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Old 10-22-2014, 04:50 PM   #1
Eric91Z
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Diesel double duty

Ok, so I am new here and to the camping/trailer life. My wife and I have decided we are going to do this and I ended up on this site as so far we have narrowed down to Keystone as the brand we want because that is what the local dealership we want to use sells and the Keystone reputation.

That being said, while shopping for a travel trailer, we also need a tow vehicle. The tow vehicle will pull double duty as my daily driver. And we have decided we want to make sure we have enough vehicle for what we get or might want to upgrade to down the road. The truck will be a purchase and keep for some time so looking at it as more of an investment and don't want the TV to be a limiting factor on what travel trailer we get.

That being said, I am looking for input specifically on a diesel as a daily driver in Iowa - so all four seasons, including winters like last year where we saw -30 and colder temps. And this vehicle will end up being parked outside most of the time. And with my schedule, during the school year, it will spend better part of one week seeing limited driving time mostly within 5-10 miles and other weeks with 15 minute or so, in town commutes each way. And then twice a week with highway time of roughly 75 miles round trip each time. Then on top of that we plan on using the travel trailer for trips both around Iowa, but across the country, too. The whole reason we are buying is to travel and see the US with multiple trips throughout the year.

My primary choice of vehicle would be a 2015+ Chevy 2500HD, crew cab, 4WD, LTZ Z71 and trying to decide if the diesel will work or stick with the 6.0L gasser. I know maintenance will be higher, but if I get new then get 2 years of covered maintenance anyway. And when, or if, I get rid of it would have the better re-sale of the diesel. But is the latest Duramax/Allison combo all weather capable, especially when spending time parked outside in the winter. And, just as importantly, will remote start work on the diesel as factory option?

Not looking for gas vs. diesel debate, but rather actual input from those of you that use your TV as your daily driver and it is a diesel. Any issues or concerns to take in to account if I go the diesel route. Have never owned one before...

Thanks for your time and input.
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Old 10-22-2014, 05:07 PM   #2
EricLynnAllison
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My 3500 diesel started fine this past winter which was the coldest we've had in along time. I have the remote start has worked fine all seasons
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Old 10-22-2014, 05:29 PM   #3
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My dmax sits outside...wish I had a garage to fit this beast in. The dmax has a block heater, I plug it in on the really cold nights (below 0) starts quick and easy. Yes the remote start works. If you go diesel, make sure you get the grill cover, it helps the tranny get up to temp. The biggest problem I saw with winter driving was the trans runs very cool (if that's really a problem), but the grill cover helps. As for the short commutes, yes that is a concern, the dmax likes to get out and stretch it's legs a bit, but a nice 75 mile drive every now and then should help.
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Old 10-22-2014, 05:51 PM   #4
Eric91Z
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Thanks for the input all. I really appreciate hearing this. Also looked over on the Duramax Forum and people have pretty much said the same thing.

I, too, wish I had a garage big enough to keep it inside as I get so paranoid these days leaving a vehicle outside. Plus, my OCD on keeping vehicles clean will take a hit...


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Old 10-22-2014, 06:04 PM   #5
Festus2
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Short, daily hops of 5-10 miles and 15 minutes of driving are not a diesel's "best friend". With that kind of driving, the engine doesn't even have a chance to warm up. If you can get it out on the highway 2x a week over 75 miles, your diesel will thank you.

Block heaters work well; and again, your diesel will smile when started after being plugged in for the night.

Other than that, your diesel will perform well over the winter months. Some folks use a fuel additive during the cold weather.
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Old 10-22-2014, 06:24 PM   #6
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Short, daily hops of 5-10 miles and 15 minutes of driving are not a diesel's "best friend". With that kind of driving, the engine doesn't even have a chance to warm up. If you can get it out on the highway 2x a week over 75 miles, your diesel will thank you.

Block heaters work well; and again, your diesel will smile when started after being plugged in for the night.

