Why towing with a gas powered truck is a more economical option for most Americans.

[@Wynterspop]

Hey Paul. We spoke on the phone the other day and I was telling you about my Ram being in the shop for a new steering gear box and shackles and bushing for the rear suspension. Funny that you just put out this video as I've been thinking about not hauling the boats and travel trailers anymore and trading off for a Super Duty 7.3 gasser.

[@PJ_rips]

To make deisel maintenance a lot smoother I run Lucas DPF deep clean, Hotshot EDT, and Rislone DEF Treatment. These 3 have saved me lots of roadside calls 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@PJ_rips]

I love the instrument cluster on this ford. All the temps are so easy to read 👍🏽

[@chadmiller6487]

Been waiting for this video. Thanks paul

[@PJ_rips]

Do my own maintenance for $120 on my ram diesel. Only cost difference from the Hemi is $30 fuel filters 🤷🏼‍♂️ Biggest advantage of diesel is exhaust brake. Real truckers put safety first 🙏

[@kelviskelvis7140]

I am not a 3500 1 ton or a 2500 3/4 ton guy. The 1/2 ton works just fine for my needs for towing a boat on weekends or hauling household chores jobs. So gas or diesel power trains do not make sense to me so I opted out for my current purchase and went with the SEV. The daily driver part makes this decision a better choice. Paul I am glad you opened up the discussion on more economical fuel options.

[@cupwalker24.7]

The New Dodges and New ford diesels Are Complete Beast . Makes my own personal Older diesel trucks feel like a Handful...I love the tow haul and Exhaust break on the newer diesel Trucks . I get to abuse new and Old Trucks for my Job to compete jobs . I can tell everyone the pros and cons not by choice 😂 so many pros and cons it's incredible. Gas trucks scare me.

[@harryniedecken5321]

California air quality board should be fired for what they have done to the pickup truck

[@AllAmericanAutomotive]

Typically I only tow 6500lbs or so max with my 7.3 gas f250. However, once I towed a 12k lb total load (mini ex) with it. Power wise it was good enough. Obviously it was screaming up the hills a bit but nothing crazy and it held good speed. What surprised me was the downhill engine braking. With the 10sp you can keep that thing so rung up in the rpms the load wasn't pushing through the truck at all. It really held speed fine I never needed the service brakes unless I was coming to a stop. I think that 10k rule isn't bad for say 2016 era trucks but these moden gassers have just gotten so good I think its more like 12-14k now.

[@autismion]

I'm sure they can legally tow more too, GAWR/GCWR has kept increasing

[@AllAmericanAutomotive]

@autismion 14-18k or so depending on 250/350, as well as axle ratios and such. I think 12-16k depending on trailer profile and terrain would be comfortable. Obviously on the low end of that with high profile and mountains, higher end for say a dump trailer on flat ground.

[@zb6618]

The 7.3 is rated for 22,000 lbs gooseneck as of 2023

[@AllAmericanAutomotive]

@zb6618 damn i didnt know it was that high!

[@zb6618]

@@AllAmericanAutomotive it was 20,000 in 2020 with 4.30s

[@jeffosmun436]

Wind drag affects mileage and wear more than weight, for sure! Having gone from hotshot to a "regular" job and switching to a HD gasser has been hard to get used to, but worth it. New diesels have to work to stay clean. Using them as grocery getters and commuter vehicles isn't good.

[@gwood69]

I’d argue that it depends on your commute. But I somewhat agree

[@M_CNST]

I totally agree, Im a GC, and I mostly tow light and local, I could almost get away with a half ton, but I run a 6.7 Cummins just to have options.

[@johnneil6653]

Paul - on the 4th gen rams, IIRC you considered the water pump a consumable. (Replaced every 100k, annually.) Did you treat the tensioner, idler, or fan bracket as consumables as well, or did the factory units go 500k for your company?

[@autismion]

I got a 90's 7.3 and yeah. I overpaid and have a lot of work to do on it, had all front suspension bushings/ball joints changed and it still has slop and some brake steer, I think it's the steering box. No exhaust brake, they don't work very well with hydraulic lifters apparently, and can result in valve float on the 7.3 powerstroke. A SRW F250 with the 6.2 would've been a better choice for my needs. But my truck sounds cooler than a 6.2 I guess. With the 6.2 I wouldn't have to worry about tuning the transmission so much, I'd be able to pick the gears myself and I'd have 6 instead of 4, trailer brake controller already on there, newer stereo, wouldn't have to change the oil as often because no HEUI, etc etc. Man.

