RE: Diesel vs gas......................
Rvndave has a good point. For years I bought diesel for this very reason (and long engine life). The fuel economy is not just about $. I can leave St Pete FL full, fuel at south GA and middle of VA and make it to NY or MA. Fuel stops cost time. I used to drive 60K every year in my business. Now I bought 1 year ago a big toy hauler (pulled about 8-9K so far) and now I also get the heavy pulling power benifit. I now drive 40K business unloaded and 9-10K very loaded. There is no way a BB gas can do what I want. As I have said before the choice is up to the individual needs. I got what I need but you get what you need. 8.1 does not mind the extra fuel stops because with 12 people someone always gotta go pee. Note to 8.1, if your passengers pay for your fuel then you are transporting for compensation (illegal commercial operation). You will find this out if you ever have an injury and someone gets a lawyer. Don't take my word, check this out yourself. This may draw another nutty response.
Herein I find the best reason ever for one fuel type over another - "someone has always gotta go pee"
RE: half ton truck
I towed our 25 foot fiver with a '97 K1500 5.7l and had a great experience throughout. Actual weight via scales: 6100 pounds.
But - that is all I would want to tow with a 1/2 ton.
We tow the same fiver with a k2500 HD diesel and there is much more stability.
If you keep the actual weight well down from GVWR, like in the 6000 to 6500 range and you'll be okay.
But I grew up in Az, and if you head north of Phx, put her in 3rd and even 2nd and enjoy the rpms...
RE: The Economy & Bail Out Options
The auto companies would be OK if, during the Good Times, they had retained earnings for future investment. But they didn't. They skimmed the cream. Plus they have fought against modernization every step of the way, especially the last 35 years since the 1973 OPEC boycott.
Now they want the taxpayer to pay for things that they themselves were unwilling to do.
Well, they have plenty of retained earnings. More than other companies for auto makers have more downside during recessions. I think GM had 20 billion or more in cash when it entered this year.
VW bought Chrysler partly because their cash on hand was so high.
So, try another pot shot...
RE: Chrysler asks for bailout, gives bonuses....
snip...
And lastly - fed tax on vehicles of size, performance and MPG. Camero with the 'vette V8 = tax 'em. K2500 with be big diesel = tax 'em.
They already do it's called a Gas Guzzler Tax!:R
Yes, I know. I maintain the bar is to high and the tax too low.
The following are the only 2008 GM vehicles to which your tax is applied:
GENERAL MOTORS STS 4.4 v8
GENERAL MOTORS STS AWD 4.6 v8
GENERAL MOTORS XLR 4.4 v8
Think I'll buy a nice vette. Or maybe that Camero with the vette engine...
RE: Chrysler asks for bailout, gives bonuses....
snip...
Sorry but the blue collar worker is not the problem nor is my pay and benefits, but you can keep believing this if you like, but it won't make it so. ...snip
To my way of thinking, a preplanned GM Chapter 11 with Gov financing is the thing. Correct if I am wrong - GM pension is well funded, even in current market conditions. GM health care is a problem - full health care to retired workers and spouse - move them to the new national health care system that will no doubt come to be.
Another problem are properties and contracts that no longer make sense and should be discarded under Fed Bankruptcy laws. Salary and pension reductions for all - or unemployment - choose. All as for white and blue collars.
And lastly - fed tax on vehicles of size, performance and MPG. Camero with the 'vette V8 = tax 'em. K2500 with be big diesel = tax 'em.
Oh, and all reading this should begin to dollar cost average stocks of the other big three - Toyota, Honda, Volkwagen...
Everything really sucks these days...
RE: Chrysler asks for bailout, gives bonuses....
Got an idea, though I'll probably get flammed by someone. Let's take the money that has/is allocated for NASA to go to the moon, research Mars, Venus, Jupiter, whatever, and use THAT money to bail out the big three, I mean, at 58, I doubt I'm going to see any benefit of the NASA program,nor my grandchildren, but I'm not the brightest bulb in the box either. I mean, this is money well spent, but we could probably use it somewhere else as far as the economy NOW is concerned:R
Not nearly enough money.
Proposed 2009 budget is 2.7 trillion dollars. But just 17.6 billion is for NASA, all of NASA.
So, actually, NASA is a great investment. More pure science done in NASA for just 17 billion than the big three put together...
RE: Let's refuel America
Folks, the price of fuel is the smallest of worries when you look at the costs of owning big trucks and campers.
Get over it.
Okay, prices are way down now. But just 1 year ago folks went out there and bought $40k trucks that they financed so it ended up looking like $50k over the loan. Add insurance and in some states - vehicle property tax!!
Add a camper cost, and the rising fees at camp grounds.
Fuel for getting there remains the smallest portion of costs...
Oh, and Sierra Neveda Pale Ale is now $8.99 at the Kroger near here!
RE: 2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD Tire wear
I have a 2006, bought it used. Original tires at 43,000. The front one are at the wear bars, back ones have about another 10k miles. Whata gonna do!?!
Are your front ones suffering the most wear?? Alignment? Inflation??
How about a 4 wheel alignment, (don't know if they do that though...)...
Good luck
RE: Diesel vs gas......................
Not mellow. Mallow!! Marshmallow...
Wiki says: "The traditional recipe used an extract from the mucilaginous root of the marshmallow plant, a shrubby herb (Althaea officinalis), instead of gelatin; the mucilage was used to soothe sore throats."
Mucilaginous, hmmm, maybe I won't buy them after all...
RE: Diesel vs gas......................
I have yet to see a gasser getting 18 MPG, but whatever.
