Finally someone who’s honest about their truck. I’m a former diesel mechanic and I couldn’t come up with any way to justify the diesel over the gas. If you just want way more power than you need and don’t care how much it costs, that’s great, just go for it. If you aren’t hauling full time near the maximum tow rating there is not a case for a diesel based just on economics.
Ok, what about FWD, most new Super Duties that I see have it. Why? I’ve pulled a 5th wheel for 10 years now and never once said “I could sure use FWD right now”. Why so many FWDs?
4x4 is one of those things you don't need... until you need it. It's almost like an insurance policy. I've only needed it a few times but boy those couple of times I REALLY needed it.
@@WanderingWeekends I can't help but comment, but if you are in more rugged areas, a 4X4 is worth the extra money and maintenance. I am not a "mudder", but I do camp in areas that are more primitive that campgrounds with all the amenities. They both have their place for a camping person who likes the variety. In rugged areas that have had a lot of rain, the four wheel drive systems can make the difference.
Still driving my 96' chevy 2500 with 245,000 miles.Bought it new,changed oil ever 3k miles and it runs great.Need a new fuel pmp and had trans rebuilt 2x.The best thing is it has been driving this pu pymt free for the last 20 yrs.What's coming in the economy better watch that cash outgo.
Diesel without emissions were the best. It is all about where it makes the power and the gearing is huge too. I don’t do payments so I’ll live vicariously through you.
Exactly why I'll never get rid of my 1997 Dodge 2500 Diesel. Upgraded some things so it pulls like a beast. No emissions/DEF. And best of all, no payments!
I don't do payments either. If a person invested $600 a month vs making car payments over 10, 20 or 30 years it comes out to $120k, $430k, or $1.2 million respectively... I just can’t justify giving up $1.2 million in retirement to keep a new car in the driveway.
@@brianlawliss1080 I absolutely love the sound of a diesel and the sound of the engine brake working instead of my brakes. In Canada, in the fall Ram dealers start offering the diesel as a free upgrade, and I took them up on it in 2017. 130,000 trouble free RV towing miles so far.
I traded my 2018 F-250 diesel back in March 2020 for the almost exact same truck, exact same reasons. I traded for a 2020 F-350 STX 7.3 10 speed with 3.73 gear. It is my daily driver (retired) and I love it. The diesel I had was a great truck with no issues, just very expensive to maintain and higher fuel cost. I had to make regular inconvenient "road trips" down the highway to allow complete regens, as I do a lot of in town driving currently. Wasted a lot of time and fuel to accommodate this all too common "maintenance." Regens must occur every 200-300 miles, and last for about 20-30 minutes. During regen, fuel mileage is approx 11 mpg at 60 mph. My concern was expensive and inconvenient failures/repairs down the road. We pull an 8k travel trailer about once a month currently, and the 2020 7.3 does a great job, although I do miss that awesome diesel torque pulling hills. I am a retired shop supervisor who was an ASE certified Master Automotive Technician for 35+ yrs, and ASE certified Master School Bus Technician for 25+ years. If you buy a new diesel, buy the extended warranty. You will be glad you did, and I hope your trucks diesel emission failures happen close to home. Remember how bad the cars were back in the 1980's? It took 10+ years for the manufacturer's to finally get through the gas emissions failures and get them right. The diesel manufacturer's have been trying since early 2000's, they still are not there, and I am not sure they ever will be. All the diesel guy's have accomplished is producing gobs of power through technology with reduced reliability. The engine block assembly may "live forever," but everything attached to it will fail, expensively. Bottom line, if you are pulling very heavy all the time, the diesel is a forced best choice. If you are pulling less than 12k, there are options that more practical, reliable, and fiscally responsible. My humble opinion based on a lifetime of trying to keep vehicles safe, reliable, and on the road. Safe travels!
@@clayton5584 shoot I'm so proud I found a truck that has been parked in a barn for 15 years. Original owner got sick, he sold it to me for 4k it looks brand new has never seen snow salt or rain. And only has 10k miles. 05 ram 1500 4.7l slt 4x4. I need it to tow, been using my primary vehicle a 09 Ford edge that I've maintained immaculately, but at 189k miles the trans is due for a rebuild, and the water pump is going to need to b done as well, both are major jobs. Found a local shop that does great work ill have them do this extensive stuff.
Also did the same, came from a diesel back into a hd gas. Truck is solely a tow truck/plow truck/hardware store truck and not a DD. Gas engines have vastly improved.
Congratulations on the new truck. When we was looking for a new truck, back in 2018, we couldn't make the numbers work on a diesel. We drove one and liked it. We are weekenders. We only pack a few tools and some clothes. We always just buy food and other supplies whenever we get where we are going. We are very happy with our 6.2 gas.
We upgraded to the 7.3 too and love it. Purchased it in March and been on at least 12 camping trips with it. Very good pick up. No sway with our Blue Ox hitch. Only wish it had a larger gas tank with the short bed truck. We tow 8,000 lbs.
Very nice truck! I ended up doing just the opposite this summer. I had a 2017 one ton Ram SRW that pulled my previous 5th wheel that was 34' long. It did the job fine but getting in and out of gas stations on long trips was a nightmare sometimes. I was also only getting 8-9mpg towing. Now I have a 37' 5th wheel and my mileage with the heavier RV was 6mpg. So I bought a 2020 3/4 ton Chevrolet diesel. Like you, because of Covid, I got a smokin deal on the new truck and trade in. But I understand where you're coming from! Fortunately my wife and I are retired and we have a 2017 Ford Escape as our daily driver. The truck will be our tow vehicle and snow vehicle when the weather is bad here in Western NY and we'll enjoy good gas mileage at all other times. My advise to anyone that is thinking about a different vehicle or RV is to get whatever works best for your situation because everyone's situation will be different.
The only thing a 3.55 rear end determines is the dead start startability. As long as you can get the rig moving, then the transmission takes care of everything else. Also, the 3.55 will give better fuel mileage when empty.
The 4:30 will provide more pulling power at all speeds, hence the reason ford requires them for the max tow rating. If gears didn't matter, everyone would run 1:1
@@257Tony Don't be rediculous-as I said-as long as 3.55 will get the load rolling in 1st gear, then the 10 spd transmission will take care of the rest. This reminds me of when I was selling and specing big rig trucks. When 3.21 and lower gears came out the truck drivers said the truck wouldn't go up the hill unless you had 4.11 or better. Well-everyone is using as low as 2.21 gears and remarkably, the trucks do go up the hill. 3.55 will just be fine.
@@257Tony as you add more and more split ratios in the trans the final rear gear matters less and less. a 4:30 driven truck thats having to be in 4th in order to maintain speed might have the same exact final drive ratio as a 3.55 driven truck in 3rd gear going the same speed. In theory , i dont have the fords 10 speed ratios memorized to prove this using a final drive ratio calculation but its easily proven. i wouldn't get a 4.30 option unless the truck was going to spend not only most of its life hooked to a trailer but most of that trailer time near max capacity on top of that.. You dont need 4.30s to tow at 50% capacity. you know what mean?
A 10-speed trans will usually have multiple overdrives, so why not go with a higher numerical axle to take advantage of that? You could still only be turning 1500 or less at highway speeds. Although I haven't looked at Ford specs lately, why do we keep mentioning the 4.30 gears? Don't they offer something in between, I would think a 3.7 or 4.1 woild be something to consider for the gas engine? Does Ford offer the 4.3 for SRW trucks?
@@halberto9o8 I agree completely, use those overdrive gears! The F250 comes standard with 3.55, the F350 comes with 3.73. Both can option the 4.30, but there is no 4.10 option for the SRW trucks.
A close friend of mine bought a 2020 f250 7.3 gas early this year. As of today they still love it towing their 7k travel trailer. I own a 2015 ram 2500 6.4 and love it. This makes me not want a diesel even more. Thanks for sharing!
EPA ruined diesels and that was their inn intent. Used to be diesels were simple, diesel fuel was much less, and they lasted longer. Now gas engines are simpler, gasoline is cheaper, and gas engines have less problems over time and are cheaper in the first place. I went from diesel VW cars back to gas. Simpler, less problems, cheaper. I'd still rather have a diesel though. Oh, still have a 7.3 Excursion 😉
When I bought my first Diesel, it was before the 2007 EPA change and diesel was always less than regular. Out here it's bee relatively cheap until recently. I"ve paid less than $2 many times, now it's $2.40/gallon
I own a 1997 Ford 7.3 and I bought it recently with 48k miles on it. I paid a premium price but I think it was worth every penny. Unfortunately every where I go, I recieve offers to buy it. And obviously I need it or I wouldn't have spent so much time and money looking for it
New diesel pickups are way better than the old ones. The only people who are mad are the bros that need the truck to make up for their lack of masculinity.
Now I find this, damn :) just placed a build order for a 2021 F-350 loaded King Ranch Diesel and yes the main reason for the build was I could not find what I wanted on the lots and the 2020 builds are closed. The first thing I will add is the S&B 60 Gal Diesel tank, the range will be awesome. Sorry I wanted a future proof truck no matter what I might tow now or later.
Love my '17 f250 6.2! Have had diesels in the past, not for me- despite the fact I tow a loaded dump trailer regularly, don't miss all the extra this and that diesels require.
Made my living working on diesels for years but drive an old 2001 2500HD with an 8.1 and I’m not sure there is enough money to make me let it go. I’m glad that Ford is offering a real diesel alternative. I use mine for farm equipment gooseneck towing and our 43ft 5th wheel. Glad your happy with your purchase.
IMO... all these vehicles are just WAY overpriced, complicated, have lots of computerized features that are certainly destined to malfunction. I'm just not buying into all of that.
@@NUTZJ98 Check into the reliability of diesel engines (especially Fords) over the past 10 years. They're junk after 150K. Previous versions like the 7.3L go a million miles.
I bought a 2019 F350 6.2. Love it! Diesels are just too expensive all around. We are only weekend or week camping and I just don’t need that much truck. If we were full timers driving cross country etc. I might’ve pulled the trigger on a diesel. I do enjoy that my gasser is much easier in the pocketbook for maintenance. Major plus. It pulls my #8500 trailer just fine.
The gas would be fine but Ford needs to offer a larger gas tank with the short box, the 34 gal tank just not cutting it, 250 mile range pulling 30 ft trailer is not good when going cross country, 50 gal would be sweet
Same here. The diesel is great of your towing heavy back and fourth across the country but I just didn’t need that anymore. I tow a 7,000 pound camper up and down mountains in WV without a hint of a issue with the gas 250. Of your towing a 16 thousand pound 5th wheel 100 percent diesel
I have been running a Chevy 3500 Gasser with the exact same trailer as you (Year, Model, even BH). I got 800 lbs more towing cap (if memory serves) with the Gasser. Plus I feel much more comfortable working on it if/when needed. So I am with you ACE!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!
@@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076 diesels were never meant to run clean: learn about how many cleaning components it takes to make them run clean...dumbass
@@timm9114 if you're comparing to a gasoline engine you are wrong it burns much cleaner than regular gasoline if you want something that really lasts long build yourself a propane engine
@@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076 diesel burns more efficiently. It gets more power from the fuel. The fuel has more particulate and NOx emissions however. That's why VW got in trouble. They couldn't get the power while running clean so they cheated.
When diesel pickups got way better mileage than gas engines and the fuel was cheaper than gasoline (or even equal to the price of gas) and they were simple and bulletproof, diesels made sense. Modern gas engines are more efficient and diesels are not much better in fuel economy. Unless you are always pulling the maximum load rating on the truck, diesels don’t make sense anymore. Especially with the outrageous prices for parts like turbos and injectors.
