I've driven plenty of diesels but i've never found any of them to peak my interest. I'm more then happy with my gas guzzling gasoline trucks.

 

I'll throw another truck comparison in for fun, my neighbor has a 05 Dodge 2500 5.9 Diesel that was built a couple of months before my 06 f350 v10. After driving and towing with both trucks I found the 5.9 pulling the same trailer was slightly slower than the 3v v10 and unloaded it was way slower. We also compared our mpg,s and he was the same as the 3v v10 unloaded and 1 to 2 mpg better towing. We both maintenance our trucks similarly and with similar mileage they've both been very reliable but I work my truck much harder as I pull stuff he would use KW to pull and I don't blame him for that as the brakes on his Dodge are ****. Then you have looks, wash my 06 and it looks like a new truck and the same for the cab interior, wash his 05 Dodge and you see rust and cracked plastic and the cab interior is shredded cloth and broken plastic and I don't baby my truck as much as he dose.

 

Back in 2005, I got to do a comparison as well with nearly identical trucks: mine - 2004.5 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9l cummins; father-in-law's 2005 F250 2wd supercab dually V10. Ram Mpg: empty = 16mpg, towing = 12mpg; F350: empty or towing = 11.7mpg, all day every day lol. His 2005 debuted the NEW 3 valve V10 362hp/457lbs vs my diesel 325hp/610lbs.


I was & am a Dodge guy - that being said, I've owned many Fords & currently own (3) Ford trucks with NO Dodges lol. I love a good deal & know a good truck when I see one, regardless of make.


My Dodge Diesel had a far superior rear suspension & held the same load/trailer much firmer & higher, amazingly. The dually would sag immediately. The dually had much better braking & stability, but it did have two extra tires. the V10 had better acceleration but both maintain speed about the same, whether 45mph or 65mph. I certainly was grateful to have choices like these for work trucks.


Comparing interiors, my SLT Dodge was nicer than the XLT F350, hands down. both remained durable & decent through work, employees, weather & wear.

 

A friend if mine is a Dodge guy and I landscaped with him, years ago, when he had an 02 2500 reg cab diesel. He'd put 3 yards of mulch in that truck and just like you said it squatted but not a ton. When I picked up my F250 to use for landscaping I put 3 yards I it and thought the bumper was going to drag on the ground. Air bags fixed that but his dodge always seemed to carry the weight well. My dually is already nose high (it's a short bed) so it sags. But it held it's own loaded with 3 yards and dragging a partially loaded 14ft dump trailer.

My buddy hopped up that dodge with a tuner, injectors, exhaust. That thing could move but was so brain rattling loud. When he would pick me up to work I would hear the truck well before I could see it.

 

Yah buddy! That's the Cummins lol a love/hate relationship concerning sound. His V10 & my current V10 (F250) are quiet as church mice in a lions den. I had a 1998 Dodge Ram 2500 12v Cummins that shook, rattled & rolled. Curb weight bone dry empty was 9000lbs due to addition of a dovetail landscape bed from Action Body. Fantastic truck that was just totaled...injector pump was going out but still ran & pulled. Started off with 16mpg then dropped to 10mpg by end due to bad pump.
I did add the 5000lb HD air bag lift to rear which already had superlift helper springs...dang bed was 3000lbs by itself! I'd throw a pallet of sod in there (3500lbs!), tools, a tandem axle 2500lb trailer with equipment or (2) pallets of sod (9500lbs!) and off we went! No speed demon but press the OD button & WORK...all it ever did.


I want to upgrade headers/exhaust on V10 but the quietness has me confused lol I like it, but I want my noise back too. odd predicament.

 

That is one of the great things about the V10. Smooth and quiet. But the newer diesels seem to have their manners finally and acting civil.

 

Well, hmmmm I'm a die hard blue oval guy but I did own an 06 LBZ GMC duramax before my 09 3v v10 I got a year ago, A 5.9 cummins should pull about 18-20 mpgs unloaded hwy, an unloaded 3v v10 hwy will do 12-14 mpg.s hwy, towing? towing what? 4k? the cummins will drop about 2 mpgs maybe, the v10 about 4, 10k the cummins should get about 12-14 the v10 will do 6-8 mpg's.
My Duramax (level 3 hypertech tuned) would avg 16-19 mpgs at 70-80 hwy and 12-15 city and I have a heavy foot, towing my 30 ft toyhauler it would get 9-13 mpgs (combined), my 09 3v unloaded best hwy mpgs on 87 5 star tune 14.2 @65-70 70-80 11-12 mpgs hwy, city its like 9-10, 91 5 star tune sucks fuel so bad I dont even use it, 89 octane gets 8-9 city and 10-11 hwy at 70-80. Towing my toyhauler 6-8 mpgs combined.

