Is a F250 Diesel Necessary?

[astrungis]

Yeah, I had the same thoughts of going with a gas engine too. First I thought it would be as powerful as a diesel but it is not. The other thing that seals it for me is the exhaust brake. We have been down some long, steep hills. Between the exhaust brake and the transmission, it saved my hide from burning the brakes.

[kingdaddy]

Originally Posted by Montana Man

I personally enjoy reading the opinions. However, it appears the OP took his ball and went home.

Haha...I was just thinking the same thing!

I think after about 60 replies, we have pretty much beaten this horse to death...

After towing 2 different Montanas for 9 years with my '06 Ram 2500 MegaCab (SRW) I will say that the biggest improvement is with the stability of my current truck (dually). Just handles the weight much better (no surprise)

[chapman]

As far as the DW and duallys , tell her it is a safety thing. In case you loose a rear tire you won’t be riding on the rim while trying to get to a safe spot off the road Less sway in wind and you will thank yourself when you arrive at your destination ( no white knuckles ) Another safety factor is the exhaust brake that come with diesels. I travell a lot in the Sierra Nevadas and I set my speed and the exhaust brake keeps me at that speed on 6/7% grades never have to touch the service brakes !! All these things helped sell my DW on a diesel dually. Ram 3500 Big Horn

[Hippy223]

My 2 cents we just bought a 2020 f450 diesel haven’t made a trip yet hope to in couple of weeks.
The new truck is quite you don’t know your in a diesel.

[jeffba]

okay to call it

[Byron B]

I wish to add my $.02 to this discussion please.
For our businesses, I have owned 7 Chevrolet 3500 series pickups. The first 4 were gassers the last three were diesels. All were srw 4 door 8’bed 4wd. We changed from gas to diesels when a buddy of mine bought a new chevy diesel and asked me to come drive it. I was astonished. It wasn’t loud and it didn’t smell. It was necessary to bring my wife to his house so she could see for herself. As a cancer survivor she was/is VERY sensitive to smell. She liked it so within 30 days our next two purchases were a new Chevy diesel and a 36’ Mobile Suites 17k#, Which we pulled around the country for 10 years and lived in full time for 8 years. We also bought our first Montana almost 4 years ago and just bought our second Montana. 3121RL which we will pull with our present F250 diesel.
In short: you need the torque, the fuel mileage and the power of a diesel. IMHO

[catch up with the zzzz]

all of that is good, but have you considered the GVWR. at towing 16400 on the 3791rd. i use a 14000 lb dually. option on the 350 or 3500. There isn't much cost dif between a 250 or 350 but a much more robust suspension.

[chapman]

You are going to love it !!!

[catch up with the zzzz]

Sorry I must disagree. I use a ram 3500 dually 6.4l hemi dual rear wheel 14000lb gvwr. Going up and down the East coast Jersey to Florida. Maybe 1 or 2 minuets of the entire trip did I need to go over 3200 rpms and averaged 8 MPG. T a 10,000 dollar initial cost dif. and service and maintenance costs being a third of the cost. The sound is beautiful.

[catch up with the zzzz]

Nail on the head.

[catch up with the zzzz]

i think everyone who knocks gassers should watch the ike challange with the 7. gasser put to the test. that's on you tube tfl.com they test many models under load on the toughest run in america.

[Clark Anklam]

We purchased a 2013 F350 King Ranch diesel, new, and have never regretted it! We pull a Montana 3610, and average overall when in the mountains out west 10.3 mpg! But the biggest advantage we like is the uphill and downhill performance. The engine brake is phenomenal! While the wife is white knuckled when wer'e coming down the steep mountain passes, I sit there comfortably knowing my brakes aren't being burned up and were reaching our destination safely! Going back up the mountains we never starve for power! Is it overkill? Absolutely not! I look at it as an insurance policy! Power when we need it, and when we don't!

[Last2Die]

We need a “close thread button”. This horse is dead !!

[432bartman]

So the consensus is, Dirvin0500 needs a diesel truck.........end of story.