Mark Vidales That’s really not necessarily true. Toyotas 4.7 L gas V8 has several documented examples of reaching 1,000,000 miles, and there are 6.0 L Ford power stroke diesels didn’t make 50,000 miles. My 1993 Chevy Suburban that I used to own had 265,000 miles on the original gas 350 and it still ran like a charm when I sold it, and my Ford F-150 with the 4.9L inline 6 had over 330,000 miles on it when I sold the truck for parts because the frame rusted through, but the engine lives on in another F150 to this day, 6 years later. Chevy 4.3L V6 engines are known for going hundreds of thousands of miles with nothing major, as are the Buick 3800 V6 engines. There are a number of cars (Toyota and Honda especially) that have several hundreds of thousands of miles on them, all gasoline. I daily drive a 2000 Toyota Camry with a 2.2L 4 cylinder and a 5 speed. It has 170,000 miles on it and it runs like new, uses less than 1/2 a quart of oil over the 5,000 mile change interval I use, and it will get 38 MPG on the highway as long as I keep the speed below 70 MPH (it still manages 30 MPG at 85 MPH).
The cost for the diesel doesn’t pencil out anymore. Reliable gas power is the new fad, mated with a 10 spd tranny it’s great. Very few people need 1,000 ft. Lbs. torque on a daily basis. I get a kick out of some guys driving a 60-70k diesel truck in town shopping.
I'm going with the 7.3 gas engine, I don't want to deal with the maintenance or DEF fluid of the diesel. I will still keep my old 2008 F250 for a work truck. Another advantage of the gasser is that I travel in some remote areas exploring and have always found a friendly one pump country store that always has gas but no diesel.
Can't wait to see the tow video. Thats one reason ive kept my 2001 gmc 8.1 with Allison 5sp. Ive got diesel power and torque (360/455) and zero issues other than reg maintenance. Can't beat that.
No, you actually don't have diesel power and torque. I'm not knocking the 496 Vortec, but you will not get a heavy load moving like a Durmax can. 605lbs/ft peak torque at 1600rpm is where you want it.
Just picked up a f350 Tremor with the 7.3. Tremor is replacing a 2001 2500hd with the 8.1. I sure hope the 7.3 lives up to the hype as that 8.1 towed our 10k Artic Fox travel trailer very well. 2001 the 8.1 created 360/455. 19 years later 7.3 gets us 430/475. 8.1 is a strong engine.
We tow with an 8.1 ourselves. They are great up to 10,000 lbs but really strain towing a 5th wheel, especially in the mountains. We've regeared to 4:56's but should of gone to 4:88 or even 5:13 We tow at our max combined vehicle weight.
I just built mine using the Ford website and I can’t wait for it! They told me it will be at least 4 months due to covid, but I don’t care since my current truck works perfectly fine. Love the video and description and actually it is thanks to this video that I made the choice to get mine!
Diesel is great if you are pulling heavy loads or heavy trailers most of the time. So if you are driving hundreds miles a week highway going across the nation them diesel is great. They pull loads really good going over high mountain passes with big loads. Higher fuel costs, higher oil change, higher investment in the truck. Get a gas truck for most of the people.
Glad you settled on the right vehicle for you. I recently picked up a 2020 6.7 PS STX as our tow vehicle. After having that Diesel power out here in the mountains of California, I can’t imagine going back to gas. I also can’t imagine not having the exhaust braking, but everyone’s “needs” are different. I thought that I was going to hate the front bench seat in the STX, but that it turning out to be one of our favorite features! It’s fun having the kids take turns sitting up front with us. Take care!!
When I was a GC and had a small fleet of leased GMC's, I went with the 6.0's 2500HD and they too were beasts. I never had any issues with the engines. One had tranny issues but for the most part, they were all good trucks. The only reason I went with GMC's for work trucks is because I got a screaming deal on the leases that Ford or Dodge just couldn't touch.
I bought a new truck this year. Was not looking for a diesel, but found a deal on one and pull the trigger. One advantage I never thought of was the ability to use the truck stop (big truck) fuel lanes. It totally takes away the stress of getting the truck and trailer in and out of the station. Also, much faster to fill up with the big nozzles, I upgraded to a 60 gal tank.
Those are two things I would be jealous of. The truck stop fuel lanes are convenient, but the real shame is not being able to get a midship 60 gal tank for a gas super duty. Transferflow made one for the F150 recently, but has said it does not have plans to make one for the 6.2/7.3 unfortunately.
I whole heartedly agree. We pull a 38' TT with a diesel Excursion. With the size of the rig and tank (44 gal.) having the large lanes and fast flow pumps not limited to 35 gal. or $100 or whatever is highly beneficial. And Pilot stations you can use a regular CC at the pump. Love it.
Plus they have def at the pump. So I can buy what I need rather than a jug of it that ends up riding around in the tool box until I need more 🤷🏻♂️ Oh and pro tip: get a transfer tank, plumb it in to the main tank, and wham bam thank you ma’am I’ve now got 1700 mile range 👍🏼
Just traded in my '18 F250 6.2 for a '21 with 7.3 and 4.30 gears. I won't pull anything until the campers come out of storage in May, but so far, I'm pretty impressed. The truck market is just crazy right now, take advantage of it if you can!
I 've watched you before but today I subscribed because of your new truck. I bought a 2020 F250 last month to tow my travel trailer better than my F150 did.
maintenance is simpler, and the fuel economy savings rally isn't that big of a deal when the truck cost $15k more just for the diesel engine in the first place
Just brought home my 7.3L 2 days ago (got the 350 SRW for the added payload). Can't wait to pull our TT! Good buy and thanks for the re-affirming video. All my buddies have been dogging me for not getting the diesel. Wasn't going to pay $100 more a month for that privilege when I didn't need it.
You made a good choice on a gasser if you have no plan on going big on a rv in the future. Our current rv is only 9,000 lbs. and our 17 f350 diesel is more than adequate for it but we see ourselves getting a heavy and long 5th wheel in the near future...so our current diesel truck said; bring it on!
@@cellpat7392 I sure like mine. I've had 2 of them, an 01 and my 05 that I have now. I know of a company in town that has one with a service bed on the back with tons of idle time and it has over 330,000 miles on it.
My new 1987 3/4 ton Suburban had a 185 h.p., 265 ft lbs torque, 350 engine. A turbo 400 automatic trans with a 3:55 axle. Pulled a loaded car trailer all over this country. Up and down mountains, sure I had to turn the air conditioner off to keep my momentum going on occasion but it got me where I was going. .
Gas trucks are to practical. No more $400.00 oil and fuel filter changes. No more DEF problems. No more turbo problems. No more CP4 pump failures with a $14,000.00 repair bill. You can't blow coal with a gas truck. A gas truck just makes to much common sense. I think you made a great choice for your needs.
@@SirSteveFury That is the going rate ($400.00) for a late model diesel truck oil and oil filter change and 2 fuel filters changed. That is one of the reasons he traded in the diesel truck for a gas truck the high cost maintenance. I do my own diesel oil and filer change and cost me less then $50.00.
@@rvdogfl Well I just called Aikins Ford in Winder GA which is my local Ford dealer and got a synthetic oil change quote of $115 and $140 for all fuel filter changes on my 2017 6.7 for a total of $255... Not sure about the $145 more going rate. Maybe in California?
My wife and I pull a GD 313RLTS @ 9K with our 2018 XL SD 6.2L gas crew cab. As you have said, lots of low torque and power for the mountains. No need at all for a smoker. I do love me a diesel, just won't buy what isn't needed. Dependable, reliable, gets the job done without a fuss.
There are always the older pre-emissions trucks, but then you've got other risk factors at play. I love my old 2003 diesel Excursion, but it won't always be worth putting money into. As of right now it is my only option for towing a large TT and family of 6. Unless I want to go new crew cab and repurpose one of my kids into a armrest/cup holder.
Diesels may perform better, but I refuse to buy a new one because of the emissions issues, and I refuse to buy a used one (unless it's a chassis cab, and it's under $8K) as most of them have been riced out by high school kids with daddy's money.
A year ago I bought a new 2019 Platinum F450 6.7 that had huge discounts. I tow a 40' 5th wheel and other heavy stuff. Highway mileage is good, and the smooth power is legendary. Diesels always hold value, but especially now. The 7.3 gasser is fine for some, but not me. The diesel torque is reason enough, but it is also a very durable engine. I'm just glad I bought when I did. I haven't seen a new dually on any dealer lot since March. For you the F250 seems like a good choice.
A wise decision James👍 You take good care of a diesel , running a good additive for more lubricity and good oil and change the fuel filters and your diesel will still be running down the road when those gas engines are in the boneyard already .
@@gd6349 Yes, fixed it. Thanks. Diesels don't have the longevity that they were known for before the advent of DPF filters, EGR valves and DEF injection systems. It's a crazy, unnecessary bunch of EPA-mandated governmental overreach and stupidity. It's costing us all too in the form of higher costs for truck-delivered goods due to the additional truck repair costs having to be passed on to the consumer.
@@BenKlassen1 yeah and other time bombs: Injectors, turbos, CP4, head gaskets. Not to mention the price of diesel is more than gas even though it should be cheaper.
Growing up my family had a 32ft bunkhouse travel trailer that we pulled with a 5.4L triton 2001 Ford Expedition. It pulled like a champ through the SoCal mountains. Never had an issue. We had that setup for 10 years. Now having a family of my own, I'm wanting to get a truck and fifthwheel bunkhouse. After the research, I'm torn between the F350 6.7L (which I would fully delete because of the major EPA equipment failures) or the 7.3L. I want longevity and low maintenance costs. This video solidified my decision on the 7.3L. Now to find a budget friendly price...
The stupid price of the new diesels are crazy. 75K. And you're making another house payment for something that loses it's value. I've got an 2001 F250 diesel, I'll drive it forever! It's been paid for?
Great choice, I've done the same thing as you and no regrets. Traded my unreliable 2012 diesel for a 2017 6.2. I have the same front crome bumper with no driving lights, I like that look of the plain fat chrome bumper over the cut out design.
If it fits you're needs, and sounds like you got a great deal, then why not. The 7.3 looks just like my 7.3L Powerstroke but with spark plugs, good marketing on Ford's part, riding the success of the old diesel 7.3L
Jay, never said it didn't. Can't compare trucks that are almost 20 years difference in technology. Just stated how I think it was a good marketing point on the size of the engine.
This truck can take care of most casual towers needs. In some situations it will work harder than the diesel. So what? Engines should work hard at least occasionally. It’s good for them.
No joke. I remember late 90s, early 2000s when I worked construction. We pulled huge ez dump trailers filled with stone with gas f250. No problem, and those were huge loads. Plus that was back in the day. Today with a 7.3l gasser you could pull just about whatever you want. I love diesel, but at a higher initial cost, higher cost for fuel, def fluid, and expensive repairs, I see *most* people doing better with the gas 7.3
@@jabroni6199 I pull similar with an f150 Ecoboost. Tons of power and pulls with ease. I will eventually replace with a 3/4 ton for additional comfort and safety in big wind when towing cross country, as we frequently hit the road towing travel trailer
I just traded a 2015 f150 5.0 in for a 2020 F250 7.3 gas engine. My 30 ft travel trailer never felt comfortable with the 150. Taken it out twice with the 250 and 7.3 tows it like it’s not there which makes for a much more relaxed drive. They were hard to find. I got one that had just came off the trailer. Most dealers had maybe 1 or 2 f250. I have got about 15 on the hwy without a trailer going 75 to 80 . 8-10 with trailer. So far very happy.
