Re: [A/S] tow vehicle choice

[hhamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Stephen,

Did you add in the 60.00 oil changes every 3,000 miles?  The 80.00 fuel 
filter every 15,000 miles?  

Some one, I forget who... did some figuring...... here's the result......

 For the average
owner the diesels don't make good economic sense, and here's why: Assume
a typical owner logging 15,000 miles per year, with 5000 being towing
and the balance mixed highway/city not towing.  For our owner we are
assuming a Dodge V-10 vs. Cummins diesel, towing a 12,000 # 5th Wheel.
(From 2 years experience with the Ford V-10 in Class C Motorhomes, I
think this comparison will hold up in the Ford pickups although the Ford
V-10 is not quite the same power match for the Powerstroke) The
following numbers are not pulled out of the air, they are based on 3
years experience with a Cummins and 3 years experience with the V-10
plus input from our customers. Here's the numbers: Dodge V-10 -- 5000
miles @ 9 miles per gallon = 555 gallons, + 10,000 miles @ 13 miles per
gallon = 769 gallons for a total of 1324 gallons per year.  Dodge
Cummins -- 5000 miles @ 12 miles per gallon = 416 gallons + 10,000 miles
@ 18 miles per gallon = 555 gallons for a total of 971 gallons per year.
So the V-10 uses 353 more gallons of fuel per year than the Cummins. At
$1.00 per gallon for both fuels (although diesel in our area runs about
10% more) this is a fuel cost difference of $353.00 per year.  Anybody
who says the maintainence on a diesel is less costly apparently has not
experienced a modern gas engine.  We found annual maintainence costs(oil
changes, air, oil and fuel filter costs) on the diesel(holds more oil
and the filters are more expensive) cost us almost double what the gas
engine is but conservativly it is at least $100.00 per year less.  So
now take the $353.00 minus the $100.00 and we have a running cost
difference of $253.00 per year.  Knowing that the engine option cost
difference when new is about $3500 it will take 13.8 years before the
average owner reaches the break even point. Yeah but what about engine
life? Well a well maintained modern gas engine will run at least 150,000
miles, the cummins will probably run 400,000 miles before a major
rebuild is needed. But the average owner will trade when the odometer
nears the magic 100,000 mark. Now if you drive a lot more miles per year
or if you're going to keep the truck till the doors rust off then the
diesel makes sense.  Be honest with yourself, look how long you've kept
vehicles in the past, then make an informed choice.

Hunter, who doesn't care what he costs... I wouldn't trade my diesel!

Hunter