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Daily cost of diesel vs gas?

HuskyTaylor

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I can tell you that my 2006 Cummins was flawless for the 10 years (154,000 miles) I owned it. I can also tell you that it was worth $24,000 when I sold it. Let's do the math. It was $43,000 NEW. Subtract $24,000. That leaves me with $19,000, right? $19,000 divided by 10 years of ownership (120 months) = $158 per month. So, it cost me $158 dollars per month to own that truck over a 10 year period. You can't rent a go-kart for that price.
I wasn’t talking about truck value. It’s extra cost of the motor versus the gas motor. Unless you are towing every day it won’t even out. Even if the gas motor gets less mileage the fuel is less to buy.
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biodiesel

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That is my new tank I bought this week, but I will be mounting it on a small double axle trailer. Just use the aluminum trailer to haul stuff behind the GC because...
No diesel JT yet.
Was your main reason for buying the tank to capitalize on the cheaper diesel fuel? Also, how many gallons does it hold?
 

biodiesel

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I wasn’t talking about truck value. It’s extra cost of the motor versus the gas motor. Unless you are towing every day it won’t even out. Even if the gas motor gets less mileage the fuel is less to buy.
But sometimes the upcharge for the diesel engine is later recouped in resale value, or a combination of value and fuel economy. In the case of the Cummins, that is 100% true. In the case of an EcoDiesel, that might not be 100% true. But even if it were 40% true, the extra cost of the engine might be worth it for some. I know I wouldn't enjoy driving a Pentastar as much as I would an EcoDiesel. So, the joy of ownership has to be calculated as 'value', too.
 

Oilburner

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Was your main reason for buying the tank to capitalize on the cheaper diesel fuel? Also, how many gallons does it hold?
It's a 300 gal tank, almost everything I own uses diesel fuel, all the way down to lawn mower. Skid- steer, tractors, etc.
 

steelponycowboy

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The same eco diesel has been used on the Ram 1500 since I think 2014 and has been reliable. A buddy of mine has one with over 200k miles and has nothing but great things to say about it. His previous ride was a Ram 2500 with the Cummins and he says that the 3L eco gets about 10 more MPG than the Cummins and for what he tows it's just as powerful.

Here in AZ, we continue to get screwed about as much as our neighbors in CA when it comes to gas/diesel prices. While you can buy gas in Kansas City for $1.72 a gallon or diesel for $1.80, we are still paying close to $3 a gallon for either here in Phoenix but the rural areas are anywhere from 50 to 70 cents a gallon less (unless you gas up in Wickiup where the price is $4 a gallon, like CA). No sense as they get their gas trucked from Phoenix so it should be more.

Also take into consideration the resale value down the road. The Grand Cherokee diesels are selling for way more than the hemi models and more than making up for the difference in original costs.

My RV has a 8.3L Cummins, the oil change is about $400 a year. The recommend changing every 10,000 miles but I do it at 5000. I'd never go back to a gas RV. You can't beat the power of the oil burner towing or going up a long steep grade.

So IMO, if you want the advantages of a diesel and plan on towing, don't disappoint yourself by getting the Pentastar.
 
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biodiesel

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It's a 300 gal tank, almost everything I own uses diesel fuel, all the way down to lawn mower. Skid- steer, tractors, etc.
300 is a good sized tank. Will you manually pump the fuel or electronically pump the fuel?
 

biodiesel

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Electric, with a manual one in the box for backup-
Smart idea! If I saw diesel drop down to $1.50 per gallon, I would be buying a tank, too!
 

Gladiator4Runner

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Now that gas is $1.15/gallon it makes me thinks to get the gasser (?) Wondering when they'll just jack up the price and how far it'll go?
 

steelponycowboy

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Now that gas is $1.15/gallon it makes me thinks to get the gasser (?) Wondering when they'll just jack up the price and how far it'll go?
I wish gas was $1.15 a gallon. In Mesa, AZ (Phoenix Metro area) the price of gas is $2.56. Outside of Phoenix area it is under $2 but no where near $1.15. Price of oil shot up this week and the word is prices will be on the uprise as soon as the glut is over.