The 7.3 has definitely changed my thinking. I’m not a fan of the 6.2 for towing but like you said it’s basically like driving my 6.0 powerstroke without all the extra worrying. The low end torque is incredible compared to the 6.2 and from what I’m reading it gets much better fuel economy due to the 10 speed. Still torn between the 6.7 and 7.3. My biggest issue is there is no used 7.3’s but there’s plenty of used 6.7’s asking to be bought and deleted. I do plenty of heavy towing but plenty of in town driving as well.
I am still driving 2000 F250 V10. Its a disaster at the gas pumps but it cranks and drives everyday. Its my work truck. 279k. Original engine and transmission. Most I tow is around 8k. I didnt get the 7.3 because of the fumes. Irritates me no end. If you maintain a gasser, it'll last. Then again, people dont really keep things like they used too, everything is disposable.
The maintenance cost alone makes me stick with gas engines. Always been a GM fan since my first 454 suburban. Now have a 2013 2500hd 6.0 vortec. A little weak but pulls my landscape trailer all year with no gripes. Also pulls my travel trailer on weekends with 0 problems. I can literally replace my engine for the cost of a couple of years diesel maintenance costs and 1 broken part. My buddies with diesels are always spending 1500 bucks everytime somethinf breaks. Until i dont have to worry about money and tow heavier than 10k lbs I will always buy a gasser.
Kellen Richard I agree . I own 5 gasers trucks. For my pulling trucks I have a 2004 Chevy 3500 8.1 (496ci) and a 1999 Chevy 2500 6.0 (360ci) and a 1991 Chevy 2500 5.7 (350ci) all 4x4's. I seen to many of my family and friends spend thousands upon thousands on their power strokes Cummings and Duramax.
The lovely later model Suburban 2500. We had a 2011 model. We ended up hating it. The 6.0 Vortec is very weak, the transmission hunts on any kind of grade, the fuel mileage was terrible,...empty and towing, a/c issues, overheating when idling for a period of time,...daytime running lights, head lights, and fog light issues, and we had to spend $5k to replace the tranny at 115k miles. If you drive up to Flagstaff from Phoenix,...you’ll honestly spend at least 80% of your time in 4th and 5th gear. And that’s running empty, lol.
I like what you said.. I'm a performance guy... I have a 2003 6.0 .. with that said I bought a ford f150 with the 3.5 EcoBoost and now I have all the stuff i wanted but in a small package so to speak.. and I still have my rig. .. keep on keeping on big brother.
Great video. I always enjoy your insight. I recently purchased a 2020 Lariat F-250 with the same 7.3 engine for a daily driver as well as pulling a 25 ft Airstream. Thanks for your informative videos.
Nice! I ordered a 2021 F-250 7.3 liter and just had a friend tell me it was a mistake to not to diesel. I’m new to towing and just did our first weekend trip towing our new 25’ Airstream with a rented Silverado HD with the Duramax Diesel engine. It towed amazing and couldn’t even feel the trailer behind us most of the time. I’m hoping the experience will be similar with the 7.3.
@@universalmediaus if you see yourself buying a big and heavy 5th wheel in the future, go with the diesel. We own a 17 f350 diesel and we have towed our 9,000 lbs. 32' travel trailer few times a month for the past three years and the diesel is more than adequate for this set-up. We now are planning on a long and heavy 5th wheel capable for our current truck to haul...no need for a newer more expensive truck since we already poses one🤙😉.
We currently have the 6.2L gasser (2019). It does well on flat lands towing our GD Reflection (GVWR 10995lbs) but, getting up in the smokys and hitting those 7+ percent grades it really struggles. We will eventually end up with a diesel at some point. Not because of our currently trailer but because we plan to upgrade to a GD Momentum at some point. Congrats on the new truck/Jeep (we would definitely stick with a gasser if we could). Keep up the great work with the vids...we always enjoy the content you create!
The diesel engine/transmission combo costs as mush as $8-10,000 more than the gas variant of the truck. But if you ask the Ford 6.0 liter owners they have to spend about $10,000 more to get the engine "bulletproofed" which is better head gaskets, upgraded head studs, etc. There are even some businesses out there that their entire business is based of repairing and upgrading Fords Powerstroke shortcomings. I've been working on diesels professionally since 2000 but in 2009 I decided to buy a new truck and I went gas. I think a lot of people think they like the power of the diesel but I'm not certain they don't like the turbocharger. Heres a nugget for everyone: you can put a turbo on a gas engine in a truck! From what I saw locally diesels got popularized in the early-mid 2000s by high school caucasian kids. Also alot of diesel truck owners nowaday don't even own or pull trailers they just use their F350 diesel 4x4 to get to McDonalds. I also see pro diesel people on youtube showing these cold start videos where they crank and crank and crank their trucks to get them started in the winter. My gas truck fires up pretty much the same all year round and when I have to replace the battery it just has 1 not 2 like most fullsize diesel pickups and that saves me $. Hell my gas truck doesn't even have a serviceable fuel filter and that saves me more $. When it gets cold out I don't have to get out an extension cord and hookup a block heater-thats kinda like having your truck on life support all night so that it might start in the morning. Also changing the oil on these diesel pickups is well over $100 especially if you use name brand oil and replace the fuel filters at the same time like you should. Some of these people like to race these diesel truck and I raced a new Cummins SRW (single rear wheel) one day and I put a couple truck lengths on him-just to be fair we should have a second race where i get to have a turbo and he does not like my gas truck didn't in the first race we all know what would happen. I'd also like to point out 1 other thing these diesel truck guys have kinda ruined the tire market now almost every tire thats a little oversized like a 33 inch and up are all E rated and even F rated. Theres not many options for an oversized C or D rated tire anymore. A C or D rated tire can bite alot harder than those stiff tires these diesel guys think they need to go to McDonalds. Even the diesel fuel can gel on you when it gets cold out. I'll just keep my gas truck alot of this country was built off the backs of small and big block gas V8s
Oh yeah and I drove a 2012 Dodge Cummins for about 4 years as a service truck and at about 75,000 miles or so I started getting messages on the dash about the DEF system and it was counting down from 200 miles saying that it wouldn't restart if the issue wasn't repaired. Thats a great feeling to have a vehicle that has a mind of its own.
good call on the sunroof. my 2011 was doing same, and now spending 2900 to get it replaced. fortunately my body shop convinced insurance it wasn't common so it was covered under comp. but it's on 17 days back order
I hope you don’t have issues with the steering stabilizer and front rotors. I bought the same truck and at 14,000 miles I started having problems when I went over bumps or changes in the road surface, at all speeds. The truck would almost completely go out of control and force me into oncoming lanes. The front rotors also warped twice during normal driving without towing any trailer. I battled with Ford for months and finally traded it in on a GMC.
Lol... devastating electrical problems with GMC products was the reason we switched to Ford. I haven’t heard of the rotor issue. I’ll keep an eye (and a feel) out for that.
@HalfShell Hopefully your truck won’t have any issues. Mine started at about 14k and the problems just kept on coming. None of them are immune I guess. My 6 month old Sierra 1500 has been in the shop with electrical problems that they don’t yet know what is causing them or how to fix them. They elevated the problem up to GM now for specialized assistance. I see now why he switched to Ford, but my last two experiences with both Ford & GM are not very good. I’ve owned Chevy and GM for many years with no problems until now, and it seems like neither has any availability in their shops for at least a week, and even under warranty or new, they usually have no loaners to let you drive. GMC said they will authorize 3 days worth of car rental but no more than that. I am pretty sure this is going to be an extended issue that takes longer than 3 days to resolve. If your truck is doing well, just cross your fingers and keep on truck in’!
My 8.1 liter with the Allison transmission has almost 300k and half of those are towing-it tows like a diesel. It's been an awesome truck and I don't have to worry about spending huge $$$ in engine work about now if it was a diesel.
I know one that I could have bought fully loaded prior to covid for 35k. It only has 4500 miles on it. At the time I said wow thats a lot of money, but was one of the best trucks chevy put together. There isn't many
We have one at my work, it has been great! It has about 30,000 miles on it now the thing has has a goose neck dump trailer hooked to it about 80% of the time hauling a skid loader or a load of gravel. I’m just saying it’s been great. I’m not a Ford guy at all I’m a Cummins diesel guy myself. It just impresses me and you don’t have the diesel emissions headaches.
@@javierortiz1296 Because it's known that the 7.3 is well overbuilt and bulletproof. There's already people getting 1000+ horsepower out of the thing. That's a pretty good indicator that the engine will last a good long while with proper maintenance
Don't worry about the expense you'll get it all back at resale...... Buying diesels again was the best thing I ever did. Did I say I can actually move in traffic.
@@j.l.salayao8055 I bought my 2016 F350 single axle lariat used with 21000 miles from a small dealership I had used before who specializes in trucks. It was deleted and had been programmed professionally. I service regularly. First item was batteries yep two at a time. Then time for tires two at a time BFGs. All good right? Well at the 70k Mark knock in tranny. Bang! New Tranny 😱. Major malfunction warning a 1000 miles later. TCM. New programmer. Fun fun fun. She’s fine now but what a bad run of issues. Best advice just like with RV make friends with GOOD repair person. Dealerships are not your friend 😳
If the 7.3 was available in "17 when I bought my XLT, I would have gone with it but my 6.2 tows our 12k lb. Keystone Cougar fine....it's a bit slow going uphill at times but I'm not trying to go hell bent for election either.
if the fuel is direct cylinder injection then you can consider the gasser essentially a diesel with spark ignition assistance. They are called diesel engines because the late Frenchmen Mr Diesel invented the engine concept. And it was designed from the start as a multi fuel capable engine.
This seems like more of a Godzilla vs diesel than gas vs diesel discussion. The 6.x gas engines didn't do so well on the gauntlet iirc. Those 6.x trucks aren't holding value as well either. I've got a 6 year 100k bumper to bumper warranty on my diesel and using it as a daily driver, i love it so far. First oil/filter change was free. The truck (2020 2500 HD High Country) also sips DEF. Also, the Chevy dealer quoted a lil over $200 for the oil/filter change, where are all these $400 oil change comments coming from...ford/dodge?
Unless you are making a lot of money hauling freight, there is no reason to get a late model diesel. Way more cost up front, and never leaves the shop for less than 5 grand. All that money and at the end of the day you're getting a slight advantage. If you want a diesel just to have one, get an old 12v cummins or something
Used truck values have really gone up. It's really based on towing power and comfort. Glad to see that Ford is making great gassers. I'd love to have a 10 speed transmission, that's gotta be awesome. BTW, back in the 80's the 460 gasser had more torque than the diesel and my 428CJ from the 70's has 462# torque stock and can get into the mid 550's no problem. One other thing about diesel is that it's heavy. Look at the NET GAIN, compare the weight the diesel adds vs the net torque it adds and then change the gearing around and see where you end up.
your wait could pay off boxing week is the busiest car sales week of the year and massive past model year rebates are always bigger from the factories, some boxing week sales some years for me I made as much money in 1 week in sales /leasing than in the 3/4 previous months , thats why i love boxing week sales in the car industry and you can find a truck within 500 miles of you and save even a few more thousand dollars , been doing it for decades , my partner she visits family during the daytime while i put in the work and join them in the evening for dinner when my day is done I truly hope you find your truck , there's always one out there for ya!! 👍
With 4.30 gears, I'm sure you could pull anything the diesel trucks could. Really glad to hear a good review on the 7.3 gas. You hear a lot of hype, great to hear it lives up to it. We used to pull with big block gas engines all the time. The only drawback was fuel mileage, but when you factor in regular maintenance on the diesel, the price differences are negligible. As far as the power difference, if there's an issue, a turbo kit could fix that for less than the price of the diesel upgrade. To me, diesels are for guys that pull long haul loads for a living.
