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Old 10-16-2017, 07:31 PM   #1
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Opinion gas vs. Diesel

Hi all
We own a 2017 eagle ht 29.5bhds.
Currently own a 2006 chevy silverado 2500hd 8.1 gas. Allison tranny 4wd. Averaged 8 mpg from hershey to long island. The truck is a 2006 with only 75k miles.
We're thinking of up grading to a diesel silverado for better mileage and performance. Will be able to afford around a 2006/2007. What do u guys think.
Thanks
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Old 10-16-2017, 07:58 PM   #2
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Do you have any concerns about your current truck - engine, trans, etc? If not, IMO put the money in the bank that you'd spend to upgrade to a diesel and keep driving your current truck. The added tow power of a diesel is nice, but it's unlikely the difference in MPG will amount to much (unless you tow A LOT) plus the maintenance of a diesel is higher.
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Old 10-16-2017, 08:28 PM   #3
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Do you have any concerns about your current truck - engine, trans, etc? If not, IMO put the money in the bank that you'd spend to upgrade to a diesel and keep driving your current truck. The added tow power of a diesel is nice, but it's unlikely the difference in MPG will amount to much (unless you tow A LOT) plus the maintenance of a diesel is higher.
X-2 Use some of the money to make some performance upgrades on your existing truck.
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Old 10-16-2017, 08:45 PM   #4
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with that low mileage on a 8.1L keep your money in your pocket instead of spending on a diesel from that year (which probably has lots of mileage). For the difference you would pay you can buy a lot of gasoline. I have RAM 5.7L when pulling a TT it uses similar in fuel ratio and the RAM probably has to work harder.
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Old 10-17-2017, 03:22 AM   #5
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I had the same truck for ten years and only put 44k miles on it when I sold it last year. Mine had 4.10 rear in it and it couldn’t pass a gas station without stopping but it was a towing beast. That said I wouldn’t have got rid of it to get a used diesel truck for sure. If you were buying new then yes.
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Old 10-17-2017, 03:27 AM   #6
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Guys thanks so much for your input.
Do you have any experience with upgrades like a tuning kit or chip to give it some extra torque or horsepower.
What fuel mileage are you all hetting?
Current truck is in great shape. Just did new tires,stainless brake lines. Pitman and idler arm
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Old 10-17-2017, 03:39 AM   #7
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For tuning go with one of the well known tuners such as westers garage which replaces the pcm. You should be able to pickup another 20hp and 50ft/lbs of torque without other engine mods.
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Old 10-17-2017, 04:19 AM   #8
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Hi Demiles
Do you have a specific model# or cost of the tuner.
Seems like a significant upgrade. I too have 4.10 gears.
My other concern was not much room for my daughter in the back. She's 4 now. And can't roll down windows
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Old 10-17-2017, 04:21 AM   #9
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This is the truck
Attached Thumbnails
20171016_120213.jpg   20171016_120225.jpg  
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Old 10-17-2017, 04:52 AM   #10
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I agree with keeping the truck, especially if you drive it every day. Diesels are expensive to buy and maintain. Unless you are towing more than 10k miles a year the gasser makes more sense.

But, I'd think hard about a tuner. Do you ever plan to use it as a trade in? If so, leave it alone. Many dealers won't take a vehicle that does not meet emissions standards, even in states that don't test. Having said that, some tune jobs can be stealthy.