[@danerickson1733]

After seeing the sneak peak pics of the new cummins engine, i think im going to sit out buying a new pickup for a few more years. Went back to the cp4, glow plugs, paper oil filter 🫠

[@Cooper2007ish]

2 mains reasons I got another 6.7 Cummins vs a 7.3 Gas: 1. Exhaust brake 2. Thought of pulling a 40' bumper pull travel trailer up to and away from a gas pump.

[@wizard_of_poz4413]

The 7.3 has a ton of issues

[@Cooper2007ish]

@ they do not have a ton of issues. There are literally hundreds of thousands if not millions of them on the road already and the only issue is some cam scarring that was an issue early on.

[@wizard_of_poz4413]

@Cooper2007ish you could say that for any truck tho. All these vehicles have a failure rate in the single digits year over year but people fail to grasp the sheer volume of car sales. So when they hear about how many are in shops at a given time they freak out

[@CoyoteWoods-fm3gj]

Plain and simple if you tow you need a good diesel truck, if you towing a small boat to the lake twice a month then gas is for you.

[@jimf1450]

Ford & Ram gassers have camshaft issues so that leaves GM which is probably lowest powered gas engine. Supposedly the Ford/GM 10 speed has some kinda braking feature but I'm sure it's very minimal. Getting gas while towing any kinda trailer is a pain & after towing my 24' camper on a 2600 mile trip I decided it's time for a diesel bc of that & exhaust brake. Even towing 6500 lbs down Fancy Gap was hard on the brakes.

[@Jkub101]

These trucks all have their major faults, by design.

[@AllAmericanAutomotive]

I towed fancy gap dozens of times with my 2005 silversdo 1500 before I got my super duty. Just gotta run the r's up, she held 60-70 no problem, never needed to touch the brakes going down unless traffic slowed up. The super duty does fine too now of course.

[@jimf1450]

@@AllAmericanAutomotive my GMC 1500 was a NHT 6.2 Max Trailering with the big rear end & brakes, it pulled up it no problem. I went from Sandusky OH to Daytona & brakes took a beating, I keep speed down bc premium fuel under 7.5 mpg. I love my 3500 diesel.

[@AllAmericanAutomotive]

@jimf1450 I prefer the 2500 myself don't get me wrong, however in the legitimately 25k miles or so i towed my Camper through the mountains on i81 and i77 from NC to NY, as well as random trips throigh GA, VT, NH, maine..etc, I honestly never had an issue with braking except once. In GA coming out of Helen area I was on some steep switchbacks and just got lazy and didn't do enough grade braking. They got a bit hot. Other then that it was always smooth sailing and that dakn truck has rear drum brakes haha.

[@chadmiller6487]

The gm 6.6 is actually a very reliable gas engine

[@RobertTaylorPavel]

Great analysis, thank you! A bit off-topic, but I wanted to ask: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). What's the best way to send them to Binance?

[@donniediesel6.789]

I have a 4th gen 6.7 Cummins. 109k on the clock. I used it as a daily and tow my 7x14 maybe 5-8k weight tops. utility trailer to job sites 1-4 times a month. Not sure if I should keep it with possibly future issues or not. What’s your thought Paul? I bought it for longevity. I do 10-15k miles a year. Currently have it 6.5 years.

[@Thisnamewillwork213]

Around town, towing 13,000 pound machine, on a 3500 pound trailer. Do you think the 7.3 gas would disappoint? It’s a spider lift that’s 36 inches wide so aero is not a concern. Normally drive it 30 minutes to a job unload it and then drive 30 minutes back at the end of the day.

[@notme3184]

Unless you're putting 50k miles a year on a truck and it is purposefully making you money, it is a waste of time buying one. The costs are too high. 10-12.5k just to get one. Maintenance is 3x times as much. Fuel costs more. They aren't as reliable. I gave up on diesels a few years ago.

[@jbone9900]

So what uses gas v8 trucks.

[@notme3184]

@jbone9900 I don't know what that sentence means.

[@jbone9900]

@@notme3184 what's the alternatives.

[@BrandonLeech]

Diesel only really makes sense for long distance hauling, which basically nobody buying a 5500 or lower sized diesel truck does, except for the oddball hotshot driver or hardcore RVer where they are dragging a trailer all over the country. Almost everybody else is better off with a gasoline engine from a purely practical standpoint for tons of reasons.

[@danerickson1733]

Maintenance costs aint that much hightler😂

[@jethrobodine011]

Diesel is no longer cost effective and the reliability is not there. Sorry it’s the fact. The times I need to haul 17-18k yeah I use the diesel but everything else is gas and it is much cheaper and more effective and in the winters gas is hands down better

[@jonathantaylor6926]

People a wising up to these expensive and compacted diesels. Very few people need a diesel. Even if you’re a contractor pulling trailers how far do you really drive? Nobody drives 130 miles to pour a slab or build a deck- contracting is local. I’m a landscape contractor and most days I drive like 10 miles total or maybe 35 if I’m picking up materials but that’s not every day.. I really only look for jobs within 10 miles of my house.