No, a gas engine doesn't even come close to the power of a diesel. It's about 1/2 the power for towing of a diesel. The horsepower isn't what you need to look at for towing. The gas can't touch the towing capacity of the diesel pockup trucks of today. It comes down to facts and the fact is, the torque of a gas truck isn't even 1/2 as much as a diesel. Number don't lie. Sure, a gas engine can tow weight but not nearly as much as the diesels. Power is power and a diesel is way more powerful.
@@eldridge201 I never said the gas engine had more power than the diesel. I did however, say that the difference could be overcome with the installation of a turbo kit on the 7.3 gas. The only thing that makes that diesel engine so powerful is the turbo. Shove the same 20+ psi into that gas motor and you just made the diesel look like a pooch. Take that 20+ psi away from the diesel and you're left with a hunk of iron that barely has the power to get out of its own way. As far as towing capacity, both engines max out their gvwr long before power is a factor on a single rear wheeled truck like the video shows.
My dad pulls a 9500 pound trailer with a f 150 and it has a 3.5 ecoboost it doesn't pull it amazing but it does the job just fine. Edit: it has sumo springs so the hitch doesn't drag on the ground.
I put 165,000 miles on my 3.5. Never had one problem, unlike the POS cummins 5.9 that it replaced. No more Rams or diesels for me. 7.3 gas looks pretty good.
Your Winder friend here. Looks good. Recently went with an F250 6.2 gasser from an F150 for my GD Imagine 2500. Like you say it's the right truck for the need. Thanks as always for the info and what you do.
I had a 2012 Ford F-250 Lariat Supercab 4x4 off road, deleted beast that I bought in 2013, I drove it for 5 years or so, I got tired of the $150 dollar oil changes, 2k tires(not wheels), damn radiator busted in it in 2015, $400 dollar batteries, I was always dumping loads of money in it. Yes I had probably 25k worth of towing capability? Anyway in 2018 I traded it in for a 2018 F-150 XLT super-cab with the 3.5 ecoboost, I still needed something that will haul the boat and stuff and it’s been perfect, plenty of power and gas is cheap right now.
My last truck was a gasser, gave it to my son with almost 300.000 miles on it, he’s still driving it, my new truck is a gasser, didn’t go with diesel, for all the reasons you gave. Only thing is I went with Chevy, never had any luck with Fords, Beautiful truck tho.
ive got a 2000 7.3 diesel with 151k on it (and boy is it under powered compared to todays diesels) i probably still haven't broke even on the premium paid over 20yrs ago, not to mention i need to stick about 18k in rust repair and new paint but that's the same problem no matter what the engine
This was a timely video. I was debating between diesel and cost of maintenance and a gasser at the the 250 or 2500 level of truck. Thanks so much for putting this out. I guess I could look up what is the payload of the truck and did you add any additional suspension upgrades. Many thanks and keep the great videos coming. A fan in Canada.
@@WanderingWeekends I am also moving away from Diesel. I currently have great 2020 F350 DRW 6.7. I have not once pulled the trailer but do carry up to about 3300 lbs. I thought payload was bit higher. I am looking into 2023 F350 SRW 7.3 , 3,73. 11,400 ( SRW ) This will be my daily driver. I will skip the following - moon roof, FX4, 5th wheel prep. It will save me lots money and time. Do you use regular Unlead gasoline for your truck?
I had a 1994 F-350 dually crew cab, it was a work truck, 7.5 liter fuel injected big block, 4:11 rear end and five speed manual transmission, it got 10 mpg towing or solo as long as you stayed under 60 mph. It pulled our heavy old style trailer up and down the hills in western North Carolina in 4th gear. I traded it only because I had to go to an automatic transmission, those bad knees will cost you some fun. I would never buy a diesel vehicle, too expensive, and if you look at the issues they are having with component failures and poor design it is not justifiable to me. Our current vehicle is a 19 year old Chevy 1500 Z71 extended cab 5.3 with a 4 speed auto and 3:73 gearing. We don't take the trailer to the mountains anymore but tend to stay on the flat lands toward the beaches of North and South Carolina. Good luck with your new vehicle, it looks and sounds very nice !!
We're getting ready to hit the road fulltime, and exactly why I want a late 90's Chevy 1 ton with a flatbed and the 7.4 in it. I already have a '99 K2500 suburban with the 7.4, and we towed our 7klb trailer all over the Pacific Northwest with no performance issues. I had every expectation of being a little slower, but it pulled 30-45mph up any grade, all day long without moving the temperature needle. Coming back down, popping it into 3rd or 2nd gear (depending on the twists) and I never had to touch the brakes. Truck is stock, and I found out when we got home I was towing with a bad catalytic converter. Can't wait to see how it is when it improves. 8 mpg towing flat, uphill, downhill, didn't matter. Kinda wish it was better on flat ground, but it's nice for planning purposes!
I have a 1996 Chevy 2500 Silverado with the 7.4L and it will work. I'm not a tow 10K uphill person so it's more than useful. Fuel economy ain't good but those are the breaks. Sounds like yours is running fine. Interesting comments on this thread.
Good trucks by I love my lbz Duramax 400,000 miles an bone stock a get about 25mpg an 21 mpg pulling a. 15,000 lb backhoe an a 8,000 lb gooseneck hard to bet that I did have to put tires on the damn thing though they should make a better tire lol
I did the same thing! Just bought a beautiful 97 ford 250 power stroke (7.3) and I love it. It gives us piece of mind to know we have an awesome and reliable vehicle when travelling. It does attract alot of unwanted attention though, I recieved 6 offers to buy it . It took me 2 months just to find one with low mileage
I hope you enjoy that beautiful new truck. I prefer the diesel in my 2018 King Ranch for three reasons (at least). 1) We travel in the mountains so we enjoy the fact that the turbo diesel doesn't lose much power at altitude. 2) Because of traveling through the mountains I feel much safer with the engine braking available with the diesel. 3) When fueling up with a trailer in tow it is much easier to go where the big rigs go (which practically never have gasoline) so I don't have to worry about getting to and away from the gas pumps. When we bought our truck to pull our bumper pull TT, we planned to eventually buy a fifth wheel. Now we can do that without worrying about getting another truck.
Payload may be a problem for you down the road. 5th wheel pins can get very heavy and most diesel 250’s just don’t have the capacity for them. Especially the King Ranch and Platinum models. I’d really do some math once you start looking around at 5’ers.
Just got a 2021 coachman pursuit 7.3 /6 speed and we are average 7.5/8.5 mpg 33ft class a towing a 2017 chev Colorado running 65/67 mph average speed can not complain love it in the hills had a 6.0 chev before good but a little weak in the hills I also like that it is a lot quitter i can actually hear the radio now lots of power in low rpms means less noise than high revving v10 or 6.0 onley regret is not having a 10 speed traney and did not want def /high cost maint of desal
Gas or diesel really comes down to how many miles /terrain you plan to travel only big difference is the Jake brake in the big hills coming down to fast is worse than a little slower going up @@WanderingWeekends
I have a 13 chevy 2500 with the 6.0 Vortec. Granted it isn't an every day driver and definitely isn't an every day puller but its everything I need and it has never failed me and I pull a two horse slant, dump trailer and 27 ft travel trailer. The gas mileage isn't what a diesel is but you save on everything else from purchase price to services etc etc.
Finally someone who’s honest about their truck. I’m a former diesel mechanic and I couldn’t come up with any way to justify the diesel over the gas. If you just want way more power than you need and don’t care how much it costs, that’s great, just go for it. If you aren’t hauling full time near the maximum tow rating there is not a case for a diesel based just on economics.
Ok, what about FWD, most new Super Duties that I see have it. Why? I’ve pulled a 5th wheel for 10 years now and never once said “I could sure use FWD right now”. Why so many FWDs?
4x4 is one of those things you don't need... until you need it. It's almost like an insurance policy. I've only needed it a few times but boy those couple of times I REALLY needed it.
@@WanderingWeekends I can't help but comment, but if you are in more rugged areas, a 4X4 is worth the extra money and maintenance. I am not a "mudder", but I do camp in areas that are more primitive that campgrounds with all the amenities. They both have their place for a camping person who likes the variety. In rugged areas that have had a lot of rain, the four wheel drive systems can make the difference.
my 1974 f250 high boy all cast iron 360 cuin block & cast iron manual transmission , manual windows & No Computer just points , suits me fine 👍☺🔧🔩🔨
Still driving my 96' chevy 2500 with 245,000 miles.Bought it new,changed oil ever 3k miles and it runs great.Need a new fuel pmp and had trans rebuilt 2x.The best thing is it has been driving this pu pymt free for the last 20 yrs.What's coming in the economy better watch that cash outgo.
Diesel without emissions were the best. It is all about where it makes the power and the gearing is huge too. I don’t do payments so I’ll live vicariously through you.
DEF is a plague upon man kind.
Exactly why I'll never get rid of my 1997 Dodge 2500 Diesel. Upgraded some things so it pulls like a beast. No emissions/DEF. And best of all, no payments!
@@gpswebdesigns 06 dodge 2500 here, not quite 90,000 miles, it will be my last truck.
I don't do payments either.
If a person invested $600 a month vs making car payments over 10, 20 or 30 years it comes out to $120k, $430k, or $1.2 million respectively...
I just can’t justify giving up $1.2 million in retirement to keep a new car in the driveway.
Just went the opposite direction and back to a diesel. Wow I forgot how much better of a towing experience the diesel is
All day....
I can't stand the Racket the Diesels make! Plus, they cost $9,000 more!
@@brianlawliss1080 I absolutely love the sound of a diesel and the sound of the engine brake working instead of my brakes.
In Canada, in the fall Ram dealers start offering the diesel as a free upgrade, and I took them up on it in 2017. 130,000 trouble free RV towing miles so far.
I traded my 2018 F-250 diesel back in March 2020 for the almost exact same truck, exact same reasons. I traded for a 2020 F-350 STX 7.3 10 speed with 3.73 gear. It is my daily driver (retired) and I love it. The diesel I had was a great truck with no issues, just very expensive to maintain and higher fuel cost. I had to make regular inconvenient "road trips" down the highway to allow complete regens, as I do a lot of in town driving currently. Wasted a lot of time and fuel to accommodate this all too common "maintenance." Regens must occur every 200-300 miles, and last for about 20-30 minutes. During regen, fuel mileage is approx 11 mpg at 60 mph. My concern was expensive and inconvenient failures/repairs down the road. We pull an 8k travel trailer about once a month currently, and the 2020 7.3 does a great job, although I do miss that awesome diesel torque pulling hills. I am a retired shop supervisor who was an ASE certified Master Automotive Technician for 35+ yrs, and ASE certified Master School Bus Technician for 25+ years. If you buy a new diesel, buy the extended warranty. You will be glad you did, and I hope your trucks diesel emission failures happen close to home. Remember how bad the cars were back in the 1980's? It took 10+ years for the manufacturer's to finally get through the gas emissions failures and get them right. The diesel manufacturer's have been trying since early 2000's, they still are not there, and I am not sure they ever will be. All the diesel guy's have accomplished is producing gobs of power through technology with reduced reliability. The engine block assembly may "live forever," but everything attached to it will fail, expensively. Bottom line, if you are pulling very heavy all the time, the diesel is a forced best choice. If you are pulling less than 12k, there are options that more practical, reliable, and fiscally responsible. My humble opinion based on a lifetime of trying to keep vehicles safe, reliable, and on the road. Safe travels!
My thoughts exactly! I too am a diesel mechanic who bought a 7.3 gasser.
Good analysis, Terry. Thanks!
