# Gas or Diesel truck for this trailer...



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Diesel all the way.

- more fuel efficient = cheaper to run as a rule
- diesel engines last A LOT longer
- modern diesel engines burn the fuel more completely and have lower emissions, so they're more environmentally friendly
- diesel engine maintenance is not THAT much more expensive than gas, plus your engine will last longer so it works out cheaper in the long run

I haul (bumper pull) with a diesel 4x4 with a 3140kg towing capacity. That allows a light 3 horse angle with 3 horses, but we only travel with two at a time.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

You are very near the limits of what the 6.2 gas is rated by Ford to do..
https://www.etrailer.com/question-137528.html

So, toss that to the curb and do recognize where you tow {flat, hills, mountains or a combination}, how you tow, how loaded you are and how you expect the truck to perform all must be taken into consideration.
Add in are you going for 4x4 or 4x2 or are you doing a dually?
How big is the cab configuration cause that adds to the equation too...
You need to know what the pin weight is going to be and with your particular truck do you need a 250 or 350 and would a dually give you stability a single wheel just won't...this is a gooseneck.


_I asked your diesel question to my husband who is a diesel mechanic..._
He rolled his eyes...
He said anything with a EGR he has found in Fords is destined to break and he sees them sadly breaking far to often and with a price tag of $2,000 per EGR repair he said it will bankrupt you...
He said if you can lease and turn it in every few years sure, otherwise he cringed at expenses you _will_ be facing.
Once the DEF was introduced to all diesel engines, costs for repairs and reliability, reasons people use to buy them went down the drain.
Engine codes pop all the time he said and are not cheap fixes period...and you can't drive them with codes/lights going cause they will just shut off anyplace so forced to fix or get rid of.
Now coming from a diesel mechanic...he _won't_ own a diesel today cause he sees the issues and the costs associated with them across the board. From more expensive purchase to more expensive repairs...just a oil change alone is a huge difference from a gas engine expenditure.
If not regularly used it is not good for diesel to sit...Diesel absorbs water and also grows algae when it sits and that fouls everything...oh yeah!! :icon_rolleyes:

He said the only diesels they not see more of is DuraMax, made by Isuzu, and they are still a headache but not as bad as others.
He also said he would not tow a trailer of that size and weight without it being a dually for stability going down the road regardless of the manufacturer of the truck..
So much depends upon you and your driving style...he made mention of.
If you live in a state where there is any state emissions & controls your vehicle must meet in a inspection process, if you do altering of it you risk them fining you or reneging your registration till the vehicle is brought back to allowed allowances by law..somethings can be tweaked, others not is what he knows to be fact.
He said if him based upon what he sees and works on far to often..._do the gas engine truck._ 

Save the extra cost of purchase, save the extra cost of routine maintenance and fueling of it and save all the extra repairs diesels _*do*_ face with the DEF problems they all have including up to the big rigs of tractor trailers... Still many headaches he sees and works to correct daily in his profession costing owners so much money and down time in the repair shops. _{he recently did a DEF filter change on a 450 truck... about $10,000 was the final bill he was told...he nearly died the truck was not worth it!!}_

Good luck with your decision.
:runninghorse2:...


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

The thing owners seem to love most about diesel engine pickups for towing is that they produce power at very low rpm, making pulling away from a stop seem effortless even with a very heavy trailer. But both General Motors and Ford have released new gas engines for their heavy duty pickups this year. The Ford engine is a 7.3-liter multiport-injected 16-valve V-8, producing 430 hp at 5,500 rpm and 475 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Chevrolet/GMC's new engine is a 6.6-liter direct-injected 16-valve V-8 pumping out 401 horsepower at 5,200 rpm, and 464 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.

While these are not as powerful as the newest crop of mega diesels, they are more powerful than the diesels of ten years ago, and they are more than adequate for a trailer the size you are describing.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

I would say if you go with a new truck go gas, i have a 2020 gmc with the 6.6 gas and it isn't as peppy as my 2008 duramax diesel was but it still seems like a solid truck at 20K miles the trailer you are wanting to tow I personally would go with a 1 ton truck, i learned early on that the LQ trailers have a LOT more pin weight than a standard gooseneck trailer 

i bought into the diesels for my first two trucks due to longevity, and at least in the northeast using the truck daily the body won't outlast a diesel motor, the maintenance gets to be a headache, gelling is a pain, newer than 2011 you are looking at DEF which sounds like a pain, new gas truck gets the same fuel mileage as my old diesel, i know the new ones are better and have more power but at a premium on purchase, fuel and repairs...


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