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If you are still thinking of going diesel your nuts...

3K views 29 replies 18 participants last post by  robert smith 
#1 ·
if you don't do it.

In our particular situation, rv on an E450 chasis, '07 6.0 psd, we get just about twice the mpg of our gasser counterparts.

Yes diesel is roughly .45 pennies more than premium gas BUT when the above is factored in; until regular reaches $6.40 per gallon we are still AHEAD!!!

Now more than ever going diesel makes alot of sense.

:icon_ford:

:woot:
 
#2 ·
Sorry if I'm beating a dead horse here. I'm currently driving an '03 F150 FX4 regular cab with a 4.6 and 5spd. Great truck and its been problem free for me. Generally I run around town with it, and back and for to work, though occasionally I'll pull a 5k or so trailer. I've been looking at 05-07 PSD's as I'm needing a super/crew cab for the crib critter, and I'd like to see my fuel expenses stay the same per mile (less would be good) .

With the current premium for Diesel here in the Omaha, NE area I'd need to get 15-16 MPG or better in town. Reasonable?

BTW, thanks for all the great info!
 
#4 ·
SWEET! Another Papillion guy lol. Yeah if you get a chip or tuner you can expect that...I got 20 mpg highway today...its reasonable.
 
#3 ·
Yes no reason with the right mods and a light foot you can't get 16-18:thumb: I avg. 17 around town.
 
#6 ·
More energy, less damaging pollutants (if you subscribe to manmade global warming which I do not), less energy required to make diesel and perhaps one of the better reasons to go diesel;
for those of us old enough to remember the gas lines of the '70's-there was NEVER a wait at the diesel pump!

Diesel fuel is alot greener than gas and diesel vehicles will outlast gas vehicles-making diesel greener still.
 
#7 · (Edited)
87 ocatane is $3.19/gal in Tampa. Diesel is $3.90/gal. So it's roughly 22.5% more expensive. A F150 Gasser averages 14mpg. So it's diesel counter part would have to average 17.15mpg to be the "SAME". Tell you right now, averaging 17.15 is more the ab-norm rather than norm. And then you have to factor the issue the Gasser machine cost $30k, a diesel machine cost $45k. Diesel oil changes are $80 vs $20 gas oil changes. Diesel fuel filters are $60/12k vs $15/30k. Insuring the diesel vehicle is more $X/month, Registration is more $X/yr. I think if you are really wanting to compare, you have to step back and look at the bigger picture "overall".

I do agree that diesels are very efficient and green. However for some dam reason this country does not want average people running around in Diesel, even though it's ok for the rest of the world to do so. I'm not sure why, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with money, as usual. If every american had the same vehicle but in Diesel, how many barrels of oil would we as a country save per year.... food for thought. But everytime I watch TV all they can rant and rave about is how many barrels of oil americans use, and we need to conserve, and find alternate sources bla bla bla. Total joke. I think there is a huge resistance to diesels coming from some very high power(s); oil companies or alike.
 
#8 ·
We need to compare like vechicles.
What does a gasser 250 get for mileage and what does a 6.0 250 get for mileage? my guess is that the diesel would return alot more than a 22% gain; from what I am told 20mpg on the diesel p/u 250 is very possible while 12 mpg on the gasser is the norm.

What I can state is that we get just about twice the mpg in our rv with the 6.0 as compared to gas units and I believe it is reasonable to presume this mpg advantage is applicable across the board, that is, if driven properly, in an unmodded unit, the fuel consumption should be roughly cut in half with a diesel unit as compared to a gasser.
 
#9 ·
my 6.0 gets around 20 mpg, hand calculated, on the interstate as long as i drive reasonable. my 37's may have something to do with that.
 
#10 · (Edited)
on a 4" lift and 35x12.50 AT's I get 17.5@75. At 60 I get 19. I've ben re-thinking the idea of getting a F150.... Dumb, going with a Tacoma. My '94 4runner on 35" Mt's, Dana 44 Solid axle swap, 3" body lift, 4" springs, Metal bumpers F&R, rock sliders etc... was getting 19 hwy and 16city. and it was a 140k mile 5spd 120 HP V6. I really like the newer Tacos. Not fond of the pushbutton 4wd, but hey, my F250 had it. and No, not fond of IFS, but for a good daily driver and i'm leaving it stock... a TRD on 265 or 275 BFG AT's stock with a Elocker is a very good setup. Probly one of the most capable (off-road) stock trucks on the market. Elocker... oh that would be nice. I miss my Detroits. Just not sure if I want a Xcab reg bed or a Crew cab short bed Taco. if that gets to expensive I'll just buy a Horse.
 
#11 ·
2000 F250 Crew Cab short bed 2WD V-10 with 5 speed manual on I-45 at 75mph = 13.5 mpg :(

2003 F250 Crew Cab short bed 4WD 6.0 PSD with automatic on I-45 at 75 mph = 17.2 mpg :woot:

Both bone stock.

No brainer. Diesel.
 
#17 ·
Where's the advantage, though? Where I live, regular is $3.17/gallon. Diesel is $4.09. That's a 29% difference. The difference between your V10 and 6.0 economy is 27.4%. The diesel is getting an effective 12.4 MPG relative to the gasser.