Why did you not get a 2.0 litre diesel why do you need a 7 litre petrol , there no such thing in Europe, sounds crazy ,
@@billbyrne7891 : Because little toys are for children and here in America sometimes we actually like to tow things.
Or you could just delete it and stop being a pansy .
Can't afford anything new, so I will stay with my 97, 7.3, 4 door, long bed, 4x4, f350.
I wish I had that pickup to b honest.
Most people can't afford a new truck but they still get one
@@clayton5584 shoot I'm so proud I found a truck that has been parked in a barn for 15 years. Original owner got sick, he sold it to me for 4k it looks brand new has never seen snow salt or rain. And only has 10k miles. 05 ram 1500 4.7l slt 4x4. I need it to tow, been using my primary vehicle a 09 Ford edge that I've maintained immaculately, but at 189k miles the trans is due for a rebuild, and the water pump is going to need to b done as well, both are major jobs. Found a local shop that does great work ill have them do this extensive stuff.
Best ever, wish I would’ve kept mine
Nathan I got the same rig in a 95 wth a zf5
Haha, a local towing company here uses gas engines because they were "quieter" when grabbing illegally parked cars or repos.
Damn, that's not playing fair.
Here comes a Tesla tow rig lol
Lol nice!
I rebuild diesels to sell. I even tell customers most.dont need it. Normally a ego issue
Do most of your customers tow anything? Or most just drive them to commute and getting grocery?
Most are compasating
Also did the same, came from a diesel back into a hd gas. Truck is solely a tow truck/plow truck/hardware store truck and not a DD. Gas engines have vastly improved.
Congratulations on the new truck. When we was looking for a new truck, back in 2018, we couldn't make the numbers work on a diesel. We drove one and liked it. We are weekenders. We only pack a few tools and some clothes. We always just buy food and other supplies whenever we get where we are going. We are very happy with our 6.2 gas.
We upgraded to the 7.3 too and love it. Purchased it in March and been on at least 12 camping trips with it. Very good pick up. No sway with our Blue Ox hitch. Only wish it had a larger gas tank with the short bed truck. We tow 8,000 lbs.
Very nice truck! I ended up doing just the opposite this summer. I had a 2017 one ton Ram SRW that pulled my previous 5th wheel that was 34' long. It did the job fine but getting in and out of gas stations on long trips was a nightmare sometimes. I was also only getting 8-9mpg towing. Now I have a 37' 5th wheel and my mileage with the heavier RV was 6mpg. So I bought a 2020 3/4 ton Chevrolet diesel. Like you, because of Covid, I got a smokin deal on the new truck and trade in. But I understand where you're coming from! Fortunately my wife and I are retired and we have a 2017 Ford Escape as our daily driver. The truck will be our tow vehicle and snow vehicle when the weather is bad here in Western NY and we'll enjoy good gas mileage at all other times. My advise to anyone that is thinking about a different vehicle or RV is to get whatever works best for your situation because everyone's situation will be different.
The only thing a 3.55 rear end determines is the dead start startability. As long as you can get the rig moving, then the transmission takes care of everything else. Also, the 3.55 will give better fuel mileage when empty.
The 4:30 will provide more pulling power at all speeds, hence the reason ford requires them for the max tow rating. If gears didn't matter, everyone would run 1:1
@@257Tony Don't be rediculous-as I said-as long as 3.55 will get the load rolling in 1st gear, then the 10 spd transmission will take care of the rest. This reminds me of when I was selling and specing big rig trucks. When 3.21 and lower gears came out the truck drivers said the truck wouldn't go up the hill unless you had 4.11 or better. Well-everyone is using as low as 2.21 gears and remarkably, the trucks do go up the hill. 3.55 will just be fine.
@@257Tony as you add more and more split ratios in the trans the final rear gear matters less and less. a 4:30 driven truck thats having to be in 4th in order to maintain speed might have the same exact final drive ratio as a 3.55 driven truck in 3rd gear going the same speed. In theory , i dont have the fords 10 speed ratios memorized to prove this using a final drive ratio calculation but its easily proven. i wouldn't get a 4.30 option unless the truck was going to spend not only most of its life hooked to a trailer but most of that trailer time near max capacity on top of that.. You dont need 4.30s to tow at 50% capacity. you know what mean?
A 10-speed trans will usually have multiple overdrives, so why not go with a higher numerical axle to take advantage of that? You could still only be turning 1500 or less at highway speeds.
Although I haven't looked at Ford specs lately, why do we keep mentioning the 4.30 gears? Don't they offer something in between, I would think a 3.7 or 4.1 woild be something to consider for the gas engine? Does Ford offer the 4.3 for SRW trucks?
@@halberto9o8 I agree completely, use those overdrive gears! The F250 comes standard with 3.55, the F350 comes with 3.73. Both can option the 4.30, but there is no 4.10 option for the SRW trucks.
Excellent move. Agree with your overall decision. All the best with the new truck.
A close friend of mine bought a 2020 f250 7.3 gas early this year. As of today they still love it towing their 7k travel trailer. I own a 2015 ram 2500 6.4 and love it. This makes me not want a diesel even more. Thanks for sharing!
EPA ruined diesels and that was their inn intent. Used to be diesels were simple, diesel fuel was much less, and they lasted longer.
Now gas engines are simpler, gasoline is cheaper, and gas engines have less problems over time and are cheaper in the first place.
I went from diesel VW cars back to gas. Simpler, less problems, cheaper.
I'd still rather have a diesel though.
Oh, still have a 7.3 Excursion 😉
When I bought my first Diesel, it was before the 2007 EPA change and diesel was always less than regular. Out here it's bee relatively cheap until recently. I"ve paid less than $2 many times, now it's $2.40/gallon
I own a 1997 Ford 7.3 and I bought it recently with 48k miles on it. I paid a premium price but I think it was worth every penny.
Unfortunately every where I go, I recieve offers to buy it. And obviously I need it or I wouldn't have spent so much time and money looking for it
New diesel pickups are way better than the old ones. The only people who are mad are the bros that need the truck to make up for their lack of masculinity.
Still running my 7.3,so...
@@danerickson1733 Way better until they are not. Wait till the emission control system needs repair or you hit 125,000 miles.
Now I find this, damn :) just placed a build order for a 2021 F-350 loaded King Ranch Diesel and yes the main reason for the build was I could not find what I wanted on the lots and the 2020 builds are closed. The first thing I will add is the S&B 60 Gal Diesel tank, the range will be awesome. Sorry I wanted a future proof truck no matter what I might tow now or later.
I totally agree with your choice . I'm waiting to see what GM 6.6L ends up like . I'll be choosing between the two HD gassers .
Love my '17 f250 6.2! Have had diesels in the past, not for me- despite the fact I tow a loaded dump trailer regularly, don't miss all the extra this and that diesels require.
Made my living working on diesels for years but drive an old 2001 2500HD with an 8.1 and I’m not sure there is enough money to make me let it go. I’m glad that Ford is offering a real diesel alternative. I use mine for farm equipment gooseneck towing and our 43ft 5th wheel. Glad your happy with your purchase.
IMO... all these vehicles are just WAY overpriced, complicated, have lots of computerized features that are certainly destined to malfunction. I'm just not buying into all of that.
So get a base model
@@NUTZJ98 Check into the reliability of diesel engines (especially Fords) over the past 10 years. They're junk after 150K. Previous versions like the 7.3L go a million miles.
Thank you from TN for your very informative videos. My husband and I have been debating the gas vs diesel for months!
It’s all about what you’re using it for. Recreation=gasser for us.
@@WanderingWeekends same here for us!
I bought a 2019 F350 6.2. Love it! Diesels are just too expensive all around. We are only weekend or week camping and I just don’t need that much truck. If we were full timers driving cross country etc. I might’ve pulled the trigger on a diesel. I do enjoy that my gasser is much easier in the pocketbook for maintenance. Major plus. It pulls my #8500 trailer just fine.
The gas would be fine but Ford needs to offer a larger gas tank with the short box, the 34 gal tank just not cutting it, 250 mile range pulling 30 ft trailer is not good when going cross country, 50 gal would be sweet
The 2020 long beds have a 48 gallon. I dont think they can fit any biger in the short beds
Yes I know, but with that long bed makes it tuff to drive as a dayley driver , I would think they could go back to dual tanks some how
Same here. The diesel is great of your towing heavy back and fourth across the country but I just didn’t need that anymore. I tow a 7,000 pound camper up and down mountains in WV without a hint of a issue with the gas 250. Of your towing a 16 thousand pound 5th wheel 100 percent diesel
I have been running a Chevy 3500 Gasser with the exact same trailer as you (Year, Model, even BH). I got 800 lbs more towing cap (if memory serves) with the Gasser. Plus I feel much more comfortable working on it if/when needed. So I am with you ACE!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!
We did the same we bought just to tow our camper.. didn't want to strain our half ton in the mountains. So the half ton is a daily driver
This video helped me make the choice of getting my 21 F250 with the 7.3L. Absolutely love it.
Great to hear!
EPA has killed diesels so you made the right choice for sure
Diesel is actually better for the environment it burns cleaner learn about octane ratings dumbass
@@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076 diesels were never meant to run clean: learn about how many cleaning components it takes to make them run clean...dumbass
they just made it to where dudes who don't actually need/use them burns a hole in their wallet. And yea, they do run cleaner.
@@timm9114 if you're comparing to a gasoline engine you are wrong it burns much cleaner than regular gasoline if you want something that really lasts long build yourself a propane engine
@@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076 diesel burns more efficiently. It gets more power from the fuel. The fuel has more particulate and NOx emissions however. That's why VW got in trouble. They couldn't get the power while running clean so they cheated.
When diesel pickups got way better mileage than gas engines and the fuel was cheaper than gasoline (or even equal to the price of gas) and they were simple and bulletproof, diesels made sense. Modern gas engines are more efficient and diesels are not much better in fuel economy. Unless you are always pulling the maximum load rating on the truck, diesels don’t make sense anymore. Especially with the outrageous prices for parts like turbos and injectors.
Seems to me like a new engine that has worse fuel economy, less towing capability and no track record to prove its reliability.
isn't 100k miles on a diesel engine just getting broken in? vs a gas engine at 100k is a pretty worn engine
Mark Vidales That’s really not necessarily true. Toyotas 4.7 L gas V8 has several documented examples of reaching 1,000,000 miles, and there are 6.0 L Ford power stroke diesels didn’t make 50,000 miles. My 1993 Chevy Suburban that I used to own had 265,000 miles on the original gas 350 and it still ran like a charm when I sold it, and my Ford F-150 with the 4.9L inline 6 had over 330,000 miles on it when I sold the truck for parts because the frame rusted through, but the engine lives on in another F150 to this day, 6 years later. Chevy 4.3L V6 engines are known for going hundreds of thousands of miles with nothing major, as are the Buick 3800 V6 engines. There are a number of cars (Toyota and Honda especially) that have several hundreds of thousands of miles on them, all gasoline. I daily drive a 2000 Toyota Camry with a 2.2L 4 cylinder and a 5 speed. It has 170,000 miles on it and it runs like new, uses less than 1/2 a quart of oil over the 5,000 mile change interval I use, and it will get 38 MPG on the highway as long as I keep the speed below 70 MPH (it still manages 30 MPG at 85 MPH).
The cost for the diesel doesn’t pencil out anymore. Reliable gas power is the new fad, mated with a 10 spd tranny it’s great. Very few people need 1,000 ft. Lbs. torque on a daily basis. I get a kick out of some guys driving a 60-70k diesel truck in town shopping.
@@frankslaiter5188 It's not a new engine. Big block ford with pushrods.