Other than that, your diesel will perform well over the winter months. Some folks use a fuel additive during the cold weather.
^^^ This! A friend of mine is having all kinds of problems with his DEF and DPF, 2013 D-Max. Truck sits most of the time. Diesels like/need to be driven, they don't like to sit for sure. He was telling me the other day how he has been 3 times to the dealer in the las 8 months, same problem. Other than that, any of the big 3 diesels with a cold weather package will start w/o a problem in that kind of temperature. Nothing pulls like a diesel, thats for sure.
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Old 10-22-2014, 06:43 PM   #7
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I am currently looking to upgrade my current truck to a 2015 3500HD and Inn the same boat (gas versus diesel). My 6.0 gasser serves me well Towing the 12k fiver, but would wouldn't recommend gas if planning on Towing anything over 10k full time or cross country.
The 6.0 gas drive train is bullet proof. I will say that. Also, if you do go with gas, 4:10 axle is a must have for any trailer over 9500 gvwr. (per gm)
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Old 10-22-2014, 07:35 PM   #8
Eric91Z
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Given budget we are looking at, I am guessing we will be under 10k in trailer weight. Probably closer to 9000 or so. Given that, sitting at times, and shorter travel times during school year for daughter, the gasser with 4.10 gears might be the better option, at least for now. And knowing long term goal is Class A instead of bigger TT or Fiver, maybe the 6.0L would be better choice for me... Oh, so confused... Which is nothing new for me!


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Old 10-22-2014, 08:15 PM   #9
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I have wrenched "on the side" for 40+ yrs now and I have found that gasoline engines are much more forgiving than diesels when used for short trips and numerous start/stop cycles.
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Old 10-22-2014, 10:14 PM   #10
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My ram is a double duty truck also, DD 5 days a week, and a puller on the weekends till the snow flies. In colder weather plug your truck in (I use a timer set for 4 hrs), drive away easy, till you get some heat in the motor. In my opinion trucks with emission equipment limit your idle time, and maybe consider throwing a battery charger on the batteries 1 or 2x a month to bring up the charge if you can't get out for a longer drive, and enjoy the awesome pulling power.
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Old 10-23-2014, 02:54 AM   #11
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We have a Cummins without DEF, etc. Even though parked inside at night, I connect a HF timer to the block heater timed for four hours prior to an anticipated cold start. I let it idle with the exhaust brake on for a quicker warmup.

I also bought used. There are some good deals to be had out there, and maybe the used approach might fit better with your future plans if you have to sell at a later date.

I would definitely buy diesel. Given your stated pulling requirement, a 2500 should be fine, but for future, unseen flexibility perhaps a 3500 would be best.

A truck isn't an investment. You'll lose money every time (unless you bought an El Camino in 1970 and still have it), but you can minimize the loss if purchased wisely.
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Old 10-23-2014, 03:02 AM   #12
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I use both my 2500 and my 3500 for daily driving, short distance to work (4 miles). The longer trips twice per week will build the heat up and allow the DEF to regen. I personally do not and would not use an additive in the newer diesels. Don't know how much truth/fact there is in the rumors, but I've heard the additives can cause problems with NoX sensors. The NoX sensor seems to be the biggest problem with the Dmax emission system. I have replaced one in each of my trucks. Both of them at around 50k miles. The good part, they're under the diesel 100,000 warranty. You do not want to let the Dmax sit and idle for a long time, the new emissions are not designed for that. I was really surprised how easy mine started during the sub zero temps and how quickly it warmed up last winter. The engine turned over fast and easy, the block heater works great. You will hear some advise to avoid the DEF system, but my experience is that it's no big deal, just add a couple gallons about every 4-5k miles. The NoX sensor is part of that system, so I guess that could be a drawback.

