heat up. The Silverado has more creature comforts and all that jazz, if it were a 4L80E (better yet, a 6L80E), I might like towing with it.

That being said, I've used both for DD purposes and didn't mind either one. However, if I ever get another truck it's gunna be automatic!

I think a 99-06 Silverado 1500 or 2500HD would be a great truck for you. The one I recently acquired is a 1500, but the PO swapped in 3/4 ton rear springs. I hadn't even owned a 5.3 previous to this and I like the torque. The 4.8 I had would scream, just had no grunt and this somewhat built 6.0, well, it's just a different animal completely :D
 
That rig sounds like it'll be perfect for what you need it to do.

After towing with a 00' 2500 burb with an 8.1 for years, I made the switch to an 06' Dodge Mega Cab dually. For towing and family hauling duties, the mega cab is unbeatable. The up front price for the diesel truck was higher but now that it's paid for, I cant think of a truck I'd rather have.
 
ai97.photobucket.com_albums_l201_Birdman79_00_20Silverado_002_zpsa0d9b33b.jpg


It's mine!
 
I like that color....maybe I'm biased? lol
 
Glad to see it go to a good home!
 
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