I'm going with the 7.3 gas engine, I don't want to deal with the maintenance or DEF fluid of the diesel. I will still keep my old 2008 F250 for a work truck. Another advantage of the gasser is that I travel in some remote areas exploring and have always found a friendly one pump country store that always has gas but no diesel.
Can't wait to see the tow video. Thats one reason ive kept my 2001 gmc 8.1 with Allison 5sp. Ive got diesel power and torque (360/455) and zero issues other than reg maintenance. Can't beat that.
No, you actually don't have diesel power and torque. I'm not knocking the 496 Vortec, but you will not get a heavy load moving like a Durmax can. 605lbs/ft peak torque at 1600rpm is where you want it.
Just picked up a f350 Tremor with the 7.3. Tremor is replacing a 2001 2500hd with the 8.1. I sure hope the 7.3 lives up to the hype as that 8.1 towed our 10k Artic Fox travel trailer very well. 2001 the 8.1 created 360/455. 19 years later 7.3 gets us 430/475. 8.1 is a strong engine.
No need to do oil changes in the 8.1. Just keep adding more oil every few thousand miles lol.
@@alexs3187 lol.... so very true.. Moble 1 synthetic. slowest burn rate so far.
We tow with an 8.1 ourselves. They are great up to 10,000 lbs but really strain towing a 5th wheel, especially in the mountains. We've regeared to 4:56's but should of gone to 4:88 or even 5:13
We tow at our max combined vehicle weight.
I just built mine using the Ford website and I can’t wait for it! They told me it will be at least 4 months due to covid, but I don’t care since my current truck works perfectly fine. Love the video and description and actually it is thanks to this video that I made the choice to get mine!
That is awesome! Appreciate you watching!
Diesel is great if you are pulling heavy loads or heavy trailers most of the time. So if you are driving hundreds miles a week highway going across the nation them diesel is great. They pull loads really good going over high mountain passes with big loads. Higher fuel costs, higher oil change, higher investment in the truck. Get a gas truck for most of the people.
Glad you settled on the right vehicle for you. I recently picked up a 2020 6.7 PS STX as our tow vehicle. After having that Diesel power out here in the mountains of California, I can’t imagine going back to gas. I also can’t imagine not having the exhaust braking, but everyone’s “needs” are different. I thought that I was going to hate the front bench seat in the STX, but that it turning out to be one of our favorite features! It’s fun having the kids take turns sitting up front with us. Take care!!
That’s when you let them steer , so they learn how to drive
Finally, someone is being honest about not always having to have a diesel.. I chose a 6.0 Silverado 2500. Just like you, I don’t need a diesel.
When I was a GC and had a small fleet of leased GMC's, I went with the 6.0's 2500HD and they too were beasts. I never had any issues with the engines. One had tranny issues but for the most part, they were all good trucks. The only reason I went with GMC's for work trucks is because I got a screaming deal on the leases that Ford or Dodge just couldn't touch.
Good choice.
I bought a new truck this year. Was not looking for a diesel, but found a deal on one and pull the trigger. One advantage I never thought of was the ability to use the truck stop (big truck) fuel lanes. It totally takes away the stress of getting the truck and trailer in and out of the station. Also, much faster to fill up with the big nozzles, I upgraded to a 60 gal tank.
Those are two things I would be jealous of. The truck stop fuel lanes are convenient, but the real shame is not being able to get a midship 60 gal tank for a gas super duty. Transferflow made one for the F150 recently, but has said it does not have plans to make one for the 6.2/7.3 unfortunately.
I whole heartedly agree. We pull a 38' TT with a diesel Excursion. With the size of the rig and tank (44 gal.) having the large lanes and fast flow pumps not limited to 35 gal. or $100 or whatever is highly beneficial. And Pilot stations you can use a regular CC at the pump. Love it.
Plus they have def at the pump. So I can buy what I need rather than a jug of it that ends up riding around in the tool box until I need more 🤷🏻♂️
Oh and pro tip: get a transfer tank, plumb it in to the main tank, and wham bam thank you ma’am I’ve now got 1700 mile range 👍🏼
Just traded in my '18 F250 6.2 for a '21 with 7.3 and 4.30 gears. I won't pull anything until the campers come out of storage in May, but so far, I'm pretty impressed. The truck market is just crazy right now, take advantage of it if you can!
I 've watched you before but today I subscribed because of your new truck. I bought a 2020 F250 last month to tow my travel trailer better than my F150 did.
maintenance is simpler, and the fuel economy savings rally isn't that big of a deal when the truck cost $15k more just for the diesel engine in the first place
Just brought home my 7.3L 2 days ago (got the 350 SRW for the added payload). Can't wait to pull our TT! Good buy and thanks for the re-affirming video. All my buddies have been dogging me for not getting the diesel. Wasn't going to pay $100 more a month for that privilege when I didn't need it.
You made a good choice on a gasser if you have no plan on going big on a rv in the future. Our current rv is only 9,000 lbs. and our 17 f350 diesel is more than adequate for it but we see ourselves getting a heavy and long 5th wheel in the near future...so our current diesel truck said; bring it on!
227,000 miles on my '00 F-250 Powerstroke. Still good fuel mileage and it's been paid off for years.
I like my gas F350 single wheel. It has the 6.8 V10.
@@cellpat7392 I sure like mine. I've had 2 of them, an 01 and my 05 that I have now. I know of a company in town that has one with a service bed on the back with tons of idle time and it has over 330,000 miles on it.
My new 1987 3/4 ton Suburban had a 185 h.p., 265 ft lbs torque, 350 engine. A turbo 400 automatic trans with a 3:55 axle. Pulled a loaded car trailer all over this country. Up and down mountains, sure I had to turn the air conditioner off to keep my momentum going on occasion but it got me where I was going. .
Gas trucks are to practical. No more $400.00 oil and fuel filter changes. No more DEF problems. No more turbo problems. No more CP4 pump failures with a $14,000.00 repair bill. You can't blow coal with a gas truck. A gas truck just makes to much common sense. I think you made a great choice for your needs.
Man you got ripped off. I was paying $180 at the Ford dealership for oil and filter change for our (now traded in) 2012 F350 6.7.
@@SirSteveFury That is the going rate ($400.00) for a late model diesel truck oil and oil filter change and 2 fuel filters changed. That is one of the reasons he traded in the diesel truck for a gas truck the high cost maintenance. I do my own diesel oil and filer change and cost me less then $50.00.
@@rvdogfl Well I just called Aikins Ford in Winder GA which is my local Ford dealer and got a synthetic oil change quote of $115 and $140 for all fuel filter changes on my 2017 6.7 for a total of $255... Not sure about the $145 more going rate. Maybe in California?
@@rvdogfl Is that a miss type, "do my own diesel oil". you mean gas?
@@GoingGordons Diesel is correct I own a Ram diesel truck
My wife and I pull a GD 313RLTS @ 9K with our 2018 XL SD 6.2L gas crew cab. As you have said, lots of low torque and power for the mountains. No need at all for a smoker. I do love me a diesel, just won't buy what isn't needed. Dependable, reliable, gets the job done without a fuss.
Diesels are clearly better. But the emission devices ruin the advantage of a diesel for a typical pickup.
There are always the older pre-emissions trucks, but then you've got other risk factors at play. I love my old 2003 diesel Excursion, but it won't always be worth putting money into. As of right now it is my only option for towing a large TT and family of 6. Unless I want to go new crew cab and repurpose one of my kids into a armrest/cup holder.
Diesels may perform better, but I refuse to buy a new one because of the emissions issues, and I refuse to buy a used one (unless it's a chassis cab, and it's under $8K) as most of them have been riced out by high school kids with daddy's money.
@@daltonbrink9924 I got a 02 f250 with the 7.3 that I'm rebuilding the engine to handle 500 horsepower
A year ago I bought a new 2019 Platinum F450 6.7 that had huge discounts. I tow a 40' 5th wheel and other heavy stuff. Highway mileage is good, and the smooth power is legendary. Diesels always hold value, but especially now. The 7.3 gasser is fine for some, but not me. The diesel torque is reason enough, but it is also a very durable engine. I'm just glad I bought when I did. I haven't seen a new dually on any dealer lot since March. For you the F250 seems like a good choice.
I tow in ID and MT. I think the 7.3 would struggle up here in the summer.
We will stick with our Diesel.
A wise decision James👍 You take good care of a diesel , running a good additive for more lubricity and good oil and change the fuel filters and your diesel will still be running down the road when those gas engines are in the boneyard already .
@@gd6349 Nope. Diesels have a time bomb in them spelled "DPF"
@@BenKlassen1 do you mean " DPF" ?
@@gd6349 Yes, fixed it. Thanks.
Diesels don't have the longevity that they were known for before the advent of DPF filters, EGR valves and DEF injection systems. It's a crazy, unnecessary bunch of EPA-mandated governmental overreach and stupidity. It's costing us all too in the form of higher costs for truck-delivered goods due to the additional truck repair costs having to be passed on to the consumer.
@@BenKlassen1 yeah and other time bombs: Injectors, turbos, CP4, head gaskets. Not to mention the price of diesel is more than gas even though it should be cheaper.
Growing up my family had a 32ft bunkhouse travel trailer that we pulled with a 5.4L triton 2001 Ford Expedition. It pulled like a champ through the SoCal mountains. Never had an issue. We had that setup for 10 years. Now having a family of my own, I'm wanting to get a truck and fifthwheel bunkhouse. After the research, I'm torn between the F350 6.7L (which I would fully delete because of the major EPA equipment failures) or the 7.3L. I want longevity and low maintenance costs. This video solidified my decision on the 7.3L. Now to find a budget friendly price...
The stupid price of the new diesels are crazy. 75K. And you're making another house payment for something that loses it's value. I've got an 2001 F250 diesel, I'll drive it forever! It's been paid for?
75k is top of the line, you can get the basic models in the low to mid 40s.
75k and up is the top line luxury trims. you can get a lower trim without all the fancy bs for between $40-$50k
Great choice, I've done the same thing as you and no regrets. Traded my unreliable 2012 diesel for a 2017 6.2. I have the same front crome bumper with no driving lights, I like that look of the plain fat chrome bumper over the cut out design.
Was it a ford? What kind of problems did you have? I have a 2012 f350 srw and since i deleted 40,000 miles ago i've had no problems since.
Hopefully it doesn’t burn oil like the redesigned (2018+) 5.0L coyote motor. My truck drank oil like a college kid and an open bar wedding
6.2s and 7.3s are waaaaaay better than the stupid coyote
I have a 2012 F-250 6.2 V8 xlt super crew like yours. I only have a 6500lb 23' Airstream.
I didn't NEED a diesel either.
Love it.
Right on! Thanks for sharing!
The particulate filter on Ford diesels can be problematic and when it gets to minus 30 they don't start.
Problematic?
Are you female?
If it fits you're needs, and sounds like you got a great deal, then why not. The 7.3 looks just like my 7.3L Powerstroke but with spark plugs, good marketing on Ford's part, riding the success of the old diesel 7.3L
Jay, never said it didn't. Can't compare trucks that are almost 20 years difference in technology. Just stated how I think it was a good marketing point on the size of the engine.
I am getting a motor-home with the 7.3L V8 Godzilla in it and flat towing a Jeep Wrangler for exploring since it will go almost everywhere. :-)
Not only does your engine make older diesel torque numbers... but you also have a 10spd. Which is a torque multiplier!!!
Similar diesel torque to my 1992 12V. My 06 cummins smokes this I guarentee it.
Having a 10 speed isn't a torque multiplier
@@deputyja1
Sounds like you just need a 1spd then.