[@rodleypumpkins4174]

If you delete a truck it’s by far a more economical vehicle to drive. By far. My 12’ Cummins averages 18mpg and I get 22-24 on the highway. Loaded I get 15-16mpg Might not be much better but it’s better mileage. The new diesels not deleted are getting pretty damn good mileage too. And my trucks 9800 lbs with a full slip tank. My truck has 180k miles. My last truck was a duramax and had nearly 300k miles when I sold it and the day before I was hauling over 20k lbs That truck got similar mileage maybe a little less like 21-22 mpg on hwy. The maintenance isn’t that bad my oil changes are about $100 every 5k miles. Fuel filter every 10k which is $40 at most. Things are more expensive when they break but they are far more reliable now then 2002 for example. Have good maintenance practices on time and you’re fine usually. Also a price I’m willing to gamble with for a better truck The gas models are not that much cheaper. If you’re spending $60-$100k I’d want the best motor possible. When this gas ford had 200k miles is it still gonna be hauling? Or is it gonna break down like every other ford right after the warranty is up? Delete your truck and enjoy reliable power with good mileage. Also enjoy a truck that’s gonna be worth money even with high miles.

[@hokie9910]

It’s the added cost up front, diesel is a lot more expensive than gasoline, and then you have additives, and have mercy if you run into emissions problems. Deleting anymore is very hard to do and if you get caught, well there’s more money in fines. Never ending it seems with the newer diesels. Unfortunate really. Better living through more rules and regs…..

[@rodleypumpkins4174]

@ I run heavy equipment for a living. I own a small excavation company. So I have had diesels for 20 years. You don’t need to run additives. For one the fuel is lubricant itself. As long as you keep it clean you’re good. And then if you need it for cold air temps the gas stations switch diesel during winter months so it has additive in it already. It is more at the pump but again I average 23-24 on the hwy. When we go on road trips we usually take my truck over my wife’s Tahoe. It’s just more fuel efficient. Deleting a pick up can be a problem in states like California. But I live in Idaho and I’ve traveled across every state damn near over the years and I’ve never been given any grief. It’s not hard to do and it’s not hard to find unless you live in California. Diesel is just better. I’ve never seen a gas truck hold up 2-3-400k miles in my trade. You might pay more upfront for the diesel like in my town right now they are on average $10k more for diesel over gas same model. But when your truck has 300k miles on it it’s still going to sell for ALOT more than a gas truck with high miles.

[@hokie9910]

@ Yes, if you are towing every day heavy then of course it has to be a diesel. But most folks buying these big diesels are not towing every day or ever for that matter.

[@rodleypumpkins4174]

@ for sure I have to have a diesel. But these cute tow videos with these gas trucks drive me nuts and people saying they are way expensive and the maintenance is expensive etc etc. it costs more to do an oil change on my wife’s Tahoe then my Cummins lol. Even if you’re not towing weekly or monthly. Diesels are more efficient with more power and can be very reliable.

[@rodleypumpkins4174]

@ and again it’s down the the resale value even. Just better.

[@danielesh6221]

Hey Paul, when your mega cab comes in, would you be interested in selling the PS privately?

[@pddieselpower]

Yep. I’ll most likely hold on to my Ford for few weeks after I buy the ram just to make sure I like it.

[@MatthewWilliams-b1m]

I wouldn't tow a trailer with a Ford I see way to many of them rolled over from not being stable enough to handle a trailer.

[@HamRadio200]

I've already sunk the $$$ into a diesel, I'm keeping it. New trucks are too expensive.

[@Benders25]

Word is 2027 epa is getting stricter on emissions meaning gas engines will get the emissions bs we see on diesels

[@stevekar1597]

I think the fords 6.2 gas engine gets like 8 mpg that's like the 455 454 engines in the old days gas hogs

[@stevekar1597]

I had 5 gas 6.2 f250 gas hogs

[@danerickson1733]

Everyone talking about the epa cracking down on gas next.... are yall not paying attention to politics right now?

[@truetexan7755]

The EPA has screwed diesel-powered vehicles. Gassers are next.

[@cupwalker24.7]

@@truetexan7755nahhh we won't let that happen .

[@Zauserr]

Just use an f150.

[@Peterswarahed]

Well diesel should be cheaper.

[@hokie9910]

20 years ago they were. The cost of entry is ridiculous, the maintenance is up there with German cars, and then you have to use additives in the fuel to keep everything happy..it never sends. And heaven forbid you get some bad diesel….that repair starts at 5 grand and goes up rapidly.

[@Gladiatorguy1998]

They aren’t.