From Houston to Memphis, and then again on the way back I got 18+ mpg in my '98 K1500 5.7l gasser. Kept her at 65 mph and enjoyed the music.
Pretty flat here to there of course.
RE: Diesel vs gas......................
You forgot the $24,500 I got for selling my 2003 6.0 PSD Excursion in 2007 when diesel was cheaper than gas then paying $7,900 in March 2008 for the loaded 2002 3500LS 8.1 passenger van. I now have enough money left over to pay for gas for many years. I also had over 20 quarts of 5w-40 Mobil 1 left over from the Excursion since I sold it just before the PSD 30,000 mile fluid changes were due and that is good for three 8.1 oil changes. BTW gas is $1.11 cheaper than diesel here in NJ today.
Okay, $1.11 difference gas vs diesel. That figures to a whopping $69 a month in fuel savings from the previous calculation.
That seems a nice amount if one is talking about a paid for vehicle, but to my way of thinking it is just noise if one is stradled with $600 payments, $100 insurance, and $50 property tax/license per month on the thing.
And I again stand with you in your decision to dump the Excursion and buy the used van - That was a wise financial move. Even prescient given the today’s state of the economy, jobs outlook, used prices of big SUVs, etc.
But the continual blather about saving money on fill ups gas vs diesel is noisome, well, at least annoying anyway - because nobody does any math to quantify the argument...
RE: Diesel vs gas......................
Try doing the math at 22 MPG in my diesel truck. This is what I average on my 40 mile round trip to and from work, in my diesel.
Okay. I'll give you 22 mpg and the gasser 18 mpg through the whole 15,000 and the delta cost per month goes to $31.69.
RE: Diesel vs gas......................
...snip
Okay, for the simple minded - a difference of $59.67 a month.
If I may quote myself, for some people have more credit than brains... (which is quite different than having more money than brains!)
Some folks make a $40k truck purchase. NO, make that $50k if you add financing and license fees...
So $50k and they worry about 60 buck a month fuel cost delta, gas vs diesel.
Parents - teach your kids some math! Financial math. Save your kids from repeating YOUR mistakes!!!
Okay, I am off my soap box. And off to get another fine Pale Ale, good night...
RE: Dropping like a stone
A working man can't afford to buy a new truck any more unless he plans on paying for it for 7 years!! They have priced themselves out of the market along with the price of gas.
To my way of thinking, a working man should have never purchased a new truck at any time in recent history.
Working folks should hold the hard earned dollar and manage it carefully. That does not include buying an overpriced luxury item, paying interest on the thing, and then driving off the cliff of the first 3 years of depreciation.
A $15,000 3 year old truck goes a lot farther than a $40,000 brand new one. To my way of thinking...
RE: Diesel vs gas......................
I only had 8 people last week on our vacation at Seaside Resort in North Myrtle Beach SC. BTW diesel finally is under $3 here in NJ but gas is still more than $1 less.
Blah, blah, blah...
I am glad you got a USED gasser - used is were you win, (though with the coming 40% off fire sale in Dec/Jan that for this one time might be debatable...).
But give up on the incessant, never ending, Ad nauseam blather about gas vs diesel ...
Consider: At 15,000 miles per year, say 12 mpg gas vs 14 mpg diesel average over all, and a $1.99 gas vs $2.99 diesel costs and WHAT YA GOT?? A whopping $716.07 difference per year!
Okay, for the simple minded - a difference of $59.67 a month.
RE: Diesel vs gas......................
I'm buying a 31 ft 5th wheel (weight 10,500#) and will need a 3/4 ton pick-up.
I've read all the posts,but I'd like some specific advice.
I will use this as a daily driver and will put about 15,000 miles a year on it. I will pull the trailer once or twice a month on a 300 mile round trip. I will probably trade the truch after 3 years with under 50,000 miles. So which is the most cost efffective for me, diesel or gas. I know the diesel PU intially costs more, but the salesperson said I'd get more for the trade-in!
What say you ??
Here is a thought - buy used, whether BB or diesel.
There are a bunch of folks that have over spent, even bought big trucks just last year, and find themselves upside down in life. They need to get rid of their vehicles.
Downside - you need to take care that you get clear title. Those folks likely will need to add some of their money with your money in a big check to a finance company...
Or look for used on a dealer lot. Then look at a new one. Then back to the used one. Like that for about 2 hours...
Good luck!!!
RE: Diesel vs gas......................
I always love reading opinions regarding diesel vs gas.
Consider if you drive 15000 miles a year at an average 15 mpg diesel and 13 mpg gas, and at $2.99 diesel $1.99 gas the difference -- a whopping $700 a year cost difference.
Spend $30,000+ on a truck, finance it costing another $5,000 over the life of a loan - and yet worry about $700 a year fuel costs...
Sure, others will have different numbers, but these work for at least 80% of us...
Lucky for us, my commute is only 4 miles, so I worry about just $400 a year...
RE: When do you NEED to trade vehicles...
This thread took an interesting direction.
I'll pile-on: Consider the lost opportunity costs of making auto payments all the time.
Conservatively - $350 a month for 20 years at 8% = $206,000!
That 3 year old HEAVY DUTY truck driven around by some tie wearing dude who loads up on mulch every spring makes one heck of a deal for those of us who buy used...
RE: new fifth wheel
We still pull the fifth wheel that we once pulled with a chevy 1/2 ton pickup - and the old K1500 with its 5.7l engine 3.73 rear end did very well!
But it had a factory installed extra leaf spring and heavy duty front torsion, like the old 'heavy half'.
Pin on the fiver is about 1000#.
Of course, the 2500 HD D/A pulls it so hard, I rolled the TV and chair from their usual place to the back of the camper...
Good luck