As for the 6.0 and 4:10 set up, I had that in a previous truck as well. A lot of power for a gasser and pulled my 8,500 lb 5er well, until I got into the mountains around CO and WY. I was really working it hard in the mountains and the tranny was warming up pretty good. A couple passes had me down to 25-30 mph as I tried to limit the RPMs. I enjoy traveling in that part of the country , that really pushed me towards the diesel. Also, if you read my post on the thread by therink, you will see that the dmax is actually a cheaper per mile vehicle to operate. Personally, it doesn't matter to me which truck you buy, just giving you my two cents from my experiences when faced with the same decision.
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Old 10-23-2014, 03:11 AM   #13
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"Cheaper per mile." I have to agree. My almost 300,000 miles with Cummins have been almost trouble free. Not much, if anything, to a "tune up". I do almost all of my own maintenance. If the OP will do the same, I suggest he look under the hood of all three before buying. It will be obvious which brand will be easier to maintain.
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Old 10-23-2014, 05:26 AM   #14
Eric91Z
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Again, thank you all for the input. We definitely plan to spend time in Colorado, especially in the mountains. One of our favorite places, so will want the power to pull up hill and engine braking for downhills would definitely be nice!
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Old 10-23-2014, 05:08 PM   #15
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Again, thank you all for the input. We definitely plan to spend time in Colorado, especially in the mountains. One of our favorite places, so will want the power to pull up hill and engine braking for downhills would definitely be nice!
Oh yeah, how'd I forget about that? The 2011 an newer Dmax all have the engine brake, it is AMAZING for towing in the mountains. Tap the brake to "tell" the computer the speed you want to go and the exhaust brake will take over. In many cases you don't need to touch the brake again. There are some times on longer/steeper grades when it'll drop down a gear to bring the rpm's up. This gives it more exhaust to brake with. I don't like it running the higher rpm's so I'll use the brake in that situation to control the speed and keep the tranny in the higher gear. Last year I was following my dad through the hills in Superior, WI. He has an 07 Dmax so no exhaust brake. He was on the brakes constantly, I never touched mine.
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Old 10-23-2014, 05:13 PM   #16
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"Cheaper per mile." I have to agree. My almost 300,000 miles with Cummins have been almost trouble free. Not much, if anything, to a "tune up". I do almost all of my own maintenance. If the OP will do the same, I suggest he look under the hood of all three before buying. It will be obvious which brand will be easier to maintain.
The cummins is nice, only problem is the wrapper The Allison is tough to beat, but it sounds like Dodge may have finally found a comparable counterpart with the Aisin.

I still haven't figured out why Dodge can't seem to find a good seat for a truck that is intended to run a lot of miles.
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Old 10-23-2014, 06:19 PM   #17
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I still haven't figured out why Dodge can't seem to find a good seat for a truck that is intended to run a lot of miles.
Out of the 4 gen Dodge Ram/Cummins, how many of them have you owned?
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Old 10-23-2014, 06:24 PM   #18
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The cummins is nice, only problem is the wrapper The Allison is tough to beat, but it sounds like Dodge may have finally found a comparable counterpart with the Aisin.

I still haven't figured out why Dodge can't seem to find a good seat for a truck that is intended to run a lot of miles.
Perhaps, but I enjoy the character and soul of the Dodge Cummins with the NV5600 6-speed stick. The tinny Dodge "wrappers" went away at the 1994 model change. I learned how to drive in a '52 Ford pickup when I was ten, so I guess I'm more of a pickup guy than a refined, Caddy guy, and more of a BMW GS guy than a Honda Goldwing guy.

To each his own, eh?
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Old 10-23-2014, 07:03 PM   #19
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Regarding the engine heater. My 2 cents and realize my truck is about as outdated as a model A compared to a new truck. At home the temps get 20s lowest and I plug in the truck if I am going to drive it early in the morning. It is nice to have a quick start but, even better with a warm cab almost right away and windshield not iced up. Elk hunting temps to 0 degrees to highs 20s. We all plug in to the gennys in the mornings for up to an hour before starting them. Trucks are 1996, mine, 2003 and 04 fords.
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Old 10-23-2014, 08:32 PM   #20
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I think I have maybe a different view than others. If you live in town and won't be driving the diesel more than 5-10 miles, in-town commuting most of the time, I wouldn't recommend a diesel. It's hard on them to not get out and be driven for longer distances/times. But I grew up a diesel mechanics daughter, so maybe that just rubbed off on me.

Don't get me wrong, I love my diesels, both the newer F-350 we have, and our old Dodge Cummins. But we have always lived in the country here in MN and in MT, so I've not worried too much about short distance driving. As far as starting in winter, ours have always started, but I do carry an extension cord when we head west in winter and stay at hotels with plug-ins in the parking lot if it's supposed to be real cold overnight. I've never had a problem starting either one at -35 when plugged in and anti-gelling dumped in the tank (some places I can only get #2 diesel, not mixed).
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