Ask TFLTruck: Should I Get a Gas or Diesel HD Truck for Short Commute and RV Towing?

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Gas or Diesel – HD Truck?

The age old question in pickup trucks has arrived in our inboxes again, so let’s take a look. 

We were contacted by Brendan Schulte, looking for advice on whether to buy gasoline or diesel.

Good evening! I just watched your video on HD Diesel vs HD Gas.  I currently own a 2014 Silverado 1500 Z71 and I am finding that when towing our hybrid camper, approximately 6500# loaded, it really struggles up slight grades.  So I am researching new trucks and I am stuck between gas or diesel.  The truck would be my daily driver with a 5 mile commute to work.  We tow the camper approximately 10 weekends a year, mostly within 2 hours. In addition, I would like to upgrade the trailer in the next year or so.

In your experience, if this were your situation, would you be looking for HD gas or diesel?

Thank you for your time!

Thanks for the question Brendan.

First of all, it sounds like you don’t fit into the high mileage usage case for a diesel. As you end up of saving on fuel consumption over a gas engine, diesels become a smart option for those who put many miles on the vehicles.

That doesn’t mean a diesel doesn’t make sense. At 6,500-pounds, an HD diesel would control that weight with little effort, and that is a nice feeling. You also mention upgrading your trailer in the future, and that’s when having extra capacity over what you need is nice.

However, that’s also not a massive load for any HD truck, and the gasoline options out there could easily handle the load. A Ram 2500 with the 6.4-liter HEMI has maximum tow ratings around 15,000-lbs depending on the model, which would be more than enough for your current trailer and would leave with room.

The question in our eyes really comes down to: do you want to spend the money on the diesel just for the massive torque gains? Because remember, in HD trucks, the diesel engine is generally a six- to seven-thousand dollar option.

In your case, a gas-powered HD would haul your load and provide more power and confidence than what you tow with now. But if you can afford the diesel, it would make take any stress out of those long grades, not to mention offering even more capacity to allow for future upgrades.