Help deciding on a tow vehicle

[steve dunham]

The predictions are that Ram will drop it's 5.7 liter Hemi V8 in model year 2019 and go to a turbo charged V6 similar to Ford's Eco Boost.
The days of buying a good old simple , dependable V8 1/2 ton truck may be slowly disappearing.
I don't relish the idea of buying a 3/4 ton diesel truck for towing my FG trailer but I may have no choice.
A short while back diesel fuel in my area was a $1 / gallon higher than regular gasoline and coupled with the upfront and maintenance costs a diesel is hard to justify
Hopefully Chevy will still offer the 5.3 liter V8 gas engine

As Glenn pointed out Europe and the UK are going in one direction with diesel vehicles and the US is going in the opposite .
Slapping a turbo on a small gas engine in an attempt to get V8 performance doesn't thrill me either.

[MAP 56]

The Tundra over the dodge hemi .Tundra 401 fps at 3600 rpm or dodge 404 fps at 5600 rpm 2000 rpm more for 3 fps ?Almost bought a Tundra leg room in the back seet was to small for the 17 year olds.I am not so much brand loyal it just has to be the right tool for the job. I restore vintage trailers bolers surfside and do repairs on others so i need to move all sizes of trailers. so for me Go big or pass up work.

[Larry,C]

I agree with your thinking. Mr.Big1

[Mary F]

Originally Posted by Falicea

Toyota Highlander

For a fifth wheel?

[Mike_L]

What's with the price of diesel fuel anyway when it's cheaper to refine than gasoline?

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

What's with the price of diesel fuel anyway when it's cheaper to refine than gasoline?

Supply and demand, except in this case, there is little demand so it's more expensive to provide it.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

What's with the price of diesel fuel anyway when it's cheaper to refine than gasoline?

One barrel of unrefined oil yields almost twice as many gallons of gasoline as it does diesel, so the supply is a lot less. Hence the high price. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=327&t=9

[MAP 56]

Diesel in Edmonton ab is about 96 to 1 dollor per leter or 3.50 per gal. depends on long week end or not ,or if it is raining in Texes . I thought diesel was a by product of making gas .my 6.7 with the camper is about 650 ker per tank about 100 L or 28 gal at 115 per hr .I worked for a dodge dealer and on average a tune up on the hemie was about $1300.00 and my nabor payed 2600 on the ford. somthing about spark plougs braking of and going down the hole.on the v8 .he said it is a common problem . and turbos big money .hear is 147 per hr at the dealer but i found a place that is good for 90 per hr.good guys.

[ststefan]

The prices have a lot to do with the big corporations gouging. Diesel used to be half the price of gas (Europe and Asia's diesel prices are a lot lower than gas today). The big corporations figured out that people were buying more diesel vehicles because of it and soon after followed suit with the prices. It's no differemt than rising the prices on fuel in theor holding tanks that they purchased at a set price. They call it supply and demand because they know we accept their explanation for their gouging. The government receives taxes according bto the price so they are very unlikely to shoot themselves in the foot and correct the situation.

[Tom 72]

There's a bit of folklore in some of the posts about the cost of diesel.

Fact: Diesel vehicles average 24% better city mileage and 29% better highway mileage, according to Edmunds.com/ fool.com. Does that savings make it worthwhile? It depends on where and how many miles you drive. Your mileage will vary. When was the last time you saw a Class 8 truck fueled by gasoline?

Fact: The Federal Excise Tax on diesel is 6 cents per gallon higher than on regular gasoline. (fool.com). State taxes may increase that. (fool.com)

Fact: Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel was required for most uses beginning in 2006. The U.S. Government estimated this transition cost from 5 to 25 cents at the pump. Generally it was a reduction from 500ppm to 15ppm sulfur. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-low-sulfur_diesel)

You may have noticed that many newer diesels have less noise, vibration & harshness (NVH) than predecessors. In some vehicles, particularly passenger cars, you have to listen carefully to realize it is a diesel. Diesel cars are more popular in Europe, partly due to stricter emission standards here.

Modern diesels tend to start better than predecessors in cold weather. I cite my Sprinter as an example. I expect this is due to cold weather fuel mixes & glow plugs.

Diesels are famous for having greater torque. That's because spark plugs reduce torque [not true!]. Banks Power | Why Diesels Make So Much Torque


https://www.fool.com/investing/gener...d-vehicle.aspx

[ststefan]

Actually Eurpoe is talking about eliminating diesel vehicles all together. I'm vacationing in spain right now and was told as such by the locals. The reason for eliminating diesel vehicles is due to higher emissions than gas, hybrid or electric vehicles.

