Mike Simmons - Diesel and short commutes

From : bruiser

Q: i was directed here by the rv net forum. i hear mike simmons is the guy to ask. my wife and i are looking into buying a new dodge 2500. we cant decide between the diesel or the hemi. we plan on towing a smaller fifth wheel. two issues 1. the truck will be parked in our basement. will the diesel smell get into and throughout the house 2. the second is our commute to work is only around three miles. how will this effect the diesel friends tell us to buy the diesel for resale but i dont plan on selling it. this is a long term purchase. thanks for any advice bru .

Replies:

From : mike simmons

bruiser i guess id need to know a bit more about your intended use before i can offer my opinion. first yup diesels are a tad bit stinky although the new hpcr cummins is a lot less stinky than the old ones. the best bet is to open your garage door before firing it up. second the three mile commute will not be good for any engine gas or diesel. the acids by-products of combustion will accumulate in your engine oil and with the short commute will likely rarely have a chance to boil off during your short drive. whatever you get gas or diesel i would strongly recommend frequent oil changes use schedule b in your owners manual to get rid of the acids. a nice road trip of about 30 miles weekly will really help too! the diesel will of course have a better resale value however you will be paying a premium of $5-$6k for this engine. will the increased fuel economy be of benefit to you especially considering your short commute. i would venture to say that on your short drive the hemi will give you about 15 mpg whereas the cummins will probably give you about 18 mpg driving both sensibly. hemi owners tend to be a little more exuberant than cummins owners ^! the cummins will undoubtedly do a better job towing your fiver especially if you live in a hilly or mountainous area. how big is your fiver what kind of performance do you expect either one will probably do the job you are asking but which one will make you happier the cost of fuel should be considered too since the price of gasoline and diesel rarely correlate any more. at least in my market diesel fuel is higher or about the same as gas in the winter months and cheaper in the summer months due to refinery overcapacity of diesel/heating oil. if you would like either post more info in the ng or email me and i will try to help you figure out what may be best for you but ultimately it will be your decision since you will have to live with and pay for! it. hope this helps! mike i was directed here by the rv net forum. i hear mike simmons is the guy to ask. my wife and i are looking into buying a new dodge 2500. we cant decide between the diesel or the hemi. we plan on towing a smaller fifth wheel. two issues 1. the truck will be parked in our basement. will the diesel smell get into and throughout the house 2. the second is our commute to work is only around three miles. how will this effect the diesel friends tell us to buy the diesel for resale but i dont plan on selling it. this is a long term purchase. thanks for any advice bru .

From : bill

ive owned diesels for years and heres my two cents worth 1. when i park my truck in the garage and close the door you can smell the exhause fumes without a doubt. it will dissapate within a couple of hours but if you leave the door open between the garage and the house it will enter the house and youll smell it for quite some time. if your washer/dryer is in the garage like mine and youve got a load you left in the dryer then you will end up with them smelling like fumes. throw in a bounce dryer sheet and they will come out smelling better. 2. three miles considered a very short commute for a diesel will severly shorten the life of the diesel. idling is bad and short commutes are even worse. i wouldnt do it at all as youre asking for a ton of problems. yes resale on a diesel is better but if its long term purchase i would go with a gas engine...based upon your usage. i was directed here by the rv net forum. i hear mike simmons is the guy to ask. my wife and i are looking into buying a new dodge 2500. we cant decide between the diesel or the hemi. we plan on towing a smaller fifth wheel. two issues 1. the truck will be parked in our basement. will the diesel smell get into and throughout the house 2. the second is our commute to work is only around three miles. how will this effect the diesel friends tell us to buy the diesel for resale but i dont plan on selling it. this is a long term purchase. thanks for any advice bru .

From : jerrymike simmons

budd cochran wrote well jerry what was your point except to try and start an argument my point was that i dont think theyre needed all the time and i know theyre sealed by the bearing manufacturer. do you understand me now you didnt have a damn clue they were sealed or you wouldnt have accused the guy of improper maintenance. anyone posts a comment they are starting a argument huh .......but you are not...... youre a fucking idiot budd. you dont have a point budd and you never do and btw whats i dont think theyre needed all the time bearings do you ever read what you post you certainly dont think when you post. oh wait a minute ....... i just realized this was one of youre gentle teases huh ............ damn i guess im not in that little group on here you can argue with and not be mean. your a real hoot budd. jerry .

From : max340

2. three miles considered a very short commute for a diesel will severly shorten the life of the diesel. idling is bad and short commutes are even worse. i wouldnt do it at all as youre asking for a ton of problems. i disagree to a certain extent. as mike said if all you are doing is the short commute thats not good. however oil changes are the key. i drive mine on a short commute and run a few miles on the weekends and ive had no problems at all. when the truck hits the 4 year mark i expect ill have 52k on it. max spam filters why purify an undesired substance .