One thing you can be sure of, gas is going to go back up to where it was before the Corona Virus so you are kidding yourself if you think gas is going to stay under $2.50 a gallon come the end of this year and I expect it to be around $3 here in AZ, the price before it crashed.

Expensive gas for the most part is here to stay because OPEC and the oil companies know that we will pay the price no matter what.
 

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WXman

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Gas has been $0.94/gallon in parts of the state, but generally you're looking at around $1.50/gallon give or take a couple of dimes. The reason for the low prices is that there is low demand. People are being forced to stay home by the all-powerful government, which means stations are selling less gasoline, which means prices are dropping. The cat and mouse games between Russia and the Saudis isn't helping either. So, gas prices are falling like a rock. I haven't seen gasoline this low in Kentucky since 9-11-2001.

Diesel on the other hand is still in demand because it's the fuel that gets work done. Tractors, construction equipment, commercial trucks, busses, generators, etc. all depend on it. So, diesel has only fallen marginally. I'm still paying $2.26 right now.

So, the gap between gas and diesel is high right now, which is eating away all fuel savings on higher MPGs with my EcoDiesel. BUT....it will not remain this way. As soon as the all-powerful government allows humans to leave home again and the economy starts to recover, you'll see gasoline prices jump very quickly, while diesel fuel stays more steady. I would not purchase a gasoline engine right now based upon the difference in fuel prices right now.
 

biodiesel

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Now that gas is $1.15/gallon it makes me thinks to get the gasser (?) Wondering when they'll just jack up the price and how far it'll go?
Don't buy a diesel if you're wanting to save money. Diesel fuel will almost always cost more than gasoline and the maintenance on a gasoline engine will be much cheaper than a diesel. Your reason for buying a diesel should be for it's improved driveability, improved towing performance, and engine longevity, not because it's a better financial decision. You'll be $5K ahead just for buying the Pentastar.
 

steelponycowboy

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Don't buy a diesel if you're wanting to save money. Diesel fuel will almost always cost more than gasoline and the maintenance on a gasoline engine will be much cheaper than a diesel. Your reason for buying a diesel should be for it's improved driveability, improved towing performance, and engine longevity, not because it's a better financial decision. You'll be $5K ahead just for buying the Pentastar.
Last summer I put 6000 miles on my diesel pusher RV with an 8.3L Cummins. I can tell you that coast to coast the difference between gas and diesel was just a few pennies. In a few cases, diesel was a few pennies less but in most it was a few more. My 8 cent Good Sam discount at Flying J made up for some or most of the difference. Given my experience last year and what I expect to be in the future when oil prices jump back to $50 a gallon or more, I feel that the MPG difference between the 3.6 and the eco diesel will save me money in the long run and give me much better performance on and off road.
 

biodiesel

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I feel that the MPG difference between the 3.6 and the eco diesel will save me money in the long run.
Any money saved in fuel economy will be gone in maintenance. Not only do you have to buy expensive oil filters and fuel filters, but you also have to buy DEF. In addition, you won't recoup the $5,000 up-charge for the diesel option.
 

steelponycowboy

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Any money saved in fuel economy will be gone in maintenance. Not only do you have to buy expensive oil filters and fuel filters, but you also have to buy DEF. In addition, you won't recoup the $5,000 up-charge for the diesel option.
The eco diesel is a $4000 option per my dealer not $5000. DEF is cheap and a DEF fill lasts 10,000 miles according to Jeeps specs (which is why the fuel tank is smaller to accomodate the DEF tank. Since my dealer charges $75 for an oil change on the Pentastar every 5K miles. You can buy the oil change kit online for $85 or less and do it yourself or pay your local garage $20 ($100 total) is stands to reason the cost could be $25 more than the gas. So the cost isn't that much more and the manual on the Ram eco diesel says 10,000 miles or whenever the dash light tells you to change it. So even if you had the service done at the dealer for twice the cost of the 3.6 gas engine, you can drive twice as many miles between changes. Your argument does not make any sense.
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