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Keep 6.6 gasser or move down to 3.0 Duramax?

BuckWallace
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Chuck FB Enthusiast

Chuck FB

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31 minutes ago, c4racer2 said:

I won't tow over those very often, but it can happen from time to time.  I'll be fine with the gas.  Most of my driving is around town or weekend road trips with my wife or with my music gear for my band.   wasn't worth the extra $10K up front especially consdering diesel is a 25-30% premium over gas here.

 

I had to do a quick tow this weekend, but it was just my small untiliy trailer with a fridge on it and 6 mile round trip.  I think it will live.  I forgot how much I hate backing up that tiny one axle trailer - I am used to a 20' dual axle car trailer and can put that anywhere but the small one axle is so different.

 

Also - I didn't do Loveland pass proper - just the one over 70 - I don't think it's as high and it's not windy but it's sustained 8% grade so rather steep.  I have done Loveland in the snow when the tunnel was close due to a big rig crash.  Luckily the wife was sleeping - she would not have been amused!  that's a nasty road.  I would hate to tow over it - but it can be done that's the normal passage for all the haz-mat trucks.

 

I hear you on the valid reasons these days to shy away from the diesel platform unless one is expecting to do a fair bit of heavy towing as well as on a lot of grades due to the engine braking that the big three diesels are equipped with. Shorter runs and more so in a cold season climate and with all the emissions garbage they have strapped on the diesels, its not really the best choice and then the fuel price difference takes away the fuel mileage benefit. I farm or should say until recently and surrounded by diesel equipment and highway tractors etc all my life but seeing some of the downfalls of the diesel pickups I decided it was not worth the extra hassle since my use case for the truck I even bought is up in the air as per an HD truck and burning more fuel over a half ton gas. Being that I live in northern Alberta and we certainly get winter, I can say that this L8T and it has the rad shutters on it as well, I am very pleased with how quickly the engine warms up with minimal initial idle time before I ease down the gravel road with light engine load for the mile and a half to the highway and the engine is almost up to full temp even in extreme cold conditions, vastly different than how a cold blooded diesel reacts. 

 

I was laughing at the vision of the single axle trailer, I don't know if yours is like a typical open deck snowmobile trailer which would be on the same order as towing back in the day of those small tent trailers, they are not enjoyable to back and certainly not with a long wheel base truck over a short suv. 

 

I'd say one of the items I wished a gas engine had was an engine braking system when it comes to towing as over the years with older gas or non jake brake equipped diesel tandem trucks and descending grades and not even all the long of grades certainly compared to the passes in Colorado or similar, having to gear right down and I do mean right down so the truck is just crawling so the engine has the mechanical advantage to control the speed, that is painful and so when we bought highway tractors with jake brakes for pulling grain trailers, that sure was a game changer and even for flat ground slowing down for an intersection and not having to use the foundation brakes. 

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Another JR
Another JR

There is definitely a difference in rear spring stiffness. With the truck empty, you mainly notice it going over large bumps like speed bumps where the 3500’s second stage leaf comes into play. There

XY74
XY74

100% agree on the get a beater for commuting idea.  I live in the rust belt and have long used a winter beater, the thought of my new truck covered in salt makes me ill.    Different reason than yours

dieselfan1
dieselfan1

No brainer if it were me. Keep the truck you have. Your probably going to run out of payload on the 1/2 ton just like your Tundra. 150 miles a week commuting is not even worth talking a

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