[handyman321]

Everyone missed the boat. You will need at least a F350 to tow most Montana models. Diesel has much more low end torque. The rear end ratio is another key point.

Towing up steep grades is where the diesel shines.

[bwright]

Yes, the F350 has a helper spring helping you carry a higher payload. The difference in price is minimal when you are looking at the price of a new unit. I hear that the long beds carry a bit more payload than a short bed which will help you on hitch weight without the need for a dually.

[Ram Montana High Country]

Originally Posted by Dirvin0500

My DW and I are preparing to retire in the next couple of years. We will be refreshing our current truck with a new one the first of Nov. We've decided on the 373RD or the 3791RD. If we were to buy an F250, would we absolutely have to buy a diesel? Have been looking at the new 7.3 L gasser with a 4.30 gearbox. It looks to be good. We had a diesel before and didn't like it as well as a gas model. Any suggestions are very welcome.

Here's a little input that I learned the expensive way - 2017 2500 Ram / 2017 305RL - GVWR 10,000. When it was weighed ready to camp 8,800 pounds - leave 1.200 pounds of tongue weight … ended up 1,800 pounds overweight.

bought a 3500 DRW and 373RD

Fully understand GVWR before buying next truck.

PS - wife loves new truck, quiet, rides very well, and doesn't smell

[daveinaz]

Like others have said, I’d recommend the diesel. The newer ones are quieter and smoke free. The only downside is that they are more expensive to buy and upkeep. I’d also recommend the dually. We have a 1-ton diesel dually and it pulls our 3400RL just fine. It is no problem pulling the rig for 400-500 miles a day if you want to go that far. The diesel pulls well up grades, the exhaust brake holds you going down grades, and the duals keeps it comfortable in crosswinds. True, it’s a pain in the butt to drive a around town, but you quickly get used to it.

Our previous motor home was a a gasser and like some have said, it needs RPMs to generate power and than means downshifting and high RPMs when climbing grades — and with that motor sitting between us you couldn’t hear each other talk when the engine was screaming trying to get up a grade.

If I had a smaller trailer I’d consider a gasser but with something this big, I’m happy with the diesel. I went with a dually because of the sizable pin weight of the 3400RL. The dually has substantially more payload capacity and I would be over the payload on a SRW.

[AJP]

Originally Posted by Dirvin0500

My DW and I are preparing to retire in the next couple of years. We will be refreshing our current truck with a new one the first of Nov. We've decided on the 373RD or the 3791RD. If we were to buy an F250, would we absolutely have to buy a diesel? Have been looking at the new 7.3 L gasser with a 4.30 gearbox. It looks to be good. We had a diesel before and didn't like it as well as a gas model. Any suggestions are very welcome.

I have had both gas and diesel. My opinion is based on longevity and the power to pull with ease while holding back with use of engine brake and transmission. Not sure of the year model you had but I can say. I have been very pleased with my F350. I have a 40' Montana that requires good power, braking, and stability. I went with the F350 single rather than duel rears due to the fact that I do not run the flat lands at this time where wind would be a factor. My vote is diesel, gas just labors to much and will not assists with holding back putting more load on trans and brakes. Hope this helps in some way. Best to you and yours...

[Flying Dutchman]

Hello you guys. We are doing the exact same thing. We purchased a 3582RL a couple of years ago. It has a dry weight of 12,200 lbs and a GVWR of 16,500 lbs. We’re pulling it with a RAM 3500 diesel and it handles it well. On a flat surface with no wind we get 13 - 14 mpg. Headwind takes it down to 9 - 10 mpg. Your unit looks to be about half this weight or less, so a gas engine should have no problem with that. I would definitely go for a 3/4 ton truck minimum (with a heavy duty setup though). When pulling a large unit like yours’ bigger is always better imho. Diesels are better prepared for heavy towing though. We use the engine break in which saves on brakes and transmission, and the diesel handles the weight with much less effort. Enjoy your freedom time you guys ��.