My wife and I started shopping for new truck for us(used but new to us), she is firm about not wanting a diesel, but tell her in order for us to tow properly with our future trailer(our current trailer GVWR is 7600 and likely future trailer is 10000) we need to.go to a diesel. She "thinks" that diesels smell bad. We are likely looking at 2005 to 2009 F250/350's which are typically.6.0's correct? We have never owned a diesel, so I can't answer that question. But I remember old diesels not always smelling good in the 70/80's but have thought that went away. Our budget doesn't allow for a 2011 or newer 6.2, wish it did, but we are staying in the 14 to 17k range.

Secondly how many miles is to many for buying a used diesel? I looking for.one less than 150k. For what I know, it's not uncommon for them to last 300k plus(neck all of me.5.4's have run 250k plus)

 

used 6.2 powered trucks can be bought with around 100,000 miles on them for 17-21k

 

we live in Columbus Ohio, I can't find a XLT 250 OR 350 2011 or newer Crew Cab for less than 22k ish. Our budget tops out around 15 to 17 if I push it. I'd like to be in the 12 to 14 range.

Anyways, but diesels don't smell do they? I know forever ago they did, but as far as I know they don't now. Is that correct?

 

the newer diesels do not smell like the older trucks did... they are alot cleaner in burning than the older trucks were... which 2007 was the last year for the 6.0L.. 08 and 09 were the 6.4L .. either would do fine for you... 6.4 had a little more power to them but not by much.. thing to remember with todays trucks... unlike the trucks of yesteryears the 250 and 350 are built pretty much the same... its not like the older trucks where there was a big difference in component strength.. anymore both can handle the same amount of towing and payloads... where the difference happens to be is the blocks under the springs.. least thats how it was in the 04's..

with the campers id suggest 4.10 gearing if you can find them but 3.73 would be a good towing gear as well.. use to pull a 32ft camper with 3.73 gearing and didnt have any problems.. actually got some better mpg than the others that were running 4.10's but that was back in the carburated days.. probably wouldnt see that big of a difference in these newer computer controlled things...

the biggest suggestion id say to do BEFORE buying a newer diesel... Get something that you can plug in and read the computers with... Scangauge 2, Torquepro, Forscan.. youll want to see what codes are hiding in them and what the various sensors are reporting back on the high mileage diesels... Torque Pro and Forscan are apps you can download into your phone or tablets and use a blue tooth obdII adapter to read the computer with...

and hello to a feller ohioin... Use to live in Burgles... closest larger city to that is Steubenville...

 

You are probably in the price range for a 6.0, maybe 6.4. But beware, a lot of people buy these trucks and then remove the emissions control equipment(Bullet Proofing).

Gas trucks are more capable than they use to be, I wouldn't rule them out as an option. Especially since it cost more to maintain a diesel. For example, an oil change on a 6.2L is 7 quarts, where as a diesel is 15 quarts, almost doubling the cost of a single oil change. Many people, myself included, are happier towing with a diesel. But diesels are higher maintenance so not everyone finds it to be worth it, especially if it will also be your daily driver.

 

granted with the newer oil technology thats out today having longer life spans its made the gas engines require fewer oil changes than they use to.. ive still been weary in pushing my gassers that much further... the part i always found interesting when people compared the oil changes cost was people forgot how many more oil changes you did on a gasser vs a diesel.. (especially prior to the longer life oils came onto the scene...) use to be gassers did them at ever 3K miles where diesels did it every 6-9K miles... so for that every 1 you did on a diesel you were doing 2-3 on a gasser... now you have gassers with intervals of 7-8K miles (seen some "car" manuals recommend every 10K), and diesels still being recommended for changes around 6-15K but really depends on how healthy your engine is and how hard your working it...

for my gassers i still change them every 3K/1yr whether its needed or not.. where my diesel i tend to do it around 6K most times but have pushed it to 10-15K a couple times when i was too busy to change it... but also grabbed oil samples to see how well it was holding up... at 6K my oil in the truck was still pretty healthy according to lab analysis, 10K they were recommending change but still had "some" life to it by time i got to that 15K once they were saying it was due for a change..

so comparing my gasser vs my diesel... i spend 25.68 - 53.49 on the oil (depending on if i get Motorcraft or Royal Purple brand for it) and $10 for its filter.. Making its Oil change $35.68 - $69.49 depending on the oil i get.. and even though the book "says" every 6K-yr i still do it at every 3K/yr (depending on how much i drive it) to keep its oil fresh.. especially with the narrower passages theyre making the oil galleys these days. As for my diesel the oil filters $18-$27 each depending on where you get them... but i tend to keep my eye open for the occasion when they go on sale and snag them for much cheaper, got 4 of them one time for $15 total.. and the oil can run me $55.14 for motorcraft - $44.94 for Rotella... which would make it (if we go with the low end filter price) $62.94 with the rotella and $72.14 for the motorcraft oil (which i never end up buying for the truck.. i always end up going with rotella because of the price)...

so comparing the 2 there... even if i did my truck every 6K the price of the oil change balances out between the 2 considering im doing the gasser twice vs the truck once... or if we look at the more expensive oil price for the gasser its costing me twice as much to do the gasser with the performance oil than it does for me to do the truck..



as for the emission deletion.. thats really up to the owners.. there are still a lot of people out there running 100% factory equipped engines without all the "bullet proofing" equipment and deletions that the threads here scare people into doing... ntm even those who have done some of the other mods listed in those threads there are still some that still keep the emission systems intact for various other reasons while choosing other aftermarket "upgrades" to replace the factory equipment...

 

Unless I'm looking at something wrong, but from what I see the oil change intervals are the same between the gas and diesel trucks, 5-6K or every 6 months. Even the F-150 with the 5.4 I use to have had a 6 month oil change interval on it, the same as the 7.3 I drive now.

 

as i said it depends on the vehicle and what the books now "recommend"... on my dads truck (03 chebby) they said every 7K.. but he tends to do his at either 3K or 6K depending on what hes doing with the truck.. more times than not hes around 6K... and hes very picky about what oil he uses in it.. my last gasser truck literally cooked the oil in its engine (especially in the summers had to run 20w-50 in it during the summer time) because it ran so hot so 3K was the limit for me.. and with all the synthetics on the shelf these days you can go a year (if the mileage is not met) before the oil itself needs changed out.. thats provided you run it enough monthly to "boil" the condensation that creeps into the oil in the crankcase out..

 

You bring a valid point, sometimes the situation dictates sooner oil changes. But how the oil would hold up in a side by side comparison between a gas and a diesel 250 doing the same job in the same environment would be interesting to see. I don't have that data though. I use to work for a landscape company and we drove F-250's with the 6.2L. We almost always had trailers, and I regularly had a skid steer with a couple attachments, plus what ever was in the bed. The oldest was a 2014 I think, they only changed oil in there trucks once every 6 months. If that is sufficient and how these trucks will hold up in the coming years, I can't say.

 

id like to see that too... i know that diesel oil tends to have more detergents, higher concentration of anti-wear agents and an additive to keep/remove air bubbles from forming in oil (cant remember the term they use to use for it) as it passes through the engine.. other than that im not sure either...

 

I can assure you that mashing your foot to the floor in a 6.0 will assuage any concerns about smell. These trucks are FAST now the stank can't keep up!

Seriously though, as long as you don't spill fuel on yourself and keep up on the leaks you won't have to worry about the smell so much. My 89 f250 reeks of fuel due to a leaky return line I am afraid to touch. My buddy's 2005 6.0 smells like greasy tow truck driver BO and actual grease. You'd be best off test driving one before you commit to a motor in your searching.