[Tom 72]

Yes, Europe is talking, and in some cases acting. Notably London & Paris have entertained banning diesel cars, vans & buses. Speaking of Spain, Catalonia is a region that wants to secede. Among their beliefs is that your electricity should not be cut off for not paying your bill. What could go wrong with that? I don't see much in Europe worth emulating. I stand behind my post. We were talking about choosing tow vehicles, I think.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Tom 72

Yes, Europe is talking, and in some cases acting. Notably London & Paris have entertained banning diesel cars, vans & buses. Speaking of Spain, Catalonia is a region that wants to secede. Among their beliefs is that your electricity should not be cut off for not paying your bill. What could go wrong with that? I don't see much in Europe worth emulating. I stand behind my post.

What does the pricing policy of electricity in Spain have to do with selecting a tow vehicle ? I have no problem with Europe governing themselves as they see fit . I stand on my own 2 feet behind no one.
Diesels may be a great tow vehicle but may not be great if you want clean air.!
Most of these tow threads are a waste of time because most poster just promote the vehicle they own regardless of the vehicles true towing ability . Nobody wants to admit what they own is not the best .

[Tom 72]

I think we agree. Europe is free to govern themselves as they seem fit.

Congress passed the "Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2005" and later the "Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010". (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel..._Reduction_Act)

How are we doing? I appreciate not everyone is a U.S. Citizen, so here are some results from North of the U.S. border:
“The results are showing significant decreases in emission levels between baseline and final measurements, of almost half for carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), and for mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx).”

Back to personal views. We also agree most posts are in support of personal views. That said, I want to be the first to say I would think long and hard about buying a new diesel vehicle built to comply with the new standards to replace my diesel. VW is famous for their approach. Others have chosen to use Diesel Exhaust Fluid derived from urine (Google it).

https://globenewswire.com/news-relea...d-by-46-1.html

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Nobody wants to admit what they own is not the best .

Totally agree Steve, but what is "the best"? Everything is a trade-off of some kind.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Tom 72

Congress passed the "Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2005" and later the "Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010". (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel..._Reduction_Act)
How are we doing? I appreciate not everyone is a U.S. Citizen, so here are some results from North of the U.S. border:
“The results are showing significant decreases in emission levels between baseline and final measurements, of almost half for carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), and for mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx).”

The 50% reduction could be great or totally meaningless, it all depends on where they set the baseline . Terms like Significant Reduction is also meaningless for the same reasons.
You see the same numbers game being used with prescription drugs. The drug maker advertises that their drug cuts the rate of a specific disease by 14 % which sounds great until you understand that the disease only strikes 1 in 100,000 individuals.

[Tom 72]

Quote: The 50% reduction could be great or totally meaningless, it all depends on where they set the baseline . Terms like Significant Reduction is also meaningless for the same reasons.
You see the same numbers game being used with prescription drugs. The drug maker advertises that their drug cuts the rate of a specific disease by 14 % which sounds great until you understand that the disease only strikes 1 in 100,000 individuals.

Steve, Of course the 50% reduction could be great or meaningless. But which?

May I suggest that you cite a source as to why my citation either is or is not great or totally meaningless. Citing a source strengthens your argument by showing readers you've done your research & where you've gotten your information, according to MIT. Thanks.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Supply and demand, except in this case, there is little demand so it's more expensive to provide it.

Actually, highway diesel usage is 5 times that of gasoline usage in the USA (think of all those 18-wheelers). Not sure about Canada, though. And railway use of diesel far surpasses highway use.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by rbryan

Totally agree Steve, but what is "the best"? Everything is a trade-off of some kind.

I don't believe any vehicle brand is the best or superior to all others
They all have their pros and cons / plusses & minuses.
I just think that brand loyalty to --or ownership of / a certain brand often leads to overlooking their vehicles short comings and exaggerating their good points
I own a Ram and will openly admit that it is not a perfect vehicle, has its' share of con's . I have never and will never recommend my choice in a tow vehicle to others .
It just seems that a certain group of brand loyal vehicle owners on this forum think their choice of vehicle is the perfect choice for everyone's towing needs and that anyone who doesn't agree just hasn't seen the light or is stupid . I derive no personal superiority in the ownership of any mass produced item that can be purchased by anyone who qualifies for credit or a loan.


PS : My comments do not apply to the Ford Motor Co. or owners of Ford Motor Co. vehicles **

[Josh and Sonya W]

Originally Posted by Firetruck41

I don't believe these modern engines will be damaged by running higher RPMs than people "normally" run. In fact, if your engine has a mechanical fan (uses a fan belt, instead of electrical fan), your engine will run cooler in many circumstances with higher RPMs, the fan turns faster and in turn moves more air, and the water pump is moving more coolant. I can see this very easily with my "Torque" android app and bluetooth OBDII dongle. This also usually affects your trans temp as well, since many times they share part of the radiator, or are inline with the radiator air flow.

Good info. Haven't looked under the hood, but a quick internet search seems to indicate the fan in the Tundra is belt driven.

I never saw any indication of even the slightest climb in engine temp through the whole trip. Unfortunately, the Tundra does not have a temp gauge for the transmission. I would like to get one of those monitors that plugs into the engine computer and gives readouts on a lot of things with real numbers. Any recommendations?

Josh