@@great0789 you won't be using 10 gears with a gas motor towing anything. I don't understand your comment
This truck can take care of most casual towers needs. In some situations it will work harder than the diesel. So what? Engines should work hard at least occasionally. It’s good for them.
Heck, Even the gasser is barely working pulling 7500lbs. You can pull that with a half ton safely.
No joke. I remember late 90s, early 2000s when I worked construction. We pulled huge ez dump trailers filled with stone with gas f250. No problem, and those were huge loads. Plus that was back in the day. Today with a 7.3l gasser you could pull just about whatever you want. I love diesel, but at a higher initial cost, higher cost for fuel, def fluid, and expensive repairs, I see *most* people doing better with the gas 7.3
Not to mention a big screaming gasser is just nostalgically f-ing awesome
@@Sparkchaser1 I do love a turbo whine, but throaty big displacement gassers are fun too
@@jabroni6199 I pull similar with an f150 Ecoboost. Tons of power and pulls with ease. I will eventually replace with a 3/4 ton for additional comfort and safety in big wind when towing cross country, as we frequently hit the road towing travel trailer
I just traded a 2015 f150 5.0 in for a 2020 F250 7.3 gas engine. My 30 ft travel trailer never felt comfortable with the 150. Taken it out twice with the 250 and 7.3 tows it like it’s not there which makes for a much more relaxed drive. They were hard to find. I got one that had just came off the trailer. Most dealers had maybe 1 or 2 f250. I have got about 15 on the hwy without a trailer going 75 to 80 . 8-10 with trailer. So far very happy.
The 7.3 has definitely changed my thinking. I’m not a fan of the 6.2 for towing but like you said it’s basically like driving my 6.0 powerstroke without all the extra worrying. The low end torque is incredible compared to the 6.2 and from what I’m reading it gets much better fuel economy due to the 10 speed. Still torn between the 6.7 and 7.3. My biggest issue is there is no used 7.3’s but there’s plenty of used 6.7’s asking to be bought and deleted. I do plenty of heavy towing but plenty of in town driving as well.
I am still driving 2000 F250 V10. Its a disaster at the gas pumps but it cranks and drives everyday. Its my work truck. 279k. Original engine and transmission. Most I tow is around 8k. I didnt get the 7.3 because of the fumes. Irritates me no end. If you maintain a gasser, it'll last. Then again, people dont really keep things like they used too, everything is disposable.
The maintenance cost alone makes me stick with gas engines. Always been a GM fan since my first 454 suburban. Now have a 2013 2500hd 6.0 vortec. A little weak but pulls my landscape trailer all year with no gripes. Also pulls my travel trailer on weekends with 0 problems. I can literally replace my engine for the cost of a couple of years diesel maintenance costs and 1 broken part. My buddies with diesels are always spending 1500 bucks everytime somethinf breaks. Until i dont have to worry about money and tow heavier than 10k lbs I will always buy a gasser.
Kellen Richard I agree . I own 5 gasers trucks. For my pulling trucks I have a 2004 Chevy 3500 8.1 (496ci) and a 1999 Chevy 2500 6.0 (360ci) and a 1991 Chevy 2500 5.7 (350ci) all 4x4's. I seen to many of my family and friends spend thousands upon thousands on their power strokes Cummings and Duramax.
The lovely later model Suburban 2500. We had a 2011 model. We ended up hating it. The 6.0 Vortec is very weak, the transmission hunts on any kind of grade, the fuel mileage was terrible,...empty and towing, a/c issues, overheating when idling for a period of time,...daytime running lights, head lights, and fog light issues, and we had to spend $5k to replace the tranny at 115k miles. If you drive up to Flagstaff from Phoenix,...you’ll honestly spend at least 80% of your time in 4th and 5th gear. And that’s running empty, lol.
I like what you said.. I'm a performance guy... I have a 2003 6.0 .. with that said I bought a ford f150 with the 3.5 EcoBoost and now I have all the stuff i wanted but in a small package so to speak.. and I still have my rig. .. keep on keeping on big brother.
Great video. I always enjoy your insight. I recently purchased a 2020 Lariat F-250 with the same 7.3 engine for a daily driver as well as pulling a 25 ft Airstream. Thanks for your informative videos.
Appreciate you watching!
Nice! I ordered a 2021 F-250 7.3 liter and just had a friend tell me it was a mistake to not to diesel. I’m new to towing and just did our first weekend trip towing our new 25’ Airstream with a rented Silverado HD with the Duramax Diesel engine. It towed amazing and couldn’t even feel the trailer behind us most of the time. I’m hoping the experience will be similar with the 7.3.
@@universalmediaus if you see yourself buying a big and heavy 5th wheel in the future, go with the diesel. We own a 17 f350 diesel and we have towed our 9,000 lbs. 32' travel trailer few times a month for the past three years and the diesel is more than adequate for this set-up. We now are planning on a long and heavy 5th wheel capable for our current truck to haul...no need for a newer more expensive truck since we already poses one🤙😉.
@@universalmediaus Todd, what kind of mileage are you seeing?
We currently have the 6.2L gasser (2019). It does well on flat lands towing our GD Reflection (GVWR 10995lbs) but, getting up in the smokys and hitting those 7+ percent grades it really struggles. We will eventually end up with a diesel at some point. Not because of our currently trailer but because we plan to upgrade to a GD Momentum at some point. Congrats on the new truck/Jeep (we would definitely stick with a gasser if we could). Keep up the great work with the vids...we always enjoy the content you create!
What gear ratio do you have. My 19 pulled out 9400 pound cougar fifth wheel. Up the grades in smokies just fine. Could speed up anytime I wanted.
@@tomhawkins8775 ours is 3.73
Thanks guys! Cheers and happy camping.
The diesel engine/transmission combo costs as mush as $8-10,000 more than the gas variant of the truck. But if you ask the Ford 6.0 liter owners they have to spend about $10,000 more to get the engine "bulletproofed" which is better head gaskets, upgraded head studs, etc. There are even some businesses out there that their entire business is based of repairing and upgrading Fords Powerstroke shortcomings. I've been working on diesels professionally since 2000 but in 2009 I decided to buy a new truck and I went gas. I think a lot of people think they like the power of the diesel but I'm not certain they don't like the turbocharger. Heres a nugget for everyone: you can put a turbo on a gas engine in a truck! From what I saw locally diesels got popularized in the early-mid 2000s by high school caucasian kids. Also alot of diesel truck owners nowaday don't even own or pull trailers they just use their F350 diesel 4x4 to get to McDonalds. I also see pro diesel people on youtube showing these cold start videos where they crank and crank and crank their trucks to get them started in the winter. My gas truck fires up pretty much the same all year round and when I have to replace the battery it just has 1 not 2 like most fullsize diesel pickups and that saves me $. Hell my gas truck doesn't even have a serviceable fuel filter and that saves me more $. When it gets cold out I don't have to get out an extension cord and hookup a block heater-thats kinda like having your truck on life support all night so that it might start in the morning. Also changing the oil on these diesel pickups is well over $100 especially if you use name brand oil and replace the fuel filters at the same time like you should. Some of these people like to race these diesel truck and I raced a new Cummins SRW (single rear wheel) one day and I put a couple truck lengths on him-just to be fair we should have a second race where i get to have a turbo and he does not like my gas truck didn't in the first race we all know what would happen. I'd also like to point out 1 other thing these diesel truck guys have kinda ruined the tire market now almost every tire thats a little oversized like a 33 inch and up are all E rated and even F rated. Theres not many options for an oversized C or D rated tire anymore. A C or D rated tire can bite alot harder than those stiff tires these diesel guys think they need to go to McDonalds. Even the diesel fuel can gel on you when it gets cold out. I'll just keep my gas truck alot of this country was built off the backs of small and big block gas V8s
Oh yeah and I drove a 2012 Dodge Cummins for about 4 years as a service truck and at about 75,000 miles or so I started getting messages on the dash about the DEF system and it was counting down from 200 miles saying that it wouldn't restart if the issue wasn't repaired. Thats a great feeling to have a vehicle that has a mind of its own.
I have a 2017 F-250 XLT 6.7 20K miles)and it works fine for me but I respect your decision. You have to get what works for you. 👍🏻
Wow, low mileage on your truck. My 17 f350 diesel xlt has 72,000 miles as daily driver and twice a month towing a 9,000 lbs. 32' travel trailer.
good call on the sunroof. my 2011 was doing same, and now spending 2900 to get it replaced. fortunately my body shop convinced insurance it wasn't common so it was covered under comp. but it's on 17 days back order
I'm also looking at the same truck: F250 STX with the 7.3L. It's a lot of truck for the money.
Good choice, no need for a diesel pulling that trailer.
I hope you don’t have issues with the steering stabilizer and front rotors. I bought the same truck and at 14,000 miles I started having problems when I went over bumps or changes in the road surface, at all speeds. The truck would almost completely go out of control and force me into oncoming lanes. The front rotors also warped twice during normal driving without towing any trailer. I battled with Ford for months and finally traded it in on a GMC.
Lol... devastating electrical problems with GMC products was the reason we switched to Ford. I haven’t heard of the rotor issue. I’ll keep an eye (and a feel) out for that.
@HalfShell Hopefully your truck won’t have any issues. Mine started at about 14k and the problems just kept on coming. None of them are immune I guess. My 6 month old Sierra 1500 has been in the shop with electrical problems that they don’t yet know what is causing them or how to fix them. They elevated the problem up to GM now for specialized assistance. I see now why he switched to Ford, but my last two experiences with both Ford & GM are not very good. I’ve owned Chevy and GM for many years with no problems until now, and it seems like neither has any availability in their shops for at least a week, and even under warranty or new, they usually have no loaners to let you drive. GMC said they will authorize 3 days worth of car rental but no more than that. I am pretty sure this is going to be an extended issue that takes longer than 3 days to resolve. If your truck is doing well, just cross your fingers and keep on truck in’!
My 8.1 liter with the Allison transmission has almost 300k and half of those are towing-it tows like a diesel. It's been an awesome truck and I don't have to worry about spending huge $$$ in engine work about now if it was a diesel.
I know one that I could have bought fully loaded prior to covid for 35k. It only has 4500 miles on it. At the time I said wow thats a lot of money, but was one of the best trucks chevy put together. There isn't many
I agree with you, lots of people that have the diesel don't really need it just want it. I would choose the 7.3 myself, good choice.
That 7.3 is a great motor and you don’t have any diesel headaches.
How do you know that the 7.3 it’s good when it’s the first year out just wondering 💭
We have one at my work, it has been great! It has about 30,000 miles on it now the thing has has a goose neck dump trailer hooked to it about 80% of the time hauling a skid loader or a load of gravel. I’m just saying it’s been great. I’m not a Ford guy at all I’m a Cummins diesel guy myself. It just impresses me and you don’t have the diesel emissions headaches.
@@javierortiz1296 Because it's known that the 7.3 is well overbuilt and bulletproof. There's already people getting 1000+ horsepower out of the thing. That's a pretty good indicator that the engine will last a good long while with proper maintenance
Bought this same truck a week ago. Only added a spray-in Bedliner and some husky floor mats.
My 2016 SD eats money 😱. It pulls great. Looks great. Did I say it eats money 😂.
I'm thinking about the 15 and 16 ford diesel...what expenses did you had with your truck? Thank you in advance🤝.
Don't worry about the expense you'll get it all back at resale...... Buying diesels again was the best thing I ever did. Did I say I can actually move in traffic.