The diesel burns more $$$ in fuel and costs a LOT more to purchase and maintain. Unless you're towing heavy trailers frequently, diesels are just no longer cost effective.
 
#12 ·
reider1, tnks for the info. If we were to adjust for the facts that the v10 has a manual and is also 2wd as compared to 4wd and auto for the 6.0 the fuel consumption for the psd would be even less.

The up charge for the diesel-just over 6 large I believe- and the 450 chasis is some of the best money I have ever spent.
 
#14 ·
I'm glad i bought diesel. just the other day my co-work and i was talking about gas prices and he said he puts about $60 a week...oh by the way he drives a TITAN. i told him thats $240 a month! so he asked me what i put i said $150 once a month and the look he gave me and the looked he gave his truck. he said " if i only knew". and the TITAN brand new he just got it :hehe: just wanted to share that story with you folks

aloha
 
#16 ·
Yea I had big plans for a lift, but I guess I'll hold off for a while...lol thanks
 
#20 ·
My 95 F-150 351 V8 has 180k on it, and the only thing I've ever done to it is routine maintenance, water pump and hoses, and oxygen sensors. It still gets the same mileage it got when new--13 in town mid 16s on the highway at 75 MPH or so. It runs great too. Gas engines can last a long time too if you take care of them.
 
#21 ·
Right now I'm getting about 13 to 14 around town. When I first tbought my 6.0 I was getting 15 to 16. The big change was moving from working weekends to working during the week. Rush hour traffic through town is a pain. On weekends the days I worked I spent almost no time idling at stop signs, now my comute is almost half spend at stop signs. Before that I had a Bronco with a 5.8 l. It got 11 to 12 on the same comute and about the same on the highway. The 6.0 gets 19 to 20 on the highway. It just depends on how you drive it.

Need to get the bike running again I guess.


Jay
 
#22 ·
tech1002, the two trucks cited are 180* different; one being a manual 2wd gasser and the other being an auto, 4wd diesel.
My money is on being able to get over 20mpg in a 2wd manual powerstroke.

And keep in mind the other benefits to going diesel, far greener than gas; diesel sales in Europe are just under or just over 50%, and we all know how smart the Euro's are.
 
#24 ·
226 HP / 266 LB/FT V6 4.OL TACO: 16/20 USING THE REVISED HARSHER 2008 EPA METHODS, WHICH YIELDS MORE REALISTIC #'S. Crew Cab/short bed TRD Taco has my attention. and it tows 6K Lbs.... more than what I can afford to put behind it. and it burns 87 octane which is currently $3.19 in Tampa. Vs $4.19 diesel. I Know they are not like vehicles, but they both get the same kinds of jobs done. and One fits in the garage(s) and is very off-roadable stock.
 
#26 · (Edited)
A lot of it is in how you drive, when you drive. I've been on a quest for better mileage over my daily commute. It's about 50% city, 50% hwy in terms of time. Before this came up, I was averaging about 12.7, according to the meter. And I wasn't hotrodding much, mostly just keeping up with traffic.

So I started trying different things with the meter reset, to see what made a difference. What I found was interesting.

Easy starts was the big one. These trucks weigh 3 to 4 tons, it takes some juice to get them moving. So I kept the boost under 10psi, just took it easy, and saw a huge improvement. Granted, you'll be getting slow starts, but I found it added maybe two minutes to a 30 minute drive, and mileage jumped up to over 16. I also find that when I'm not caught up in trying to make the fastest commute, I arrive in a much better frame of mind.

Avoiding rush hour traffic. I leave fifteen minutes early, avoid the 8:00am crunch and the stop and go. Boss is impressed that I'm there before he is, my 32 minute commute dropped to 28-29, and mileage jumped up to 18.4 And this is a F350 with 4x4 and dually rear.

Knowing when to plug in. I have to pull a bit of a hill leaving my house. Mileage sucked there, especially on cold but not freezing mornings. So I ran tests of plugging in for two hours, and not plugging in when the night temp was around 40. Without plugging in, five to six minute warmup, I showed 5mpg by the time I got past the hill. That includes the fuel used for warmup - these PS's seem to be a bit thirsty when idling. With a two hour plugin, thirty second warmup, it showed 11 mpg pulling the hill. 2 hrs@1500watts=3kw, @11c/kwh = .33. Fuel saving appears to be around 1/4 gallon, which now is $1. It pays to plug in when the temp is in the 40's.

Bottom line - I got a $75 weekly fuel bill back down to a little under $50, average mpg commute only is high 17's to low 18's, average with side trips is around 15.5. No mods, still driving the same distance, just paying attention to detail.
 
#27 ·
I got rid of my 04 6.0 when the price difference between gas and diesel was just over $.50 cents. Now it's $1.00.......I went with a 05 F150 4x4 with 5.4L.

My 150 gets about the same fuel economy on the HWY my 6.0 did unless I'm towing. The 6.0 loses about 30% economy compared to about 50% for the gasser. But I don't tow very often. The only thing I mis about the 6.0 was the raw power.
The 5.4 is quiet, I can start it in my shop (doesn't stink) and is easier to manuever around. The ride is awesome for a 4x4 too. It also only sets 1 inch lower than my Ol' F350.......
 
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