I did hotrod mine (diesel) when the turbo had to be replaced. Most of it was done to delete the emissions gear. If I had to do it over again I'd do the reversible deletes.
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Old 10-17-2017, 05:00 AM   #11
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This is the truck
Mine was the exact cab configuration and the reason I got rid of was to get a crew cab truck. Do a Google search for Westers garage and that will point you in the right direction. There was another tuner that was well known but the name escapes me right now. They were $500-$700 5 years ago. You can get them in various different ways and it may be available with Ez-link now. I’ve been out of the loop the last few years.
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Old 10-17-2017, 05:12 AM   #12
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Thanks for the help
Demiles was crew cab worth it?
The truck is only used for towing and maybe get bagels on saturday morning. I do not use it as a daily driver.
What's the most popular performance upgrades
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Old 10-17-2017, 05:23 AM   #13
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For me yes it was. My granddaughter is now 10 and goes with us every time we camp and sometimes brings friends along. The extra space makes is so much easier to do. I use my trucks the same way, I bought new and only put 44k on it in ten years and 20k of that was towing 6500-8000lbs.
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Old 10-17-2017, 05:27 AM   #14
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Mine was the exact cab configuration and the reason I got rid of was to get a crew cab truck. Do a Google search for Westers garage and that will point you in the right direction. There was another tuner that was well known but the name escapes me right now. They were $500-$700 5 years ago. You can get them in various different ways and it may be available with Ez-link now. I’ve been out of the loop the last few years.

You may be thinking of Black Bear Performance. I've been under the impression that they are the gold standard of GM truck computer tuning.
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Old 10-17-2017, 05:29 AM   #15
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My 2004 8.1 Avalanche only has 37K miles on her. With the 4.10 gears she is rated for 12K lbs. It only gets 7.5 mpg pulling but the big block rarely sees past 3K on the tach even on grades.
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Old 10-17-2017, 05:32 AM   #16
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My opinion is that unless you are hauling something on a daily basis, then owning a diesel pickup makes no sense.

My hauler is a 22 year old gas hog. My cost of ownership is practically zero. It always gets the job done for me. Can I haul my trailer at 85 MPH in the hills? No, but I don't need to be going that fast, anyway. Careful planning obviates the need for a towing beast.
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Old 10-17-2017, 06:03 AM   #17
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You may be thinking of Black Bear Performance. I've been under the impression that they are the gold standard of GM truck computer tuning.
Yes thank you. My truck was a 06 mated to the 6spd Allison. It was making 90% of its torque at 1,000 rpm though because of CAFE this engine was very detuned. The marine version started at 370hp.
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Old 10-17-2017, 08:21 AM   #18
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I bet that 8.1 is a fantastic engine and paired with the Allison would really be something. I agree with all the arguments to keep it except one.....

A common thing I see on these forums is to not buy a deisel unless you tow X pounds or X miles/year because the expense isn't worth it. I get that logic to some degree, however this is coming from people who spent 10K-100k or more on something they use one a month or less, is a toy, and loses value every 30 seconds. Kind of funny reasoning.

Anyway, your truck sounds like a beast as is. Diesels are fun and and costly like RV'S. So, if you can pay for it and would enjoy it, I say go for it.

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Old 10-17-2017, 09:15 AM   #19
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You guys were a big help
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Old 10-17-2017, 09:25 AM   #20
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Hi all
We own a 2017 eagle ht 29.5bhds.
Currently own a 2006 chevy silverado 2500hd 8.1 gas. Allison tranny 4wd. Averaged 8 mpg from hershey to long island. The truck is a 2006 with only 75k miles.
We're thinking of up grading to a diesel silverado for better mileage and performance. Will be able to afford around a 2006/2007. What do u guys think.
Thanks
Save your money your biggest expense was the trucks depreciation.. buying a new truck north of 50k and lets just assume it can get 15MPG towing (it won't) you just lost another 20-30k in value... how gas mileage ever is discussed when you have a truck and a trailer fascinates me... because it is the smallest cost of owning a truck... the cost of gas vs diesel along with your mileage of 10 with the diesel you will not come out ahead.. now if you just want a new truck and this is your rationalization.. heck go for it... but financially it makes no sense... and mileage "savings" does not add up...


what do you expect out of a tuner? better mileage or HP/torque? are you really saying the 8.1 can't haul you camper? seems a bit odd... unless it has like 3.55 gears or something odd like that... what gears does it have?
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