All fun toys eat money 🤷♂️
@@j.l.salayao8055 I bought my 2016 F350 single axle lariat used with 21000 miles from a small dealership I had used before who specializes in trucks. It was deleted and had been programmed professionally. I service regularly. First item was batteries yep two at a time. Then time for tires two at a time BFGs. All good right? Well at the 70k Mark knock in tranny. Bang! New Tranny 😱. Major malfunction warning a 1000 miles later. TCM. New programmer. Fun fun fun. She’s fine now but what a bad run of issues. Best advice just like with RV make friends with GOOD repair person. Dealerships are not your friend 😳
Great video as usual. I never had a diesel but I went from a 2004 Silverado 1500 to a 2015 Sierra 2500hd with the 6.0 gasser and it pulls just fine 🙌🏻
Appreciate you watching!
If the 7.3 was available in "17 when I bought my XLT, I would have gone with it but my 6.2 tows our 12k lb. Keystone Cougar fine....it's a bit slow going uphill at times but I'm not trying to go hell bent for election either.
if the fuel is direct cylinder injection then you can consider the gasser essentially a diesel with spark ignition assistance. They are called diesel engines because the late Frenchmen Mr Diesel invented the engine concept. And it was designed from the start as a multi fuel capable engine.
This seems like more of a Godzilla vs diesel than gas vs diesel discussion. The 6.x gas engines didn't do so well on the gauntlet iirc. Those 6.x trucks aren't holding value as well either. I've got a 6 year 100k bumper to bumper warranty on my diesel and using it as a daily driver, i love it so far. First oil/filter change was free. The truck (2020 2500 HD High Country) also sips DEF. Also, the Chevy dealer quoted a lil over $200 for the oil/filter change, where are all these $400 oil change comments coming from...ford/dodge?
Honestly our 6.2 F250 did everything we asked it to do... without fuss.
Thats my tow rig, you will not be disappointed.
Good to hear!
Unless you are making a lot of money hauling freight, there is no reason to get a late model diesel. Way more cost up front, and never leaves the shop for less than 5 grand. All that money and at the end of the day you're getting a slight advantage. If you want a diesel just to have one, get an old 12v cummins or something
Used truck values have really gone up. It's really based on towing power and comfort. Glad to see that Ford is making great gassers. I'd love to have a 10 speed transmission, that's gotta be awesome.
BTW, back in the 80's the 460 gasser had more torque than the diesel and my 428CJ from the 70's has 462# torque stock and can get into the mid 550's no problem. One other thing about diesel is that it's heavy. Look at the NET GAIN, compare the weight the diesel adds vs the net torque it adds and then change the gearing around and see where you end up.
Same deal, sold my 1500 for near purchase price. Can’t find a super duty I like within budget. I’ll wait it out.
your wait could pay off boxing week is the busiest car sales week of the year and massive past model year rebates are always bigger from the factories, some boxing week sales some years for me I made as much money in 1 week in sales /leasing than in the 3/4 previous months , thats why i love boxing week sales in the car industry and you can find a truck within 500 miles of you and save even a few more thousand dollars , been doing it for decades , my partner she visits family during the daytime while i put in the work and join them in the evening for dinner when my day is done I truly hope you find your truck , there's always one out there for ya!! 👍
With 4.30 gears, I'm sure you could pull anything the diesel trucks could. Really glad to hear a good review on the 7.3 gas. You hear a lot of hype, great to hear it lives up to it.
We used to pull with big block gas engines all the time. The only drawback was fuel mileage, but when you factor in regular maintenance on the diesel, the price differences are negligible.
As far as the power difference, if there's an issue, a turbo kit could fix that for less than the price of the diesel upgrade.
To me, diesels are for guys that pull long haul loads for a living.
No, a gas engine doesn't even come close to the power of a diesel. It's about 1/2 the power for towing of a diesel. The horsepower isn't what you need to look at for towing. The gas can't touch the towing capacity of the diesel pockup trucks of today. It comes down to facts and the fact is, the torque of a gas truck isn't even 1/2 as much as a diesel. Number don't lie. Sure, a gas engine can tow weight but not nearly as much as the diesels. Power is power and a diesel is way more powerful.
@@eldridge201 I never said the gas engine had more power than the diesel. I did however, say that the difference could be overcome with the installation of a turbo kit on the 7.3 gas. The only thing that makes that diesel engine so powerful is the turbo. Shove the same 20+ psi into that gas motor and you just made the diesel look like a pooch. Take that 20+ psi away from the diesel and you're left with a hunk of iron that barely has the power to get out of its own way.
As far as towing capacity, both engines max out their gvwr long before power is a factor on a single rear wheeled truck like the video shows.
My dad pulls a 9500 pound trailer with a f 150 and it has a 3.5 ecoboost it doesn't pull it amazing but it does the job just fine. Edit: it has sumo springs so the hitch doesn't drag on the ground.
I put 165,000 miles on my 3.5. Never had one problem, unlike the POS cummins 5.9 that it replaced. No more Rams or diesels for me. 7.3 gas looks pretty good.
@@RobertSmith-tq6mf Yep!!! And if my Grandma had Balls she would be my Grandpa (:
Your Winder friend here. Looks good. Recently went with an F250 6.2 gasser from an F150 for my GD Imagine 2500. Like you say it's the right truck for the need. Thanks as always for the info and what you do.
Hey we appreciate you guys who watch!
I had a 18 f250 lariat diesel and just traded it in for a 2020 f250 7.3 gas the diesel was overkill.
I had a 2012 Ford F-250 Lariat Supercab 4x4 off road, deleted beast that I bought in 2013, I drove it for 5 years or so, I got tired of the $150 dollar oil changes, 2k tires(not wheels), damn radiator busted in it in 2015, $400 dollar batteries, I was always dumping loads of money in it. Yes I had probably 25k worth of towing capability? Anyway in 2018 I traded it in for a 2018 F-150 XLT super-cab with the 3.5 ecoboost, I still needed something that will haul the boat and stuff and it’s been perfect, plenty of power and gas is cheap right now.
I got a XLT with the 7.3. 4x4. Love it. But the mileage sux. But tows my 8k 26’ trailer great.
My last truck was a gasser, gave it to my son with almost 300.000 miles on it, he’s still driving it, my new truck is a gasser, didn’t go with diesel, for all the reasons you gave. Only thing is I went with Chevy, never had any luck with Fords, Beautiful truck tho.
ive got a 2000 7.3 diesel with 151k on it (and boy is it under powered compared to todays diesels) i probably still haven't broke even on the premium paid over 20yrs ago, not to mention i need to stick about 18k in rust repair and new paint but that's the same problem no matter what the engine
I just got a 2019 Ram 2500 6.4 hemi. It's more then enough truck with none of the diesel tinkering.
This was a timely video. I was debating between diesel and cost of maintenance and a gasser at the the 250 or 2500 level of truck. Thanks so much for putting this out. I guess I could look up what is the payload of the truck and did you add any additional suspension upgrades. Many thanks and keep the great videos coming. A fan in Canada.
Payload on this one is 3100lbs and some change.
@@WanderingWeekends I am also moving away from Diesel. I currently have great 2020 F350 DRW 6.7. I have not once pulled the trailer but do carry up to about 3300 lbs. I thought payload was bit higher. I am looking into 2023 F350 SRW 7.3 , 3,73. 11,400 ( SRW ) This will be my daily driver. I will skip the following - moon roof, FX4, 5th wheel prep. It will save me lots money and time. Do you use regular Unlead gasoline for your truck?
I had a 1994 F-350 dually crew cab, it was a work truck, 7.5 liter fuel injected big block, 4:11 rear end and five speed manual transmission, it got 10 mpg towing or solo as long as you stayed under 60 mph. It pulled our heavy old style trailer up and down the hills in western North Carolina in 4th gear. I traded it only because I had to go to an automatic transmission, those bad knees will cost you some fun. I would never buy a diesel vehicle, too expensive, and if you look at the issues they are having with component failures and poor design it is not justifiable to me. Our current vehicle is a 19 year old Chevy 1500 Z71 extended cab 5.3 with a 4 speed auto and 3:73 gearing. We don't take the trailer to the mountains anymore but tend to stay on the flat lands toward the beaches of North and South Carolina. Good luck with your new vehicle, it looks and sounds very nice !!
Thank you sir! Happy camping!
We're getting ready to hit the road fulltime, and exactly why I want a late 90's Chevy 1 ton with a flatbed and the 7.4 in it. I already have a '99 K2500 suburban with the 7.4, and we towed our 7klb trailer all over the Pacific Northwest with no performance issues. I had every expectation of being a little slower, but it pulled 30-45mph up any grade, all day long without moving the temperature needle. Coming back down, popping it into 3rd or 2nd gear (depending on the twists) and I never had to touch the brakes. Truck is stock, and I found out when we got home I was towing with a bad catalytic converter. Can't wait to see how it is when it improves. 8 mpg towing flat, uphill, downhill, didn't matter. Kinda wish it was better on flat ground, but it's nice for planning purposes!
I have a 1996 Chevy 2500 Silverado with the 7.4L and it will work. I'm not a tow 10K uphill person so it's more than useful. Fuel economy ain't good but those are the breaks. Sounds like yours is running fine. Interesting comments on this thread.
I have a 1994 K2500 suburban with a TBI 454 and it tows 7k trailer just fine. Yeah, I can’t go uphill at 65 mph but does it really matter??
Good trucks by I love my lbz Duramax 400,000 miles an bone stock a get about 25mpg an 21 mpg pulling a. 15,000 lb backhoe an a 8,000 lb gooseneck hard to bet that I did have to put tires on the damn thing though they should make a better tire lol
I did the same thing! Just bought a beautiful 97 ford 250 power stroke (7.3) and I love it. It gives us piece of mind to know we have an awesome and reliable vehicle when travelling. It does attract alot of unwanted attention though, I recieved 6 offers to buy it . It took me 2 months just to find one with low mileage
We have a 96 3500 and an 04 duramax and the diesel does far better but the 96 does just fine too. Daily driving we prefer the gas truck.
I hope you enjoy that beautiful new truck. I prefer the diesel in my 2018 King Ranch for three reasons (at least). 1) We travel in the mountains so we enjoy the fact that the turbo diesel doesn't lose much power at altitude. 2) Because of traveling through the mountains I feel much safer with the engine braking available with the diesel. 3) When fueling up with a trailer in tow it is much easier to go where the big rigs go (which practically never have gasoline) so I don't have to worry about getting to and away from the gas pumps. When we bought our truck to pull our bumper pull TT, we planned to eventually buy a fifth wheel. Now we can do that without worrying about getting another truck.
Did you buy a 350?
@@WanderingWeekends We got an F250 with the max towing package. Sometimes I think that I should have gotten the F350 though.
Payload may be a problem for you down the road. 5th wheel pins can get very heavy and most diesel 250’s just don’t have the capacity for them. Especially the King Ranch and Platinum models. I’d really do some math once you start looking around at 5’ers.
Just got a 2021 coachman pursuit 7.3 /6 speed and we are average 7.5/8.5 mpg 33ft class a towing a 2017 chev Colorado running 65/67 mph average speed can not complain love it in the hills had a 6.0 chev before good but a little weak in the hills I also like that it is a lot quitter i can actually hear the radio now lots of power in low rpms means less noise than high revving v10 or 6.0 onley regret is not having a 10 speed traney and did not want def /high cost maint of desal
This is great to hear!
Gas or diesel really comes down to how many miles /terrain you plan to travel only big difference is the Jake brake in the big hills coming down to fast is worse than a little slower going up @@WanderingWeekends
I have a 13 chevy 2500 with the 6.0 Vortec. Granted it isn't an every day driver and definitely isn't an every day puller but its everything I need and it has never failed me and I pull a two horse slant, dump trailer and 27 ft travel trailer. The gas mileage isn't what a diesel is but you save on everything else from purchase price to services etc etc.