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I tow a 37 ft fifth wheel with a 2006 F-250 Super Duty diesel truck. I've heard that Chevy and Dodge are both thinking about putting a diesel in their half ton trucks but I haven't heard the same about Ford. Does anyone know if the F-150 will be available in diesel in the near future? If so, I'm getting one. The difference in power from a gas engine to a diesel engine is pretty significant.

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

Oh????


Yeah - if you're comparing an 3.5L EcoBoost to a 6.6L Duramax!!


But if you compare it to the small EcoDiesel in the Ram 1500:



then the gas engine Ford EcoBoost has a lot better hp and the same torque:


3.5L EcoBoost has 365 hp @ 5000 rpm; 420 lb-ft torque @ 2500 rpm
and many of the F150 models have way more than 9200 lb max towing capacity




The one thing that Chrysler is claiming about the EcoDiesel engine is that it will offer better fuel economy than the competitors' engines in the half-ton class.


Ford's answer is to make the 2015 F150 lighter with a bunch of aluminum.


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SkiSmuggs

While I tow a 9500 lb 34' fiver with my F150, you need a super duty for a fiver that size.

Norotso

The EcoDiesel 1500 also has NO payload capacity....

smokeywren

Probably not, unless the small diesel in the Ram half-ton pickup is a run-away best seller and GM joins in with a small diesel in their half-ton pickups.

Ford has been considering a diesel engine for the F-150 for years and years. The last serious look was around 10 years ago when they announced that the Navistar modular V-6 diesel (3/4ths of the Navistar 6.0L V8 diesel) would be installed in F-150s. Ford installed that 4.5L diesel engine in the cab-over "city delivery" Ford trucks, but they split the sheets with Navistar before the first F-150 diesel could be developed and assembled.

Lately the Ford engineers are looking at small Ford diesel engines available in Europe to install in the F-150, but costs to meet the EPA rules are stumbling blocks. Also, customer surveys don't reveal much pent-up demand for a diesel engine in the F-150 marketplace. A small diesel in the F-150 would cost several thousand dollars more than the twin-turbo EcoBoost gasser, and the fleet buyers won't pay that premium for such a small difference in performance. And without the fleet buyers, your new drivetrain would probably be a flop.

brulaz

If Ram put its EcoDiesel in a truck with a reasonable payload, I would be interested.

The EcoD doesn't have the EcoBoost's HP so passing and WOT at speed will be less exciting, but should give substantially better mileage when towing. It also has its max torque down at 1500 rpm, perfect for towing, rather than the EcoB's 2500 rpm. Add the 8spd tranny and you would have a great combo. Not as exciting, but think it could be a fine tow truck.

But RAM insists on marketing its 1500 trucks as commuters and "grocery-getters" with low GVWR and payloads. They've got 5 lug wheels/axles for cat's sake!

RAM towers who know what their doing have a 2500/3500. The new 2500 with rear coils and 6.4L Hemi is a great truck by all accounts, with not so great gas mileage.

Boulevard

I had a diesel and I do not understand why anyone would put a diesel in a half ton truck (150/1500) other than it being a gimmick. A gimmick which chev already tried back in the early 80's. 150/1500 series trucks are part time haulers and part time family cars and for that gas is the way to go. If FORD were listening to me they would go with the new ZF 8-speed and throw in a set of 4.56 gears. That should make the 5.0 pull just as hard as any diesel and get comparable fuel economy. Hell, I would take a 6.2 in an f250 with the ZF 8-speed and 4.56 gears over any diesel, in any truck, any day of the week.

LTC F

If, and it's a big if, the Dodge (actually its a Fiat) actually gets 23 MPG, that works out to $0.16 a mile, with diesel costing $3.67, not counting whatever the urea costs. In the 16,000 miles I've put on my EB I've averaged 19.1 MPG. Gas is $3.29 here so that comes to $0.17 a mile, and no urea. I'd have to drive about 100,000 miles to make up the difference in price of the engine.

My EB with the 3.55 rear end has a towing capacity of 9,800 lbs compared to the Ram Diesel 9,200 lbs.

Diesel doesn't make sense in a half ton.

acadianbob

Diesel is not necessary in 1/2 tons if you have the right technology; Ecoboost. Diesel is a stop-gap for brands behind technologically.

You won't be pulling a 37ft 5er with a 1/2 ton. Payload issues.

brulaz

"Diesel doesn't make sense in a half ton."

Don't think it's that simple.

Modern diesels are way different from the 1980 versions.

And there are a lot of modern, small vehicles running diesel with great low-end torque and excellent mileage. VW, for example, is famous for its little diesels. We had a 2005 Passat TDI and towed a 2500# tent trailer all over N.A. My daughter is still running it in Northern B.C.

The 3L V6 in the big VW Touareg SUV is a great tower with the same low end torque as the Ecoboost. It's no light weight SUV either, ~5000# curb and 1400# payload, but gets US EPA 29 Hwy, 20 City. And from what I've heard on the forums, it's towing mileage is also very good. Much better than the F150 Ecoboost. But it's a SUV ...

RAM Ecodiesel US EPA 27 hwy, 19 city
F150 Ecoboost US EPA 21 hwy, 15 city

Also diesel up here is cheaper than gas for now, and many folks use Premium gas anyway when towing heavy and hot with the Ecoboost, as recommended in the manual.

A good diesel in a capable truck like the F150 HD Payload would be a winner.