When driving up a steep grade is where the diesel really shines, on I10 Chiriaco summit my duramax could pull my toyhauler 80 mph uphill with ease, my v10 5000 rpm will barely go 60, even tuned.

My old truck would blow my v10 away in the 1/4 mile probaly by 5-6 truck lengths it was faster than crap BUT it was 2wd vs 4wd, it was lighter, it probably made 425hp and 800 ft lbs and it had a 6 speed alison and it was lighter, the rest of the truck was crap, in the shop all the time, wind noise, crappy ride and build quality, smaller interior, it did have rear air which my Ford doesn't and I like the folding back seats compared to Fords weird steel thing.

I love diesels but the 3v v10 is sooooo smooth and has good torque and HP for its 6.8 displacement but I miss my "hot rod" diesel, it was fast for a 7k truck like 14 sec 1/4 mile fast. I am enjoying it much more since gas has dropped and is much cheaper than diesel fuel, I'd love to get a diesel again but you have to work them hard or else they break and the new ones have so much emissions crap on them. Wish they made a v8 or v10 ecoboost.........oh yea the v10 sounds funny sounds like a 6 banger at part throttle.

 

Im kinda new to the V 10 world.. Ive had diesels since 1998. Had a 95,96,99, 03 (still have), and a 05 <

I still have the 03, its a reg cab 2wd 7.3 w/ 178K on the ticker and its the funnest truck Ive ever owned.. Tons of power and quick!! Weekend before Thanksgiving I traded the 05 F350 4wd for a 08 F250 KR 2wd V10.

I have a lawn care business, so I havent been able to pull a trailer with the V10 yet, but Im sure it wont have a problem.. It seems its got more than enough to handle my loads.. What Im sure I wont like is pulling up a hard hill the downshifts, on my 7.3 being a automatic, depending on load and roads, I lockout the overdrive so running in drive it just walks up the hill even with 10K behind.. Im sure the v10 will drop 2 gears since you cant lock in say drive..

The V10 is getting 12.5 mpgs ave right now, and my 7.3 around 15-16, but its winter time, summer the 7.3 should be 18-19 and V10 maybe avg 13-14 Im hoping.. Towing my trailers, usually 20' with two mowers, around 6k lbs I ave 12 with the 7.3.

With current fuel prices, I figure a diesel has to get 6mpg better to equal the cost vs gas right now. I was only getting 15 with the 6.0 so I am ahead with the V10. Then when you figure in the costs of oil and filter, and fuel filters, the V10 runs away..

Now if I only had one truck, then I would have a diesel. I tow local, so no interstate, but I would still rather do my pulling with a oil burner.. The V10 truck for me is my backup truck/ errand runner.. It will get some trailer duty, just not everyday like the 7.3 gets..

 

The advantage you have with a diesel is you can throw a big tune in it and have gobs of power and I probbly would also if I had a diesel.
I haven't personally talked to a 24v 5.9, 6.0 or 6.4 owner with a stock truck that gets anywhere near 20 mpg, there usually in the 15/16 range mpg highway. I don't have any experience with the Duramax other then my father-in-law has two new ones and he won't say much about the MPG's but brags about the power they have.

 

Years ago, I owned a 99 Dodge with the 24v 5.9 diesel (the LOUD engine!). And it would easily get 19-20 running 60-70mph. My 03 5.9 Cummins was 17-18 at similar speeds.

I still love my V10 though. Wouldn't even consider going back.

 

Not that it matters now, but should be a drain under the fuel filter bowl. I believe my '97 had a little yellow tab to pull out.
Even though each and every tank was treated with either Power Service or Ford's own additive, I often had the Water In Fuel light come on. Never did find the reason. I'd let the truck run 10 or 15 minutes to warm up and then drove it like I normally would. Did this every single time and no other issue ever developed.

 

Most of the Cummins guys I know have 05 or newer, I wonder if there was increased emissions standards that lowered the mpg,s as they got newer?

 

I think in 06 or 07 they went to the 6.7, and it had the EGR/DPF, sooner than they needed to, and it took a while to get the bugs worked out.

i do know that a deleted 6.7 would get close to 20mpg @ 70mph

My v10 wont pull anywhere near as well, but it pulls well enough for what I need it for, and is much nicer to drive.

 

Long term -5 to 10 years, definitely 7.3

 

Based on what? Please don't start with the " heavy towing will wear out a V10" load of crap.